good info, I have been using chemicals, as I was new to the states, knew no-one and moved into our house in September, so no compost, I have started a pile starting with the leaves!!, and have been trying to find more pallets so I can create more...I may have found a source, in the shape of a mass horder I meet on saturday, but it was his wife offering, she even showed me them, and said I could take them at the end of the BBQ, but as a bit of a horder myself knew, best to ask him!, and never got the chance, anywho (sic) I have been using way less than they suggest, and doing sq foot, which advicates peat moss, I have used it, but not in the quanties suggested, as I am feeling bad! hopefully I will never have to use the chemicals again and can sustain myself next year, I have also planted lots of peas and runner beans, to help with nitrogen here and there and I am also looking at green maneurs. Also at the BBQ they had tons and tons of well rotted manuer from their horse who died 2 years ago, I am waiting to ask on that, as they had 40+ fruit trees to plant, other than that no garden. I am not "organic! but I like to use nature as much as I can as I remember the ladybird/bug invastion of 76,77,78? only remember it, as a little girl they where everywhere, and my Dad and Pops, where on cloud nine as surprise, surprise, these huge numbers of ladybirds happened during the worst aphid problem they had ever encountered, and solved their problems. just to ask, do you have and environmental agency in the States? I was a nurse in Occupational Health in the UK and alot of our degree centred on environmental impact, and health? and our proffesor (I worked for, not studied under) had spent a large part of his medical profession in the US and used the environmental disasters, he worked on in the US to teach us in house...he was part of some sort of quick response team?...Oh maybe answered my own question???

Hi gang, I was amazed when the stinkers moved in under my dock. They truly are mess makers and have no respect for property but I cant help admiring them and their persistence. My dock is very old and time for replacement is near but when the beavers started chewing away at the sides and piling the crap on top of the dock, that was it. This means war! For weeks I would clear out everything they stuffed in and on top of the dock looking for ways to get rid of them. The neighbors suggested the only way to be rid of them was to shoot them. No thanks, not up for that. I tried almost every product available but to no avail. My dear wife came up with the idea of some very smelly deodorant soap. What had I to lose?? I bought some Irish Spring bars and using a cheese grater, shredded them up and filled a couple of small yogurt containers, placed them in the den one night. 2 days later, no beavers, they are gone!!! And I didn't have to shoot them to my relief!! May have also helped that I also took the liberty of taking a leak over the den every night.

Sherry, If you go to see the giant redwood/sequoia trees, please realize that there are dozens of places worth seeing them along the coast from the CA/OR border to central California and in the Sierra Nevada Mountains along the CA/NV border that each have their own unique appeal. It would take a week just to explore all of the big tree NP's, SP's, SRA's, SNR's and Monuments in CA alone. When I lived in San Francisco, Russian Gulch, Big Basin SP and Mount Madonna were favorites, but after I moved to Carmel it was all about Polo Colorada Canyon and the many spots around Pfeiffer Big Sur. I'll have to tell you about my very rare and unique coffee table made from a Polo Colorado Cyn giant and Bixby Creek driftwood sometime. Yes, "mesa" is a term loosly applied to any landform in the arid west with a flat top and verticle cliff sides, and they are quite common. They are also referred to as table mountains, buttes, potrero or tuya depending on how they were formed and their characteristics and can vary from small ones like those in the BDW to the Grand Mesa in CO which is the largest in the world at around 500 square miles on top. Sometimes plateau is also used wrongly. They don't always have the verticle sides and are much bigger covering huge areas up to millions of square miles. Yes I could move back to St.George I guess, although in many ways the cost of living is higher there than Vegas. I'm sure some of my old friends are still there and kicking. But since my Dad lives there now I wouldn't even consider it.

Ilene, I don't know if you visit the NWS website like I do. Here's their latest warning for the Caney creek. Actually, there are three back to back warnings . I included all three in case there is info in there that is helpful. I am positive something good will come of all of this, even if we lack the wisdom right now to understand what the good may be. Keeping a positive thought in my head, and a prayer in my heart for all affected by this weather. :) Dawn WGUS84 KTSA 011913 FLSTSA FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK 212 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2007 ...MAJOR FLOODING CONTINUES TO BE FORECAST ALONG THE CANEY RIVER AT BARTLESVILLE AND NEAR COLLINSVILLE... OKC147-020312- 212 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2007 THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE CANEY RIVER AT BARTLESVILLE * UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. * AT 1 PM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 16.3 FEET. * MODERATE FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MAJOR FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FLOOD STAGE IS 13.0 FEET. * FORECAST...THE CANEY RIVER AT BARTLESVILLE WILL CONTINUE RISING... CREST NEAR 21.7 FEET TUESDAY MORNING AND THEN BEGIN FALLING. * WHEN THE CANEY RIVER REACHES 21 FEET AT BARTLESVILLE...VERY SEVERE FLOODING WILL OCCUR FROM DEWEY TO OCHELATA. SOME HOMES AND BUSINESSES IN BARTLESVILLE AND SUBURBAN AREAS WILL BE FLOODED. OLD HIGHWAY 75 WILL BE CLOSED. THIS WILL COMPARE WITH THE FLOOD WHICH OCCURRED ON MARCH 3 1975 WHEN THE CANEY RIVER CRESTED AT 20.90 FEET. $$ OKC147-020312- 212 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2007 THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE CANEY RIVER NEAR RAMONA * UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. * AT 12 PM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 27.8 FEET. * MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MODERATE FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FLOOD STAGE IS 26.0 FEET. * FORECAST...THE CANEY RIVER NEAR RAMONA WILL CONTINUE RISING...CREST NEAR 28.9 FEET THURSDAY EVENING AND THEN BEGIN FALLING. * WHEN THE CANEY RIVER REACHES 28 FEET NEAR RAMONA...MODERATE AGRICULTURAL FLOODING WILL OCCUR FROM OCHELATA TO THE NORTHEASTERN TIP OF TULSA COUNTY. SOME RURAL ROADS WILL BE IMPASSABLE INCLUDING THE ROAD BETWEEN RAMONA AND TALALA. $$ OKC131-143-020312- 212 PM CDT SUN JUL 01 2007 THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE CANEY RIVER NEAR COLLINSVILLE * UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. * AT 1 PM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 28.0 FEET. * MINOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND MAJOR FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FLOOD STAGE IS 26.0 FEET. * FORECAST...THE CANEY RIVER NEAR COLLINSVILLE ROSE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE YESTERDAY EARLY AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 35.4 FEET FRIDAY BEFORE DAWN. * WHEN THE CANEY RIVER REACHES 35 FEET NEAR COLLINSVILLE...VERY SEVERE FLOODING WILL OCCUR FROM COLLINSVILLE TO POINTS DOWNSTREAM. CONSIDERABLE FARMLAND WILL BE FLOODED. RURAL ROADS NEAR THE RIVER WILL BECOME IMPASSABLE. THIS WILL EXCEED A FLOOD WHICH OCCURRED ON MAY 11 1993 WHEN THE CANEY RIVER CESTED AT 34.40 FEET. $$