Kat, I would be interested in doing some trading with you if you would like. I would be interested in JoAnne Pring, Mrs. George C. Hitchcock, and Afterglow (2 of Afterglow if you have them). I have a very extensive list of plants so you can check them and see if I have anything that you want. The only tropical I have up for trade right now is Albert deLestang. If you are not familiar with this tropical, it is an Austrailian waterlily that I have had much success growing. If you are interested in seeing what this lily looks like, go to http://www.victoria-adventure.org/waterlilies/anecphya_galleries/gigantea_albert_de_lestang.html where you can find a photo gallery of it. Though none of the pictures show it, Albert has a pretty icy blue tone on the first and second days. The flowers on this lily last a week compared to the four days of other tropicals. The plant that I have to send is a smaller plant but has TONS of growth on it and will be blooming size in a few weeks if given the proper care. It got a later start than all of my other tropicals. I also have Almost Black and then you can check my trade list and see what all else I have that you are interested in (go to www.geocities.com/lucasdalderson/myplants.html). I have most of the hardies up for trade but a different story on the bog plants and tropicals. I would be willing to trade 2 hardies per tropical with the exception of Almost Black because it is slightly rare. All plants will be good sized though Almost Black is a start but has very nice growth on it like the Albert deLestang. Let me know if you are interested in doing some trading. Happy ponding, Lucas D. Alderson

Sent you a PM.

Yes, Spanish moss all over down here. JoanMN/FL

And, fwiw, this is a good pic to discuss editing on. The image above was edited some, and needs way more than I could get to approach the real sunset. While a photographer can take a mundane "scene" and jazz it up with editing, the editing to the one above is really about compensating for not capturing the real scene. Mostly as a matter of contrast, I suppose, I didn't get the real image of the great brilliant "silver lining of the thunderhead and the halloween orange of the lower strata. Also add in the dark purple of the passing storm. I can discuss this freely because I didn't have time to even try to take great photo. Getting all those things, in my experience, is hard enough even if you have the time to try. So, editing, when it imparts something that isn't there, can be a little , what,inaccurate? often editing helps but still doesn't make up for the difference in the image and the scene. Photographic skill, ha, and equipment. Personally, I have no reservations in trying to edit to make up for any lack of skill or luck in getting across what I was seeing/taking. I can understand if some purists see that differently. And, here is another one from last night where the bright part (thunderhead) contrast gets blown out, but the darker parts of the pic down lower have better detail. In the big picture, pardon the pun, its hard to get pure white and halloween orange in the same picture. The eye can see it, but getting the camera to capture that great of contrast, for me at least, is hard.