Again, I don't know what to say, Jodi. My face got all red (yeah, I blushed) and I was really touched by your comments. I'm just really glad you're getting more out of your growing experience. THAT really rocks me. ;o) From Arjadiejai: Have you tried rooting cuttings in this mix? If I have a cutting that is important to me, or hard to root, I always stick it in a sterile medium like perlite or Turface. Strangely, I get the VERY best results from rooting in chopped sphagnum moss (not peat - the whole pieces of moss that were harvested live). The moss makes sense if you consider it's the medium most used in air layering. A mix of any combination of the three ingredients also works very well. If I'm starting cuttings and I really don't care about the strike rate, I use a soil made of screened Turface, fir bark, and crushed granite - the same soil as above. I screen it so particles are all larger than 1/16 inch so there is almost NO perched water to rot cuttings. By doing it that way, I can start the cuttings in larger containers and not have to worry either about a setback from potting up soon after the cuttings strike, or about overpotting and the accompanying saturated soil. In short, cuttings root fast and you can save a step because of a larger soil volume, but again - if the cuttings are important, use a sterile medium - it's the bark that could harbor rot organisms. About the cacti and succulents, if you water your typical tropical houseplants every day or every other day, how often would you water the cacs & sucs in comparison? It varies. I have caudex forming succulents that get water once/week in winter (they're under lights in winter), and every other day in summer (outdoors/full sun/clay pots). The plants in plastic pots get watered less & the ones in clay pots get it more - you know how that goes ..... I/you just develop a feel for what is needed & when after a while I guess. I kind of have a calculator in my mind that factors in how hot it's been, how windy, how much sun, how big the plant is in relation to the pot size and soil volume ..... and I decide based on that. With succulents & cacti, if I'm in doubt, I usually wait. To answer your question directly: It varies, but the interval between waterings is about twice as long - all things being equal. Also, have you ever ventured into terrariums? Would you use a mix of this sort in there? I haven't done terrariums, but I worked with a guy to develop a soil and fertilizer program for his. I think he was doing them to sell, and I might even have sent him some soil to try, I don't remember - I talk to a lot of people off forum about plant stuff. I didn't save his e-mail addy, but I talked quite a bit with him on a thread over on the Container Forum. I might go over there & see if I can look him up & find how he fared, but only if you're interested. ;o) Al

>But even amongst those who are of British descent it seems curiously watered down in places such as, say, Colorado and Texas, two that I have experience with That may be, tho you'd be surprised by how many Angliophiles we have here in the southwest desert. In fact, perhaps more so - in this part of the country, people want everything new. In my city, just about everything older than 1950 is gone (with the exception of a few neighborhoods) People think 'antique' is before WWII. So my first trip overseas as a new High School graduate was eye opening to me. I was in Israel - and suddenly I realized how old the world is. I was fascinated by the cities made of adobe and the buildings that existed hundreds of years ago. I remember being in the Israel Museum and standing forever it seemed at the Dead Sea Scrolls. ASince then its been a love affair with the ancient. Which is probably why I love going to Britain (and I got my husband hooked on it too) So sometimes its what you don't have that makes you appreciate another place. >Would this have been the same in the US of that time? Yes, until the 60s. The main reason that memorization of such things was pushed aside is that it wasn't relevant to the kids. But they didn't think of a better way. If they teach about the rivers and lakes and main exports within the context of historic or cultural lessons, they'd find the kids much more intersted, and they'd even learn some geography on the way. >This woman's "dream" was to come and work for the royal family, and she emigrated and sought out this employment. I was a bit surprised at her ambition and devotion in this day and age We forget sometimes how very lucky we are, with the myraid of choices and options we have. Many others in other countries, esp women, don't. Working for the queen for this lady probably beat anything else she'd ever want to do, and had never had an idea that she could do better. Bet in a few years tho, she will! >What's with that? The one country they were taught about in school the longest was probably Britain, and so they associate historic fiction with it. Also suspect that there are probably more movies that take place in Britain than in other countries. Would be interesting to know. As for me, I have always loved cultural geography and historic fiction anywhere. But I do know what you mean. btw veer - we will be going to Ottawa (and Montreal and Quebec City) in June. Can I pick your brain about Ottawa? We already have a list of the usually museums and such, but maybe out of the way places, day trips?

These are beautiful. I didn't read enough of the thread but if you haven't, check out the rules. Photos that are exhibited at a country fair I help out with all have to be a certain size (can be landscape or portrait) and are unframed but often matted (with whatever color works best with the photo). Everything is different depending on where you exhibit. I'd suggest a matte finish but not on canvas.

My DSIL had an abdominal carcinoma and had it successfully treated (he's been in remission for about 7 years now) and his oncologist told him to start smoking marijuana to get his appetite up because he was always too nauseous to eat. He got a medical card and was able to use it, and he still uses it to keep weight on. He works in a Federally funded position but he's been told by his supervisors that they won't drug test him. He's very, very fortunate in that he works for a very compassionate agency. I've found that the CBD oil causes me gastic effects, so I bought some tincture-which is really, really nasty tasting. I mix it in a shot glass size of water and chase it down with a cup of water to rinse the taste, and that helps me a bit better than the oil. And as I mentioned., smoking helps me to sleep. I did learn that there is a difference in the strain of THC, apparently the sativa strain is one that gives the greater ephoric 'high' feeling, and indica strain is more relaxing. So the guy at the dispensary sold me an indica strain with high cbd. It was kind of mind blowing going in to a pot store-the smell is kind of overwhelming-but the staff were very, very knowledgeable and followed very strictly to the rules-always checking my id, even though I'm obviously well over 21! When I bought the pot to smoke I had to get a pipe and it was only $3! The gram of smoke was $3. You could have knocked me over with a feather-I was completely expecting to spend over $60, figuring a pipe would be a minimum of $20. CBD oil is much more expensive, I guess it's due to the manufacturing process. But I really, really wish that the Feds would deregulate it and let States run it on their own. I know of so many people who use it now for pain relief, and even a lot who use it instead of drinking a cocktail. And no, crime HAS NOT risen in our State as a result.