Hi Bubbadillo, Well, having read your post, I wonder if the roadrunner (and he was pecking at the pile of henscratch) was more interested in the little tree frogs that live in my potted plants near the garage/barn. We haven't had as many wild turkeys OR quail the last couple of years, but we've had more roadrunners........so, maybe now I understand the connection! I've never seen a roadrunner eat a snake (wouldn't that be fascinating!), but I am glad to hear that they do. We haven't had a lot of snakes around our house this year (except for the black rat snakes that have been trying, so far unsuccessfully, to eat our baby guineas). On the day that the pallet factory burned a couple of weeks ago, though, a lady who lives on Peanut Farm Road WAS bitten by a rattlensnake, and the Love County medics had to leave the fire and go to the hospital to help treat her. I find the wildlife just as fascinating as you do, and have learned (by watching) the ebb and flow of wild animal populations......for example, the way the rabbit population will go up while the coyote population is down....and then, of course, when the coyote population rises, the rabbit population drops. In our yard this year, we have a LOT more deer than usual coming to eat and drink...even having bucks come out in broad daylight, which I seldom see. I know the larger predators will follow, so I just do my best to make sure the chickens, guineas, dogs and cats are locked up securely before twilight. The only wildlife we seldom see on our own place here is the wild pigs, and I bet you have them more out west than we do here. We had them hanging out in our creekbed one year, where they wallowed and left huge holes in shallow parts of the creek. Another year, they frequented the back part of our property, which is fairly close to the Red River. I am only moderately afraid of the panthers and cougars, since they are rarely seen and the worst they've ever done here is "roar" at me at night if I am outside. The wild pigs, though, terrify me, as I am sure I couldn't outrun them. I DON'T miss the snakes at all. Normally we have a LOT of copperheads, water moccasins and velvet-tailed rattlers here, and the occasional western diamondback, but all I've seen in our yard this year are rat snakes and chicken snakes and, rarely, a green tree snake. It is the BEST snake year ever (fewest snakes seen), so I guess our cats are doing their job and keeping the number of rodents down. Dawn

It's an epiphyllum, probably an epiphyllum hybrid (which typically contain other, similar genera, including Disocactus, Pseudorhipsalis and Selenicereus). These are commonly referred to as 'orchid cactus', but they are neither a true cactus nor an orchid :-) They are a semi-tropical succulent related to cactus that produces large, very showy flowers. They do produce an edible fruit (NOT a dragon fruit) but these are scarce on indoor plants. They are epiphytes, meaning they take advantage of other, larger plants - like trees - as a support system, like most tropical orchids do, and do not require soil in their native habitat. For home gardeners, they grow perfectly well in a good quality, fast draining potting mix. Unless you live in a semi-tropical climate or certainly a frost free zone (Z 10 or higher), these are not hardy outdoor. And they are pendant in habit, with those long branching structures cascading over the side of a container to often a significant length. One normally grows them in some sort of hanging basket structure or on a tall plant stand to show off the plant and its long branches to best effect. btw, the flowers form at the tips of these flattened leaves/branches so any pruning should be done cautiously. There are scads of websites on epis and if you do a bit of searching, they will provide all the growing info you need (rather than my repeating it all here!!). I find they are very easy to grow and will reward you with some gorgeous - if short-lived - flowers. I've got one setting flower buds now after being moved back indoors from its summer holiday location. Here's just one example of an epiphyllum website but do not stop with just one!! And be sure to check out any that show photo galleries of the blossoms - they are incredible!!

Hi Kay, Yes it is a very pretty bloom that has interesting patterning , just not Picasso's Intrigue . I really wanted Picasso's Intrigue Now I have to go in search of it again which is not as easy as in your country . You have so many more daylily growers to choose from .

The discussion would be completely different if the machine wasn't still running except for an intermittent 'cut out' problem. It's life beyond this year is in question as well as every year beyond the next year after that. If anything this is an example of just how hard my job can be 'sometimes' and yet you guys come in here and fight me for it every day. Everything is a joke to you Ray? I just find it funny what people like to fight over. I view it as getting a customer by actually fixing something. That leads to it breaking again. The same thing can and does happen to new equipment all the time. Being able to fix things is a skill. I mentioned the 8 track tape. Who here has a record collection. Who here knows what a record is? The record went away because of long rewind times? ha, ha, ha.