The yellow pear tomatoes haven't deterred the rats in my garden. If fact, that is the only tomato plant they haven't even touched. My 40 heirloom tomato plants were 6ft tall, green and gorgeous. I did a great job of killing the rooms and keeping pests away until they started ripening. Now I can't stop them from eating all my tomatoes. I made individual cages for all remaining big tomatoes to keep the rats out. The outside light just turned on and I looked out and 3 small tomatoes were gone just like that but the mini caged ones haven't been touched. I have yet to see the rodents actually steal or eat tomatoes...they are quick and work well at night that's for sure. And they steal my cherry tomatoes too but don't like Black Prince tomatoes (which is good cuz they are my favorite). But I have to come up with good game plan for next year because I lost a lot of money this year and realistically can't make mini cages for all my tomatoes. I should post a picture.

Wow, jan, you make me blush! I'm glad you like my gardens and I'm sure that photo selectivity makes them look even better than they really are. I love my gardens but have always thought it was more a beauty as in *the eye of the beholder* more than anything else!! I have much to report but no time just now. We are set to take our grandboys to see the latest 'Winnie the Pooh' movie tonight! I have taken a lot of update pix and it will take me some time to upload them to Photobucket, but don't give up on me! Les--I agree with you, all our dogs are show quality, even if it's our own *show*!! And thank you for your kind thoughts coming my way about our small trauma this summer! north53, please let us know how your hosta fared with the Ash coming down!! I bet your arborist did do a good job, afterall!! Just have to add, tj, (I became off-topic with our dog pic) I agree with you--Standard Poodles should not be presented as foo foo dogs at all. We are amazed at Callie's agility and speed and predatory inclinations! Wow--this is NOT a foo foo or froo froo dog, although she can be quite the prissy, I must say! The froo froo cuts were originally designed to insulate the joints of the dogs as they dove into the cold waters after the duck kills! The shaved down areas were to facilitate fast swimming but the joints needed the protection of the longer coat. I prefer the puppy or lambs' cut myself, but we needed to 'clear' her coat to allow the steel-gray color to begin to be more apparent. They go through a brown or chocolate color stage first, then gradually the 'blue' that becomes their final coloring at about 2 yrs. More later...

We have 2 large dogs and 1 cat--just saying that so you'll know I'm a pet lover. However, just like I don't leave human food out all day on the counter or in dishes under the counter (even dry food), I also am grossed out by the sight of usually slightly dirty pet dishes (I realize that part wouldn't apply to any of you here) with half-eaten food in them, usually in locations where they get bumped or small hands can touch. So we have a little cat door that leads to the garage where the cat's litter box and food/water dishes are. The dogs also have theirs outside, but since we have outbuildings, their food is kept there available through a dog door. We've tried the laundry room and bathrooms, but it's such a pain for everyone to use the rest of the room since where there are cats, there's usually stray litter box filler, and spilled water, etc. Believe me--your non-pet friends (and many pet ones) will love you! And no amount of cute bowls will change that. OK---quickly dodging the rotten tomatoes as I race for cover!

"Our people, whether enlisted or drafted, most of them tried to do what they felt was the right thing to do." About half of the men I served with during my initial active duty period in the Army were draftees. All were bitter in varying degrees about having been unwillingly uprooted from their civilian lives and forced to go into the military and potentially into mortal jeopardy. Other draftees I knew, classmates, work colleagues, brothers of friends, all felt the same way. Some while unhappy about having been drafted tried to make the best of their active duty experiences to protect their own backsides. Some didn't. I have extensive personal experiences to share on this particular topic and I doubt that you do. I was in a medical reserve unit for the majority of my enlistment term. There was a large contingent of physicians who had been drafted but assigned to inactive rather than active duty. I got to know many and among them, a large percentage had been "encouraged" by the Selective Service system to go to a graduate or professional school to continue their draft deferments as students and so wound up in medical school. Many were similarly bitter about having been ultimately drafted as doctors, it wasn't what they had envisioned the outcome of their medical school draft dodging to be. A doctor treating a patient will always be a doctor treating a patient, no matter what the circumstances, but none of those I met were happy about having a military obligation. As you didn't directly answer my question about whether your husband had been drafted, I will assume that was his pathway into the military. "But, I truly believe that without them, we would already be a minion of China." Is Germany a minion of China? How about Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK, Italy, Switzerland, France, on and on. None of these countries has been as irresponsible with their military as the US has and as previously stated, all of them have prosperity and freedom similar to what's in the US. I think the upshot of all of this is that there are veterans whose military service defined their lives and who are ready to don their old uniforms and march in Veterans Day parades. Some who had bad experiences that perhaps didn't trigger a lifetime of hyperpatriotism but did leave them with bad memories. There are others, myself included, who look back on their military service as being the result of bad luck without too series consequences (certainly true during the draft years) or a youthful mistake and who have moved on. A vet is a vet but don't assume all are happy to get a handshake or pat on the back, many I know really couldn't care less.