I'm usually comfortable with wild critters, but there was this one time... Much of the back yard at our previous house was sloped. There was a terraced path mid-slope, and I had a bluebird house attached to the fence post at about 5' high. Placement was such because it was a backup house, and I found it easier to store it there than in the garden shed. I liked to feed the birds, but the seed did tend to attract those big, ugly rats to the back area of the yard. One day, I saw a rat run into the birdhouse. In bright daylight, no less. I went over and angrily flipped open the hinged top, thinking it would run off along the top of the fence. Well, that isn't quite what happened next. That rat launched himself out of the birdhouse, and flew! My feet were frozen in place, but I arched my back and leaned my head and torso away from the airborne missile as it flew 12" in front of my face. My eyes were wide, but the pupils followed the movement as that rat landed 5 feet downslope--and was swallowed up by the sword ferns growing there. Yikes! There was no time to straighten up, because a few seconds later rat #2 flew out of the box in the same arc as the first one. I never screamed; the only thing that seemed to be working were my eyes and the count. Three. An involuntary shudder went down my arms about that time, but I was still firmly frozen in place. Number four allowed me to focus 15" in front of my nose as he flew out at a slightly different angle down the slope. There was a brief pause...and I smiled that miraculously none of them had landed on my body in their panic! I'd just begun to straighten when number five launch through the air..Ack!.. and soon, number six followed the first rat's route... I waited. And waited some more. Finally I straightened up and looked inside the birdhouse. Empty. WHEW! I have no idea how so many large rats fit inside that birdhouse--or even WHY they would all be smashed inside of there. That none of them ran out, and all jumped as if shot from a mini-canon from the interior shredded what I think of as typical rat behavior. It definitely goes down as one of the freakiest things I've ever experienced; Not sure if it qualifies more as a funny story or a nightmarish one. lol

Well Phil, that's more exaggerated how Minnesotans are stereotyped. I'm not a native, but I've learned to speak Minnesotan in the 10½ years I've been here. The good thing is that natives KNOW the Minnesota-isms and can really laugh at themselves about it. That vid is more like a compilation of Minnesota-isms. ufdah is common Yah sure is somewhat common Ya betch is somewhat common doncha know is common And the overall accent.... that was sorta exaggerated, but that does sound a lot like how a non-Minnesotan would "hear" it. The thing I've noticed is that Minnesotans do not seem to know that a dangling preposition is very common here, and furthermore have no clue that it's grammatically incorrect. For instance, "I'm going to the store, do you want to come with?"

I have 'L.S. Downsized' as well as 'Blue Haired Lady' (originally sold to me as 'Old Coot'). I love BHL, but LSD is a mini that you can easily overlook. If I have time I'll post a pic of BHL. The leaves are like the ears of a Lop eared rabbit. They're satiny and a cool shade of blue. I'm still looking for 'Old Coot', to keep my BHL company (poor thing). Yes Janice I can start a thread on secret gardens or grottos...that is if I ever get mine made. Right now its just a pic in my mind. Donna ;o)

Drum roll please, Ladies and Gentlemen, I now reveal to you the contents of the fabulous box that wendy sent to me: * 3 (three) boas - one pink, one plue and one purple - my husband has been out of town for 3 days . I think I'll dress up in feathers for his return ;) lol * A wooden caddy with roosters - thanks! * A metal bird that is also a bird house - this is really cute. I'll but it in the woods with my new plants. * A crow scarecrow pic (for the fall wreath I just made for my front door) * A flower pick * A magnet notepad - for my refrigerator... I'm always looking for a scap of paper to write a note * 2 sets of work gloves - I really needed these * A bag of jiffy pellets (always useful) * A white pillar candle with purple flowers * A beautiful green petal candle dish with tea light - now on my coffee table * 3 tiny flower pot candles - too cute * lemon verbena home fragrance ( love that smell!) * A big bag of small narcissus bulbs ( almost bought these for myself last week) * 4 plants variegated hosta "minuteman" variegated creeping fig lingularia the rocket Cimicifuga racemosa (Black Cohosh) Wow Wendy wow. As I said " I gots the bestest box"!. My daughter and I had so much fun pulling all the gifts out of the box. The natives look a little sad. But I've already planted them and they will get lots of TLC. I do love everything in my box so much. You certainly puts lots of thought into that box and saved the best for last. Thank you. (((((((((BIG HUG))))))))) kim