Unless your 'Catus Orchid' is an Eulophia pertersonii which I doubt, it probably is an Epiphyllum which has nothing to do with orchids but makes spectacular, short lived flowers. Good luck with your new plants, sounds like you controlled your self pretty well. I have a couple of suggestions; Start a catalog of your plants, not now but eventually when you have a few hundred plants, you will tend to repurchase the same plants as you are attracted to certain types. Having a list of plants helps to avoid that. If you have a smart phone and can go on the internet, bring up potential purchases as some plants change names. Encyclias have been fragmented and go under several new names, the same thing will likely happen to Masdevallias. I have on several occasions bought a 'new' plant only to find out it was a synonymn of something I already have. The best times to go is the earliest and the latest possible times. Go immediately when the show opens as you get the best selection but also go 1/2 hour before closing as most vendors will drastically slash prices to get rid of stock. Don't be embarrassed to make a low offer on a plant, you will be surprised how often it is accepted at 4:30PM Sunday. Look for damaged plants. If you like a certain BLC for example and there are several available, one with damaged flowers, make a low offer on that plant, it will bloom again. Don't buy for the flowers on the plant right now but for the ones in the future. Flowers are of course important as it's your best guide to what you are getting but I have no problem with fading or slightly crushed flowers as long as the price is right. Buy the largest plant you can afford, it's very frustrating to buy a small plant because you like the 'Sample Plant' and then have to wait 2 to 3 years for your first bloom. Probably not now but once you are fully addicted, go to the show with a certain amount of cash and leave the check book and the plastic at home. Just like Los Vegas, a good orchid show will suck you dry so be prepared. In the end it's all good fun and there are centers for rehab if you ever want to escape the addiction. There also 9 or 12 step programs for recovered orchid addicts you can join in the future. Or you can fully immerse yourself and end up doing handstands for rare and unusual plants which you will never find at orchid shows but are obtained by scouring the far corners of the world. Nick

Will the person using the chair have upper body strength and is this person at all heavy? My step-father-inlaw uses a chair and can manage that sort of surface in most cases, but he was/is athletic. A really steep grade would get rutted from feet and tires wouldn't it and who will maintain it? A steep grade will keep the person who is not yet using a chair from using it also. Can the paths be winding rather than straight and reduce the grade? Or at least diagonal up the hill? A pebbly surfaced concrete would be a better choice for anything that will get lots of wear. The grade should not be more than 1 in 12 anyway. That is the standard that I have seen for ramps (a greater grade can cause the chair to tip) ... see link below. My step-father-inlaw could take a steeper grade ... but he is an exception and a path like that is best designed to code. Since this is a path not a ramp ... you may not have to follow all of what they say. Check for local regulations to be sure. Fireraven9 Come my spade. There is no ancient gentlemen but gardeners, ditchers, and grave-makers; they hold up Adam's profession. - Shakespeare, Hamlet V,i Here is a link that might be useful: ADA Codes

dedtired, Hints for seasickness... 1.) Look off the stern instead of the bow; 2.) Fix your eyes on the horizon instead of looking a few feet ahead of the boat (you'll be out of sight of land); 3.) Sip on cold Diet 7-Up; 4.) Many people do fine underway; but when drifting they start feeling queasy. Whale watch boats stop frequently for whale sightings. While drifting, stand at the gunnel stanchions & hold on to a rail if it's rough rather than sitting down...much better. Actually, more people get seasick in calm water than in rough seas (within limits, of course!) When there's good wave action your body gets into a rhythem. In calm seas, there's just a slight up/down, up/down that gets to some people. Beam seas are the worst! That side-to-side motion can do in even the saltiest of seamen! Since I've been a boater, I can't imagine WHY people stick babies in cradles! Inhumane punishment, IMO! Also, if you're focused on looking for the blow spouts of whales your body won't notice the rolling sensation nearly as much. We need Lori. She's more local to Newport...I'm about an hour away. But here's a place to start...a fun lunch spot in Newport is the Red Parrot. Allow about an hour just to read the menu & make your selection. It's also a great place to people watch. And go hungry! Parking is tricky. Don't be a hero & try to find a parking spot on one of the side streets...it's mostly "Residents Only". Just pay your $15 & chock it up to a good day in Newport. You can also rent the most adorable two-seater scooters in Newport. The shopping is one of two things...either touristy or very expensive boutiques, gallery quality art, designer jewelry, home decor, etc. There are also some great bookstores. History lesson on Newport: Did you know that most of early Newport was built with slave labor? Most people don't realize the extent Newport relied on slaves. The wonderful granite cobblestone roads, the houses, the ships...all slave labor. By 1770, the entire workforce was slaves mostly from Ghana. They came as children & were different than the southern plantation slaves. In Newport, most slaves lived in the same house as their owners often slept in the same bedroom as the owner's kids. They were taught skills & became highly trained. By 1830, most Newporters had freed their slaves. They went on to found businesses, become councilmen, teachers, policeman, fireman, & held high offices. But they came to America as slaves. End of history lesson. Follow the signs for Ocean Drive/Mansions & go to Brenton Park. It's right on Ocean Drive. On weekends, it's a popular place to fly those huge kites in different shapes. The water is right across from the parking (free). Actually, you could just sit in your car & stare at Newport Channel for hours watching the boats. You'll see many huge international & corporate yachts. The rocks at Brenton Park are also a popular dive spot. Look for small boats with a red flag floating in the water near the boat. The red flag means, "Diver Down". When's your trip? /tricia Here is a link that might be useful: The Red Parrot

Thanks FOAS! I will go look around to see if I can find the right type of microplane. Just a question... how do you catch the dead skin without a catcher? guess I can't do that in my bed any more. I do wear socks and slippers around the house but my heels still crack from time to time. The only way to prevent cracking is to apply Vaseline at night and wear my socks to bed. If I get lazy and/or become forgetful they will crack and I hate it! Al