They don't get offered that big because the price would be too high. They cut them up and sell the pieces. 3 years ago, the Grandi I described earlier was in full bloom with 14 spikes, won 'Best Dendrobium of Show' at our modest little spring show and had 14 fewer canes than today. Someone offered me $1,000 which I declined in a nanosecond. If I wanted to sell it today however, I would be hard pressed to find someone with the ready cash, I'd be better off selling $100 pieces. I harp at our society sessions and at lectures I sometimes give at our shows about taking the plunge and paying way too much for what seems like a young plant with 3 to 5 canes. 4 to 6 years from, you'll be glad you did when you look at the spectacular display these guys put on. At every major show there are a few for sale, seemingly way overpriced in relation to what you pay for beautiful Cattleya types etc. If you take the plunge you'll probably wait a few years for first bloom. You can admire them at the spring shows only. Off the 'small' varieties I have a v capricornum with 18 to 20 fat canes which has yet to bloom and a v pedunculatum of equal size which finally bloomed last year. I heard that one of the two has a reputation for being a slow starter. Does someone know which one it is so Sue can be forewarned in case she jumps into the deep end. I sense she is tottering and needs just a little nudge. If and when you are ready contact 'Down Under Native Orchids' and order up exactly the type and size you want. He may go to a show in Canada all though I don't think so. I could pick it up for you in Santa Barbara next spring and mail it to you at a point of your choosing this side of the border. Check on the import requirements, I believe you can bring a bare-root house plant in without difficulty. I see Canadians in Santa Barbara every July who combine a summer vacation with orchid buying, who seem to have no problem bringing them over. You could always hide it in your bra. As you can tell by now its my favorite plant. One Aussie enthusiast wrote once that if they hybridize orchids for another 50 years, they may come up with something as beautiful and grand as a well grown D speciosum. Maybe a little exageraton there, but a point well taken. If you get one, it will be with you for the rest of your life or until you need to get rid of it because of size. My family of descendants is made up of 6 children, 5 and 8/9th grandchildren at last count, the D spec v grandiflorum , a 130 lbs Sulcata tortoise named 'Big Bob' and a mutt named 'Whiskey'. None are for sale. Nick

I'd handle the oven differently, realizing the house isn't yours until you've signed at closing and they've handed you the keys ;) Take an oven thermometer with you, put it in the oven, turn it on to preheat, check at intervals while you are there. Understanding that 25 degrees one way or the other is generally within the industry standard. Turn everything off again and take your thermometer with you when you leave. I don't mean to put any downers on your excitement, but I'd have been more than annoyed if a potential buyer had actually cooked something in the kitchen of the house I had listed for sale, when I'd turned myself inside out making sure everything was move in ready and gleamingly clean down to fingerprint free. What took place once those signatures were on the page, entirely not of my interest. The home inspector checked to see that all controls responded on the stove, and ran the dishwasher to make sure all cycles completed.

One thing I've learned selling by owner is that a lot of people come through the house who really have no intention of buying at this time or simply can't afford it and are trying to get a lucky deal. I saw a couple take a flyer on our house, then we got a phone call a few seconds later from their car. They said they were relocating to the Chicago area from California and wanted to buy in our town. Could they see the house right away? Sounded good to us, so we cleaned up quickly and they came through. They loved the house, then announced that they really don't plan on buying anything until next May, when their daughter graduates from eighth grade. Hopes dashed once again, and I felt like saying, "Then why waste our time now? We can't wait that long." But, you never know, I guess, and I simply smiled and said, "Oh, okay." :-) We also got a lowball offer from another couple--it's very frustrating.

I finally read Smokin' Seventeen and it was ... eh. Not good, not bad, just a lot of same old, same old, though Stephanie was actively thinking about making a choice between Ranger and Morelli. But unlike the majority of the other books, this one didn't have any laugh out loud moments for me at all. It was all just very formulaic and predictable. I knew who the murderer was as soon as he was introduced, and I'm really tired of Lula and Grandma. Stating the obvious, this has definitely run its course. I do wonder why Explosive Eighteen is coming out in November, rather than next summer. Is the series wrapping up (she asked hopefully)?? Or does Evanovich sense her fan base is dwindling? Here is a link that might be useful: Explosive Eighteen