Thanks Kaufmann- i want to grow trees and not bushes but I'm not sure how to make that happen. Do you just keep trimming off the growth that grows on the "trunk" part or what? Mine that are rooting are all growing top growth only. They are getting taller but no branches or leaves are growing below the top tip of the cutting where the first leaves started. Except for my 2 that appear to have basal shoots. I am putting mine in the ground. I will take cuttings for backup this fall, but my intent is to cut them slightly, put chicken wire around them, and fill the wire in with mulch/leaves for the winter. If they make it, great, if not, I will have cuttings. Thanks for the info!
New Photo Thread is here:
Here is Bleu, aka "chicken". Something was outside the fence, on the resaca side last night. It was pretty big and it's eyes shown green in the light. Bleu was upset and barked and barked but made sure he had the swimming pool between himself and whatever was out there!
Bleu is so pretty! That's what I have- a "brave" chicken. Willis is fearless though. He doesn't understand why Apollo barks that big deep bark and then runs and hides. Willis pitches in with his puppy sounding wussy bark but charges at whatever the target is. :)
Boo Hoo! I had my hair cut yesterday "short short" - hadn't had it this short since I was a sophomore in highschool (23 years ago???) And guess what - I look way different. And guess what else? Russ threw our digital camera in the garbage less than a week ago! It broke on Christmas morning when we were taking pics of Katie in the hospital opening up her presents. SHE didn't break the camera, it was well on it's way out. He went out and bought jewelers tools and opened the thing up thinking he might be able to fix it. Well - NOT, lol! He's out shopping for a new one. I'm hoping he will pick one out that will take good close-ups. Problem is he likes a good zoom, for taking pics of far away (like the kids tubing or water-skiing off the back of the boat). We use the camera for completely different purposes. He really wants this one that costs over $1,000.00. Yeah, RIGHT! That one would meet both our needs, but I find it highly unlikely that he will get it, even if his company picks up the tab (they use it for work too). You should have seem him drooling when we went "window shopping" for them the other day. He wants to go on the internet and research all the different options, to find out exactly what all they mean, before deciding on what he gets. May be a month or so. He wants it before our trip to California & Nevada in mid February. At least we will have one for next Spring and Summer.
Karrie...where in CA. are you going?
Ah, there is Bleu. What a cutie! I'm glad he failed at birddogging and ended up with you, Susie. My Duke is afraid of gunshots, car backfires, fireworks, any loud popping noise reallly. Who isn't? Poor baby. He tries to crawl into my lap too, and when it is time to cut his nails, he crawls into his daddy's lap to get away from me!
Jamie, you have wonderful skin. That's pretty funny that the clerk carded you and not your friend! I have small strip of ground back behind a retaining wall, and I planted five brugs all next to each other. Some have one main leader, and some have two or three main leaders. I am hoping that they will all sort of grow together and blend in with one another. We shall see how that turns out. I think I planted them the same as Gretchen did -- three feet apart. Here's a picture of them. They look pretty bare now for winter, but they will fill out in a few months. To achieve a standard, or a tree form, you trim away all but one leader and remove all lower branches and leaves. If your brugs will be killed by frost, they could still return each year in the spring, and then you can decided how to shape them each year.
Great answer Clare! Thank you!!! I will add Jamie, that you don't want to do any trimming on them yet. You want them to have as many leaves as possible to take full advantage of their photosynthesis abilities while they're young. Hope that helps :)
I don't know about that skin thing, but thanks! I think the key is that if you have the misfortune of oily skin (which I do) then you get the blessing of avoiding wrinkles later on! I used to tan but a good friend of mine died of a rare form of SKIN cancer at the ripe old age of 20 so I would get a guilty feeling anytime I crawled into a tanning bed or laid out in the sun.
Thanks to all for the pruning/spacing advice. Brugs technically aren't hardy in my zone but I am going to attempt to save them. My plan is to cut them as little as possible and protect them heavily in the winter. Then in the spring I will only cut what is necessary. I understand that most likely means I will be cutting them down REEEEAAAALLL low to get rid of what the frost damaged! I will do my typical routine- plant and pray! :) And Gretchen, I am just so happy that they are actually growing and thriving that I wouldn't have the gall to cut on them at all. Not right now anyway! I gave a cutting to my friend who lives about 4 hours away. Some of her mail order roses got to her too late to plant outside this fall so she had to keep them alive inside until next spring. Well it looks like they had some sort of bugs from the nursery and killed everything they were planted next too. The roses look like she got to them in time, but the poor brug was a gonner!!!!! Now I am going to blast mine with neem just to be sure. I will just lose it if they all croak. Ha!
Picturelady,
We're going to Palm Springs. Russ has a conference to attend.
Karrie...nice! We sometimes go to an RV park near Palm Springs in Feb. Don't know yet if we are going this year yet!
Ok, ok, I know I'm playing with children again, ha, but I do nails, my own, natural nails and I garden and groom my dogs, as well as legal work. I love flashy polish and tell my kids that next time, I'm getting orange, ya know??!!. My pal titled this 'bling-bling'...made recently while shopping in NYC...
jamie, i, too have oily skin and now consider it a blessing. i used to get carded, but i'm afraid my real age caught up with me. lol. i need to have a beauty regimen....
karrie, palm springs in february can be very nice, not scorching hell. you'll enjoy the desert scenery and the desert towns that all grew. if you also play golf, then you are in paradise. casinos have become a big draw also.
ah, bling-blings, beautiful nails, brugmansias, and did someone say GOLDEN RETRIEVERS???
=)
Wow, Jamie, did I say, it's lots of fun playing with youngsters, LOL!! I'm flattered, thank you so very much!
Sherrylike, those are nice nails! That is amazing that they stay so nice when you do so much.
Jamie, I am so sorry about your friend that died from skin cancer. That is just terrible. Your skin is just beautiful and looks like ivory. I too spent lots of time in tanning beds and at the beach all summer when I was younger, and I hope it doesn't catch up with me when I get older, but it probably will. I avoid getting a tan now when I can, which is actually hard when you are working in the garden! I am Sicilian and have that olive oily skin so it is a blessing, I guess, except for the acne. I can't believe that I still have acne at 40 years old. I just ordered some of that Proactive stuff so we'll see how that works. But you are right that the sun can be a dangerous thing.
Ah, I love Palm Springs. Bring your sunscreen, Karrie!
Moonglow, show us your Golden Retrievers!
Thanks, Clare!! If you will check back on my photo, near my bracelet, you will see some fuchsia and some 'gold'. The hostess of the party, wedding reception, I was attending, was Twzl, an almost 15 year old rescue, Golden girl, who is absolutely precious, I love the old ones. Twzl lives in Baldwin NY with her humans, as well as Sligo, 10, and RoyBoy, who is 4. All the Goldens attended the reception and Twzl was in the wedding, maid of honor, ya know...Twzl and I understand each other and she seldom left my side...
Edited after I hit send too soon, sorry about that!!!
This message was edited Jan 4, 2005 10:26 PM
Yeah Sherry- nice nails! I don't get it (I am a blonde ya know) are you saying I'M a youngster? I wish! Ha!
Moonglow/Clare- don't know if I think of it as a blessing just yet. Would still love "normal" skin! Clare- I tried Proactive and it didn't work for me. In fact, NOTHING has ever worked- went to the dermo starting at age 12. Nothing worked until I tried Accutane when I was about 20. Then I had to do another round of it several months ago b/c the acne came back. That is a hardcore med, but it works for me and nothing else does. The first time I didn't get a single blemish in 7 years. Then it came back. So far so good- gone again! My mom is very fair- blonde hair blue eyes. My dad is enough indian (Native American) that he got to go to college for free. You can tell by looking at him he is indian. So while I am fair skinned, I can still just walk out in the sun and get a tan. I wear lots of sunscreen and became the queen of sunless tanner! My friend Larry died Christmas day 1995. It was just horrible. He put together his 2 year old son's tricycle, sat down in the recliner, and just died. I was 18 then. It was so funny and ironic, but the last time we spoke, 2 days before he died, he told me to not waste time on things that don't matter. Then he brought up the fact that he and I spent so much time trying to get him to pass Algebra and he finally did, but in the end, who cares? If you know you will be gone at 20 does high school Algebra seem so important? The other irony was he said I had nagged him to quit smoking like I was his mother, and in the end the cancer had spread to every major organ- brain, lymph nodes, liver, stomach, you name it, but his lungs were cancer free. So I kinda think I got a good perspective on life at a young age.
Not to be a total downer or anything! :)
Jamie
Sherry, I didn't focus on the fuchsia and gold before, but I see her now. Golden Retrievers are such great dogs.
Jamie, I think she called us children! But that's okay because I took it as a compliment. I have some sunless tanner and must try it this summer. It comes with a good exfoliant, which is good, I think, for a polished look! Thanks for the info about Proactive and Accutane. I'll look into Accutane if Proactive doesn't do it for me.
There is nothing like pain to give you a real perspective on life, which is good, but I'm sorry you suffered that loss. Larry sounds like a good guy. It's a terrible shame. Larry is right that one shouldn't waste time on things that don't matter. My husband likes to say, "In a hundred years, it won't matter; we'll all be dead." Kind of morbid but true. It's good that you remembered him this Christmas. Big hug.
Well I will take "children," that's cool!
Yep, he was a great guy. Everyone (especially my mom) were so distressed that we really just liked each other as friends. My goodness that guy was good looking! :) I love having the good memories about him- just wish he could have passed away on a different day. Especially for his son's sake. But oh well, life goes on!
Hugs to all and good night!
I was going say that how sad for children when a parent dies on Christmas Day. When I was a child, friends of my brothers were sitting down to Christmas dinner when their mom had a heart attack and died. I felt so sad for those boys. You'll have to remind the son what a good guy his dad was. Hugs and good night.
Jumping in here on the acne chit-chat. My problem too for about the last 25 years. Never had so much as a single whitehead until I was in my early 20's... I have been going to a dermatologist for years, and we've tried everything. Finally, this last time he switched me to a rosacea cleanser and leave on gel that I use 2 times per day. In addition, he put me on a prescription supplement called Nicomide that specifically targets acne. Since I started both the same day, I can't tell which products are successful, but I can tell a juge improvement in my skin.
I wanted to order the Proactive, Clare, but my doc couldn't tell me anything about it one way or the other, so I just kept with him. I have also tried lots of OTC stuff... And, I'm blond, fair and have dry skin...
Good luck!!!
Picturelady,
I booked our flights last night. We will be arriving in Ontario on the 12th and driving to and arriving in Palm Springs (early afternoon) and staying at the Wyndham (where the conference is). We will be leaving for Vegas on Valentines Day, from the Ontario airport around 6:30pm, so leaving PS around 2:30 to 3. If you will be around there at that time, email me!
Karrie
Thanks, Gretchen. That is good to know. I'm going to see how the Proactive works and then maybe see a dermatologist if it doesn't work. I have an HMO so it might be like pulling teeth to see a specialist. I've tried lots of OTC stuff too which hasn't worked.
Karrie, that sounds like a great trip. Have fun!
Just potted up some birds of paradise and roses, I thought I'd hang out here for a bit =).
I didn't learn to put on make-up, because I break out everytime cosmetics touch my face. Tried all the brands out there I think. ONCE IN A WHILE, I have to get dolled up (weddings, important functions, etc....), but the daily thing is soap, water, and moisturizer for me. I have been using Neutrogena bar to wash my face since I was 14. Wow, we're on our 21st year. Sounds like a successful marriage. Ha-ha!
Maybe I'll try make-up again one of these days and have Pro-Active ready just in case.
Vegas, baby. VEGAS!!! (I don't gamble, but love the sights and shows.)
My husband has rosacea which is adult acne. He uses the ProActive and has good luck with it. However, it seems that the acne builds up an immunity to it after a while and then he uses other products that are prescription meds. Ery tabs help more than anything.
Moonglow, I used to use Neutrogena bar and the gel to wash my face, and I'm not sure why I stopped using it. I'll have to try that again, but first I'll try the Pro-Active which is on its way.
Shirley, that is good to know. What are Ery tabs?
great pics CC. I wasn't aware that Danes had lots of health problems too. Many pedigree animals have health problems I think due to to much interbreeding for to the perfect animal. All my himmies and exotic short haired persians except one stay in the vets half the time. Sassy(Asian Snow Leopard bengal)(Egyptian Mau x Asian Snow Leopard) is 13 and has never been to the vet except to be spayed. I always gave my own shots. She is only 4 generations from being wild and I couldn't ever show her except as a pet. don't know what difference it made whether being show as pet or in the alter category but they wouldn't let me. lost my best himmie at 4 due to his liver shutting down. Gosh I still cry if i think about it and it has been 12 years. anyway brand new pic of me with Tatiana in Fl last week at her new nursery. I am in the red shirt
I just wanted everyone to know that Dutchess died tonight. My husband and I have never cried so hard together. Her heart just stopped while we were both there. She had sat up, and we thought it might be a good time to try to give her some nutritional formula so we went to her and sat down by her. My husband and I held her and stroked her for a few seconds until she passed. She was nine years old.
(((I am so sorry Clare)))
Oh, Clare, I am so sorry to hear that.
Clare, so sorry to hear about Dutchess.
My heart goes out to you and your husband...I am so sorry for your loss.
Margie
Thanks Donna, Moonglow, Susie, and Margie. I don't think I will be able to sleep or stop crying tonight. She was such a sweet girl, and I loved her so much. She was one of just a few who loved me unconditionally. It just happened so suddenly. I'm sorry to take this thread in this direction. You've all been very sweet to me.
Oh Clare, how sad. It is so hard losing a part of the family.
Our oldest daughter uses Pro Active and it works well for her. Her younger sister, however, has found that it dries up her skin, even after using the moisturizer that goes with it.
Everyone has different skin. You will find something that will work for you. I used (still do) soap and water in the shower (sounds harsh) and then lotion up after I get out, with Vita Moist by Avon. Simple, but works for me. I'm allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide, so I have never been able to use many products. At my age, I still get occasional pimples, but not enough to worry about. Cleanliness is the key. Bacteria causes most of the problems. When it's hot out, and you are perspiring, it's important to at least rinse with water often. I've found the more chemicals you use, the worse it gets. If you dry out your skin too much, your body tries to produce even MORE oil to make up for it.
Clare, I am soooooo sorry, it is just heartbreaking to lose a pet that is part of your family. Do remember, Dutchess will live forever in your hearts!!! That is really true, I know!!
My sincerest condolences for your loss. There is nothing that can be said when you lose a loved one. From what you said though your Duchess was well-cared for and I'm sure she loved you as much as you did her.
Clare, I'm so sorry to hear that you lost Dutchess. It is so hard losing a pet. They are truly a family member. I cried for days.
(((Clare))) sweetie, I feel your pain! God bless you. You will be in my prayers.
Gretchen
Oh Clare, I'm so sorry. It's so heartbreaking to lose a pet.
Clare-
I am SOOO sorry about Dutchess! I know how gut wrenching that is. I hope you take comfort that she lived such a long, wonderful life. Long for a Dane for sure! It sounds like she was relatively healthy right up to the very end. It is always sad, but even worse I think when you have to make the choice to PTS because they can no longer walk or control their own bodies. That is my biggest fear with my big guy. :( Again, I will be thinking of you and I am so very sorry. I felt like someone punched me in the stomach when I read your post. Just heartbreaking!
Jamie
Clare,
I am so sorry to hear about Dutchess. It brought tears to my eyes as soon as I read your post. I can't imagine losing my Josie girl and she is only 3 years old. My heart goes out to you.
