I've seen a soldier garden. It is about to come down. At a local trailer court in town, somebody planted a row of fir trees behind each row of trailers back in the 60's. They are quite large and lovely now. They are in front of the majestic canyon view now. Yellowstone Club bought up the trailer court, booted out the tenants. They got paid three-fourths of the commercial value of their trailers or less. The alternative was nothing. There was almost nowhere for these trailers to go. These doggone trees are in the way of the mansions and the view. There are so many of these rows of trees that when they go, I suspect it will change the climate of the town. My favorite soldier garden is a wheat field. "How I love to listen to the wind in the wheat." Like the little Prince, I've got a little rose in a pot, Madame Isaac Perriere. I never liked the color in the picture, but she came very well recommended. So I got one. She is the lady of roses, I think. She sits on the porch, looking at the ash-leaf spirea sticks, wondering. My ten hydrangeas which are supposed to live through the winter and bloom on old and new wood which are an Endless Summer clone for three bucks apiece (David or Donald Wyman, I think they're called) are coming in the mail today. They are going to be a border along the path which runs by the front of the house after I get it fixed up with my fossil stones. What I'd love is Austrian Copper to make the purple, and white hydrangeas pop but it would never bloom at the same time. I I am pretty sure they will be purple because the PH of my soil is neutral. I hope I can get it done before I get sick from the smoke. Takes about two weeks to get sick from the smoke. The smoke is not as bad as it can get. You cannot see the mountains at all, but the streetlights are not coming on in the middle of the day. The Forest Service is in desperate straits. The local editor pointed out that they cut this year's budget to pay for last year's fires. Last year, fires consumed 45% of their budget. They end up letting it burn until somebody in D.C. is convinced that no rain is coming. Some fires are being "Event-managed." That means rain. If you have a big pickup and nothing to do, you can get $25 per hour, plus mileage, plus a rental fee for your truck ferrying supplies to the Wicked Creek firefighters. If you have fire-fighting experience and can prove it, you can get $50 per hour. Yeah, the possibilities of chaos. I like the ring of that, too.

Sabji : do you have any fenugreek seeds? I have some variegated basil if you are interested Magick: Re you still looking for Stella d oro lily? Would like your white rebloom azalea. Or maybe you would like a variegated basil? Gail, I am jealous! Get something awesome! I will be joining everyone next year for that event. Camelialover: I have set aside purple balloon flower seeds, yellow iris, and Persian shield for your thalictrum, agapanthus, and spirea

I've only really been hobbying with plants the last year or two but so far I have not killed a succulent. I don't have any cacti. Every succulent I've had I have kept alive. I have not tried lithops though, or any holiday cactus. I have several tropical plants that have all stayed alive. I killed one but I let it die kind of...I didn't water it for FOUR MONTHS and then finally I threw it out because it was in really bad shape but it was still alive. It was my first plant and was still in the black muck and I was too scared to repot it because hubby once said he saw millipedes in it (blech). I was really just waiting for it to die but it wouldn't. It was a Chinese Evergreen, whatever those are called. Actually, I did have an Ivy die but that was probably because it was in a plastic pot without a hole and I didn't ever get around to making one myself. I have good success with orchids, though I have two Cattleya hybrids that are struggling. I have brought a Dendrobium and a Wilsonara back from the dead. I have NOT had luck with African Violets but I also didn't really try at all and am trying again. I'm giving up on them if this time around I don't succeed. I really credit all of my success with you GardenWeb people. I would have given up a long time ago if it weren't for you all. I've learned so much here.

Hi Ron. I remember when they thought the tower was going to fall. My Grandparents lived in the 400 block of Caron. Tunnel Barbecue is now closed and torn down. I liked the sauce which you can still buy but never cared for their ribs, always too dry. Movie theatres downtown all closed but the Capital was saved and is a theatre arts centre. If you are on FB there is a group called If You Grew Up in Windsor, ON you remember and another group called Things Seen in Windsor's West End you might like. I live just a few blocks from the river in Riverside and love to hear the ship engines, horns when they pass other ships and really love the sound of the fog horns. I remeber the Peerless, and always got the Peanut Toffee sundae, it was the best. Small world