Without a doubt I would dognap the poor lab when they're gone, then take it to a shelter at least 50 miles away. Do it for the dog. Throw your shoes away after the act, so they can't trace your footprints. Or better yet, wear really big shoes so they look for some 7' tall dognapper. This is no joke. Our neighbor has two very large dogs, which bark the second she lets them out every morning at 6:00am (even on Saturdays and Sundays). Waking up at 5am all week, it would be nice to sleep in a little on the weekend, but this person has denied us that liberty. She was gone Saturday through Sunday, and left them out. They barked all night long. We barely slept. It's amazing; I can barely hear airplanes flying over my house on their base leg to the airport a mile away, but the deep, hollow WOOOOF! of a great dane booms right through my R-19 insualted walls. I can't imagine dealing with that every night. I'd have to take some vigilante action if it ever came to that. We've called animal control several times, they can't do much beyond providing education of the local regulations. So what do you do about cats? The same dog propblem neighbor replaced her husband with a dozen cats when he left her. They've torn up my other neighbor's deck carpet, pissed all over our patio furniture, and all around the permiter of my house. They crap in the landscaping, my dog is attracted to it like a cheeseburger, eats it, then comes in the house and licks the kids. I confine my pet to my property; I don't think I should have to put up with cat crap in my flowerbeds, or cat piss splattered on my siding. My good neighbor has been trapping them, got two so far, but the worst offenders are too smart for fall for some sardines in a cage. Believe me, the thought of shooting them has crossed my mind, but I'm not in the mood to get convicted of felony animal cruelty when one of the neighborhood kids sees me take one out. This is public enemy #1, and it runs when I open the door. She's supposed to be on the other side of the fence. After a nice dump in the mulch, time to go piss on my chairs. This (below) is what you see when you walk up to my front door. It's not from my dog. It's from my neighbor's cat. What would you do?

Jackarias: 1. The Missouri Botanical Garden If you haven't been to the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, I recommend that you spend some time visiting this extraordinary and wonderfully delightful garden. For a look: travel here to their web site - and explore it thoroughly. You'll find an online tour of various parts of the garden. http://www.mobot.org If you link to the site below, you'll be able to take a virtual tour of the garden. http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=Q260 They have an excellent resource of information and one link - this one to Paeonia lactiflora 'Duchesse de Nemours' - will give you an idea of the extensive information you will find on line. http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=Q260 2. The Art Institute of Chicago Of course, the Art Institute of Chicago is a must. The Art Institute is located on Michigan avenue near Adams street. If you walk out the door and head west on Adams for a few blocks, you'll find "The Berghof" - a very nice German restaurant and moderately inexpensive. This link will allow you to explore what's in store for your body, mind, and soul. http://www.artic.edu/ After a long, enjoyable, refreshing tour of the Art Institute, you'll be in need of some liquid refreshment and some excellent German food. So here's the link to the Berghoff: http://www.berghoff.com/ The second link will get you "inside". http://www.berghoff.com/Berghoff/home.html 3. The Second Presbyterian Church Off the beaten path - a bit - is the Second Presbyterian Church, which is once part of the "Gold Coast" of Chicago around the turn of the century. Hidden behind the facade of this old church are several huge stain glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Here's a link to explore: http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/S/SecondPresbyterian.html 4. Prairie Avenue and the Glessner House Prairie Avenue is a short distance from the Second Presbyterian Church. Following the Fire of 1871, this street became the city's most fashionable neighborhood, home to the Armour, Field, Kimball, and Pullman families and once referred to as the "sunny street that held the siften few." Here's the link: http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/P/PrairieAveDistrict.html 5. Located on Prairie Avenue is the famous Glessner House designed by Henry Hobson Richardson. If you're up to doing a little "homework" before your journey, I'd highly recommend the reading of Lewis Mumford's small book: "Sticks and Stones". It is still the best introduction to American architecture from colonial times to the beginning architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Tours are avaiable. Again, here is a link: http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/G/GlessnerHouse.html 6. Then there is the "Biograph Theater" on Lincoln Avenue, which is near the campus of Loyola University - Chicago. When I was a graduate student in Library Science at Rosary College - now Dominican University in River Forest, IL, I used to take the Green Line "L" and "haunt" the many used books stores located just down the street from the Biograph Theatre. After exploring the used book stores - which are now mostly gone due to increasing rents - I'd have some good English food at a genuine pub - The Red Lion - I think was it's name - located on the opposite side of the street and just north of the Biograph. Fortunately, it is still there and the food is still very good along with the atmosphere. Here's the link to the Biograph Theatre: http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/B/BiographTheater.html 7. Again - off the beaten path - a bit - is the wonderful Garfield Park Conservatory - a turn of the century conservatory of more than several huge greenhouses featuring a wonderful array of plants, sculptures, and other things that delight the senses. From their web site, it appears that this unique conservatory is growing into something even more spectacular. Again, here's the link: http://www.garfield-conservatory.org/ 8. Of course, what would Chiago be without exploring the home and studio of the world famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. His home and studio along with many of his designs are located within a very short distance of each other in Oak Park. Again, here's a link to explore. http://www.wrightplus.org/homestudio/homestudio.html And here's a link to the Oak Park Visitor's center: http://www.oprf.com/opvc/ 9. Of course, if you're traveling by car from St. Louis to Chicago, you'll probably traveling on I-55. On your way up to the "Windy City", you may wish to stop at the Dana-Thomas House in Springfield, IL - designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1900's. Again, here the link with extensive information about one of his better "Prairie Houses". http://www.state.il.us/hpa/Thomas.htm Had you been traveling during the summer, you might have enjoyed a concert at the Rees Carillon in Washington Park - located west of the Dana Thomas House. 10. While some folks would head you up to the Chicago Botanical Garden in Glencoe, I suggest, instead, a nice trip to the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. This arboretum contains over 1700 acres with winding roads, hundreds of walking/hiking paths; an outstanding horticultural library; a wonderful restaurant and gift shop. The link to their main web page is listed below. http://www.mortonarb.org/ This link will provide a link to the visitor center and other related places. http://www.mortonarb.org/branching_out/branchingout_visitor_center.html Here's the link to the map of the Morton Arboretum with many, many related links. Here's the direct link to the Sterling Morton Library at the Arboretum. http://www.mortonarb.org/visitor_information/smlibrary/smlibrary.htm Again, for the sake of history, here's the link to the history and mission arboretum. http://www.mortonarb.org/visitor_information/history_mission.htm Of course, since you're traveling in October, what better way to enjoy some fall color at the arboretum than to link to here. http://www.mortonarb.org/color/Oct2005.htm Of course, if you have a little time available, I've also provided a link to events for the month of October. http://www.mortonarb.org/events/Oct2005.htm And, finally, if you're really interested in exploring the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL, you might also wish to have a link to visitor information in Lisle, Il for housing, dining, etc. So here it is: http://www.lislecvb.com/ 11. Finally, well - not really - there's too much to enjoy in Illinois or in the greater Chicago area, here's some information on the Chicago Botanic Garden. While it is a very nice place to visit, I personally much prefer the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis and, again, would highly recommend a trip to the Morton Arboretum instead of the Chicago Botanic Garden in Clencoe. So here's the link: http://www.chicagobotanic.org/ Well, I hope that this little "tidbit" of information has most useful in enjoying your visit to Chicago. Oh yes, there's one final thought - especially if you have the time and inclination to visit either the Garfield Park Conservatory or the Morton Arboretum, bring your camera!!!! Best wishes for an enjoyable journey to my former native state. Bill

Last treatment is something to celebrate and if Dark Chocolate Amaretto cupcakes won't keep the good luck flowing nothing will! Last year the HG had to go for 2 hours daily for six weeks. The staff treated him so kindly so I in turn provided them with goodies. They were very appreciative to the point where it seemed like that didn't happen often.

There are trends in all aspects of design and that appears to be what happened here. The landscape seems to have been designed in the tropical plant boom. We have entered a "native" plant period where prairie plants are installed on former elevated subway lines in the northeast far from any prairie (and called "natural!" by some) That awareness of trends may have been part of your nephew's question. The best of these fashions last and become enduring resources for property owners. Some fade into oblivion. As a general approach I tend to distinguish between landscapes and gardens. Both are designed spaces but to me a garden is a much more collected space that is made of natural elements but clearly and distinctly set apart from nature. Think medieval cloister garden ( or the High Line!) A landscape is our effort at greater perfection - a space that feels like being in nature but, because of careful and sometimes hidden editing and shaping, more engaging for us. It is more delightful, more comforting and/or more beautiful than a completely spontaneous natural setting. Each has its place and both seem to have been accommodated on your site. To me if someone loves bananas and palms far removed from their native setting that is fine, but in a garden, not in a landscape. Trying to intergrate them into a landscape, rather than highlight them in a garden, seems challenging.