Good Morning,

Round 5

10 large containers

and I will email you my bonus guess!

Shirley, enjoy the Zoo!

Annie

I have a cement backyard too, although I must have more room than you because I've accumulated a crazy amount of potted plants!

I'm going to guess 12 pots.

6 pots, butterfly bush

Hi everyone!

I'm going to guess 6 large pots for this round.

Have fun at the zoo, Shirley, and stay cool. I will email you my guess for round 5's bonus question.

Katie

Hey Everyone! Back safe and sound. Been checking out all the pics! The heat was horrendous! The polar bears never showed up! Now, I have to go play bunco, DRAT! I'll be back later to share a picture of Lucas!
Shirley!

9 large pots is my guess.

LOL! Shirley, I'm dreaming BIG for you :D

Okay, so I'm going to guess 16 pots.

Glad you had fun at the zoo!
vina

I must say I have been following the FOTESS July Cookbook swap I am so jealous of all those terrific boxes and I saw where Miss Vina received her box with the most interesting recipe in it...in her words SUPER YUMMY YUMMY (needed to say that twice!) Apple Pie Jam an was wondering if that might get passed my way????
I have never heard of this before an it sounds very yummy I would love to have a copy of the recipe for that, yum, could you just image Apple Pie flavored JAM??? Without the pie! I bet that would be good on ice cream, Miss Becky suggested that in the other thread. There were some yummy recipes over there too!
Ya'll have fun with your game, I am not good at guessing but it has been fun reading all your post!
:) Aqua

Home at last! Long, hot day!

Margo, I too was wondering "what was I thinking" about 15 minutes after we got there; it was 85 at 10:30! Got a lot worse. Oh, before I forget: Come on in and join the games. You still have a chance for last place!

The Toledo Zoo is one of the nicest zoos I've ever been too, but today it seemed like a long, HOT hike across all those cement paths and plazas to get to a shady bench!

We were there for about 4 hours. As I said, the polar bears were no where in sight; the butterfly pavillion was closed and I have never cared to see gorillas behind bars.

On the other hand, the rhinocerous was magnificent, as were the giraffes, and the zoo has 2 grey crowned cranes! But this little guy made my day! This is Lucas, a baby Indian Elephant, a little over a year old. The heat wasn't bugging him at all, he was frisking all over the place!
Talk to ya all tomorrow!

Shoot, that's his mother, here's Lucas!

Here's the Grey Crowned Crane!

Oh, wow, Shirley! That grey crowned crane is gorgeous!! Love the elephants, too!

Dan, nice rainbow. I have worked out of Traverse City before. It was a lovely town and area. Love the river flowing through the middle of town. I was working on Bellows Island. Familiar with it? It's further north, up by Northport.

Katie

Shirley, we haven't had a chance to get up to the zoo to see Lucas. He is so cute. We were up there for a wedding last weekend but it was in the area before you cross the bridge so we could only observe the Africa area. We were able to ride the train and carousal but it was too hot. Hottest day of the year so far so we weren't doing alot. The reception was in a pavilion so there was no air conditioning. It sounds like despite the heat, you had a good time.

I should have joined the games but would have had such a late start, would have been in last place anyway. LOL I am not good at guessing either.

Heading up to Crafts 2000 today with my friend who is visiting from Shelby Township. They say we are to get strong storms so I am looking forward to the rain. We don't have big trees so the worry of losing them isn't there. I just have to make sure anything that can blow away is either pulled in the shed or anchored down. I have lost a lot out here.

Have a good one everyone. Margo

Morning! Here's hoping it's lots cooler today!

Don, couldn't say "dear doe deer", it's too hot! Do you get many deer in your gardens?

Margo, it wasn't too crowded, but LOTS of little kids, toddlers!

Katie, the Grey Crowned Crane is one of the more colorful cranes, there is also a beautiful Black Crowned!

Okay, onto the Game!
Alana is the daily winner, right on the number with 9, for 5 points! Two butterfly bushes, a New Jersey Tea, a Hackberry, a black cherry, 2 pots of Black Willows, a Paw Paw and the bonus plant: a Crepe Myrtle! Yeah, the lady at Extension told me this was a tropical for our zone. Bummer, no one gets bonus points, sorry!

Annie came in 2nd closest for 4 points, and Jen, Melody and Katie tied for 3rd closest, for 3 points each!

And here is ROUND 6!! The last guessing game!
Between wintersowing and direct sowing, how many butterfly HOST plants did I sow this year? Nothing below 10!
Have fun!
Shirley!

Good Wednesday Morning,

Shirley,
RE: your round 6 question. I am assuming this question is asking for the TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL PLANTS YOU WINTERSOWED OR DIRECT SOWED OVER 10?????????????????????
Or is it how many Varieties of butterfly host plants?????
I shall refrain from guessing until I hear your answer...LOL!

Annie

Oh Dear! Thanks for bringing that to my attention, Annie!
I meant how many varieties! The number of plants was mind boggling for sure!
Shirley!

My guess would be 24 varieties.

Don

Nuts, I missed round 5, but I'll jump in on round 6 and guess you w/sed 18 varieties...lol!

I'm glad to hear you had a good time at the zoo! I haven't been to one in almost 20 years, where did the time go? When I was moving back to Michigan from Tennessee I stopped in at the Knoxville Zoo, and one of the elephants "shook" my hand! It was a crazy kewl moment for me because I've always been in awe of them. I think the elephant knew/sensed that because he had his back to us when there was a group of noisy kids and their parents. When they left, he turned around, shook my hand, and gave me a little bit of a trumpeting. A zookeeper came out to see what was going on, and when I told him what had happened he took me on a short tour behind the scenes in the elephant house. I'll never forget that trip!

Dan

Hmmm, for round 6, I'm going to guess 16 varieties.
Wow, that seems like a lot!

Katie

I am going to guess 28 varieties ;)

Alana, I dropped your package off at the PO today.

DC # 0312 0860 0001 4384 3836

Storming here in MS again.

Katie

Hmmm, I will guess 15 varieties of butterfly host plants!

Afternoon!

Shirley, I'm guessing BIG for you again! LOL! My guess for Round 6 is 30 varieties.

That little Lucas is so cute! And I agree, I've never been one to see gorillas behind bars. We have some baboons at the Syracuse zoo, and they always look sad :(

Aqua, I'll post the super yummy! yummy! recipe tomorrow so everyone can enjoy the scrumptiousness :)

Have a great night!
vina

I am going to guess 28 varieties ;)

Shirley,

I just got home about 45 minutes ago...I have my glass of Merlot...I better post my guess! I am so glad I asked that "Q". My guess otherwise would have been so much higher. One should never assume anything......LOL!

Round 6...

I will guess that Miss Shirley planted 21 VARIETIES of beautiful Butterfly Host plants.

Happy Thursday!

Annie

Good morning,
Haven't had time for the games or much other since I started classes. Sent Faye my partner, an email but haven't heard back. The last email came back so not sure if I have the right email address. I thought just clicking on where she signed in would do it. LMK please.

We have had terrible wind and rain storms for several days but its turning hot again. The rain and hail on Sunday just ruined the flowers/vegies. Not much standing up straight except the weeds. How can that be?

Well have to get my stuff ready and leave for the bus. Have a wonderful day everyone.

Ellie

I plan to mail to Katie on Saturday.
In the meantime I will guess that you sowed 22 butterfly host plants.
Drove 3 1/2 hours yesterday to get to a Red's game-I try to see one a summer. It was 100 degrees when I got to Georgetown, and sunny. By the time I got to the stadium it was 74 and pouring rain. Water cascaded top to bottom like a waterfall while I shivered in a raincoat. They lost 7-1 and lots of folks left before the seventh inning stretch. I'm going to have to rethink this yearly ritual.
Alana

Good Morning! We're getting rain, as we speak!! YES!!

Ellie, Faye was my partner for the last MNF swap; I contacted her thro GW. Is that how you're doing it?

All righty! Our winners for Round 6 are, TA DA!
Dan is the daily winner with a right on the number guess of 18, for 5 points;
Katie is 2nd closest with 16 for 4 points;
Annie and Melody are tied for 3rd closest for 3 points each!
AND!! Since this is our last guessing game, Jen, Vina and Don will each get 2 points, just for playing!

Okay, I have some running around to do that can't be put off any longer, so I'll be back later, with point totals and the winners!
Stay tuned!
Shirley!

Hello & happy July **fresh & cool** to those of you with the heat!

I remember during a heat wave 20 years ago when we didn't have an air conditioner in an older mobile home... Hubby was feeling poorly after an outpatient procedure of a liver biopsy and 15 month old was cranky, too. Around 8am we drove to our Safeway grocery store & walked around the open style frozen food displays. My younger sister was a teenager and had been over to help with our baby, so was embarrassed as we walked round and round with hubby bent over pushing the cart in pain. Biopsy turned out negative :o).

A whirlwind of campers are enjoying the summer activities here including the Nature Center with the children's gardens. I still need to pot up some mints to set down there in the tea garden to finish the planting for this year. I keep saying I'll get to it after....

In the evenings when I'm outside turning off the soaker hose or putting away my garden chair cushion I can hear the campfire singalongs with the leader singing into a wireless headset and the campers belting out the songs. Times have changed that now campfire is amplified! It sounds so good to hear their happy voices I sometimes linger outside a bit longer if the mosquitoes aren't biting. The benefits of living at a year round camp.

The other day I picked up an endless summer hydrangea original for the backyard hoping it will bloom away all summer for us. I've only purchased 2 other hydrangeas (mophead florist plant with NOID and no blooming the last 2 years, Twist & Shout, Pia) since the others have been given to me at plant swaps. This new one will replace the florist plant that dies back to the ground and isn't producing like I'd hoped in the bed between the patio and the hot tub.

Not sure if I should cut the old blooms off or not. I've read different views on that. There is one new bloom forming, purple-brownish color to some parts of leaves, and about 8 older blooms on twisty stems. Does anyone have a suggestion?

:o) Corrine

Alana, we must of been posting at the same time, you get the 2 points!

Forgot my checkbook, DUH!
Shirley!

Annie! Yea! with 23 points!

Vina and Alana tied for 2nd place, with 18.5 points each. No tiebreaker needed here!

Don came in at 3rd place, with 18 points!

Honorable mention goes to Katie, Dan, Jen and Melody!

And Keyla/Lavenderpyly gets the Booby prize for the least amount of points - 10!

Congrats, everyone! I'll mail prizes out soon, need to watch the weather for Annie's. And Don, I'll email for your address.

I'll be back later with a swap update.
Shirley!

Thought I just posted this - guess not!
Let's try this again:
Here's where we stand with the swap:
Partners:
Vina and Aqua; have both been in touch
Alana and Katie - Katie sent; Alana is sending Saturday;
Faye and Ellie - Have you both been in touch?
Dan and Jen; both have been in touch
Margo and Melody; both have been in touch?
Annie and Don - Don sent; Annie's been in touch
Shirley sent to Lavender/Keyla;
Keyla is sending to Cryptid; Keyla needs your address, Darrin!
Darrin is sending to me, and has been in touch.

Let me know if I missed anyone! The deadline for mailing is the 31st of July.

We got lots of rain yesterday; it's in the low 70s here today and cloudy, hope we get more rain!

Have a great day Everyone!
Shirley!

Yes,yes I have never won anything!!!! :)

And Yes cryptid send me his address so I will mail his package either today or tommorow!!!

Today is happy day for me lots of rain since last nite and my garden looks so happy today!!!!

Thank you shirley you're the best!!!! I just receive the package. I love homemade soap thank you, thank you so much!!!! And thank you for the awesome seeds, Ice tea recipe and the card!!!!

Melody and I have been in touch and I am in the process of getting my package ready.

Lots of rain yesterday and overnight. I am so excited about that. No need to water at all today. Not even pots.

Margo

Thank you Katie!
Today I received seeds from Katie's garden for Coreopsis lanceolata, Tomato Cherokee Purple, Salvia coccinea Lady in Red and Coral Nymph, and Zinnia elegans. I look forward to growing them.

Katie included some helpful cool down hints as well as some wonderful refreshing recipes for Citrus Shrimp Couscous and the Pimm's Cup cocktail, which sounds wonderful.
The card has a terra cotta sundial on it, just like one I had in my garden for several years.

I feel a little embarrassed by the recipe I have in your package ready to go out tomorrow, but it reflects what I REALLY do to refresh and cool down so I am not ripping open the package to replace it, lol.

Katie's DC is 9405503699300081956462.
Alana

So bummed out. :( :( :(

I left the house today around noon, came back three hours later and discovered that somebody had stolen one of my plants from the front garden patch. I know it was a Person and not a gopher or something, because there was zero trace of my baby sunflower -- no gnawed through stump, no roots, nothing. Not even the hemp rope that I had used to tie it to a bamboo stick for support. NOT EVEN A HOLE. The thief went through the trouble of filling in and covering up the hole. They left my two other baby sunflowers alone, though.

What utter jerks. I grew those babies from seed as I do most of my plants, and it's really devastating to completely lose a plant, especially when Somebody steals it. There's not much I can do about the theft. (And I suppose I should be grateful that they haven't taken my pride-and-joy Danish Flag poppy plant, but maybe it's just a matter of time.)

Anyways, just wanted to vent. It's a handful to deal with my neighbor's cat using my garden patch as a litter box, gophers terrorizing my petunias, snails, aphids, caterpillars....but humans! Humans who are selfish and dishonest, I draw the line.

:( :( :( Not a good gardening day.

Anybody have this kind of problem?

~ Melody

I have never had theft from my garden but totally understand your frustration. It is a sense of accomplishment when you grow something from seed. Then to have someone take or destroy it just doesn't make sense. I don't even understand why they would even do that. I have had animal damage at my last house and one day it even drove me to tears I was so frustrated. I am sorry this has happened and hope they do not come back.

I am sure more humans have had enjoyment in seeing your wonderful garden so don't get too discouraged. Don't let one person destroy the fun of your successes.

Have a good weekend. Margo

Hi Everyone!
Prizes for the games will be going out to everyone but Annie, hopefully tomorrow! We're keeping an eye on the weather, before mailing Annie's Grand Prize!

Melody, what a shame, I'm sure you would share anything from your gardens, if someone would just ask!

Faye, Ellie is trying to get in touch about your address, please contact her to exchange addresses. Hope all is well with you.

Shirley!

Good Morning!
We look to be getting some storms today, which could be a good thing! Margo, they're coming in from Toledo, are you getting any rain?

Getting ready for the granddaughter's visit! They, and their Mom and Dad of course, are going to visit for a few days on the way to their new home in Kettering, Ohio. I'm SO glad they are going to be living closer!

On with the cleaning! I'll be back later with a swap update. We still have a week left for mailing packages out!
Shirley!

I have just opened Saturdays mail.....FRESH and COOL has come my way. And it is wonderful!

Don (dem_pa)sent me.....

*a very happy card with a poem inside "Summer Song" by Alice Ann Gordon. I feel fresh and cool after reading it!!

*Seeds....great selection!
Granny's Bonnet Columbine
Golden Globin Blanket Flower
Lincoln Pod Peas
Amish Deer Toungue Lettuce

A recipe for Blueberry Crisp....and get this, the recipe has mayo in it. I will be making this in the next couple of days.

*And what does Don do after a hard day in the garden????? He likes to go to his sisters campsite....and then get on a kayak.... and then "play in the water". He even sent a pic of people on the water kayaking. So fresh and cool!!!

*And his favorite drink...Iced Tea with lemon. Don included 2 packets of ice tea with lemon.

Don, thank you so very much!!!!!!

Happy Monday!

Annie

Good morning, MNF-ers,

Alana, so glad you enjoyed your package! And don't worry, I'm sure I will love your package, too! I look forward to trying any and all recipes, no matter how simple or complex. Hope you enjoy the Pimm's Cups. They are so delightfully refreshing on a hot day. Love the fresh and cool cucumber in the drink. It's scent and taste really make it what it is. Hmmm, maybe I should post the recipe here.

Melody, so sorry to hear about your garden misfortune. That is such a bummer! I would be so mad! I can't think of any time when I have had plants stolen. I would be tempted to take those kitty "sand-tarts" and create a land mine field. I considered that once when someone stole a presidential election sign out of my yard. lol...

Stay cool, everyone.

Katie

Hi everyone! So sorry I've been MIA. Had some computer problems creep up on me :(

Anyhoo....I promised to post the super yummy Apple Pie Jam Recipe:

~4 cups tart apples: peeled and finely chopped
~2T lemon juice
~1tsp. ground cinnamon
~1/4tsp. ground allspice
~4C firmly packed sugar
~1C firmly packed dark brown sugar
~1 box pectin
~1/2tsp. butter

1. Add water to chopped apples to measure 4 cups. Place apples and water into large saucepan.
2. Stir in lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice.
3. Measure sugars.
4. Stir pectin into fruit.
5. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.
6. Quickly stir in both sugars.
7. Return to full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Stirring constantly.
8. Remove from heat.
9. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon.

10. Ladle quickly into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/4inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2 piece lids. Screw bands on finger tight.
11. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

This recipe makes 6-8 half pint jars.

Anything with 5 cups of sugar in it HAS to be good :D
OH! and we had some with vanilla ice cream this weekend. Warmed it in the microwave and spooned it on...HEAVEN!

I still haven't mailed yet. I will be this week. So sorry for the delay :)

Have a great Monday everyone!
vina

Just scrolling down reading the threads now.

Melody, I am so sorry to read your post about your flowers coming up missing. And YES! I have had that happen. About 3 or 4 weeks ago I was going to the pond and was looking around and I noticed that some of my flowers weren't blooming like they were a day or two before. I figured it was just the heat...till I went in for further inspection. Someone had walked around my side yard and my pond trimming flowers for an arrangement!!! More than one kind had been trimmed off. Couldn't believe it! I actually had to second guess myself and think...Did I cut these??? I thought I was having a senior moment? It hasn't happened since, and I bet the arrangement looked nice. They sure did pick some nice colors.

But, what kills me is I would have been happy to give them to em'. I cut bouquets all the time for people, but I use my back flowerbeds and the daylily bed by the pool. Those are the best picks for flowers :)

I guess I could be happy they didn't take the WHOLE plant like they did with you. :(

How awful.

Don,

I have to drop off several packages at the PO on Thursday or Friday, so I am planning on sending your "Fresh and Cool" out then. I will post the DC # after I send.

Melody,

I can not recall anyone ever removing plants/cut flowers from my yard. I wonder about "mankind" so often these days. The things some people will do. It is very disappointing to say the least.....and quite sad.

The positive side is that you enjoyed growing it and it was a success. That gave you pleasure and happiness. I like to think that the majority of people would not steal plants from someone elses yard. Most people do have respect and will not cross that nasty line.

What comes around goes around......I do believe!

Happy Tuesday!!

Annie

I just checked on Katie's package and it was delivered yesterday. Thanks Dan, for filling us in on the virtues of Saturday shipping once upon a time. It has changed the way I ship.
Alana

Dan, could you share "the virtures of Saturday shipping" with us again?
Shirley!

YEAH, YUMMY YUMMY APPLE PIE JAM RECIPE POSTED!! THANK YOU VINA for posting for us all to enjoy!
Thanks to Miss Becky for sending it to Miss Vina!

VINA you have a DC# 03120860000241675162

Melody, I am so sorry to that happened to you, I have never personally had it happen (yet anyway) but do know others that have. At least it was something you grew from seed and you got the pleasure out of that while you had it in your yard.
I think it would have made you (an anyone else) feel worse and really really upset had it been a dear plant you had spent a nice chunk of change on.
I am lucky I live off the main road now an no one really comes down this far unless they are going to the last house at the end of the dirt road. Unfortunately I have to deal with 4 wheels and dirt bike riders barreling up and down the dirt road because they go play in the woods at the end of the dirt road, we put up a NO TRESPASSING sign at the end of our drive because someone came into our barn and tried to steal our saddles and some other stuff last summer.
Well, one of the smart twerps thought it would be funny to trespass in our yard, he came in the yard, spun around the sign a couple times then came in further and made a couple laps around a tree we had cut down, when the man of the house started walking toward him he spun around again and went out threw our yard to get back out in the road, he didn't even try to go out the driveway. It was short, quicker, and much faster access away from the coming doom!
None of them have tried anything like that since BUT it was so totally all out and out rude of him to do it in the first place.
We do have to get on to them from time to time for speeding out the road because all of us who live here have animals that can run out in front of them. So they have to be reminded of that.
Then on top of that they keep knocking down a display I have at the end of the drive with the house number to mark the place, it has been completely ran over with a car, dirt bike I don't really know what it was, I just know the last time it happened there were actually black marks left in the dirt!

People are just rude now a days and the trouble is it is only going to get worse I fear...

Take care everyone and HAPPY GARDENING!!! Stay FRESH AND COOL!

:) Aqua

This site is filled, please post on MNF Fresh and Cool Part 2!
Shirley!

Hey there, everyone! - Shirley, as of yesterday afternoon, your package is officially on its way! DC# 0312 0860 0000 9662 6227

Been meanin' to pop in here a lot more consistently, but as always, there's always something, anymore. C'est la vie. - I always seem to miss out on the games. Oh well :) Congratulations prize winners, and especially Annie! :)

Melody,...that's such a downer about your stolen sunflower. Almost seems like some kid, maybe, did it. I mean, just one flower was taken, and then the hole's filled in, etc., perhaps hoping you might not notice or whatever. Strange. - Personally, I kinda wish someone would come along and purloin all the orange ditch lilies along our frontyard fence, planted by the previous owner. All they do is form a wall so you can't see any of our other flowers or anything. Been digging them out, slowly, but they're so well established it's like chopping through matted tree roots. Suckers spread like blackberry vines, too.