OH, I'm so glad you saved it from the fire! Love the way you've got it planted, the creeping jenny looks so pretty crawling out. My sis-in-law has a similar, but larger, stump in her front yard of a huge old oak tree that fell during a storm about 5 years ago. She's got succulents, and other interesting things planted in it. I have a pic somewhere if I can find it, will update later. Great save, and it adds such interet to your garden too! Good to see another Iowa gardener here! ~tenderlee

Thanks for the guess, Orrin. When I looked up Buteo buteo on the internet, the wing pattern and size was almost identical. But then I noticed the tail. The Buzzard has a rounded tail, and the one I saw has a distinct V-notch in the tail. Thanks, tho. Candy

As others have said, the tight foundation chain is normal until your develop your even tension but it does make it much harder to do that first row. What I have found to stop the fanning is to miss the first stitch in each row after the turning chain, then continue across. The chain at the beginning becomes a replacement for the first stitch and becomes the last stitch when you come back on the next row. If your do your first stitch at the base of the chain, you are effectively adding one stitch to each row. It is important to count your stitches each row for a while and count the chain loop as one stitch. Clear as mud? I am hopeless at explaining - I can only teach if someone watches over my shoulder and follows me. Don't give up - just eat chocolate and sip some wine to keep your strength up - it works for patchworkers, so I am sure it will work for crocheters! Beth

Okay, I'm going to give it a shot on my group picture. Don't forget I'd only been a member here for about 3 months. Back Row: L-R. Don't remember, then me, JoAnn KS, Joan-MN/Fla. & DH Kenny, Moni, and Tammi OH. Middle: Dean & Sandy-Iowa, Don't remember, ToniNe., HeyJude in front of DH (forgot his name, sorry), LindaIA, MonicaPA, TammiOH's DH, Merle (?). In front of LindaIA is her son Ty (I think), Dea MN's DH, (forgot his name) and DeaMN. Would someone who knows please fill in the names, so I can make a list to put with this picture. Leslie