Josh, thanks for being welcoming. I was not trying to diminish the ancient, beautiful and science of the Bonsai. I adore flora and fauna so much! I am a porcellian collector so I love nice figurines etc. My favorite part of Bonsai is the little huts, or people or bridges or rock formations, to make it look like a miniature landscape. But the intitracies of bonsai technique are trully amazing.

What is happening here is: We've finished one of the two trellises that we are putting up for the clematis. Still working on the other one. Getting better at routering and not breaking the bits LOL. Still taking out dead scapes. Amazing how many just aren't ready to come out easily. Found scapes on LESLIE RENEE and RASPBERRY BANANA CHEESECAKE. They are not giving up here. Bearded Iris are also blooming. Odd since they didn't bloom in the springtime. This pic was taken on October 11th and they are still blooming. Found about 10 stalks in the garden. Still having to mow the lawn when the weather cooperates. Vegetable garden still has to be cleaned up. Nearly 90% finished with two new planting areas. Still need to put mulch on top and just let them sit till next spring. Waiting for the cannas to die back so I can dig them out and store them for the winter. Weekend is suppose to be sunny, so I guess we will be back out working outside for the next couple of days till the rains come again. Julia

and ur area is called an 'old field' so at the next cocktail party, u can bring this into the conversation, ' say, i was walking in my old field when i came across some stinkhorn's.' if that doesnt start a conversation, either i dont wanna talk to them or they are dead. froggy

I wish we had a scheduled "trash" pickup day like that to get rid of large items. The city will only pick up appliances at the curb only if you call and arrange it. I often put large things at the curb and it isn't long before they are picked up by someone. Every night before garbage day people go up and down the streets in pickup trucks looking for metal and any other perceived "useable" items. LOL I cleaned out my basement and one guy came and took everything including old broom handles. Walking down my street a few years ago I came across a box that had all kinds of items in it. The woman had died and her family threw out some of her knick-knacks they didn't want. I picked up some "blue mountain pottery" figurine pieces which I sold for a good price at my yard sale and a few pieces I kept. My best friend's grandfather put his old unwanted fireplace andirons at the curb of his house more than 50 years ago and my brother David picked them up and brought them home where they have been used the fireplace in this house ever since. I love them and would never get rid of them. When my friend and her parents moved in with their grandfather the only thing I remember their fireplace being used for was for holding their toys box. LOL I wonder if old grandpa closed off his fireplace because a new baby was coming into the house and tossed out the andirons because he wouldn't need them. I see good stuff at the curb on my walks or after yard sales and I wished I knew how to refurbish or refinish. My sister was good at finding things and making them work in her house. Now that I think of it the old shutters that used to be on my house to frame the front door came from someone's garbage and I remember going out with my sister at night and taking them from someone's trash. She sanded and painted them black and they were good as new - something we would never have been able to afford back then. Anne