"I think my back hurts.." Hey Pete, if you only *think* your back hurts just keep on composting the way you are and soon you will *know* it hurts! LOL You are doing very well and I'm sure a lot of us would love to see pics of your compost operation. Keep going and you might end up with a system like Lloyd's! If you can get wood shavings they work well mixed with compost as a mulch. I use it regularly and the shavings disappear within a few months. Actual coarse chips from lumber mills are OK for paths but take ages to break down in my experience. Fresh wood chips from tree services are faster. So it all depends on what a person means by the term wood chips. Cardboard is useful placed between plants under mulch as weed/moisture control. Easier to work with than newspaper IMO. Paul, I never realized you live on Cape Breton Island. We have fond memories of towing a travel trailer all around the Cabot Trail back in the 70's. No one had told us that was ill-advised because of the grades. Of course we were from BC and didn't think the mountains were all that high! We also learned during that trip summer was over in the middle of August and we "enjoyed" a lovely storm coming off the Atlantic while we camped on the far side. Great memories!

Im going to have to definitely look into that! Thanks for the source. I would love to see some pics when its all potted up. And Hawaii is definitely in a terrible drought. When I was there recently you could see the entire forest was dried up (the forecast wasnt very lush on that side of the island, it was kind of like a savannah. They said that the trees would become green again when it started to rain. The hotels didnt show any signs of drought and neither did any of the nearby streets because it was amazingly well maintained, but once you got past the hotel, a lot of the island was suffering from the drought. They also had a huge fire on the island of Maui which (If I remember correctly) was started by someone, but it took out a large portion of the savannah-like forest. At least we are getting some small amounts of rain here every once in a while. Some parts of hawaii arent even getting that (although there are parts of Hawaii that do get rain every single day even in this drought). Hawaii has such a diverse climate, but even though they are in the middle of the ocean, they seem to get droughts too! Good luck! -Alex

I sell the neck coolers for $5.00 and when I have a show or at the Farmer's Market, I have quite a few ready to go. They buy both - mostly they buy the ones that are dry ( you have to soak them for 40 minutes the first time you use them) I only put two teaspoons of the crystals in each cooler and I always get asked if I will put the "gel" in them. I gave one to a postal worker and she came back to ask me to give her another one - she never read the directions to soak it... I know that Wal-Mart sells them for $4.00 but they are not as large as mine and do not even last for a month... and I know sporting goods stores that charge $15 for them... I am going down tomorrow morning to see the owner of a health club who wants me to make some with their logo on it for them to sell in their four clubs... Keep your fingers crossed for me... I want to trade her a membership for coolers...

Their parents are too concerned with hurting their childrens feelings to parent them plain and simple ... nothing is expected of them so why should they do anything. And if they do not get their way all h3ll breaks loose .... If I remember right it was Sylvia who said ... why hitch your horse to this wagon .... yes sylvia I should have listened to you years ago ... what a fool I was to think they would actually want to parent their own children. When dads home SD stays in her room ... so tonight was peaceful... if he's not home she's out here looking for I don't know what ... he was outside putzing around the yard I was making dinner she was saying things under her breathe I tried not to hear one comment was about my garden how I don't take care if it anymore and how I was making a lousy dinner.... I went outside while dad finished what he was doing came in she was sleeping on the couch I finished dinner sat down by myself hubby and ss15 joined ... ss13 and sd12 stayed in the living room. We ate then hubby woke up SD and also told SS to go eat ... everyone else cleared their plate from the table hers is still sitting their ... I went into the living room with hubby and after she ate she went into her room