Greenhaven, in the Pacific North We(s)t, rain is a fact of life, and with it, comes Botrytis cinerea. You are right, some roses, are more susceptible. So, the rose umbrellas gives a degree of protection. But more importantly, for those of use who enter roses in shows, it's one more step to get those perfect blemish free petals the judges are looking for. I also use a lot of discarded styrofoam packing boards for the same purpose. We don't have JB's here, thank goodness, but I guess if you can find a way of sealing off the bottom, it probably will keep those out too. Blackspot? Yes, it does give the upper most leaves from some protection, unless the rain comes with winds. But I think the best part was the ice cream cake, on a hot late June day.

T2G you need to visit me....I have TONS of old utensils....in fact I spotted the ice cream scoop for ME, but if we can get that kind of money for it.....buh-bye scoop!! :^) On a regular basis, I use old wooden handled kitchen utensils....red and white of course!!! Just last evening my DS and his boss were laughing at my vintage '20's whisk!! The boss had never seen such a thing...She immedieately agreed that it makes the BEST gravy!!

Pat, I asked around the office today and the only DQ here in the Tulsa Metro is a combo with Orange Julious(sp) in the big mall. I don't do the big mall very often and I think it's a new thing. I've had some good times out at Keystone back in the day. One of my sales reps lives in Mannford, same area as Cleveland and she said no DQ's to be found. There are some in other smaller towns around the state though. There is a chance I might be in Dustin sometime in the next year or so. A friend has an Aunt who owns a rental on the beach that we would like to go to and chill out for a long weekend. Not sure how far you are from there but if you are close we will have to get together. It would be great to meet you and have a drink or a DQ! David

I have two antique doll sized ice cream chairs; one goes in a garden up at our lake cabin. The other is on a covered area of my front steps in the summer with a potted plant sitting on it. My grand mother was born in the early 1900's and had her portrait taken at age 5 on an ice cream chair; then she took my mother at that same age to be photographed on the same chair. My mother hunted the chair down and had me photographed, again at age 5 on the chair. Duh, I forgot to do that with my own daughter until I saw an ice cream chair one day (she was six)! So I arranged to borrow it and took her to a local studio to be photographed. Leave it to me to interrupt tradition!