What a busy place here this morning. Very enjoyable reading. This Idyll thread sometimes feels as though I am reading about ten books at once a little bit at a time. [g] Didn't want Jerri to feel lonely either..[g]. Woody...thanks for posting those pics of Misty and Copper. Misty is so cute! She reminds me of a dog in the movies, but I can't think of it's name. You know the first photo you showed of Copper, with nothing else in the photo, he didn't look that large. Next to the love seat and Misty...he looks huge! lol I always loved to see dogs play together. Especially a small dog with a larger dog. It is amazing that the large dog knows to be gentle most of the time and that the small dog is usually not too frightened. So when you say you foster, you have more than one dog in the house at one time. See when I heard of fostering, I thought you would take one dog at a time until they found a home and then another. It sounds like there are more dogs than foster homes and that they keep you busy! That is nice that you and Marie are near each other, but I can see it would take a special effort to get together. So GLAD you are feeling better! :-) Jerri...... flooring that is pet friendly...well...if accidents are expected, I am not really sure which is the best solution. Our last dog had epilepsy the last three years of his life and that caused a lot of accidents. I never had a lingering odor from dog accidents. I would get to them right away with lots of paper towels, blot as much as possible, then scrub with a mix of water, dish soap, and white vinegar, then rinse and then blot. Always took care of it. We have hardwood floors with area rugs here. The Living Room has a small 6x9 rug, even the kitchen is hardwood. I have been considering redoing the upstairs floors and if I had to choose, I was thinking of bamboo, just for it's environmental factors, and I really like the look of it too. I just bought a bamboo cutting board and I love it! It is so hard and smooth and pretty. denise...what a great shot of the bee swam. As a kid,I was not really afraid of bees, but not totally comfortable around them either. I have only been stung once or twice and no big deal. It has been over 30 years since I was stung and I am pretty comfortable around bees, although wasps still give me a little hesitation. A swarm or a hive, I would not be comfortable enough for though. Cute conversation with your DH about the cats. I could just picture it. I really got a kick out of him pointing at the cats that would all have their own shed. lol 'Returnable dogs'...I have to agree with Woody. Ideally, you hope that people think long and hard before taking home a pet, and knowing what lengths shelters go to, to assure a dog goes to a good home, I can't help but think that dogs that are returned are a minor occurence, would that be right? If a family can actually have a pet in their home for more than two weeks and not bond with it enough to want to keep it, then the dog is probably better off making the change. After a year? That seems like it must be really unusual and maybe something significant changed for that family? Hopefully he will be luckier the second time around. Cindy, why are you thinking of having more than one pair of muck shoes? Mary...so sorry you didn't finish the peeps dioramas in time. [g] Maybe next year?! I would suggest saving it for next year, but with ketchup? guess not..lol. Martie, sounds like you will also have a lot to move this year, but you already have help lined up?! How lucky are you! So, I keep reading little bits referring to a previous move. Someday when you have time, you could tell me the story of how long have you lived where you are, what were your gardens like in your last house and the story of the move..etc. :-) One of my computer order boxes came today. Just a few cables and one piece of software. The machine won't ship until Monday. Definitely will let you know how it goes Chelone...sounds like you are ready for a new one, if your memory is that low! Loved that garden you all are looking at in the old Idyll reunion pics! Ok...time to go...enjoy the rest of the weekend.. :-) pm2

I just came across this forum by accident. I have a 22 inch Red-Tip lawn mower that i still use. I`m 65 years old and i believe i purchased the lawn mower new in 1968 or 1969. It`s painted yellow with a red screen on the flywheel cover. I allways assumed that the deck was aluminum not Magnesium, anyway, after 42 years it hasn`t rusted and still looks like new. The engine is a Brigs & Stratton 9 cubic inch bore that`s called a "special rotator valve" model. The wheels are 10 inches high and have roller bearings and dust covers. Also have three spoke "knock off" wheel nuts, like a sports car would have. In all these years of use, the only thing i`ve done is change the blade a few times and change the oil every spring. It was the first lawn mower that i saw with a oil dip-stick to check the oil level. This has been one hell of a machine. Always starts,easy to push,a real quality machine. I plan on getting it out of the barn the first week of april, change the oil, and use it like i have for the past 42 years. OH yes,I will sharpen the blade and oil those roller bearings ! Jim Scharf Salamanca,New York

TM ~ The long ranting was what I had originally wrote but thought it a bit much for this fun forum. I can get pretty intense when it comes to chidren, animals and the elderly! I just can't stand by and say nothing when I hear of cases of any kind of abuse, in whatever form it takes; power, neglect, money, the aging or innocent.....not that your question had anything directly to do with that. Just reminded me..... I am a very careful breeder and only have 1 litter at a time and only occasionally. I breed because I know how difficult it was to find a well bred purebred sheltie when I wanted that breed. And one that was just for a pet. Although I have shown the odd sheltie, I breed mostly for health, temperment and intelligence. Dogs are amazing animals and I wouldn't/couldn't be without at least one. I have 5! I have been very lucky to find amazing homes for all my puppies because I am very careful and a reputable breeder. When all is said and done, like any good hobby, I lose money...... In fact, I'm sure you have heard me mention my last little male pup who went to live at the iris farm with 2 awesome people whom I have never even met! They love him to pieces and send me pics, vids and such all the time. I kinda hand picked that home and no money was exchanged except for the shipping and vet costs. Yes, I could talk all day about dogs, horses, and animals of any kind but I believe this is only a trivia forum....... Thank you for posting the pics of Annie. I think you got the calmer of the two setters this time around. I worked for a guy years ago who bred some of the best English Setters in Canada. I like the red and white irish setters myself. Who am I kidding, they are all beautiful! Just thought of the name of my aunts IS back in the late 70's when they were so popular; a big male named Tanner. Come to think of it, my boyfriend's (at that time) niece was born in 1978 and named, you guessed it, Jennifer! Such fun! Ginny and the sheltie pack

Hi Laurie You are funny- thinking you'd get banned! That made me laugh. I LOVED your story and almost cried too. I have a new baby now ( will be 10 months in a week) and i too am just realizing the pain a person in her shoes would be in.. it's amazing how people touch your lives and they may never know it! When I was young- an old old woman and her husband from the Netherlands owned our home. We were very very poor and rented the apartment upstairs. She had the most amazing gardens- veggies on a terraced hillside, surrounded by raspberry and blackberry bushes to keep us kids out, a light-up windmill out in front a huge glass greenhouse.. we had preying mantids everywhere and learned so much about them. She taught my mom to crochet, and I learned from mom when i was 8.. and I make things for so many people. I'm fairly young and people comment that i am like an old lady crocheting and gardening and cooking... if I am anythign that old lady- it'd a compliment! She died when i was only 7 or 8 but I cherish those memories. I never knew how much all that stuff meant to me until a couple of years ago. I hope she sees how much she influenced my life by letting me grow up in her paradise. it's been bought and sold a few times now and turned low maintenance of course over the years. trees cut down, all just grass now...plastic tarps covering the gardens ni front and covered with woodchips.. but i have seen the daffodils where the windmill used to be- they tore right up thru that plastic. And it makes me smile. A new family just bought the house last spring. I was thinking of stopping by one day to tell them about the original owners and the property. They have been working hard to make the place pretty again- so i think they might actually care. Anyway- Laurie your story made me think of my old land-lady. thanks fo rthe trip down memory lane! I hope they both can see the influence they have had in young women's lives. I hope all of us turn out to be great influences to someone one day too!