Welcome to Florida, Beksta. Sure it's hot and humid here in the summertime, but did you ever check out the temps in states like Georgia and South Carolina? We usually don't get much over 94 or 95 in the summertime while they're sweltering into over 100! And that's over 100 without a breeze. Since we've got the Atlantic on one side and the Gulf on the other we can usually count on some nice breezes (especially closer to the ocean). The Gulf side doesn't seem to benefit from the breeze like the Atlantic side does. It's the trade winds and Gulf Stream that help us off the Atlantic Ocean. Happy Gardening. Sheri

I don't know much about those sites (safe or not), but in my case (and FWIW) I collect mine individually from forums. E.g. I would create a folder in Pictures (Windows 7) and call it "Smileys." Then I go to something like the Opera browser forums. I'd pick a long thread likely to contain a lot of casual discussion, like this one and scan down the page -- and through all the pages -- looking at their smileys. If I find any I like, I right-click on it and save it to the Smileys (or is it "Smilies"?) folder, renaming it appropriately. Then in my email software -- and in most of my webmail clients -- it's easy to add one to the email by browsing to the file and insert it. I don't go crazy with this. I probably only have about 12-15 of them, just to add a visual expression to something I'm saying, and only when writing to friends casually.

Ken, I'm not sure where you perceive rudeness in that response. You made a statement that was incorrect and I attempted to correct it. A mulch is ANY product applied to cover the soil surface. It can be organic: leaves, bark, wood chips, grass clippings, compost, composted manures, pine straw, etc. Or it can be inorganic: shredded tires, plastic sheeting, rocks or gravel, limestone chips or oyster shells, etc. Both can accomplish much the same things - weed suppression, insulation of the soil/moderation of temperatures and reduction of soil moisture evaporation. Organic mulches, regardless of material, also serve to add nutrients back to the soil as they decompose and will also serve to improve soil structure. Compost has many uses in the garden and mulching is right up there. Compost as a mulch, if applied properly, lasts a full season in the garden. I know this because I mulch exclusively with compost and have for over 20 years. And if you bother to visit the Soils forum or Google the topic, you will find many sources touting the value of compost as a mulch, including most extension service publications: The benefits of compost as mulch. "Mulches used in gardens suppress weeds, reduce soil erosion, modify the soil temperatures (cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter), and conserve soil moisture. Yard waste compost makes an ideal mulch for annual and perennial gardens. All that needs to be done is to apply a three to six inch layer of compost around the base of the plant. Periodically throughout the summer, you may need to add more compost over the old layers to maintain the benefits of the mulch." "Compost, whether you buy it or make it yourself makes tremendous mulch. Organic mulch, such as that derived from compost, has all the usual benefits in addition to supplying nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. On beds of permanent plants, trees, hedges, and fruit, an annual mulch of compost will keep your soil in good health and your plants in top condition. Here are a few more advantages of compost mulch: Compost's rich, dark color and crumbly uniform texture adds an attractive, "finished" look to planting areas. Compost mulch breaks down faster than bark chips or shredded wood chips, releasing its nutrients more quickly for plants to absorb. Keep in mind that because compost mulch breaks down faster, it needs to be reapplied more frequently than wood-chip mulch, perhaps yearly. Compost mulch doesn't harbor artillery fungi (Sphaerobolus stellatus) or other nuisance fungi found in some regional wood-chip mulches. Reproduction efforts of these so-called "shotgun" fungi involve shooting messy black or brown spores through the air, which are difficult to clean off buildings, cars, and patio surfaces. Birds and other wildlife are delighted by compost-rich beds that are also rich in worms and other creatures on which to feast."

He explains most things in weather patterns and does not jump to alarmist positions arbitrarily. Due to this , people dislike him.. He actually bridges the gap between the two camps if you listen to him. He sees water vapor as much more a climate modulator than Carbon. After a series of super el niños, the base line temperature drop between them has climbed because so much water vapor has been injected into the atmosphere. That is his explanation. He is very interested to see if this coming el nino will have a reduced baseline after that is lower or higher. He also studies patterns and uses analog years and historical observations going back over a hundred years to explain much of what people jump to the climate change umbrella. I like to watch him because he sticks to science and patterns. He runs a paid weather service because he is often correct. Investors and industry use him a lot. I never used an emoticon and I have remained civil.