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What a great time of year for a birthday!!!

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Hi everyone,
I forced myself to take and download some photos LOL

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Happy Birthday Sue!
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Hope you find some time to sit and enjoy your day!

I love those chairs Saucy! Where did you get them?

Happy Birthday, Sue!

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--Cindy

LOL, Woody, they're from the wonderful garden we visited toward the end of the PA Idyllunion. She had several seating vignettes.

I would like something like that myself....but with a turtle theme :)

Saucy

(beautiful pictures everyone!)

Many happy returns of the day, Sue!
(Hermannshof, Germany -- Woody's given me wisteria on the brain...)
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Raining here...not much yet. I knew it would rain because the peony blossom is finally opening. [g] Not quite open, so maybe it will survive. I also see that a few newly opened iris are horizontal to the ground. I am new to iris, are they usually not weather resilient?

Chelone...it is very dry here too. I've had the sprinkler going twice this year already and quite a bit of spot hand watering with all the moving about we did this spring. It is raining pretty steadily here right now. I love the sound of all your large windows in the Salon. Great air circulation in a building is such a pleasure. Love tree houses, too.

Saucy, I just wanted to share with you, that if this is Nick's first problem with gallbladder and things are not serious at this point, depending on what the tests show, you could find a good alternative doctor, maybe a Naturopath, sometimes they can help you with supplements and diet to prevent future problems, without surgery. Sometimes your Primary doctor will agree with this conservative approach.

Mary....How is David doing? Hoping his outbreak of chicken pox are mild and that he will not be contagious by Saturday. You all must be floating on cloud nine over his scholarship. Great when your kids have a chance to do what they are good at and what they enjoy.

Denise...a Lily, huh? Would enjoy seeing that when it opens. I so envy you all the western Salvias and agastaches, and the hummers they attract. That 'Mulberry Jam' is more delicate than I would expect for a salvia.

Deanne...what is a nu nu? [g] Love that third photo you posted of the driveway garden. Your grasses are really coming into their own, and that huge bird bath fits right in.

Cindy...hope you are feeling better. Allergies alone are bad enough, but a cold and vertigo together? Hope you are being extra nice to yourself. :-)

Woody...I think that is a lot of bloom for a Wisteria, for such a young plant. Should be an interesting experiment. A clematis would certainly give it another season of bloom.

Gardenbug...is it raining there today?

Kathy...what are they doing to you at work? [g] A crappy attitude seems quite uncharacteristic for you. How is the realtor activity doing on the house?

Patriot vanished on me too. Fascinating article on the Hummingbird. Such a straight arch of a flight pattern, they are amazing!

Anita....busy at your house?

Sue...Happy Birthday!! Hope you had a 'yip, yip' free morning. [g]

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:-)
pm2

Happy Birthday Sue!

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Eden

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PM, believe it or not but it actually was a yip free morning. May they continue. lol

Thanks so much for the birthday greetings everyone! So many gorgeous pictures from near and far! A few of the activities on the agenda today include xrays and physical therapy. Good grief! What a way to celebrate being one year older. Wonder what medical delights I have to look forward to next year. Beats the alternative I guess. Thank goodness for great friends who are traveling some distances tonight to take me out to dinner.

I received the funniest e-card from my dad and his wife. Below is a link to the generic version. Hope it works. We've been chuckling away here all morning.

A few more comments on the fibroid issue because I realize that there are possibly hundreds more people who read here than post and there is more than enough misinformation floating around about this subject. By no means were my fibroids non symptomatic. If they were I would have done nothing. By the time I scheduled my surgery they were quite symptomatic. Fibroids cause a wide variety of symptoms, some worse than others, but the type and severity of the symptoms by no means dictates the course of treatment that may be taken. What does dictate the options are the size, nature and location of the fibroids. Once again, research and finding the right doctors are the keys. Just about every day on the yahoo group a new member posts who has been advised by a doctor to follow a fibroid treatment option that is not effective for the type of fibroids they have. It's appallingly common.

Martie, when you refer to your uterus as a "useless organ", I sincerely hope that you've drawn this conclusion after doing some independent research. Unfortunately many doctors flip that comment out there quite casually-usually when they're telling someone a hyst is their only option. Personally, if I doctor ever said anything like that to me (and my original GYN did) I would run, not walk to the nearest exit. Based on the research I've seen I feel quite the opposite.

Allrighty then. Some rain here today but not nearly enough. The weather forecast I saw this morning said 90 F for the weekend. Yuck. Is it lunchtime yet?

Sue

Happy Birthday Sue! Have a perfect day!
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LOL! Sue, that card was hilarious (and so true...not for me, of course, but...[g]) Great way to start the day.

Well the card from Dad fits me perfectly, unfortunately! I definitely prefer all the other cards! ;)

Happy Birthday, Sue. I hope it is a good one. :-)

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I may have overdone it this forenoon. I got onto a pruning mode, and just kept lopping off wayward limbs, after removing grapevines, mimosa, and pokeberry from the island shrub row. It is amazing what all the birds 'plant' in the shrub rows! I still have piles of loppings to haul to the burning piles. :-)

O my gosh -- that card is a riot!!

I am glad to hear that your furry children gave you a very personal birthday present - a quiet morning.

Sue, I recently went to the dentist on mine and was rewarded w/ the news that I needed my first crown on a tooth -- I decided I've moved to a whole new plateau - not only w/ the tooth biz but the idea that I could make myself do unpleasant, "routine" stuff on "the day" LOL - it didn't hurt so much after all -- but I am glad to hear you're getting some good food and company to finish the day off more pleasantly. Boy, Im going to have to remember that card for a few "friends" haha.

As a survivor of the big H surgery, I will say that I do feel so much much better once it was over and done with (I really did think about a year later that I wondered why I waited so long)-- there are certainly ramifications from its removal - but I had a lot of problems going on there, and not just fibroids -- but this was about 8 years ago and I frankly am amazed at the info that one can find now on the 'net -- it has certainly changed info gathering on important topics re health, life (and of course gardening). But like Chelone, I saw with my mother's condition after her stroke that it takes a lot of persistence, nagging, research, and finding the right medical person to listen to go against the "norm" of what is established treatments/protocols for conditions.

I do think your comment was important, Sue, that if a doctor says something that sounds flip or "godlike" (i.e., dont question my judgment because I have an M.D.), then one should run the other way and it's important to find one with whom you can feel is open to options or new ideas or treatments or at the least the discussion of them -- even specialists have a hard time keeping up with progress and new treatments in their fields. Nothing wrong with gathering all the intel on things and asking lots and lots of questions.

Will it make you New Englanders feel deprived if I tell you that I heard the DC metro area got over 10 inches of rain in May - an alltime record.... we had more rain yesterday... but the 90 degree temps have arrived now. Ugh.

All these pics of wisteria -- ahhhhh...... if only there were room somewhere....

Cindy

Oh my gosh Cindy did we miss your birthday? Happy, happy belated my Idyll friend!

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Eden

Happy Birthday, Sue!!

I'm sorry I misinterpreted your situation. The line in your post "Fibroids that were relatively non symptomatic at the time" led me to believe that they weren't seriously interferring with your well-being. My apologies, and thank you for taking a different view so that more women can be educated.

Martie

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Running to catch the birthday train...

Happy birthday, Cindy!

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So sorry we missed your birthday Cindy!!!

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Wow! The telephone man just installed DSL for me ! No more dial up, no more telephone being tied up. No more waiting forever for pictures to open, or long threads ! Yahoooo !

Pretty cards!! The card your Dad sent you is a riot, Sue..lol. I am going to have to save that for someone. We like Blue Mountain cards too.

Hello to Monique...it has been awhile, how have you been and what is new? Since you downloaded photos...maybe you will post more? :-)

Congratulations Marian...you will love DSL. It is like night and day from dial up. :-)

Rained off and on most of the day, but I don't think it amounted to much.

Cindy, how did we miss your BD? Dentists and vertigo during BD week is not allowed...have to remember that for next year. :-)

An Iris for you too...Happy Birthday!

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Cindy...hope your birthday was great!
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Happy Belated Birthday, Cindy.

I just love this combo found in my neighbor's garden:
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Saucy

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Drive by post... This story was just on NBC news:

"When Idylling is no longer an option!"

This got my attention so I tuned in after the numerous commercials. It was a piece on police not being able to sit in their idylling cars due to the price of gas... LOL

Jerri

Happy Birthday Cindy !

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Happy Birthday Sue !!

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Happy Belated Birthday Cindy--I'm so sorry I missed your special day.

Happy Birthday Sue!!!

(Also, just wanted to let everyone know---those cold germs that you were all passing around a week or so ago? They made it to the west coast.....) ;^)

T.

Kathy, that sound clip provided doesn't sound like the tsk, tsk of my hummer, but what a nice article. Now I've been wondering how quickly flowers replenish the nectar between sips and how that whole business works. Bet Deanne knows ;) Your potted succulent looks like another Cotyledon orbiculata aka pig's ear, no?

I think the thumb's up/down discussion on the hysto has been very enlightening, and thanks to all contributors. I haven't felt this radicalized over medical issues since I was pregnant, lol. Talk about being condescended to! And duly noted 'bug's comment re infant mortality rates in this country, oy, a true shame.

The epimedium photos are driving me over the edge, and I find (upon doing Internet research that mostly leads back to idyll threads) that they might not all require winter chill, that some are zoned to 9. Perhaps the evergreen kinds like X versicolor might be happy here in the spot recently vacated by a thuggish acanthus? They are awful pricy to experiment with, but they're really getting under my skin, what charmers.

Saucy, your fish chairs bring me back to the Charlie the Tuna commercials, lounging in something similar to show his good taste. Now I'm really dating myself...

A Chelone sighting! Talk to us, GF! you with the great facility with words.

Back to a night of proofing. G'night all.

Denise, though I collect succulents madly Im afraid I cant verify your I.D. on this one . I bought it from our local nursery who grows their own plants but in true Mom&Pop store fashion are hit or miss with labeling. I bought it in a gallon pot and the container it lives in now is probably a couple of inches bigger in diameter than a basketball. I was thinking maybe it might be some sort of Kalanchoe , but I will research your suggestion . And by the way , "lame photographer" or no, I have really been enjoying your photos. As an LA girl there is something very homelike in them for me.

LOL Jerri ! Idylling is always an option for some ! How are the pups ?

Monique , that purple arbor/gate affair is just as fabu-fabu as can beLove to see people who exhibit b**ls in the color arena, and you are surely there !

PM, I am usually pretty good at leaving the crappy attitude at the office..I work in an industry that is very much affected by the housing downturn and it has resulted in lots of lay offs and belt tightening in our company. Though I am the boss and a professional, losses of clerical folk have left me and my staff in the postion of spending lots of time doing mindless data entry activities that we would otherwise farm out. This can be pretty frustrating, and prevents us from doing our real jobs .
Very slow right now in real estate land, but Im in no rush.

Chelone, methinks by fall you will have the Salon sewn up and ready for what? Maybe the First Annual Compound Harvest Festival. Huzzah !

Ok , time to catch a few innings and then sleeplater all, wave to those ungreeted..

Kathy in Napa

"But ChaHlie, StaHkist don't want tunas with good taste, StaHkist wants tunas that taste good!".

And on that note of useless information (don't ask how or why I remember it), I'll bid you all a productive day.

Belated birthday felicitations to Sue and Cindy, BTW.

Morning all!

Today Nick gets his ultrasound "egg hunt"...guess they're looking for stones. He has not had a bad attack (a few mild ones) since we cut the fat in his diet.

PM, we have been researching alternative options since his dr. already mentioned surgery and we don't even have a confirmed diagnosis....GP's must get a little commission from the surgeons, no? Thank you for your insight.

I, too, enjoyed the volley about women's health. It doesn't get discussed often enough - that's why women don't know there is a choice/alternative. Good discussion had on both sides of the fence.

I found myself googling something and ended up on an Idyllunion thread at V.'s house! I have been dreaming up "steps" that are low and flat like hers, with thymes planted around stepping stones....it will lead up to my bee hive.

Thanks to you all, I ordered 80 bluestone plants to start "something" around the deck. I got in on their big sale. I've got time to watch it grow :)

I have an Oriole eating from an orange on my feeder. I am so proud of this fact! He's been flying overhead, and I think he/she are nesting in the big oak tree, but so far no sign of the unusual nest. I have a terrible picture to upload!

Denise, you're just comparing your photography skills to your son's, but he obviously got it from somewhere! I love your garden shots! It's what I'd be if I lived in your clime.

I loved Charlie Tuna and his underwater world! I did a google search, Woody, and found that you could buy chairs similar to those (google: "fish adirondack") but those seem to be a one of a kind. I really did enjoy that garden....but my pictures came out lousy.

I guess I'd better get the day started. I'm supposed to go to the wholesale nursery with my neighbor, so I'm crossing my fingers that it works out so that I can go with her, go with Nick, and find time to get the bills out to the mailbox before the postman arrives, LOL...that's alot to cram into my morning.

Wonder how David is?

Saucy

I remember that commercial! Leave it to you Chelone, with your wonderful memory. Mine is like a sieve. Now I am getting a visual too. [g]

How is your garden doing, Chelone? Wondering how much rain fell on the Compound yesterday. Still gray here this morning but no rain. We just about had an inch of rain yesterday.

You certainly are up and out early in the morning. So your busy season at work is all summer?

Kathy...I am surprised there are not more cutbacks than there have been reported. With the price of gas going through the roof and taking everything else with it, it makes you wonder where it is all going to end. I saw a news report last night about a gas station owner who explains he may have to go out of business because he is not making any money selling gas.

Here on the East Coast, I have no idea what the real estate market is doing right now, but normally this is their busiest season. At least you have all those updates and new amenities to enjoy while you are waiting. :-)

Off to the train station soon...

pm2

At least 20 years ago DH had a serious gallbladder attack, requiring the doctor to come to our HOME! (Doctors don't do that here...) He had eaten Chicken Vindaloo at an Indian restaurant the night before. Nothing much could be done. So the doctor checked him later on, after DH had done some research. Turns out almost everyone has gallstones but only a few are bothered by them. Surgery was ALWAYS the solution according to the medics, but not always necessary. In fact, the surgery alone is sometimes more dangerous than the stones. So DH has had nothing done for over 20 years and has had no real issues with it since. While in the hospital for having his appendix removed, the woman in the next room died of heart failure after her "successful" gallbladder surgery. I think this could be related to DH's avoidance of the procedure! In any case, the surgery is now done differently, not invasively.

Visiting girlfriend is off for a run and then we leave for the Farmer's market. She has extended her stay here until Saturday! Oy, the gardens need mucho weeding and I won't be touching them until then. We are expecting a heatwave, almost 90F and HUMID!

Ciao!
'bug

LOL, just got a chicken pox alert from the school!

GB, that visiting girlfriend any kind of gardener? Have her bum side up in the garden to earn her keep :)

Wonder where PM is scooting off to by train?

How do I expect to get any work done if I play here?

Saucy

Cindy - I hope you had a good birthday. I was out most of yesterday so your card is extra late...

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Whoa - good morning - someone is reading posts too closely! Eden -- that was sweet of you - I should have edited my post and taken out that "recent" - that's what happens when it's a drive-by - it was weeks ago and Im such a bad idyller I dont keep track of birthdays, so I really didnt think anything of it being missed here -- altho I always enjoy excuses for more gorgeous photos -- thanks, folks -- Beautiful felicitations are duly noted -- I hope it didnt take away from the fun of Sue's -- Im still laughing about that card from her Dad!

Well, another metro commuting nitemare - all those tornado warnings - my car was in dealer for service - get the call at 4 pm it's stuck on the alignment rack and they have no power.. they offer me a rental car when I say Im car-less and homeless without a rental; then the metro stops service half way to the destination stop; I end up off-loaded on the train Im on because it has problems - longer story short, I end up in Arlington walking to DD's apartment - miles from where I need to be & the traffic at a standstill - they offer me shelter, dinner and a ride to the dealer to get the car -- got home after 9.... and crossing the fingers they get power back to get my car off the rack today altho if the candles in their ofc were any indication last nite, Im not feeling optimistic. Life's little dramas. There are sure to be more significant ones from the huge weather systems we had here.

Kathy, that is tough w/ the layoffs - even the law firms are doing it now and for the past several years, they've been loading up the admin staff and consolidating; but now the attys are being laid off too -- definite belt tightening going on "quietly" in a lot of areas I think -- we luckier folks just need to sit tight and practice a mantra of "can only do so much" for one person --

It's going to be a "loverly" sweltering humid DC day the start of the heat wave onslaught ...ugh...

It's nice to see pics of last summer's IU4 -- it brings back wonderful memories -- I too adored that garden where the fish chairs were and recall the owners were delightful, creative, amazingly social and kind people...

--Cindy

Good morning all,

So Cindy, when exactly is your birthday??? Hmmmm???? Please email me the information and Ill add you to the list. Im doing my best but Cynthia is the queen of the birthday list. We NEVER missed a BDay when she was in charge. LOL

So look whos in the Charley the Tuna chair. That is our very own lovely Mary modeling the latest in garden furniture at the last IU.
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I surely wish youd all been able to see these gardens we visited last year. They were over the top Fabu-Fabu. I agree 100% with Cindy, the couple who created those gardens were the most marvelous, creative and gracious hosts. A perfect evening in the garden. We set up a wine and cheese buffet on their patio under a magnificent arbor and had a lovely time.

Cindy, good grief, youve surely had enough dramas in your life for the foreseeable future! I surely hope things settle down soon. You know, you should think about popping up for a weekend sometime? Ill pamper you and we can chill out on the patio looking up at the terrace gardens. If you can get to MHT I can pick you up.

Bug, what a horror story about your DHs gallbladder issue. The old surgery was terrible with a very long recovery. My DD had to have her gallbladder out and they did it by laparoscopy. She was just uncomfortable for a few days. So different from the months of recovery the old surgery required. I have attacks from time to time when Im not paying close enough attention to my fat intake. I try to keep it under 30 grams a day and that isnt easy. Ive been told Ill have to have surgery but so far Ive been putting it off as I rarely have problems. OH yes, red wine seems to lessen the effects of an attack. LOL

Saucy, how terrific youve got an oriole on your feeder! I have them in my oak trees here as well. They are such fabulous birds. ~~ Hope your DH is OK.

LOL Jerri! I agree with Kathy, Im always ready for a bit of Idylling.

Kathy, that purple arbor of Monique and Les is definitely Fabu-Fabu!!!! You should come and see it in person sometime. It leads to their brilliant gardens. One of the best uses of space Ive ever seen. They are incredible designers.

Denise, thats a good question and Im now intrigued. I have no idea how fast the plants replenish the nectar after the Hummers take their sips. Ill have to see if I cant find that information. ~~ BTW is that a yucca blooming behind the salvia?

HI T, sorry abut the cold. Your Rhododendron and Azaleas look incredible.

PM is that iris Beverly Sills??? Its one of the pretties pink flowers ever.

Michelle, those peach tulips are wonderful next to that Alchemilla mollis! Do you know the variety? Also, what is that variegated Aquilegia?

Sue, that BDay card from your Dad is hysterical! Hope you had a great evening out.

OK Ive got to get to work here. Hello to all, have a great day!
Deanne

Ho Tai doin' a mini-wave in honor of Cindy and Sue's birthdays!!
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Yet another quickie post. Had some pretty strong storms roll through last night. No damage, but we had the dogs in the basement. The biggest, Gus, had to be CARRIED down the steps and whined the entire time. Sounds like heat, humidity and more rain are in store for us. More time to do yoga and mend the back, I guess.
ANYWAY, I came to post that DH and I were at the home improvement store the other night, and I picked up a container gardening magazine, and there was Deanne!! Congrats to you-your containers are always awe-inspiring..seems to me they wasted a lot of pages that could have been filled with more of your creations, though ;) I 'bout fell over when I showed it to DH, and he actually remembered who you were. I thought he was just humoring me until he mentioned that I showed him pics of your containers last year. He thought you lived in Rhode Island, but hey, at least he had a clue!!
Gotta run, have a good day everyone!
Brenda

Quickie post from me, I'll see how good my memory is.

Mary, what an honor for David - congratulations to him.

Brenda, good to have you back. We are in a rainy week and the crops are just in so that's a good thing.

Deanne, the tulips are Apricot Beauty and the aquilgia is Woodside strain. It reseeds in my garden with some of the plants with all chartruese leaves. I could surely send you some seed. As for the Black scallop, I didn't do anything special except all the pieces were in a raised bed (good drainage?) I so enjoy your driveway garden, its such a great way to down play the driveway.

Saucy, we enjoy the orioles here, I haven't tried feeding them, but I see them flit about and hear their song.

Cindy, what a nuisance, but it did give me a little chuckle to think of your car "stranded". It shows how dependant on electricity we are.

I agree that Monique's use of color is fabulous. Kathy, just wait until you see the colors that Kenzie and I picked out for the playhouse ;o) If the rain ever stops I can move on with that.

Marian, you will love the DSL. I was wondering if we have any dialup users left.

Woody, your wisteria tree is wonderful. How many years did you wait for it to bloom?

I'm loving all the birthday pictures.

Back to the grind
Michelle

I happened across this link at lunch today -- I feel after reading a few of these things that I should say "where have I been the last few years" -- it is a website citing some scientific studies to prove or disprove various garden myths -- some being what the "soil sorb" polymers commonly used in container plantings do, whether gypsum is helpful to breaking up clay soils (certainly one I've heard time and again in my very clay area of the U.S.), and some others, as what to use to disinfect (or should one disinfect) pruners...

I thought these are all very thought-provoking -- there is an article in today's local Washington Post that talks about the over use and commercialization of any type of mulch -- you'll see there's a link to that topic re mulch as well as this Garden myth site. Some of you may be very familiar with this info, but boy, I admit, I've been sleeping somewhere and missed a bunch of them!

-- Cindy

And there is this one too!

Paid the bill at the lumber yard.
Called the vet. about Wrecks, waiting for return call from vet..
Called boiler man to report a leak in the water heater.
Called well-heeled customer about recovering the cushions for a large patio set.

I remember stupid things, minutiae... everyone else seems to have the important stuff covered, so I'm OK with bein' in charge of trivia.

Spring and summer comprise the "money season" for me. I put my hindquarters to the grindstone and take advantage of every opportunity, even though it might be more fun to "screw off". I am one of those people whose circadian rhythm is connected to sunrise and the earliest available light. I am most productive first thing in the morning and I've always been that way (I'm never grouchy in the morning, either). The worst job I ever had was working second shift in a factory that manufactured injection moulded shoe soles for sneakers... I vastly preferred pressing pants for dry cleaner, the 5 AM start time suited me perfectly. I wake up at 4-4:30 every day of the week, no alarm clock required, and I'm "ready to roll". I like to wind down and retire to the boudoir about 7:30 where I read, maybe watch TV, and generally buzz off to dreamland by 8:30. I am frequently fast asleep when people call me, lol. But if you called me at 4:30-5 AM, I'd be cheerful and wide awake. Funny how we have such marked preferences for routines, huh?

Pleasure boating seems greatly slower this year than last. It hasn't been very warm, but the local marinas have many big powerboats on jackstands and several owners have decided that's the best place to leave them for the time bein'. Repair work seems to be the name of the game at present; both in shop and with respect to clothing work. I've mentioned this before, but the fact that people are once more requesting new zippers in blue jeans and jackets tells me instantly that times are getting tougher.

We now shut the boiler off during the day. We are paying more attention to consolidating errands, doing them on our way home from work. We've worked hard to minimize food waste, too. Lights are turned off and all "vampires" are plugged into strips and those are turned OFF when we aren't using them. I have been teased rather relentlessly over the years for my "survivalist tendancies", but indulging them allows me to indulge other delights without too much angst. ;) On a recent news broadcast I noted with interest the yound man who wanted to trade his Ford Explorer in for something more fuel efficient. He was stunned to learn they would only allow him about $3K on it, even though he still owed $8500 on it. The dealers can't move them because they cost so much to operate. Being "upside down" on a car is a bad sign. When I heard him say, "I never saw this coming" I was shocked. I was 14 in 1973 and I "got it", the lesson was clear. The resource is FINITE and using it wantonly is a recipe for disaster. And that simple fact underscores the painful "reality check" in store for too many of us. I am already concerned about the coming winter. We'll definitely feel the pinch, but we have some options, those on fixed incomes don't. Fat, dumb, and happy is a risky way to live life.

Marian is to get DSL?! I think that's great, what a difference it will make for you, my friend. My brother uses it and he says it's pretty good (he was spoiled by digital) and we may consider it for our needs, too. I am not very thrilled with Time Warner (the only game in town), whatever happened to "competition"?.

(Wrecks is to take 3-4 aspirin/day for the weekend. We're to really restrict his activity for that time, too. If there is no discernable improvement we are to call on Monday and come in for an exam.)

Jerri, how are the puppies? (not that I really care, mind you, just bein' polite).

Chelone, one of them growls amd barks a lot. I think it's a message for you. LOL
Tornado watches and warnings are popping up to the west. Not unusual for here but this sounds worse. How do I fit double digit animals and me in the hall bathroom?

Hang onto your hats ladies, the wind is whippin' here.

Jerri

A quick photo for Cynthia. Remember this?

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It grows between this

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And this

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And yesterday I thought the hunters had shot me when this happened overhead next to the bridge!
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Hello...

No trip on the train for me this morning, Saucy, just taking my DD to the train station . Morning commute. I wish I were off on an exotic trip somewhere! I love train travel.

Deanne....yes, that is 'Beverly Sills' and I am happy with the pretty soft pink and the shape of the bloom. Glad you like it. :-) It hasn't stood up to even a gentle rain though, which was disappointing.

Cindy...I agree with Deanne...you have had enough dramas to last for awhile. Brother!
Hope you will catch a slow period on that front soon. :-)

Chelone....isn't it a shame that your busy season is during the best gardening season too. I am definitely a morning person too and when I open my eyes, I am instantly awake. Most productive, most cheerful during the morning too. I think that is because that is when I have the most energy. [g]

Hope the extra rest and aspirin will bring some improvement for poor Wrecks.

Jerri...Speaking of puppies, did you ever get some photos of the puppies?

Gardenbug...is that another Camassia? What is in your third photo...really different looking. Gosh, that must have been scary having the tree split like that. Hope you were not under it. What kind of tree is it and did something trigger it?

Marie, is the first pic an Asphodelus ?
I am not sure about the 3rd either(Pm2).
We see a tree similar to that on our way to town, but lightning struck it. How close were you to that one when it broke?

Marian wins the prize! Asphodeline damascena. (Usually biennial, but reseeds lightly)
As for the third photo, I can't come up with the name now. Perhaps at 3am I'll think of it! I do know it goes dormant soon after it blooms.
As for the huge branch, it is on our willow by the bridge. I was very close, perhaps 3-4 yards away. It is positioned so that it would not have fallen on me in any case, but still scary! DH has been sawing pieces of it off all day...but only has a hand saw. There is another smaller branch dangling higher up. Willows are always a problem this way...This one is so wet that the weight must have caused the split.