Rich: You sure can't be faulted for lack of trying. If I lived in upstate SC, I wouldn't be growing grapes at all, in fact I found out years ago they are not worth growing in Northern Virginia, at least with my technology. Just too many fungal and insect problems, not to mention PD. I know there are some commercial vineyards in Virginia, but they take a lot of inputs. In your location, I would probably be growing a high-yield trailing blackberry like Doyle or Triple Crown. More fruit volume per length of trellis than grapes, and they make an excellent wine with real fruit flavor. And no fungal or insect problems at all. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

your trees: It might be better to try to prove you can grow something else that your family will enjoy eating. Muscadine grapes have their partisans, but they are an acquired taste and very unlike the table grapes your family may be accustomed to from the supermarket. At least you should try to find some muscadine grapes to try before you make a commitment to plant. I stopped trying to grow table grapes here entirely because of disease issues, and keep a Concord vine only for jellymaking. Sometimes it is better to switch than fight. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Jordan: If it were Pierce's disease then for your vines there won't be a next year, they'd be dead. That disease is an issue only in warm winter climates. Where do you live? The lower right pic looks like it might be phylloxera. What does the other side of leaf look like where those round spots are on top surface? Nothing on your vines says they might die next year. It's normal for leaves to look ratty this time of yr.

I have the same sort of activity going on in my pond, but with toads. There are times that you can't even sit out back that their croaking gets so loud, it's almost ear-piercing....even my dogs refuse to go out back when they're in the "love" mode. It's more of a shrill than a croak and they just go back and forth. Then I look in the ponod and like in your picture, there are 2 or 3 toads on top of a female toad, almost drowning her. Some of the "pairs" are in the water, while others are just sitting on the rocks. Come the next morning, there are tons of frog eggs stuck in my plants. The koi love it! I have also seen tons of baby toads scampering everywhere -- they're so cute. I hate to walk by the pond though because they're everywhere and I'm afraid I'll crush them. This "activity" seems to take place every couple of weeks and I'm just wondering for how long. It does make the pond have a nasty smell for a couple of days, but I do water changes and it seems to take care of that. I love my frogs no matter how much noise they make -- it's froggy love............. Cindy Jax, FL