I could be off-base, but can't imagine that it costs iVillage much to keep this site going - it's a low-tech site and they obviously don't invest much in administration, maintenance, or improvements for the site. Because it's mostly text, and most of the photos posted here are stored on other servers, it can't even take up much storage space. Also, iVillage probably benefits from economy of scale with its websites, because it has huge web servers with already existing systems in place to back up, etc. On the other hand, GW has pretty good traffic for a gardening site, so they can make money from advertising. I don't know where I'd go if GW closed. I've checked out Dave's and like some features, but it rubs me the wrong way that members have to pay to belong to the site, and meanwhile Dave gets to boast about the site's traffic and make additional money from advertisers. IMO the forums at Dave's are a bit soft - there is greater collective intellect here. Have checked out other Garden forums (communities?) - Garden Guides, Hallson's, Wildlifegardeners.org, etc. and they are okay, but suffer from lower traffic. Anyway the "busyness" of other forums drives me crazy - the avatars, moving smilies, signatures, etc. create a bunch of clutter - leaving not much "meat" to read per web page.

In normal years, a sprout war wouldn't be fair, because the colder zones just won't have sprouts until much later in the season. This year, all bets are off. But, I won't even be checking my containers until March or April, because I can't stand the constant disappointment. I'd be happy to join in, though. It'll keep the season interesting. And, then, we'll have a "planted out" war. That would be really interesting. See how many hunks-o-seedlings we each get out of our containers, and how many of them actually get into the ground. Martha

I'm putting in a wine cellar in our current home construction. To be sure, this is a low priority relative to the budget such that it will be evolving over time. My goal is to insulate and not have to provide additional cooling. The placement is on the North side of the home with 2 concrete basement walls providing cool mass. The framed walls are 2"X6" with 16" centers. Initially the cellar will feature stained concrete w/ ample insulation and an exterior grade door sealing it off from the conditioned space. In the future, I envision an arched entryway leading to an arched cellar. 6 ft. tall racks lining 3/4 of the space and an island in the middle lit with task lighting for opening/tasting. I have already selected amber pendant lights for ambient lighting. Flooring may evolve to cork. I will likely have a remote thermometor/humidity sensor such that I can keep an eye on conditions. I have seen that with wine cellars the vapor barrier goes on the outside of the stud wall opposite the cellar side where the condensation would form if there were enough temperature differential and ample humidity. Having lived 5 years in Sonoma County and seen many large collections the common complaint that I've heard is that it becomes a challenge to drink your wine before it passes it's prime. Note, this depends on how large your collection is and how much you consume. At a certain size, a wine collector may want to invest in a software application to track the inventory. Long term, one of my goals for our 25 acres in the Pacific NW is to have wine grapes and a wine cave. Time will tell.

That happens to me everytime I sit/lay down on the couch. All three dogs have a certain spot where they lay by me and they all race to get there first. At night, two dogs sleep in our bed and one sleeps with my daughter but if she has friends over or is sleeping over at a friends house then all three are in with us. They are cocker spaniels so not too big but one of them has to be touching us when she sleeps and one of them likes to lie between or on your legs. I wouldn't have it any other way. First thing I do when I wake up each morning is to start petting who ever is closest....