The Compost Pile August, 2018

Peggy Martin Rose

photo by Dave Gordon

Mushrooms Just Doing What Comes Natural Dan Mullins, retired UF/IFAS Extension Agent, and I provide the following information on these common structures in our landscapes.

The sudden appearance of mushrooms is common in our landscapes, resulting in various reactions from homeowners Most mushrooms are the reproductive structures of saprophytic fungi. This group is different from plant parasitic fungi that cause plant diseases in that they feed upon and decompose organic materials. They are important in breaking down dead plant and animal parts into more simple compounds.

Mushrooms appear when conditions are right. For a fungus to go into a reproductive stage, it must be mature enough with the right temperature and moisture conditions. Most prefer high moisture levels and warm temperatures, while some species fruit during cool periods.

mycelia). Many times the fungal colony has been growing for months or years before it reaches a reproductive stage and produces mushrooms.

These saprophytes often proliferate soon after clearing for new home construction. Tree and shrub roots are invariably left below the soil surface. This fresh, dead material provides a buffet for these fungi. High numbers of mushrooms may be seen sporadically for several years, until this buried woody material is decomposed.

It’s not uncommon to see mushrooms coming up in close proximity to older trees. These older trees, many times, will have old dying roots underground just like you see the occasional dead limb on older trees above ground. Fungi responsible for breaking down these dead roots eventually produce mushrooms.

These types of fungi are only doing their job in nature – working as decomposers.

As frequent rains continue, mushrooms of various sizes, shapes and colors will be seen. With few exceptions, they do not cause diseases of landscape plants. Some are poisonous if ingested.

There is no environmentally safe fungicide that can be recomMushrooms are the reproductive (spore producing) part of the mended for control. Gardeners should accept and appreciate fungus. The remainder is below the surface in a string-like form this special group of fungi. In cases where the mushrooms are called mycelium, sometimes referred to as a fungal colony. Hy- objectionable they can be removed, mowed down or golfers can phae (plural form; singular form is hypha) is the name of the use them for practicing tee shots. long, individual pieces that comprise a mycelium (plural form; 2

How fortunate we are to be in an organization with individuals who give so much of their time and effort. We completed another successful plant clinic and the nursery contains about 1600 beautiful plants. As you read this column you will have had an opportunity to purchase some of the fantastic plants. It took many volunteers and lots of effort to grow the plants for everyone’s enjoyment.

Hopefully, if you planned to attend the Master Gardener Conference you registered early. As of Friday, July 13th, the registration had already closed. One hundred spaces is a small number for all of the counties involved.

Isn’t nature wonderful? As I write this column, I am sitting on the front porch of our farm in Darlington. Do we grow crops? No! We simply provide a sanctuary for living creatures on our property to enjoy a place of safety.

There are many birds coming to the feeders and bird baths. Many bluebirds have raised their young in our bluebird boxes. As I view the butterfly garden I see hummingbirds and a sprinkling of butterflies. The number of butterflies will really increase in August and September. We have been seeing the Gulf Fritillary and Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars.

A hive of honeybees have taken up residence in an oak tree in front of the house. I wonder how long they will continue to make the oak tree their home.

If you have not done so, I encourage you to plant an area in your yard for our pollinators. Many of the plants in our nursery are natives. Even a small part of your landscape will attract various organisms that need our help.

I encourage you to set on your front porch early in the morning and enjoy the wonderful beauty of nature. Please

be careful of the heat but continue to enjoy your garden.

Again, the effort you put forth is enjoyed by many individuals. Thanks for all the time you give.

Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail ,[1][2] is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. This butterfly is black with iridescentblue hindwings.

They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests.

[3] Caterpillars are often black or red, and feed on compatible plants of the genus Aristolochia. They are known for sequestering acids from the plants they feed on in order to defend themselves from predators by being a poisonous when consumed. The adults feed on the nectar of a variety of flowers. Some species of Aristolochia are toxic to the larvae, typically tropical varieties.[4

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 3

Peggy Martin Rose

One of the individuals that received a cutting of the rose was Dr. Bill Welch, a horticulturist at Texas A&M University. He had an idea of selling the rose to raise money to restore gardens on the gulf coast.

As Paul Harvey said in his program-now for the rest of the story. I purchase the Peggy Martin Rose several years after Katrina. I planted two of the roses in full sun. This plant needs plenty of room to breathe. Over the years, I have had many individuals stop and inquire about the rose. I’m always happy to share cuttings. It is a heavy bloomer in April and will continue to bloom sporadically throughout the summer and fall.

Dave Gordon

Can you identify this?

Larry will reveal the answer next month

http://rosenotes.typepad.com/.a/6a010535bf3807970c013484e2a3fd970c-

The Peggy Martin Rose came back at home in Plaquemines Parish after hurricane Katrina. A family had a fish camp in south Louisiana that had been there since the 1950’s. After Katrina struck, the family lost all signs of the fish camp and any plants around the area. As the family was exploring the remnants of the destruction, a small green growth was protruding through the mud.

That rose, the one Katrina couldn’t take, was a thornless rambler with long arching canes and showy pink flowers. The cutting came from a garden in New Orleans. None of the members of the New Orleans Old Garden Rose Society could ever pin down its name.

4

Peanut/bacon cabbage slaw:

1. Combine: ½ c mayonnaise, t sugar, 1 T vinegar, 1/4t curry powder (cover & chill 2. Combine: 3 c shredded cabbage, 2 t chopped green onion, Ÿ c plumped cherries 3. To serve: combine 1 &2 and add 1/3 c salted Spanish peanuts, 4-5 slices bacon crumbled.

Toss.

Boiled peanuts: 2 lbs. green peanuts, 3T salt, water to cover. Simmer until tender. Check in 30 min.

Parched (roasted Peanuts): set oven

temp-bake 350. Place one layer of peanuts (in the shell) on cookie sheet.

Bake, stirring often, check at 15 min. continue cooking if needed.

5

August What to Plant Annuals/Bedding plants: The hottest days of summer limit planting now to heat-tolerant vinca, gaillardia, bulbine, and coleus. SeeAnnuals: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ topic_annual_landscape_plants

Bulbs: Aztec lily, butterfly lily, walking iris, and spider lily can be planted any time of the year, even late summer. See Bulbs for Florida: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_bulbous_flowers Herbs: Herbs that can be planted from plants (not seeds) include bay laurel, ginger, Mexican tarragon, and rosemary. See Herbs: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_herbs

if such an ordinance exists in your area.

Palms: Check older palm fronds for yellowing as it may indicate a magnesium or potassium deficiency. Apply an appropriate palm fertilizer. See Palm Nutrition and Fertilization: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_palm_nutrition Poinsettias: Pinch back poinsettias and mums before the end of the month to allow time for buds to form for winter bloom. See Poinsettias: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ topic_poinsettia Ornamental plants: Rapid growth and leaching rains may result in nutrient deficiencies in some plants. See Nutrient Deficiencies (Landscape Plants): http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ topic_nutrient_deficiencies_landscape_plants

Annuals and Perennials: Remove spent blooms, cut back, and fertilize flowering annuals and perennials to extend the season into the fall months. See Annuals: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ Vegetables: Many cool-season crops can be started now as topic_annual_landscape_plants and Perennial Landscape well as a final crop of warm-season vegetables such as lima beans, cucumbers, eggplant, and peppers. Tomatoes can also be Plants: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_perennials planted for the fall garden. See Vegetable Gardening in Florida: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_vegetable_gardening Gaillardia /ɡeɪˈlɑːrdiə/ [3]

What to Do Lawns: Determine the cause of any damage to the lawn so the proper remedy is used. Damage from insects, disease, or irrigation failure can produce similar symptoms. Use a sharp mower blade and only remove a third of the grass blade to reduce stress on the lawn. SeeInsect Management in Your Florida Lawn: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ topic_lawn_insect_management, The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Guide to Plant Selection & Landscape Design: http:// fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/FYN_Plant_Selection_Guide_v090110.pdf, and Ground Covers: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ topic_ground_covers Fertilizer Bans: Certain municipalities in north Florida prohibit the application of fertilizer to lawns and/or landscape plants during the summer rainy season (June–September). See

(common name blanket flower) is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, native to North and South America. It was named after an M. Gaillard de Charentonneau,[5][6] an 18th-century French magistrate who was a patron of botany. The common name may refer to the resemblance of the inflorescence to the brightly patterned blankets made by Native Americans, or to the ability of wild taxa to blanket the ground with colonies.

[7] Many cultivars have been bred for ornamental use.

[4]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 6

Key Plant, Key Pests: Chinese Elm - 5-pgage document that helps idenPeach Rust Transchelia spp - a fungal disease the Chinese elm (Ulmus that attacks peach, nectarine, almond, plum, apricot, and tify common pests found on cherry. Can be particularly bad during warm weather with parvifolia). http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1201 high rainfall. 6-page document describes the characterisCrapemyrtle - 4-page document helps identify tics and management. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1263 pests found on the crapemyrtle. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ Fungal Gummosis in Peach - a vascular disease ep560 that limits growth and yield. 6-gage document discusses the symptoms and management. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ hs1265 Bermudagrass Mite Eriophyes cynodoniensis also known as the couch grass mite and can be a serious pest of bermudagrass in multiple high-maintenance turf systems. 7 page fact sheet reviews the biology, identification, and management. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1217 Stinging and Venomous Caterpillars of the Southeast - 4-page fact sheet that describes several stinging caterpillars commonly found throughout the southeastern United States. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in014

Camellia - 7-page document discusses identification and management of pests found on the camellia. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep558 Bald cypress - 4-page document providing information on the management of common pests found on bald cypress. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep557

COMING SOON.

Classified Advertisements •

Have items to sell or give away

•

Want items

Wood Preservatives - 6-page document that describes the purpose of applying preservatives to various wood products and provides a description of wood preservatives registered for use in Florida. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi276

•

Have plants to share (that Lee cannot use)



Need help



Have time to share

Managing Southern Chinch Bug in Warm Season Turfgrasses - 7-page fact shee describing the biology of the pest, the damage it causes, ways to scout and monitor for chinch bugs, and some strategies for controlhttp:// edis.ifas.ufl.edu/lh036

Please send any other ideas or items to place here to: shalimarkent@cox.net

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8

HAVE YOU GOT WEEDS? Okaloosa County Master Gardeners can help you identify that problem weed in your yard and give you helpful hints for eliminating your weed problems. Come visit with a

you. For on-line assistance, please go to http:// gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu .

Imperial Moth

Master Gardener and get your gardening questions an-

Eacles imperialis Eacles

swered at our August Plant clinic! Bring a sample of your

imperialis is a Nearctic member of the family Sa-

problem weed or a sample of your problem grass in a plas-

turniidae and subfamily

tic bag, and a Master Gardener will diagnose the problem

Cerato campinae. The

and give you some helpful solutions to insure you have a

wingspan of an adult is be-

beautiful yard. You can also take pictures with your cam-

tween 80-175 mm. There is

era or your phone and bring those with you. Master Gar-

a high amount of variation within this species. The colors of

deners will be available at the County Extension Annex at

the adult are always primarily yellow with red, brown, and

127 Hollywood Blvd, in Fort Walton Beach, from 9:00 am

purple blotches but can vary distinctly on this. Light and dark

to Noon on Friday, August 10.

morphs of this species are found in both northern and south-

ern regions of their range. Individuals from the northern re-

The Okaloosa County Master Gardeners have 3 office loca-

gions of their native range may tend

tions to assist you with your gardening and grass ques-

to have fewer dark markings. Larvae

tions. In addition, you can bring your soil samples by our

can be small and orange with black

office locations for a PH soil test. Our Fort Walton Beach

transverse bands and large spines in

office is located at 127 Hollywood Blvd and is available for

the first instar, to 3-5.5 inches long

walk-ins on Fridays until Noon. Our Niceville location is

in the fifth instar with longhairs and shorter spines and color

at the Niceville Youth Center, at 200 Campbell Drive and is open on Mondays from 11 am to 1 pm. Our Crestview office is located at 3098 Airport Road and is open from 8 am to 5 pm Monday thru Friday. Call 689-5850 before go-

morphs varying between dark brown and burgundy with white spiracle patches, and green with yellow spiracle patches.

Shari Farrel

ing to insure there is a Master Gardener on duty to assist Joyce Waters-Smith reporting

9

On July 19 Master Gardeners Lee Vanderpool and Alene Ogle along with MG Trainees Kathy Foster and Marsha Palmer accompanied Commercial Horticultural Agent Sheila Dunning to check on the development of previously installed dune plants at Silver Sands School. The group

Master Gardener Webinars met with Head Science Teacher Dan Cheon to discuss the Silver Sands/Choctaw Bay Alliance project and students'

participation with plant propagation in the near future. An added bonus was seeing the progress of the new greenhouse which is on target to be completed by the start of school. Unable to attend today, but also working on this project are MG's Linda Penry and Ginny Hess.

Webinars provide a convenient and free professional development option for people who want to learn new strategies and tools without taking time off work and paying travel expenses. Each hour-long session will be recorded and available on our website to view whenever you'd like.

As of July 1, 2017, webinars will be be facilitated in Zoom. For help, see "Getting Started" on Zoom.com.

Webinars that were recorded prior to this date were in Adobe Connect and must be converted for you to access them. Please bear with us as we make the transition.

10

Okaloosa County Master Gardener Presentation Join us on Wednesday, August 15 from 10am to 11 am at the County Extension Annex, 127 Hollywood Blvd, Fort Walton Beach. Dave Gordon, current president of the Okaloosa County Master Gardeners will present a power point program with plant suggestions and ideas for multiplying the pollinator plants in your landscape. Dave always brings native pollinator plants to his presentations.

Pollinators are one of the latest gardening buzzwords. Our Dave Gordon, Master Gardener and Master Naturalist will pollinators are declining with farmers, scientists, and gardeners give a presentation titled-Pollinator’s Paradise. Dave is a retired all concerned about the problem. Planting a small area around science teacher and a fifth generation native of northwest Floriyour home will encourage pollinators and assist with solving the da. The program will focus on plants and methods to attract problems of getting your fig tree to produce figs or your lemons butterflies, bees, and birds to your home landscape. and orange trees to produce fruit.

This workshop is free and open to the public. Please call 6895850 to reserve your seat. We look forward to sharing our gardening passion with you.

Joyce Waters-Smith 850 217-4888 Okaloosa County Master Gardener Association publicity chair

You must have plants in your garden that provide a source of nectar for bees, wasps, butterflies, birds, and more. Water and a safe haven are also critical. Since commercial honeybees are threatened by colony collapse disorder, we need to consider how we can help our native pollinators get back to each of our gardens.

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12

It’s Chinch Bug Season If you have St. Augustine grass, you are at risk for a tiny little critter that can ruin your day. You can’t see it, but it’s out there.

Your problem starts with areas of your grass showing brown, dead-looking areas. They don’t have a circular pattern like fungus; it’s just sort of spotty. Then it grows. A gut reaction may be, “I’ll water it more, or put some fertilizer down. Or maybe a pH test will help.” (That’s what a recent home visit client thought, but it didn’t work.) None of the above works if these guys are happily munching on your turf. The easiest way to find them is the “Dust Buster” test. Vacuum up areas between the green grass and the dead stuff, dump the results on a clean white paper. If they are there, you’ll see them running around like crazy. Then, it’s time for pesticide, and don’t wait! Chinch bugs can go through several life cycles in a growing season, so you will have to reapply.

What do you use? You need a cheap hand vacuum. I mean Walmart-Cheap-Chinese with a little catcher bag. It can’t have a lot of power, or it will simply digest them without a trace.

Mine, shown here, has a battery life of about two minutes and can’t suck up a dead fly, but it’s death on chinch bugs.

Dump the contents on a white sheet of paper, and watch them run! If you see more than a dozen or so, you have a problem.

As my neighbor said when I found them in his lawn, “It’s like when the school nurse calls and tells you that your kid has lice.”

Yeah, it’s that bad.

Bill Buckellew

13

Ruta graveolens or Rue ...is one of those plants that you might want to consider

Ingestion can cause powerful cramps, hallucinations,

NOT using in your herb garden. We'll get to that in a mi-

vomiting, exhaustion, confusion, convulsions and could be

nute. Butterfly larva love it, especially the swallowtails.

fatal. More common ingestion and even external contact can cause severe phototoxicity--think the worst case of poison ivy ever.

Rue is one of those plants that you should be very careful about where you plant it and perhaps even think of a different plant to use instead.

Note: As with all herbal preparations, medicinal use has not been

approved by the FDA and no Rue is a small, bluish, shrub-like perennial. It's leaves are

herbal preparation should be

alternate, simple and deeply lobed. Flowers are small and

used in place of medication pre-

yellow. It likes full sun and can reach a height of 3 feet if

scribed for you by your doctor.

it's really happy. Propagation is from seed, stem cuttings

Herbal supplements are not regu-

or division. It's a gorgeous plant in edgings and the blue

lated and care should be exercised

foliage really sets off nicely in contrast to yellower foliage.

when purchasing. Only purchase

The flowers are long lasting so are quite pretty with blues

those products from reputable sources. Always check

and purples like salvia.

with your doctor before taking any herbal supplements and make sure to provide a complete list of herbal sup-

As for its uses there are varied descriptions for culinary and medicinal. BUT the word on ingesting rue is DON'T.

plements you are taking to your medical provider.

Marg Stewart 14

ARE YOU NUTS? Perhaps not but I find Okaloosa

Goober as a name is often given to a colorful, white male

County to be quit a nutty place.

of Deep South extraction (Goober as in Andy Williams

Of course, nuts are seeds but we

show).

won’t call our county seedy.

The peanut is a major crop for Okaloosa County.

Peanuts: “A little legume but big business.”

In 2016 Okaloosa County cultivated 2,049 acres of peanuts. With a yield of 4,000 tons valued at $1,500,000.00.

Harvest time: late August – November.

One acre of peanuts produces enough peanut butter to make 30,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Festivals abound in the fall with Dothan, Ala. claiming to be the “Peanut Capitol”.

The Perennial peanut plant is not a peanut producer but is very effective ground cover but does die back with cold weather. :

The nuts are legume pods like peas and beans, but unlike Goober, another word for peanut is of African origin. My other legumes, mature underground. Thousands of cultivars Grandfather Locke had a goober house in his peanut field. exist, but four types are the most popular: runner, Spanish, Virginia, and Valencia. Runner types are It was a small, raised, wooden one room shed that was grown commercially in Florida and the rest of the Southeast. used to dry the peanuts as they were harvested. It was a fun play house too.

May 11, 2016 Peanuts - Gardening Solutions - University of Florida, Institute of Food ...

15

PINE NUTS An expensive delicacy used in many gourmet foods and beverages.

They have been used for over 5,000 years in “the Old World”.

At the present, there are 20 pines that produce edible pine nuts. Eight of these pines are located in Eurasia around the Mediterranean area. Russia is the largest producer of this nut.

Eight are located in North America in the Southwest U. S. and Mexico. The Southwest U. S. production is tightly controlled by laws allowing native tribes to harvest the crops. ` All pine nuts are usable for human consumption but only a few are large enough to make it to the food market.

PECANS: Another major crop for Okaloosa County deserves an article of its own at a later date.

You will go nutty over my mother’s Karo pecan pie!!!

Top: Jennifer Yelverton in stripes

Left to right: Jennifer Yelverton, Margaret Wagner (new intern) & Ada Bower

Bottom left to right: Kathy Foster (new intern) & Marty Harshman of the Destin Garden Club

http://recipecurio.com/karos-pecan-pie/

“Words without deeds is like a garden full of weeds.”

(Old Proverb)

Lockey, of Course 16

If you've spent hours removing slender, black seeds that

require cooking. Older leaves are very bitter and should

are stuck on your socks, shirts, shoes, shoelaces, pants

not be used. Flower petals may be strewn on a salad for

(you get the idea) then you've walked in, through or within added looks and a mild flavor. Medicinally Bidens is said a hundred yards of Bidens alba most commonly known as

to be an immunity booster, anti-malarial and has anesthet-

Spanish Needles.

ic properties. There are some reports of people using a tea

This is an aggressive native plant (aggressive NOT inva-

made from the leaves to soothe skin irritation after coming

sive). Yes, it's great for the butterfly garden. It is a favored

into contact with fiberglass during boat building.

nectar source for the great purple hairstreak, dogface red-

Sources:

banded hairstreak, lantana scrub hairstreak and the gray

Florida's Edible Wild Plants, by Peggy Sias Lantz

hairstreak just to name a few. Butterflies love it but you're not going to be happy if you don't remain vigilant in deadheading and removing stray seedlings. This plant will end up everywhere in your garden. Give it a space along the far side of the garden and be diligent about deadheading and you'll enjoy loads of butterflies.

The flower petals and the young leaves are edible. Leaves are best used in cooking methods with other greens that

http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/nassauco/tag/bidens-alba/ https://floridata.com/tracks/ginny/beggarticks.html

Marg Stewart

Special thanks to Karen Harper for proofreading this publication.

Editor: Kent Beck 17

18

I

t's been a month of firsts at Chateau Stewart. The

refrigerator. The bottom freezer is taking some getting

new phone has already experienced its first factory used to but since that is just odds and ends (the main reset. I put up with pop-up ads rarely on my com-

freezer is in the pantry) I am sure that Happy Hubby and

puter, I refuse to do so on the phone. Some app on the

I shall adjust just fine. Walter likes the installed kitty

phone decided that I really needed to know about cur-

perch that Kenmore so kindly installed. The bottom

rent offerings on everything from soap to auto insurance. freezer creates a nice wide landing platform for errant Nope--factory reset here I come. Amazing and strangely

furballs who want to insert themselves and peruse the

satisfying to watch it all go POOF! I have also discovered offerings that might be forthcoming. the not so joyful world of auto-correct. I was trying to text someone about a patio and it kept changing to potato. Got interesting when the conversation was involving treating for ants that are invading the patio...just visualize that discussion and insert potato for patio. Other times it just won't accept the word you want to type and inserts what it thinks is correct. Sigh.

The new addition meant that I had to move the shelving that blocks part of my double doors. I didn't want doors taken off hinges or doors taken off the appliance to get it in the house this time. Figured that while I was doing that, might as well sort out what was on there. Decided that bake ware would be better suited for the location so that led to clearing out cabinets.....by the end of install

Another first was the introduction of my new refrigera-

day my kitchen was in my dining room. You know how

tor. No more propping the door open the extra 1/4" with that goes. Start one project and end up with five more one knee while balancing on the other foot in an effort to looming. The good news is that the kitchen is cleaned top get a large platter in there. No more bending for the

to bottom and re-organized. The dining room is back to

crisper drawer! Who knew that spacious crisper drawers, normal. My craft area is back to normal and so is my office. Yay! Happy Hubby is relieved that it's all finished LED lighting and a cute little mini-shelf on the door could impart such a feeling of ecstasy. The ecstasy didn't and there was no bloodshed nor trips to the emergency room. extend to the total of the grocery bill to replenish said 19

even if you've got the neatest debris pile in the county it will still take the fickle whims of sanitation engineers at least 3 weeks before they decide to pick up said pile. Of course they left a mound of dead leaves behind, heaven forbid that they should use broom technology right? So, the first is that I've accepted my fate and called in the big guns. We have hired someone to come in and trim the shrubs down to short person level (aka me) and trim the branches from the trees that are whacking the roof. Not only will they perform the work but they'll also take the debris away with them. Hate the punch to the checkbook but I believe that my back will thank me and Happy Hubby won't come around the corner of the house to be greeted by his significant other dangling from a tree and wielding a chainsaw.

Where is ….Walter?

Everybody stay cool during this heat and enjoy any 'firsts' that come your way!

I also managed to corral all my cookbooks and got them into some sort of order. Not a small task but a necessary one. Found a few that I've been hunting for so that was a good thing. Got the back garden cleared and waiting for fall plantings. Harvested honey with no major set-backs and even managed to get one of the crape myrtles trimmed off the roof. That was the last first for the month. I discovered during the tree trimming that (a) I'm not as spry as I used to be and climbing a tree with a chain saw doesn't work quite as well as it used to (b) once you've trimmed

Plentiful Plantings

Marg Stewart Why do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters?

Why does “fat chance” and “slim chance” mean the same thing?

His finest hour lasted a minute and a half. —Phyllis Diller

said tree you then have to haul all the remains to the curb in the correct sizes mandated by the lords of refuse collection and (c)

Humor by Scott Berry 20