I was a reporter for a small newspaper just out of college. I covered a museum press event and met several other reporters from different parts of the state there. A few weeks later a friend from a much larger city called to tell me that "my" article had appeared almost word-for-word in her local paper. She sent it to me, and sure enough---the other reporter had basically copied my entire article. I contacted her editor and sent him my piece. He later called me back to say that no action would be taken because he'd called the PR person at the museum and that man had told him that my article had been supplied by the museum as a press release! That was completely untrue, and I was livid. I told the friend who had first brought the matter to my attention and she laughed---and said she knew the reporter was dating a PR person at that museum. So I called the editor back and told him this, and he was appalled and embarrassed, and promised to get to the bottom of the situation. Both the reporter and her museum PR boyfriend were both fired from their respective jobs. Plagiarism is the product of intellectual laziness and dishonesty, sometimes equal parts of both, sometimes more of one than the other, but always both.

There's no bedroom downstairs, so the only way I could sleep in the same room as the dogs is if I slept on the couch. I'm reluctant to do that--although sleeping on the couch might not be much worse than the way things have been going lately. As I write this, it's 11:00 p.m. and both dogs are panting. Wolfy is clingy, nosing my arm and attempting to get under my desk. (He doesn't fit.) It's possible that these behaviors of his have something to do with the fact that I'm out of the house seven hours a day (minimum) now. Before I started this job in December, I was home with the dogs a lot more. Wolfy is quiet and seemingly content in the morning and early afternoon before I go to work, but when I come home at night his restlessness starts. Jodi, I've wondered about the sundowning phenomenon, too. Uxorial, I just noticed your message--sorry! I did remove the bone meal. Actually, I threw it out because Wolfy had bent up the box so badly. Sarah, it's nice to know someone else is putting up with very difficult behaviors from a much-loved dog. I caught some flak on the Pet Forum last year (just from one or two people, not everyone) because I tolerate a higher degree of ....well, mess from my two elderly dogs than was deemed civilized. I'm the first to admit that gracious living flew out the window when my dogs got old and often incontinent. But I refuse to destroy these loving and loyal animals to restore my standard of living. If the time comes for that decision to be made, it will be for their comfort, not mine. Thanks, all.

That tri-color one is beautiful. I'd love to be able to have some of those. But I'll take what I can get. When you get your bumper crop, let me know if you want to give or trade any.

Link---> Cooperative Extension Services The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), part of the executive branch of the federal government. The Cooperative Extension System is a non-formal educational program implemented in the United States designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives. The service is provided by the state's designated land-grant universities. In most states the educational offerings are in the areas of agriculture and food, home and family, the environment, community economic development, and youth and 4-H. Traditionally, each county of all 50 states had a local extension office. This number has declined as some county offices have consolidated into regional extension centers. Today, there are approximately 2,900 extension offices nationwide. In my own case my cooperative extension office gives me one free soil test per year, has information available via printouts on almost everything garden related, and is very open to answering questions on the phone or by email. Everyone should visit their local office- they are just sitting there waiting to help you!