Glad to know you had fun. I'd love to see pictures if you have any (I still remember your pic of Slc. Ocelot from last year). I really wanted to go, but this was just an otherwise insane weekend for me. I did have a member of my OS pick up some plants from Howard G. though and I can't wait to pick them up tonight. As for clerking, when you volunteer, speak to the person who organizes it and ask not to be placed on the Phal-only team. Follow up at every OS meeting after that. They'll get the message. (My first year clerking, I got stuck on the white Phal team. Seriously, just white Phals, plain, with spots, blush... When they asked me to volunteer again last year, I made not seeing Phals only a condition. Of course, we're also really hard up for clerks or volunteers of any kind here, so that might have helped.) Julie

i have a big passiflora 'purple haze' plant that is in bloom that i must give away before fall for lack of room. it would only be available for pickup as its in a big pot and would cost alot to ship. I'm not looking for anything big to exchange-just something special even if it's small-see my trade list or make me an offer. it's a pretty one and it still has buds for you to enjoy. I live in Brossard which is on the south shore 5 minutes from the bridge. I could also meet somewhere downtown montreal if you like.

Flyleft, I've not seen it in English, but the French poet Verlaine has perfectly captured that feeling: This is someone's translation, but it's like a plaster cast of a souffle. The sky above the roof, So blue, so calm! A tree, above the roof, Waves its crown. The bell, in the sky I watch, Gently rings. A bird, on the tree I watch, Plaintively sings. My God, my God, life is there Simple and serene. That peaceful murmur there Comes from the town. O you, O you, what have you done, Weeping without end, Say, O say, what have you done With all your youth? Le ciel est, par-dessus le toit, Si bleu, si calme! Un arbre, par-dessus le toit, Berce sa palme. La cloche, dans le ciel qu'on voit, Doucement tinte. Un oiseau sur l'arbre qu'on voit Chante sa plainte. Mon Dieu, mon Dieu! la vie est là , Simple et tranquille. Cette paisible rumeur-là Vient de la ville. * Qu'as-tu fait, ô toi que voilà Pleurant sans cesse, Dis, qu'as-tu fait, toi que voilà , De ta jeunesse?

What a fun and FULL day we had today! We left Montreal bright and early this morning after a great five-night stay and visited Burlington (University of Vermont and Lake Champlain), Waterbury (Ben & Jerry's tour), Montpelier (VT capital), Concord (NH capital), Canterbury Shaker Village, Portsmouth (love, love, LOVE!) and Strawbery Banke, New Castle and the entire NH coast (all 13 miles :), followed by a yummy fish dinner overlooking the ocean near Newburyport and a night drive through beautifully-lit Boston. Now it's time to rest up for a little more history in the morning (Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower) and a few days on Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod. Thank you, all, for the suggestions! I love travel days like this that are jam packed with new things to see and do. We really enjoyed Montreal. Fabulous food at every turn, of course. I've eaten more baguette in a few days than I usually consume in a year. And I found myself missing France with each bite. Loved the pastry school cafe Maison Christian Faure for lunch. Lyban, we shopped on Rue St Denis and Rue Laurier (twice), ate at Lemeac and went to VanHoutte (where I was reprimanded for snapping a photo of the fantastic cheese display - oops). We also got bagels at that well known shop a couple streets to the north, but the name escapes me. We stayed in Old Montreal and walked and walked each day and hopefully saw most things there are to see. Beautiful architecture. Enjoyed a few museums, a couple exhibits, saw a musical at Place de Arts, spent time at Park Royal and McGill University, did a guided bicycle tour of the city (highly recommended - we do this often and it's usually a top memory of a city, as it was this time). We also cycled around the little islands in the river ... St Helen's and ??? . Lovely city. Would return for sure but I've become a smaller town girl with age and liked Quebec City even better.