I think so. The chairs were upholstered in purple velvet, and the frames were finished in 24K gold leaf. This was many, many years ago, and we used to make more ornate frames back then.

Murrysmom- you've just given me an idea for a gift for DH. He is handy with tools but we don't have the specialized ones you need to do this kind of work. But there is a workshop in Philly that has classes - I could get him one. Thanks for the idea.

Thanks, Elizabeth! I had a young bear at my bird feeder. Needless to say, I took the feeders down. But they are beautiful creatures.

Stromatolites at Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Western Australia Stromatolites are basically microbial mats formed by the interaction of microorganisms like cyanobacteria with sedimentary materials, which build up in layers over centuries. They're not very photogenic, are they? But they are incredibly important in the development of the earth as we know it: first, because they represent one of the earliest forms of life on earth, dating back 3.5 billion - yes, billion - years; and second, because they produced oxygen which, over time, increased the atmospheric levels to a point capable of supporting more complex life forms. Stromatolites are rare today, found only in a few spots on the planet, with this colony in WA one of the largest and most diverse.