Well Carrie, if I did get a response like I said in my last response to you, I can't remember who it is (amnesia). I've looked back through the mail and can't find anything. Well, it's October here in the Upstate of SC and the temp is starting to drop a little so maybe its best that I can't remember. I hope you have a great winter. I'm trying to get some Spring Bulbs ready to plant but I have to plant them in a place where I can sit and get up by myself. Never know how my legs are going to be when I wake up in each morning, may be able to walk, may be just able to hobble around until I get all loosened up. I really enjoyed writing to you and I pray that your plant to great. The pic is of my daughter and myself. Its a few years old. She didn't take up my interest in gardening. She's a nurse and I'm so proud of her because we feel like this is a calling of God and she is a wonderful young woman. Now she does have a special relationship with wild animals. When she was small, I was always taking wild animals away from her and letting them go but it was too late by then, it wasn't wild anymore. She'd go out on the porch and yell BABIES and chameleons, field mice and others would come running from everywhere and see who could get to her first. We called her Ellie Mae! ok, I'm getting in bed now. Bye. Joel Morris

Mountainman: In your rush to debate you completely missed the forest because for the trees. In other words, because you believe you are right, you are NOT seeing the obvious. It's clear you didn't read the articles you think support what you believe. ;) Let me guess, because the word "semi-arid" appeared in close proximity to the word "Austin" you assumed that was proof of your belief? Oh oh!!!! LOL Sorry, but the articles you site actually support what I said, and refute your beliefs. Even if you were right, it would take a lot more to prove your case than doing a search for articles that contained the terms "semi-arid" and "Austin." Do you always hold other people's information in such low regard? LOL Let's start with your own words.....YOU WROTE......................Austin is on the border between the more humid east Texas and the drier hill country, it is not difficult to find references to the Austin and central Texas area, particularly the surrounding hill country, as semi-arid.......... Ummm, first off so? Those are actually two independent statements. One does not verify the other. You are the one doing the connecting. Austin is close to a significantly drier region. That does NOT prove Austin shares that climate. Yeah some parts of Central Texas are kind of dry. Umm, but did you stop to think "just how large" the Central Texas "AREA" is? It's larger than any single state East of the Mississippi. In such a large region there is more than enough room for a dry climate and a wet one and the transition zone if needed. Even the Edwards Aquifer map, while much smaller than Central Texas is 4350 sq. miles. It's as big as Connecticut, and stretched out. Do you really find it impossible to believe such a large area has two different climates? Austin is also NOT surrounded by "dry" hill country. The Hill country is to its West. The other side starts the Gulf Coastal Plain. The "Austin region/area" as it's used in your references, is primarily about a "geologic" zone. Why are you referencing a geological map to prove your beliefs in regards to climate? The map correctly shows Austin located on the extreme edge of the aquifer feeding zone. Austin is ONLY included in that map, because it is a map of the Edwards aquifer. It does NOT appear because it shares a climate. What's interesting is the USGS Austin gets an average of 34" (as I said a variance of 30-40" is right on) Hmmmm, Try to find a description of "semi-arid" that ALSO says such areas get 34" of rain. You won't. A key characteristic of semi-arid regions is rainfall between 10-20" annually. Your belief lies in your connecting unrelated phrases as well as taking "general" comments as "specific. You're assuming that Austin must be dry because areas relatively close to it are considered dry. No dice. Significant climate can occur in 10s of miles, even less than 10. The "Austin Area" you refer to is much much larger than necessary for a dramatic climate change. If you look at a "CLIMATE" map you'll understand what I mean. Even a basic one will show Austin in the temperate, sub-tropical zone. The fact that it is on the edge does makes a difference ONLY relative to the rest of the zone which gets more rain and is a bit more humid. In regards to the article in the Austin Chronicle that you thought supported you, how did you missed the RED FLAG in the first sentence? It reads: Westcave Preserve in western Travis County protects a TROPICAL SWATCH of land in the SEMIARID landscape of the Texas Hill Country. That's a new one, a tropical region near Austin, in a semi-arid zone to boot. Weren't you curious about a "tropical swatch" of land near Austin? This should clue you in that this article probably is not accurate in terms of climate. The writer is careless with his terms, and not factual. There is NO "micro-climate" tropical zone near Austin, just as there is no semi-arid zone. Second, the writer does NOT say the Austin area is semi-arid only the part of the Texas Hill country. in which this "mythical" tropical swatch is located. Also as odd is going to the "San Francisco Chronicle" ;) In any case, this article also bears out what I said. The key line is: "Austin is where the humid, sultry American South begins to transition into the scruffy, semi-arid West." At most it says Austin is a bit dryer than the typical "humid, sultry South" of which IT IS A PART. It certainly does NOT say or infer Austin is semi-arid. I love discussing, but please read the stuff before you assume you're right. ;)

Hey guys!! Nice to see all the familiar friendly smiling faces! I could have sworn I posted this just yesterday!! I am so busy with stuff...life stuff...anymore. Sorry it took so long to respond. thanks for your comments on my photos and my kitties. Marcia, you did tell me about Sybil T Smudge and we chatted over it EONS ago? LOL Good to see ya sweetie. Denise, this is only my 2nd banana fruiting. And I got 2 Raja bunches this year. The Ice Cream trees came from a pup from Kristi Coffeemom last year and they are getting HUGELY tall but no fruit as yet. Does the Ice Cream really get that much taller than the Raja?? Cheer's m' dear to Nine Crow Hey Hey to Laura and Susie!!! I will try to be around more! Be well and happy AND play nice kids!!

Mike, I would not go for very many, if any, "White" (Green) varieties of figs aside from maybe brooklyn white, white marseilles, paradiso, lattarula, these are the only green varieties I'm aware of that will ripen readily that far north without extending the season artificially. I was staring at a big ole' unripened JH adriatic fig this morning...wishing My fig 'short list' , in order of how likely they are to succeed and produce (in containers or outside in my experience) #1 ANY Mt Etna variety (I would go w/ Takoma Violet personally, but any of the 'Mt. Etna' varieties would do well like Marseilles Black VS or Hardy Chicago. I have a friend about 15 minutes from me that has 30 trees in the ground, in WEST VIRGINIA mountains, zone 6b. There are no other figs this hardy or productive in cold environments that I am aware of ) Notes of berry, peach, and grape soda in the flavors. #2 Malta Black, Improved Celeste, LSU Tiger, VdB, RdB, Florea, Celeste Malta Black is supposedly not a MT Etna type but almost identical to them so gets lumped in w/ them. So much debate in fig nomenclature these days =/ #3 Brooklyn White, lattarula, paradiso, LSU Purple (plus other LSU hybrids like O'rourke) mostly in the sugar taste group #4 Still figuring it out most of the varieties I just listed would come back from the roots after a total top kill and may still produce that year. The LSU Purple in the picture I posted earlier is about 8' tall and was grown from a cutting last winter to give you an idea of the capability. I'm not aware of many perennial fruits or trees that can do that so don't give up on figs!