On O'ahua there is the Tootsik forest, just drive up Tantalus or hike the Manoa Falls trail. At the Ala Moana Mall, an open air mall, there is a planter box with very large A Karr - approaching an inch by 20 feet or more, it's down by Sears. There is a lot of Bambusa Vulgaris Vittata around town, the UH campus has large stands of it plus they recently planted Lako, C Coronalis, A Karr, and a couple of others near some of the BVV. After you emerge through the tunnels on the Windward side on the Pali Hgwy. there is a large area covered by a Phyllostachys that apparently needs winter as it is not very tall but it sure has spread. Before you enter that tunnel you'll drive through the Tootsik once again, with some BVV growing in the median. On M'aui at the Seven Sacred Pools near Hana there is a side trail that has a boardwalk through a massive bamboo forest, leading to a waterfall. For bamboo lovers, it is a breathtaking hike, and it really got me hooked on bamboo when I walked that trail. If I think of more I'll let you know. I'll likely be there from the 2nd to the 12th of August and can help you tour the bamboo if you'd like.

oh Ellen, it was just a bonus that was more than what he expected - :-) Nina, if you scroll up, Karen posted a link to the website! Yep, no excuses now! ((crawfish envy - heh heh heh...) Shaun, have a great time at that party! Hey David! You made my day! I always "knew" I'd win a CF award, but always figured it would be for blowing something up or asking the most questions - lol!

I have the same reaction. The Dr. Seuss theme is cute, the rhyming reply card is clever -- and the last two lines are unacceptable. But I would not (or should that be, "would not, could not"?): -- decide whether or not to attend based on the hostesses' bad taste, thereby punishing the guest of honor for their lapse -- call the hostesses and ask for an explanation for their wording, much less for "their concern with gifts." (Isn't the whole point of a shower gifts?) I might feel different if the lapse were something really awful -- like a bigoted theme, or something illegal. But this is only bad taste, not meanness, cruelty, or crime. Maybe they were trying to go for 4 lines to be more like Dr. Seuss or something, or they just didn't know better. Hey, at least they included the choice of not sending a gift! I would just let the invitation go without comment, and attend or not as you would otherwise. But I certainly agree with you that it's a pity they messed up such a cute idea that way. Is it a book shower? That would be a terrific idea, especially for a second child. In fact, it would even allow guests to buy one gift for both children -- let the big sibling open it; the baby won't care.

One of my writing assignments in college was to find the female equivalent of the word phallic, and then to find examples of that word except not to mention flowers or clams. LOL Seriously. We came up with arched cathedral doors and rubber coin purses as looking "vulvar".