I ran across this site while looking for on line info about pipevines. I don't think I like what it says about butterfly gardens NOT helping butterflies. ( Read it - am I not understanding it correctly?) And this is just one study on pipevine swallowtails only. Jacqueline M. Levy1, 2 Contact Information and Edward F. Connor1 (1) Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA (2) Jacqueline M. Levy, 4226 Mt. Taylor Dr., Santa Rosa, CA 95404-6255 Abstract Gardens with nectar sources and larval host plants have been proposed to stem the decline in butterfly abundance caused by habitat loss. However, no study has provided evidence that gardens benefit butterflies. We examined the use of natural sites and gardens in the San Francisco bay area by the butterfly, Battus philenor. We found that natural sites were more likely to attract adult B. philenor, received more oviposition, and had higher juvenile survival than gardens sites. Butterflies were more likely to be present in gardens with established populations of the host plant, Aristolochia californica, growing in the sun. Battus philenor are unlikely to visit gardens with host plants planted within the past 7 years. Gardens between the ages of 8Â40 years received oviposition, but did not always support completion of larval development of B. philenor. In gardens with host plants over 40 years of age, B. philenor consistently survived from egg to the adult stage. Natural enemy induced mortality of eggs did not differ between garden and natural sites, but overall egg survival was lower in gardens than at natural sites. It is unlikely that gardens serve as 'refugia' for B. philenor in years when populations in natural sites experience low survival or low fecundity. Even in gardens capable of supporting larvae to maturity, the density of eggs and survival rates were lower than in natural populations of the host plant suggesting that gardens were not optimal habitats. Therefore, without evidence that juvenile abundance and survival rates in gardens matches or exceeds that in natural sites, it is most likely that gardens act as population sinks for B. philenor. Aristolochia californica - Battus philenor - Butterfly gardens - Habitat restoration - Lepidoptera Contact Information Jacqueline M. Levy Email: jlevym@juno.com) References secured to subscribers. Here is a link that might be useful: pipevine study

I like foggyi's suggestions about stations at a community center or maybe a church since you aren't serving alcohol.Have 3 different cakes one at each station.One an anniversary cake, one 40 years on the job and a 60th birthday cake for your bride(loved that you still call her that after 20 years) Have the catering staff stand at each station serving your guests and replenishing the food. Have a videographer there to make a video of the night and a photographer taking picks at another station...kinda like prom pictures. Have a DJ there playing you and your bride's type of music. Let the DJ take requests and dance with your bride. Have the photographer take pics of the both of you cutting your anniversary cake, a pic of you cutting your work cake and then your bride cutting her birthday cake..Have 3 different flavored cakes like a white cake with butter cream icing, a german chocolate cake for your job, and maybe a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting for your wife's birthday cake. Request on the invitations that it is fancy party attire...or whatever you want.. But I still think foggi's idea of the stations is the best idea... .

I have a Winnie the Pooh "Baby's First Year" calendar that sounds like what you are trying to put together, only mine didn't have the scrapbook side to it. I loved this calendar and it was my baby "bible" for the first year. I often refer to it when my friends/family ask me " . . .when did she . . ." I have an easy reference. Anyhow, at the top of each monthly page it has the following: height, weight, baby's sleeping pattern, baby's eating pattern, and notes with spaces to write in a sentence or two about baby's advances that month. Also included were stickers: first bath first smile religious ceremony sleeps through night first tooth first word says mama says dada first solid food feeds self first Christmas doctor's visit (several of these) It would be cute if you could include some stickers that illustrated these events that she could stick on the days on which they occurred (doctor's bag or stethescope-doctor's visit, spoon or bowl-first solid food, smiley face-first smile, etc.) Sounds like a cute and very thoughtful gift! Let us know how it turns out!

Once when I was replying to one of plllog's posts, I tried to check the correct spelling by copying the name to Microsoft Publisher. Unfortunately, many things that are copied and pasted from the forums transfer as code, so it didn't help. Now I know; hope I remember! I'm still going by the same name, but didn't begin posting in the KT forums portion of GW until after the Houzz transfer anyway. A gyrfalcon is a bird, but I have long gone by simply Gyr too, so split the word out as a first and last name format long ago in previous forums. Many people type Gry instead of Gyr, but I am used to it and it doesn't bother me. My hair is turning gray IRL anyway. ;-)