Thanks for all the responses! I miss the days when they got e-mailed to you. I think Michele (Mxk3) might be right that many super full-sun things won't work. If I had one more hour of sun, I'd feel better about it. Thanks for the list of things you've tried in partial shade. I did think of New Guinea impatiens..I think that might be a great one to try & I'll try some of the others. I wouldn't have thought geraniums would work; that's good to know. I'm also pretty sure true shade things, like the impatiens will totally wilt as this is hot mid-day sun and not gentle morning sun. I can do a little experimenting though and try it as you said. I guess Linda's right too that it's bright shade in the afternoon..Maybe I'll try a few sun things and stick with the partial-shade stuff for the bulk of it. Again, I can experiment..stick a couple of petunias in and see what happens.. Luckily, dirt is one thing I don't have to worry about. The planter is part of the house & was filled with dirt when we bought it. I think it's rocks at the bottom covered with soil. The planter has holes at the bottom front face for drainage. I'm just going to remove some of the dirt and add some potting soil to lighten it up. Yes, Tangerine, I'd thought of coleus. Sun coleus, I presume? Will they be okay in midday sun? I'm afraid this year there's little chance my planter will be a balanced thing of beauty. I'll just be happy to have plants that thrive. If I get lucky & it comes out okay, I'll post a pic. Thanks for everyone's help! Michele

Hello to all! My box is almost ready. this is a fun project. I don't think I could send or receive any plants due to cold here, but maybe trade some in spring! I am trying to overwinter some geraniums in my indoor greenhouse ( in hubby's garage) I seem to be having fairly good luck. We too have 3 dogs, they are always in the greenhouse with me and the garden also. They eat as many veges as my husband and I, they ALWAYS get the first asparagus because they walk down the row and nip it off. Off for now, keep your chin up it is almost spring!!!!! D

* Posted by mamalou (My Page) on Sun, Mar 22, 09 at 19:16 I made Ann T's Lemon Tart with Walnut Crust today and it was wonderful. My husband ate two pieces and he is not a sweet lover. Will be making this again and again!! Thanks for the recipe Ann, and thanks to sheshebop for posting it. o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by foodonastump (My Page) on Mon, Mar 23, 09 at 20:48 I've been a little out of sorts as I just lost a friend, way too young, completely sudden and unexpected. Somewhere along the line I fell under the impression that I missed the lemon cookalong, which I've been really looking forward to. So today I made lemon stuff, only to find now that I'm actually five days early, not two days late. Oh well. Here's what I made: Fettucini with Lemon and Cream - Cook's Illustrated's variation on their Alfredo, basically just adding some lemon juice and zest to the mix. It was wonderful; it's been quite some time since I made homemade pasta and I forgot how easy and worth it it is. I also topped it with grilled chicken and shrimp for good measure. The lemon squares that Canarybird posted. As promised these were very sweet and heavy - and delicious. I did make what I think was a critical mistake though; my only 9x9 was a pyrex dish, so the crust never really cooked right and was soggy and dripping with butter even after 30 minutes in the oven. So once cooled, I cut the squares and let them soak into some paper towels, and those of course stuck. So overall a less than perfect presentation, but we enjoyed them no less. Thanks Sharon! Time permitting I'll gladly try a new menu on Saturday. Until then, I figure it'll be a few days before I dare to jump on the scale, or open up the "March Weight Loss Support" thread for that matter. o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Tue, Mar 24, 09 at 7:55 Food I am so sorry for your loss and especially so in that it was so unexpected. It's never easy but the shock just adds to the grief. Your pasta sounds wonderful! I think I'm having the Gina's pasta Saturday, maybe I'll add some cream. Great idea. o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lindac (My Page) on Tue, Mar 24, 09 at 10:29 I made lemon bars for my group....tried one....really good....tried another....still good o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by teresa_nc7 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 24, 09 at 12:22 This weekend I made hummus with the juice of one whole big lemon! It is delicious! I have frozen two small containers to see how I like it after freezing. Lordy, I could eat the whole recipe! Teresa o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 25, 09 at 9:36 Here's a Lemon Risotto recipe I've made before and really enjoyed. I'm thinking of making it for this cook-off, but so many of everyone else's recipes look so good, too. It's from The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook by Jack Bishop. Lemon Risotto 6 cups vegetable stock 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion, minced 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 teaspoon grated zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 1 large lemon 6 large fresh sage leaves, minced 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for the table salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional) 1. Bring the stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Keep it warm over low heat. 2. Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy-bottomed medium pot. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook just until the alcohol aroma fades, 1 to 2 minutes. 3. Add 1/2 cup of the warm stock and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue adding stock in 1/2-cup increments, stirring. After about 15 minutes, stir in the lemon zest and sage. 4. Continue adding stock in 1/2-cup increments, stirring, until the rice is creamy and soft, but still a bit al dente, about 10 minutes more. (Add hot water if you run out of stock.) Stir in the lemon juice and parsley and continue cooking until the lemon juice is absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes more. 5. Remove the pot from the heat and vigorously stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the 1/4 cup cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the heavy cream, if using. Divide the risotto among individual soup bowls. Serve immediately with more grated cheese passed separately at the table. I'm looking forward to this cook-off. Sally o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 25, 09 at 12:18 foodonastump, I'm sorry to hear about your friend. As for lemon, I'm thinking lemonade and limoncello. Just for Sherry, of course. LOL Annie o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 25, 09 at 19:55 Oh, Foodonastump, I was totally remiss in not acknowledging your loss. I'm so sorry that happened. It's so hard. Sally o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Thu, Mar 26, 09 at 8:43 Foodonastump, I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your friend. o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Thu, Mar 26, 09 at 9:19 Foodonastump, it's so hard to lose a friend, my condolences. I'm pumped for this lemon thing! I had to go to Traverse City yesterday, so I hit the Meijer's store. Love that store (regional chain). I bought Meyer Lemons!!! Not sure what I'll make with them, any suggestions? This cookalong virtual dinner will be hard for me, I need to make something that I can freeze because Kim is out of town until Monday. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Thu, Mar 26, 09 at 20:30 Foodonastump, I'm sorry about your loss. Here's a recipe I posted last spring. If you want a dead easy lemon recipe, this is it. Delicias de Limón La Venta -- Lemon Yogurt Pudding June 1987 Gourmet Whisk together a cup of yogurt, half a cup (I recommend using less, because I found it a bit too tart) of lemon juice, half a cup of sweetened condensed milk,and two teaspoons of grated lemon rind, and chill for four hours or overnight. Divide into six serving bowls, garnish with thin slices of lemon, sugar wafer cookies, and cinnamon. o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by foodonastump (My Page) on Thu, Mar 26, 09 at 20:42 Thanks a lot for the thoughts, I really appreciate them. But really all I was trying to convey was my blunder with the dates. So, back to lemons! I'm trying to hold on tight to a free Saturday night, but it's getting tougher with each passing day. Something tells me I'll be "clipping" off this thread a bunch! o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Fri, Mar 27, 09 at 7:22 I think I'm going to make a very Canary Island dish although I understand it's also made in South America....called Leche Asada, or Roasted Milk, which is, in fact a milk and egg pudding with added sugar, grated lemon and cinnamon. And I'll probably be making it tomorrow (Saturday) or Sunday so I can come back here when I have more time and type out the translation to English. It's dead easy to make but I'd like to try it and see how it tastes. It's also served here with a swirl of the dark honey from the island of La Palma, which I'm going to buy today. (image from web) Till later, SharonCb o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by magic_az (My Page) on Fri, Mar 27, 09 at 23:24 I am mostly just a lurker here but I have a great cocktail recipe if anyone is so inclined. Lemon Drop Cocktail 1 part Citrus Vodka 1 part sweet and sour 1 part fresh squeezed lemon juice sugar to taste Serve over ice with a lemon wheel. You can also rim the glass in lemon and sugar if you like. o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 29, 09 at 0:05 Foodonastump, adding my condolences to you and yours. I've had a weather delay but will be cooking tomorrow...think I'll start with breakfast and take it from there. Oh man, those lemon drops are killer in more ways than one!! David o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by malna (My Page) on Sun, Mar 29, 09 at 7:05 Here's what DH whipped up last night. Planked salmon with lemon-dill mayonnaise, steamed broccoli and spinach salad with lemon vinaigrette dressing. Dessert was mini-cheesecakes with raspberry-lemon topping (from a jar). And he even made the plank :-) o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by joanm (My Page) on Sun, Mar 29, 09 at 13:32 I had company from out of town that requested teriyaki salmon so I made Lpinkmountain's lemon scented olive oil muffins for breakfast. Yum! Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Sun, Mar 29, 09 at 13:54 I made the Algerian Chicken posted by Lars. I roasted it in the oven, though. Very good! I have been meaning to try that for a long time. Thanks to the Cookalong I finally did. o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Sun, Mar 29, 09 at 14:21 Well my lemon dish wasn't all that I'd hope it would be. LECHE ASADA or Roasted Milk, a Canary Island recipe, tasted more like sweetened scrambled egg to me, although my DH thought it was quite alright. I would suggest it as an ideal dish for someone who has teeth or stomach problems and needs a bland, soft, custardy egg dish. It won't be making it to my try-again list! Here it is though: LECHE ASADA - Milk and egg pudding Ingredients 1/2 liter milk (1/2 quart approx) 4 eggs 3 TBS sugar salt 1/2 teasp lemon zest - grated rind of 1 medium lemon 1 teasp cinnamon 1. Preheat oven to 350F 2. Beat eggs, add milk, lemon rind, cinnamon, sugar and salt. 3. Pour mixture into buttered 9 inch square casserole dish and cook about 30 - 40 minutes or until centre is done when pierced with knife. 4. Let cool a little and cut into portions, topped with cream, honey or fruit slices. Translated from : Traditional Recipes of Gran Canaria SharonCb o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Sun, Mar 29, 09 at 16:06 I made Gina's Lemon Shrimp Scampi with fresh homemade ( by Clive!) pasta. It was wonderful. Made it along with a Caesar sald and Gilroy garlic bread...you would have thought it was the garlic virtual dinner ! LOL I'm at the coittage without the stuff I need to download pics but will do that Tuesday. Such a great dish , thanks again Gina! PS: I swear I have made this dish more than Gina has !!!! PPS: Leona you are getting on my nerves....... o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 29, 09 at 19:32 I started with a late breakfast With Sue's Lemon-Ricotta Hot Cakes. Added some bacon, cantalope, and a pot of coffee. YUM! Image Hosting by I planned on making Gina's shrimp recipe thinking I had shrimp in the freezer...nope...no shrimp to be found darn it. I do have Oly's lemon pound cake in the over now and it smells wonderful. I'll share a pic later tonight or tomorrow. Good looking and sounding food so far. Congrats to himself for making the pasta Sharon. Nancy, sorry you were home alone this weekend. Looking forward the next cookalong!! David o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sheshebop (My Page) on Sun, Mar 29, 09 at 20:02 Ooh, the Chicago contingent had a wonderful Lemon Challenge. Since my bettery was dead on my camera, I did not take any pix, so I will let someone else post about it. Sherry o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by theresafic (My Page) on Sun, Mar 29, 09 at 22:53 We made the Lemon Picatta recipe from Sherry and the Lemon Risotto from Sally, both were very good, first time cooking Risotto. Couldn't find Chicken Cutlets at the store we shopped today so simply used chicken breasts and cooked longer. Enjoyed the strong lemon/garlic/caper flavors on the chicken...DH said its a keeper! o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 29, 09 at 22:58 Oh yeah, I got that covered! Peppi made some really good chicken with lemon, I think she said it was greek.... Photobucket Sherry made a wonderful cake. The cake was from Joy of Cooking, the filling was a combination of two lemon curd recipes, a raspberry filling from another recipe and a frosting with lemon and mascarpone cheese. Oh my, it was good. So good we had some for breakfast on Sunday, after having it for dinner the night before! Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket What? Me? I participated. I brought the Limoncello, LOL. Hey, it was important! Photobucket Annie o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 29, 09 at 23:51 I was thrilled tonight that my son and his girlfriend joined us for dinner, especially since my daughter is here for the week visiting us from Portland. I made the Lemon Risotto, plus I picked some beets and the greens from my garden and made a roasted beet and carrot salad to top the cooked greens. I was planning on making a beet salad and the beet greens, but there weren't enough beets for 5 people, so I added the carrots and just topped the greens with the salad. I also broiled some tofu I marinated in some lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce and some herbs. My daughter and I made a couple of loaves of ciabatta to go with the meal, plus we made some World Peace Cookies for desert. We all had a great time. Early on, I took some pictures of my freshly gathered beets, but my battery went dead. So, I put it in the charger, planning on having the camera ready for supper when the Risotto and everything was ready and dinner was served and I could take some pictures. Well, the best laid plans....... we were half way through dinner when I remembered about taking pictures. Sorry guys, I'm just not good at the picture thing. Sally o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 8:49 Seems my post from yesterday was deleted. Anyway, I just didn't get motivated to cook this weekend. I certainly intended to but I was home alone and got into another project. I'll be back to share what I do with my Meyer lemons....that are sitting on the counter. Great theme, David. It was nice to have something that inspired both cooking and baking. I just drew the name for the next Cookalong. Ruthanna...are you up to the challenge? :) I'll check back here to see what Ruthanna picks (will keep an eye on my email too). Nancy o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 9:36 Wiz why don't you make some of that myer lemon vanilla bean marmelade. I made it two years ago--very yum. In fact I didn't make any marmelade this year because I still have so much left over from last year to use up. I don't have my recipe handy but you could probably find it by doing a search of the Harvest Forum. I am soooooooo slow in the kitchen. I am one cookalong behind. This weekend I made carrot and red lentil soup from the last ingredient! It was good. I've also been using Thai Curry paste made from cilantro and lemon juice and other stuff in my stir frys this week. The recipe comes from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites. Very yummy if you like cilantro. Sherry that cake is the bomb!! Wow. o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by compumom (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 10:40 I didn't really cook either. My lemon use was on Weds night when I whipped up a quick chicken piccata after work that I served with a salad, roasted zucchini and brussels sprouts. Friday night I sauteed some mushroom(?) asagio sausage with some white wine and lemon juice. Enuf said. o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 12:35 Hope Ruthanna sees this! Ruthanna....next Cookalong ingredient is your pick! Nancy o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sheshebop (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 12:39 theresafic, a chicken cutlet is just a chicken breast that you have pounded until it is quite thin. But yours looks wonderful anyway. Great picture. Did you like the lemon risotto? I have never made it before but it sounds like something I would like. o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by theresafic (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 13:48 Sherry, I know, but my husband who is doing the cookalong with me, didn't want to pound it out. He felt you needed a special tool and he thought the recipes were too complicated already.... I am bringing him along slowly.. At least he is participating and he is the one who takes the pictures. The lemon risotto was really good, not that hard to make and it was really lemony. I liked the fact it was not too fattening. I didn't use any butter, just oil, and just the amount of cheese specified without extra for the table. I will make it again. Theresa o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 15:20 Oooo, I feel like the Iron Chef whipping the cover off the challenges's secret ingredient. The ingredient I've selected another one that can be used in either sweet or savory dishes - Dried Fruits. That includes dried apricots, raisins, dried cranberries and cherries, dried plums (formerly known as prunes), dried apples or figs and any other varieties of dried fruit. o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sheshebop (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 16:56 I LOVE that idea ruthanna. I always have dried fruits and would love to get some more recipes besides the prune and apricot stuffed pork roast that I frequently do. Yummy! o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 17:15 Too bad the Chicago trip crew didn't bring back some of those dried persimmons! :) o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 19:59 Continue to post anything else here that applies to the Lemon Cookalong. I just want to thank everyone for another great Coolalong! Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #6 --DRIED FRUITS o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by claire_de_luna (My Page) on Tue, Mar 31, 09 at 13:19 I'm too late for the cookalong, but I recently made these to take with us on a road trip and wanted to post my favorite Lemon cookie recipe with the rest of yours. Lemon Lover's Cookie is made entirely in the food processor, so it's super easy. I first made these in August 2004, to try out my new convection oven, and they were an instant hit, light and delicate. Keeping an extra cookie roll in the fridge or freezer is nice to have on hand. I recently visited some friends in New Mexico and took them a bag, along with a few for ourselves. They cookies keep beautifully, and still tasted fresh after 10 days on the road. I like a lot of lemon flavor, so I punch it up by adding the zest of two lemons, which I didn't include in the recipe. Lemon Lovers Cookies A delicate cookie, from The Lemon Lovers Cookbook. Plan ahead, as you have to leave the dough in the refrigerator for several hours before baking. 1 large lemon, zest of 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup butter, chilled and cut into pieces (2 sticks) 2 1/3 cups cake flour, sifted 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt Process the lemon zest and sugar in a food processor until the zest is as fine as the sugar. Add the butter. Process until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Process briefly until mixed. Form dough into two 1-1/2-inch-round logs and wrap each in wax paper. Refrigerate until firm. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice each log into 1/4-inch thick cookies and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden around the edges. Do not overbake! o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 31, 09 at 19:32 I love lemon cookies. I'll have to add those to my list to try. Just a little addendum on the lemon risotto - the recipe I use calls for butter, and optional cream, although I don't use the cream. It also allows for additional parm at the table if you choose to. The way Theresa made it sounds intriguing, since she cut out the butter. I like the idea of making it a little bit healthier and it still tasting good. Sally o RE: Cookalong #5 --LEMON-- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rob333 (My Page) on Fri, Oct 23, 09 at 8:49 I don't see 1, 2 or 4?????

If ever there was anything that would drive me back to the city, it would be the annual onslaught of venomous snakes....and I am NEVER, EVER, EVER going back to the city. Living in the country is 1 million times more fun than living in the city and I'm never going to stop feeling that way. I do not mean any disrespect for cities by saying that either, but just that I've lived in a big city and in a very rural location and, for our family, the rural location wins hands-down. We moved here when our son was a teenager and he was not overwhelmingly happy about it. He couldn't wait to grow up, move away and never come back. Of course, he grew up and he did give city living a try, and he loved it for a month or two, and then tolerated it for a couple more years. Now he's back here, building his own home with his own two hands, so he can live here in the country right beside us. City living wasn't all that wonderful after all, once he'd lived in the country for a few years. I want to emphasize that we live in an extraordinarily wild area because we are surrounded on three sides (although the southern side isn't as wild as the east and west) by the Red River flood plain lands (aka river bottom lands) that are heavily inhabited by wildlife of all kinds. The average person living in an average rural setting likely won't see 1/10th as many snakes as we see. My brother lived in the country south of Ft. Worth in what I'd consider a pretty wild area in the 1980s and 1990s and probably didn't see but maybe 3 snakes, a few armadillos, and a bobcat a year. It is all about location. If you don't want wildlife, stay away from rivers, bottom lands and wildlife management areas. : ) Seeing a snake will not kill you. I kinda felt that way before we moved here, but I have gotten used to them. That doesn't mean I am happy to see them, but just that I have done my best to make peace with having them around. I even like the rough green tree snakes. They are the color of canna leaves in the springtime and are very gentle and slow moving. They like to hang out on the asparagus plants, canna lilies and on top of shade cloth (to sun themselves) in the garden in the summer. Since they are not venomous, I tread lightly around them and try not to scare them off. Don't get me wrong. Any venomous snake in our yard, driveway or garden is considered a threat to our safety and is shot and killed. We have 14.4 acres and they can freely roam about 11 or 12 acres and we'll never see them and they'll never see us, but if they come up on the couple of acres closest to the house, they are history. While many people like black rat snakes and like to have them around (many people here who do not have poultry like to have one or two living in their garage, shed, shop building or barns) to kill rodents, but we shoot them when we find them in any building of ours, and especially in the chicken coops. They will eat eggs and chicks, and I don't just mean tiny chicks----they wrap themselves around half-grown chickens and guineas, squeeze them to death (like a boa constrictor) and eat them too. So, any rat snake (or chicken snake, which we rarely see) gets shot. We are raising poultry for ourselves, not to provide fast food for snakes. As long as you are careful and vigilant about watching where you put your hands and feet (I walk looking down at the ground around me as I take each step, even (lol) when we are at a mall in a parking lot or something....and I've never been bitten. Sometimes I think it is just that the Good Lord is looking after me....I have stepped on snakes, stepped right over them in the garden path without even seeing them, and have had a rattlesnake a couple of inches away from my hand on a particularly memorable occasion in which I did a backwards summersault from a sitting position to get away from it before it could strike me. Luckily, there was no one around to witness that! Our first 6 or 8 years here, when I was working so hard to turn dense, concrete-like red clay into decent soil, I was outside 12-16 hours per day 364 days per year. I never have been bitten by a snake. Could it happen? Sure it could. But, it hasn't happened yet, and I think that is largely because I never let my guard down. If you are really nervous about snakes, you can buy snake-proof boots and snake-proof pants (I believe they are made for and marketed to hunters) or snake chaps. As nervous as snakes make me, I've never been upset enough by close encounters with them to buy the snake-proof clothing, but I do wear really heavy duty (meaning ugly) high-top leather boots with steel toes, and I gave up wearing sandals and open-toed or open-heeled shoes over a decade ago. I SO agree with every word Stockergal said. I cannot even begin to describe how awesome it is to live here in what we jokingly call the Oklahoma Outback. I've seen bald eagles perched on top of pole barn roofs, I've had golden eagles fly overhead....hummingbirds circling me in the garden visiting flowers we planted specifically for them. There's all the many songbirds almost year-round, purple martins in spring and summer, ducks and geese flying overhead in fall....does bringing their fawns to my garden to teach them how to nibble at the bean plants climbing the fence. One old doe who lived here when we bought the land used to bring her brand new fawns to the meadow beside my garden and leave them there for me to babysit while she left for a couple of hours. It was bizarre, but she did it often enough that I felt sure she was leaving them there near me on purpose. How often is that going to happen in the city? How often will you hear a knock at your window and pull back the curtain to see two young coons trying to get you to give them a handout? (I suspect someone else near us was feeding them.) It still amuses me to walk out the door at night and have a possum spot me and fall over on the ground, seemingly dead and drooling, though I know it is only "playing possum" to make me go away. Can you see that in the city? I think not. We have wildflowers in bloom almost year-round if you know where to look for them in late fall through late winter. We get to watch all kinds of wild animals raise their young. We get to enjoy seeing lambs, kids, colts and calves in the fields and we get to watch them grow up. We get to watch the endless changing of the seasons, up close and personal, day in and day out, year-round. I love it, love it, love it. I'm never in the garden alone. There's always tons of butterflies, bees dragonflies, lacewings, lady bugs, wheel bugs, soldier bugs, frogs, toads, non-venomous snakes, birds of all types, moths, etc. in there with me. I love that too. Who wouldn't want to live this way? Snakes are especially bad this year because we have had three big rounds of Red River flooding, including it getting higher here than it ever has before. Although this likely didn't make the news there in central OK, the Red River got so high here that it damaged roads 2 MILES from the river. That blows my mind. It washed away a few homes. It cut a new channel (fairly common in flooding) and destroyed some folks' property by carrying away a lot of it. It has been a horrible year. It flooded the Falconhead Airport, with water getting at least 6' high inside the aircraft hangars. That was unprecedented flooding, and it pushed wild animals up out of the river bottom lands, including Wildlife Management Areas, and onto higher ground, like the place where we live. That's what has happened here. Usually snakes aren't this bad. They probably won't be this bad again for another decade. I'll just be extra careful until the cold weather arrives and we'll get through this snakey period. So what if I have to hibernate indoors in August while the snakes are especially active? August is no great prize anyhow, and indoors is the place to be, based solely on the high temperatures and heat index numbers. Although my parents were city folks, they both grew up in the country, and I had many relatives who lived in the country. Some of them ranched and farmed. I knew what country living was all about and we haven't run into anything here that I didn't expect (well, except maybe the cougars, but they are rare and I can go years in between seeing them). If I had to do it all again, knowing what I know about all the nervous, hair-raising moments some wild animals can cause you, I'd move here again in a heartbeat. We were around 40 years old when we moved here. I wish we'd done it when we were 25 years old. I hate that we missed so many years of county living that we could have had. We are living the dream! I am so very happy and so very grateful to live here, snakes and all, and wouldn't trade it for anything else anywhere else ever. Don't let the inconvenience of a few snake encounters a year keep you from moving the country. Friends of ours who live about 2 miles up the road from us may see 1 or 2 snakes a year because they are further away from the river and the bottom lands than we are. It is all about location. I know you can find a location less snakey than mine. Go for it! You will not regret it. You live in Oklahoma. You deal with crazy weather. No snake encounter I've ever had since moving here has been 1/10th as scary as sitting in the tornado shelter, under a tornado warning, while family and friends in Texas are texting me images of a tornado filmed by storm chasers in our own county (though, thankfully, not over our own property). You don't let Oklahoma's tornadoes, microbursts, ice storms, dust storms, heat waves, baseball or softball-sized hail, derechoes, etc., chase you away from Oklahoma, and I bet more people are injured by weather events annually in this state than are injured by snakebites. Why let a few serpents steal your joy and keep you from moving to the country? I encourage you to let go of the fear of snakes and move to the country anyway. They haven't got me yet, and they've certainly had plenty of opportunity. There's bad things everywhere. You just learn to live with them.