Lee, what a beautiful story. I am so very sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing Thumper's life with us and many many thanks for enlightening us about rabbits. Like Josh, I had no idea that rabbits could be litterbox trained. I always thought they just sat in cages, ate carrots and looked cute and cuddly. I'm sorry that Kresha had to go through making the decision to let Thumper go. I couldn't have made it without Neil by my side when we had to give our Chelsea up. I'm not surprised that you wanted Kresha to have Silverbell. You are such a dear, dear man. Neil and I are planning a trip to Apopka soon and we hope to meet up with you and Kresha while we are there. Take care my friend.

Edna, I have you to thank, for me finding this forum. If I had not posted on the plant exchange in October, looking for a pink starburst canna, when you asked if I had a double brugmansia to trade. I had never even heard of a double brugmansia. I started lurking, and decided to post when I saw Jim's post. Now, I am the proud owner of 12 burgmansia cuttings. Soon to be the owner of 16. So I am on my way. I am going to stop after I get my Germany plants in May. Barbra,

Well my DH wins the prize. He hasn't divorced me or threatened to take away my spade, yet. I don't know if all of you saw the photos that Jim (Idiothe) posted of Sheila and I with our kayaks and bikes and the car completely loaded with hostas? Well in order to do that we loaded all our gear in our boats. It is my hubby's car. (both our names are on it, but it is his vehicle 98% of the time.) I drive the used Mommy van that gets used as a truck for hauling mulch and whatever. But the kayak rack is mine, and I can't load boats on my van due to a bad shoulder. So..... he is very particular about his car. He hates me putting the rack on, he will not drive on gravel, etc. So with my bad shoulder, and the heavy boats, I couldn't lift my end of Sheil's up very well. So the J cradles kept twisting and falling down. I finally found a man to help us. We finally got it loaded, made it home... and there are dents all over the top of the car. Bad dents, like really big hail. :( Like will never come out. I feel awful, I do. Whats done is done, and he isn't holding it against me. But he is so sad. And I am too. But I did get all my hostas home! So he wins the hosta hubby of the year award. I need to get those trophies made, don't I? Anyone want to nominate their Wife for the Hosta Wife of the year award?

I do honestly think it's entirely cultural. If we are raised thinking something is gross or regarded with disdain, chances are it's going to stay that way until that pattern of thinking is changed. Look at tomatoes...no wait, that example might not work here...early colonists thought they were POISONOUS, not simply gross. I'll come up with something later... Protein is protein, and like John D pointed out, we already consider some of this group a culturally acceptable delicacy. Why not the others? Granted, there are some that for obvious reasons would never make the cut, like your stinkbugs and so on. So what invertebrates DID you try, John? How do you choose the right wine? :) I myself attempt to be objective...my motto towards foreign foods is "try it, then see if you hate it." Not my husband. If it didn't have feathers or hooves he isn't touching it. I guess if I KNOW I'm about to eat something with yuck factor, that's somehow better than being caught offguard and getting surprised by it. Hand me a locust and say, "try these. they're good" but don't have it camouflaged in the soup. Doesn't make logical sense, but that's how it works for me, and even then I'm sure there would be times my sense of adventure would fail me. Personally, if we could ever get past the icks, I think there is a lot of potential with invertebrates, given the problems we are facing with the drive towards beef, beef, and more beef and the great amount of resources needed to support such a trend. Jannie...some of the things they do with insects on that Fear Factor show...never seen it but heard lots about it from friends who all say the same thing: they watched it and thought of me. I should take that money and run. Treebeard, we have to leave the chocolate thingy out of this. I would eat a crescent wrench if you dipped it in chocolate.