Susie you have such a big heart full of so many people and fur babies that you love! And all these losses are the downside, but as my new SO says, it's still better to have loved . . . (HUGS)

G'day everyone! Kristene here from Australia. It was so much fun to read where everyone comes from. I'll have to mark you all down on my US & Canadian map. I grew up in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) but now live in a city called Orange - which is 155 miles inland from Sydney. Kate - Leura and the Blue Mountains are roughly half way between Sydney and Orange. Leura is a very trendy, touristy, craft village, with even a "Christmas Shop" all year round(not many cities in Australia have these).You are correct about the beauty of the mountains being similar to your Grand Canyon - only ours is covered in Gum Trees (eucalyptus).The eucalyptus leaves emit oil which mixes with the air to produce a blue appearance to the mountains from a distance - thus the name "Blue Mountains". The oil in the leaves also makes the trees burn so quickly and easily in bushfires. Regarding Quilting Fabric shops - they are around but NOT in Sydney CBD. That area is for businesses and tourists. The majority of tourists want regular souvenirs (I know we're different). Rents would be cheaper in the suburbs. If going anywhere, it's better to look online and get addresses first and google directions for ease of transport/access. Any proper quilting fabric store would have some Australian patterned fabric - birds, flowers, animals but not always the Aboriginal prints. I usually buy mine on-line from Sydney -needs a larger market to sell this fabric to. My city, Orange, is in the Central Tablelands of NSW where it snows (a little) in Winter and have lovely mild Summers. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, my seasons are opposite to yours, so I am now in Summer and we celebrate Christmas and New Year in Summer in the heat - often with picnics and BBQs. There are 40,000 people in my city and 4 patchwork fabric shops - all within 15 minutes drive from my house! To get Civil War fabrics or any other special fabric, I just go on-line to Sydney and have the fabric within a week. Muslin/Calico - Here in Australia we have both! There are many grades of both fabrics, but generally CALICO is of poorer quality and MUSLIN is of finer quality. When I was faced with using Muslin in a Birthday Block, I asked at my Fabric Store and was told it was similar to calico, but finer and referred to as "Quilters' Muslin" You can get bleached (white) or unbleached (cream) muslin and it's lovely and soft. I lived in Japan for 1 year teaching English, so I adore Japanese prints/patterns/blue dyed fabrics. I brought a lot of fabric home with me (and each time I visit). Batiks also appeal to me with their bright colours that can mingle and mix. We don't have Quilting Guilds in my city, just groups of friends who get together to quilt. My group came about because we all used to have group quilting lessons from the same teacher. When she retired 4 years ago, we decided to band together, find a hall and meet each week to continue our quilting and help each other. The fabric shops all offer classes too. Kristene

I have formerly lived on the Florida, Mississippi & Texas Gulf coats and I have been through 5 hurricanes in my lifetime, oneof which while working as a deck hand on a long ranging 95ft shrimp boat that was about 140 miles from the storm center so based upon my personal experience I am not afraid, but I am not a fool either........My car is gased up and packed with our camping gear so we get jet out of here on a moments notice and head 100 miles north. Many ppl seem to be under the illusion that this is not a dangerous storm because it is only a category 1 hurricane, but ppl, do not let that category number fool you. This is an extremely dangerous storm because it is tracking very slow. One cannot deny that a cat.5 storm that is pushing susstained winds of 160mph+ is extremely dangerous, but in most instances those storms tend to track rather quickly so you are only confronted with the peak winds for 4 to 6 hours and most ppl have the good sense to evacuate low areas but when we get a cat. or cat.2 storm ppl tend to take it lightly as if its no big deal. In the case of IRENE it is proving to be a very big deal because this storm is tracking very slow and has not yet made a landfall to convince ppl of how dangerous it is. At the pace this storm is tracking it could and probably will cause sustained winds in excess of 75 to 100mph for perhaps 12 hours or more. Also keep in mind that while that is the sustained wind, there are also gust that will exceed 120 to 150mph not to mention that this is an extremely broad storm and tornadoes are extremely common in the feeder bands on the edge of the storm. Also, from my experience, if you think there is even the remotest possibility that you may have to evacuate, DO IT NOW!!!! Once the mass exodus begins all the interstates and highways rapidly become parking lots. Do not wait till the last minute and end up stuck on the highway in a traffic jam.

yes, lily, he's a wirehaired dachshund. and boris was the brown miniature one. alfie slept in bed, with us, all night, mostly on his back, with his legs up in the air. he didn't want to come down the stairs, by himself, but jim took the leash up and put him on it, then he walked down the stairs, with jim, like nobody's business. he's just wonderful. for as young as he is, he acts like a wise little old man, sometimes. lol ;) i wish more people would adopt, from shelters, there are so many amazing dogs just waiting to find a forever home.