Yes,Babka,it is too late. It is already planted. I figured the sooner in the ground,the sooner I can see what it will look like. Planting season is here. No,mocc,I don't plan on Jurassic Park,although it seems like a logical choice. Today,we had some nice sun for awhile,but now it is dreary again,and Dino hasn't done much yet,but I know how fast hosta pop at this time of year! Phil

In my opinion, Sum and Substance is a quick grower and gets huge for a smaller price. Luckily two years ago my sister was working at the local nursery, they ended up with a ton of single eye divisions that they didn't want to repot and sell, she was able to bring over a dozen home for me which I planted all the way around our swimming pool. I wanted something large and being a hostaholic, this was a good choice and it was free! I like Sum and Substance as the large background hosta's, and then I add all the different ones in front of them. I also like Thunderbolt- it stands tall with leaves more upright than mounding (if that makes sense). I love they way they look in my hosta garden. I have Thunderbolts on the entire backside of it.

Mark and Emily, I'm glad you enjoyed the photos! I keep coming back to look, too. :) Joan, this was on the top of my bucket list for a long time and I'm so glad to have crossed it off. Well, until the next trip, heehee. You will love it! The condos were surprisingly affordable, too, so definitely look into those if you go as most are walking distance to beaches. Even in August there were no big crowds anywhere, which was an unexpected bonus. K, we had a fabulous time--thank you again for all the great tips! Palm, I think we missed the peak of plumeria blooms by a few weeks, so maybe around mid-July?

Sorry, but 1/8th is by far the most common royalty payment in the USA and is so by a huge margin. For certain, a 50% increase over that rate is very rare. Occasionally, I will see lease agreements that include 1% or 2% over-rides but not 6.25%. Only those private mineral rights owners who happen to own minerals in areas with very good potential or have control of large contiguous tracts of land will get more than 1/8th. By far, most who hold out for more than 1/8th royalty get to settle for zero instead, and that goes for the US government as well. For the Federal government, by far the largest mineral holder in the USA, to hold out for a substantially larger royalty than is considered standard by the industry would likely amount to excessive interference of the government in interstate commerce. In regard to Yellowstone Park and the grizzlies, no oil and gas drilling is currently active in the immeadiate vicinity of the park, that I am aware and that is the business I am in. In fact, I am not aware of any drilling having occurred in that area for many years. Sounds like environmentalist or wildlife activist scaremongering to me. Most drilling is at least 50 to 100 miles away, either to the south around Rock Springs or Wamsutter, Wyoming or to the east in the Big Horn basin. Neither of these areas is likely to be grizzly territory at this time. The immeadiate Yellowstone Park area itself is not likely to have conducive geologic structures or lithology for oil and gas accumulation. However, the average American is so geographically challenged today that mentioning drilling anywhere in Wyoming probably equates to drilling next to Yellowstone Park regardless of the fact that much of the state is hundreds of miles from the park.