#21 Practical Matters for Phsically Challenged Gardeners

The driver and conductor were already on the train? Is it one of those deceptive wording problems? It may be one of those problems that you have to be simple minded to solve. lol.

O.K. after racking my brain for hours and hours and hours and 3 glasses of wine (TEE-HEE) this is what I came up with:

There were 64 people on the train originally.

64 people originally
-19 off
______
45 people on train

45 people on train
+17 people who get on
________
62 people on the train

62 people on the train
+ 1 conductor*
__________
63 people on the train NOW

They want to know how many people are on the train originally.
My thinking is "Who cares" as long as the answer comes out to 63 NOW.
The problem says there are 63 people on the train now!

Now my logic also went 19 people got off at the 1st stop. Big deal. First stop for these 19 people does not mean they got off right when the 17 people got on. They could have gotten off after the 17 people got on. The 17 people and the 19 people could be making the trip together originally from the station to the 'first stop' where the 19 people got on.

Second point is 17 people got on. O.K. where and when did these 17 people get on? Before the train reached the station? At the first stop when the 19 got off? did they transfer over from one train to this one at the station?
Who cares.
All we know, regardless of where and when is 19 people are getting on and off.

The problem focuses on the word "NOW"

There are 63 people on the train "NOW".
Well you can use infinite amount of possibilities 19 off and 17 on and then 8 more jumped on at the first stop and 10 more at the second stop (no mention of a second stop so does not eliminate the possibility of additional stops anywhere).

All that matters is any combination of numbers that makes up for the lack of 2 people on the train is all that counts. You have to make these 2 missing bodies 'appear' somehow. (19 off -17 on)


The other word was 'originally'. Well conductor neither got on or off the train at the station or first stop.

I honestly think there is NO right number.
For example I can say originally there were 100 people on the train

100 originally - 19 off at first stop = 81 people on train.
81 people on train + 17 who get on = 98 people on the train now.
34 people decide to get off at the 2nd stop (remember it doesn't say there were no other stops, transfers, etc.)
98 people on train and 35 more get off at that 2nd stop so 98 - 35 = 63
63 people can just be passengers or passengers + the 1 conductor

I can't tell you if your answer is right.
NOBODY KNOWS.
That was why it was in a national and world newspaper looking for an answer because the parents whose children were given this question in school can't answer it themselves and neither can anyone else.

Now don't we all feel smarter than a 5th grader?

http://mashable.com/2016/05/10/test-question-stumps-parents-uk/#wTyWzHFs1uq3
My brain hurts so i Googled it! 65 is correct.

Isn't it interest that it took a Cambridge Math graduate to figure this out and then have the audacity to proclaim it was not too hard for 7 (yes, s-e-v-e-n) year old kids to do?

The problem I have with his solution is that he starts with the answer instead of looking for the answer! It is easy to do if you already know it is '65'. Yep.
65-19 = 46 +17 = 63.

He fails to break down step by step exactly how he got that '65'. How did he find 65?

19 0ff - 17 on = -2 right? So where do you 'make up' those 2 bodies?
To me that is like saying
"Well my bank balance says I'm short 2.00
I know I'm supposed to have 63.00 in it because the bank says so.
I have 61.00 (a -2.00) so I'll just stick 2.00 into my account to make it 63.00
and get the right answer."
Or I got 65.00 in my account.
The bank says I should have 63.00
So I'll just subtract 2.00 just to make it 63.00 so it balances.

Who cares where that 2.00 is. I just found a way to turn it into 63.00 which is the 'right' answer as the bank says.

That's nice but where is the 'work' to show how you 'found' this so called 'error'?

To me a 'correct' answer in math should be able to be 'checked' forwards and backwards or using opposites. At least that was what I was taught in school.
1+3 = 4 or
4 =31 or
4=1- 3 or
4 -3 =1
All 3 of the numbers are there and if you add 1 & 3 they become 4. If you take away either number from 4 the answer is a number that already exists in the equation. They are the 'checks and balances' of math.

Same is true of fractions and division and multiplication.
25% of 100% = 1/4
4 x 25% = 100%
100 divided by 4 = 25
25 x 4 =100.

So if you start out with -19 (off)+ +17(on) you have -2. You have 63 on the train now. So what? You just shove 2 missing bodies on the train because that makes the problem 'right' ? 63 + -2 actually = 61.

Not sure what 'equation' this guy used either but I was always taught you work equations from left to right, do what is in the parenthesis and brackets first and then systematically make them smaller until you get 1 answer.

X = Y+ (3 x 5) solve for Y if X = 150
150 = Y + 15
150 = 135 + 15
Y = 135.
Math check: 150 (X) - 15 (the 3 x 5) = 135 Y
Math check: 150 X - 135Y = 15 (the 3 x 5)

Again this is proven forwards and backwards.

So if X is unknown we have and equation of -19 + +17 =63. That's -2 + 63 = 61
61 does not equal 65.
Does it????

I dunno. Maybe I make things harder than they have to be or I'm really, really stupid at math. For some reason this answer of 65 neither seems correct to me nor convinces me that it is the right answer just because some guy from Cambridge who DID NOT show his work says it is so.

What do you guys think?



Why isn't 61 the right answer?

The number of people on to begin with minus the people who got off plus the people who got on is sixty-three. X-19+17=63. So X (-19 + 17) = 63. Means X+ (17-19)= 63
X-2=63. Add 2 to both sides, X=65.

There are problems which for some reason are ridiculously hard for me, but this is not. I don't know why you are finding it ridiculously hard, but it really isn't.

There is no conductor, there is no engineer, there is no caboose, there is no funny stuff.

The (people on the train to begin with) minus (the people who got off) plus (the people who got on) is the number you are left with. You want to remove the people who got off and the people who got on so the equation is just what does the (people who got on the train to begin with) equal.

Drop the X! Let P=People to begin with
P=the People who were on the train.
19 got off and 17 got on and then there were 63.
So P-19+17=63. Now SOLVE FOR P so

P-19+17=63 Add 19 to both sides
P+17=63+19=82 Are you with me?
P+17=82 Now subtract 17 from both sides
P +17-17=65 Do you see?

Or P(-19+17)=63 P-2=63 add two to each side. P=65



I think what you did was forgot that you had negative 19 and positive 17. I think you thought you had positive 19 and negative 17. 19-17 is positive 2. If 17 people had gotten off and 19 gotten on then it would be x + 2=63 and x would equal 61, but because the net people is positive two, you need to add two people to what you have now.

Change the numbers.
0 on to start, 1 gets off and 1 gets on there are still 0
0+1-1=0
Let P=5. 1 off and 1 so P-1+1=5
Change the numbers again. Pretend you don't know how many people we started with.
P (a number we don't know) take away some people and add some people. P - the ones who got off + the ones who got on. So P-off+on=63.
63 ([minus the offs] [plus the ons])=63. But inside my parentheses, I put minus the offs plus the ons. The equation I get is 63-(minustheoffsandplustheons)=the number who were on to begin with, That minus sign is what you're missing, Agave, and it makes all the difference!

63 (the number we end up with) and the difference between the offs and the ons is the number who started on the train. If you subtract the negative two, you're really adding 2, right? So 63-(-2) = 63+2=65.

I think math is more Arabic than Greek, actually. The Arabs first came up with zero and negative numbers, and you need negative numbers to get this right. But that is definitely too much math for Accessible Gardening!!!
5 on
take 9 away, you have negative 4 people (strange but true)
add 7, now you have positive 3 people. Now just add the other sixty to make it confusing. And use 19 and 17 instead of 9 and 7. Your negative people are gone!

65 - 19 + 17 = 63
-19+17 = -2 so 65-2=63
It is not hard if you don't flip the sides by mistake. If you DO switch the sides by mistake, it's IMPOSSIBLE and frustrating!

My husband can do word problems like that in his head. But if you show him algebraic equations like P-19+17=63, he hides under the bed and whimpers. He thinks he is stupid at math. I think an algebra teacher must have scared him when he was a child. He says when you "let x = " it turns into Greek. Which is funny, because he does not read Greek. However, he DOES read Chinese! At least Greek is similar to our Western alphabet. άλφα is alpha where we get the term alphabet. That is like saying ABCs (a bee sees) because βήτα is beta and the two together make alpha bet which I guess is like knowing your ABs.

But there is no Chinese equivalent to an alphabet. Here is a Chinese character 象形. So he can look at a page of that stuff and read it out loud or tell you what it means, but simple algebra makes him freeze.


The first time I read your problem, Agave, I just did it from scratch, without trying to follow your reasoning. I got the answer that there were 65 people on the train to begin with. It's not because I'm smarter or I took more algebra or anything, it's just because I added the two people instead of subtracting them.

It's not WHETHER you go to school or WHAT school you went to, it's just keeping track of whether you're adding those people to the left side of the equation or the right side. Cambridge Schambridge. (?) Different people have different strengths at different times in their lives, I believe.

I happen to be in the middle of trying to coach my husband through the college algebra course that is standing between him and graduation. So I am thinking more algebraicly. When he first tried the placement test six months ago, I was totally lost and couldn't help at all. So I listened to some youtube lectures on algebra, and now I remember.

O.K.,
In regards to the math thing supposedly 65 is right according to an UNDERGRADUATE at Cambridge University. We'll say 65 and I'm a math idiot.

Interesting though as I asked my friend Corrine at Boeing. She designs airplane landing gear for them. Yep designs it. Comes up with how much space is needed between the wheels, what pressure and weight the tires can endure, how much space is needed between them and the wing span, how to absorb the shock and impact of landing, etc. You know all the things in our combined mental capacity we could never absorb.

So, I sent her a copy of the question and via fax she responded.
For grins and giggles here is Corrine's response:

"If it is really a math question, math is hard and requires thought. And you can still make a mistake which gives the asker free sneering rights. If it is a puzzle or trick question and someone made us THINKS...only so they could say 'nah-nah-Nye-nah-nah' then #$%@ them.

So, like work, avoidance is the key.

The question can't be answered. They didn't say how many more stops occurred before they said '63 now'. Indeterminate number, insufficient information.

Besides 19 people got OFF at the 'first stop'? I get to define the station the train ORIGINALLY left from as a 'stop' because I can make up arbitrary rules for arbitrary question! By my definition, 19 people got off [b] before any passengers could have even gotten on, so the question's assumption was impossible. Unless they meant 63 people had hiccups NOW.

If I had to guess instead of just inflicting pay-back irritation on the puzzle poser, I'd say: Reword the problem to eliminate the unintended ambiguity about 'other stops'.
There were N people on the train at time T0.
No one gets on or off except the following:
...19 people get off the train at T1 (T1= T0 + X for positive X)
...17 people get off the train at T1
There are 63 people on the train very shortly after T1.
How many people were on the train at T0?

-19 and + 17 nets 'two net people who got off at T1'
If there are 63 people left after 2 got off, N - 2 = 63.

So I guess there were 65 to start with?

As a rule I have learned to focus religiously on the extra credit questions on the tests that were tricks and less of my time answering actual test questions projected onto paper in math teacher's less-than-clear English. This is how I got a 'B' in both Calculus and Physics class.

I will have to check my sons' homework closer. I did not know Calculus was being taught to 7 year olds."
Corrine

So that ends the math debate. All those who guessed or were smart enough to do Calculus congrats. For the rest of us hopefully our creativity and ability to B.S. would have given us merit points and a 'C-' for effort and mental contortions.

My personal feelings about math such as this is WTFE.
I have my college degree.
No employer has ever asked me what grade I got in math class or to work out a story problem on my application or in a job interview especially since I have never applied for employment at Boeing or JPL and I am not 7 years old.

On a more positive note. Tom Jones has released a new song called "Style and Rhythm" YIPPEE! Love me some Tom Jones. Was thrilled I got the opportunity to see him live a few years ago. Hate Vegas.

Just a personal opinion. Solely Jacqueline speaking here with no expectations of anyone agreeing with me and hoping no one takes offense at an honest, personal and direct personal opinion relegated only to me.....
BUT-------- please indulge me and endure my personal rant---------
I find Vegas to be the Mecca of all that is tacky, tasteless and the prime example of the sum of all of America's lowest common denominators and stereotypes. Bored out of my skull every time I go there since I don't gamble or patronize prostitutes (legal btw) or hang out in the rest of the state which is entirely comprised of conservatives and firm believers and ardent followers of fringe religions.
Only reason I have ever been subjected to the place 2 times was due to a business training seminar that was required and once to appease my husband and shut him up.
Compromise was that I would go providing we stay at a nice hotel not some cheap, second rate one at the lower end of the strip. Decided on the Venetian and while he gambled I enjoyed the spa and amenities.
Will say Vegas's two redeeming features are the fact that there are infinite amount of very good restaurants and that there can be good shopping.

And if you're lucky you can find an artist performing that is not a 'has been' that should have retired 20 years ago but refuses to because there are still 10 people left alive from the Lawrence Whelk generation keeping him out of bankruptcy court.

Thus I was thrilled when I stumbled across Tom Jones as it was not advertised that he was performing. :D
Small venue. Excellent seats. He gave a 2 hour performance and sounded as good live as he did on a cleaned up, edited recording. Guy still got it!

Mr. Crab our little traveling companion who goes everywhere with us and shares all of our adventures was thrilled too.

Speaking of thrilled the cacti are blooming once again. :D Last hurrah before next week as it is due to be in the triple digits and our low will be 95 degrees. Summer is here so let the cave dwelling begin. Sigh on that.

Mr. Crab went shopping with me.
Mr. Crab enjoyed some complimentary champagne in the suite upon check in.
Mr. Crab was thrilled to see Tom Jones live!
Cactus flowers in bloom now.
--First is Chamaelobivia v. 'Rose Quartz' .
--Second is some kind of Echinocactus but it has been nothing but a bloom factory and keeps going with these orange flowers! Love the fact that they're orange as I have tons of red, white and some yellow and pink. These are my only orange ones! :D

Again thanks for enduring the Vegas rant. Eye Roll. Feel free to express opinions about L.A. and or other places one does not like. My joke is one man's Ford Pinto is another man's Ferrari or Porsche. It is all subjective and a matter of taste.

Song for the day, "Style and Rhythm" by you guessed it....Tom Jones!

Hello again everyone!
I hope you had a good Mother's Day, Carrie. Where did you find a teakwood planter? What plant is getting such luxury accommodations?
Jacqueline, you mentioned seeing a small bee yard near you, in an earlier post. You might be interested in some tidbits I came across only recently. Of course, it may be old news to you, but here goes.
Bees thrive in your desert. The Sonoran Desert near Tucson is the second greatest epicenter of bee diversity in the world. It is only exceeded by a place in Israel. Dry grasslands and desert oases are the favorite haunts of bees. I read a book titled The Reason for Flowers by Stephen Buchmann. The author lives in Tuscan. It's a fun read, not at all dry and academic, but full of interesting facts.
You have been contributing to this thread long enough to have picked up on how I just have to know things. I tried to find out how honeybees survive in the desert from beekeepers in places like AZ and NM. The funny thing was none of them could give me an answer. All I found out from them was the drought a few years back killed off many hives, but under normal circumstances they do fine. I do wonder what a honey created from cacti and creosote blossoms would taste like. If you ever decide to sample the local honey, let me know what it is like.
I have heard, because of hive collapse among imported honeybees, some beekeepers are experimenting with the stingless honeybee native to your part of the country. The Aztecs and Mayans domesticated them. There is no doubt it can be done. The native, stingless bees arrange their hives differently, however. New techniques will have to be worked out.
Do you have to weed during the summer in the desert or is it only a matter of watering and keeping plants from getting too hot? I wish our garden took a siesta once the mercury passed the 90° F mark, but that is when things get to be a jungle if we do not stay on top of them.
Yesterday and today I spread a truckload of what is euphemistically known as "mushroom compost". My garden will smell like a badly tended barn for a week, but the plants will be in a state of bliss for many months. All I can say is God bless the inventors of anti-bacterial soap.
k*
Pic1 Nadi took a pic of a green anole lizzard Peek-a-boo
Pic 2 Jim took a picture a male skink

HI. :D
Nice to hear from you.
Sorry, gang. I'm going to be occupied the next few days.
The car blew up. Not quite literally but started smoking and leaking both oil and antifreeze. Husband was barely down the street on his way to work
Needless to say he called off at the last minute since he starts at 3:00

Have a meeting for Taseko Mines/Florence Copper project to speak on their behalf during a public inquiry on the 16th. Also have been cultivating a long term relationship with them for a potential investment at their venture stage AND with their human resource director as Dave is fishing around for a more lucrative job. The parent company Taseko from Canada is sending their big wigs and were looking forward to meeting us and the others in support and having a luncheon.

Have a Neurologists appointment on the 17th.

The two above are pending due to the car situation.

&%^$, #*^%*, *(&%$ and @!%$* ing happy birth day to me!

Good Morning,
Took a moment to breath. As always I read the Huffington Post prior to starting the day. Here is my thought for the day in regards to this matter.

I saw an interesting headline. "Serena Williams satisfies curiosity and actually ate dog food".

I want to commend Ms. Williams for her actions. The article stated that she paid $17.00 for a can of gourmet dog food for her pet Yorkie who accompanied her while she was staying in a hotel. So what?

It does not matter to me if one is disgusted or amused by this fact. It does not matter to me if Ms. Williams paid $17.00 or .17 cents for the dog food. It does matter to me that she had the personal courage to act upon her impulse.

Ms. Williams was satisfying a personal curiosity. She was not making a statement. She tried never something she never ate before. She wanted to see what it would be like to eat dog food. She decided to experience it first hand.

Ms. William's desire to satisfy her own personal curiosity and endure extreme illness as a result gave me pause for thought. She is a woman who possess an awesome athletic skill. In this regards she is gifted and extraordinary. In comparison I am mundane and ordinary.

Ms. Williams also has extraordinary financial means that guarantee she need not ever contemplate or have to experience eating dog food. What if that were not true? That gave me pause for thought as I do not possess the same extraordinary means. To be honest, I possess little to no means.

I do not care if you are a liberal who awaits a political revolution or a conservative who awaits the curtailing of the federal government. I do care about the jokes we make.

You know, the jokes we make. The jokes we make to disguise our own personal and financial insecurities about some day being rendered so broken financially and reduced so low personally that we just may be eating dog food ourselves. The jokes that disguise our ever increasing panic in our personal life that "Never me." will fast become 'some day soon.'

Without promoting your own political agenda or imposing your personal convictions upon others, may I suggest you follow Ms. William's example? Try it. Satisfy your own curiosity. The next time you feed Rover grab a spoon or a handful of kibble and join him.

I am not a religious person in particular. Often I am not a humble one in spirit. I admit it in print. Will you?

I shout my over abundance of personal resentment for being personally wronged and 'unfairly' denied the things I want. I show ingratitude for the things I have. In my mind they are not good enough because I deem them not as good as what others have.

I plan on satisfying my own trying Ms. William's experiment as soon as I work up the nerve but first I will pray, "The Lord is my German Shepherd. I shall not want as long as Purina is in business. Give us this day our daily kibble and forgive me trespassing upon my dog's dinner. Forgive me for my greed, apathy, indifference and pretentiousness and wastefulness as we hope that others will forgive themselves as well. Amen."

It is my deepest wish that no person living in America, the land of plenty, ever utter this prayer. It is also my deepest wish that all of you do say this prayer as you summon the courage to emulate Ms. Williams and sit down to a bowl of dog food.

I have become Ms. Williams biggest fan. My admiration and esteem of her has nothing to do with tennis. It has everything to do with her inadvertent ability to give us all pause for thought.

Bon appetite
Mrs. Jacqueline A. Dunsing

Since I don't do Face Book or any other social media feel free to post it yourself.

Man! Sorry about the car, Jacqueline. That bites! It sounds like you need a birthday do-over.
I would eat Fenny's Blue Buffalo, but it would not save me money in desperate times. I flinched when I learned the price of hypo-allergenic dog food. Her diet is probably healthier than mine.
I looked at the ingredients in her joint medicine. They are the same as the joint med I take, but I paid $20 more for hers to be bacon-flavored and chewable. Fenny will swallow pills. She can take the same meds I do from now on. We've decided not to have any more pts after Fenny crosses the rainbow bridge. It remains to be seen whether or not we keep this resolution. Our battle cry is simplify and pets have a way of complicating life.
Kay tells me I should read the Huffington to balance listening to talk radio. Rush Limbaugh, Hanitty, Lars Larson, etc.) I listen to NPR, doesn't that count?
Sheesh, it is hot today. I'm hiding out in my man cave. The difference between a man cave and a woman cave is that a man cave has more electronics and it doesn't smell like perfume.
Another daylily, I think this one is 'Mama's Cherry Pie'.

Hey guys,

You know mechanical things. They break. Not a whole lot you can do except rant and rave. We will not know for sure what exactly is wrong with the car until tomorrow most likely. By the time the tow truck got here the mechanics was closing so they didn't have a chance to look at it. That will be today. Once we get the info we will know what needs fixed and said cost of fixing it.

In the interim Dave rented a car. He rented it for a week to get the reduced rate. Nice thing is if you don't keep it for the whole week they will pro rate you for the days used and reimburse you the difference for the days not used.

Stinks that Dave missed work. He now has to work over 4 hours tonight to keep the overtime he earned one day previously. Also he has to go in early the next two days (4 hours each) so he does not have to use a p.t.o. day (personal time off). He would get paid for his p.t.o. day but that is one less day he has to take off with pay should he get sick, I get sick/hurt, etc. Going in early the two days will not count as overtime but as an ' 8 hour day worked' thus preserving the 8 hours of his p.t.o.

It is 103 degrees today. Too hot for me to do anything outside. Hiding inside my cave. Essentially will be for the next 4.5-5.0 months.

My cave doesn't smell like perfume. It smells like Fabreeze and Lysol. It has plenty of liquids, gourmet food, comfy chairs, lots of electrical everything, a Greyhound (reason for Fabreeze and Lysol) and lots of 'chick' oriented T.V. Good living room window views of scenic cacti landscaping also and a patio where at the stroke of midnight the temperature drops to 95 degrees and one can view stars. It will be 101 tomorrow and 94-91 Sunday, Monday and Tuesday then back up to triple digits. Groan!!!

I get what you mean about dog food. It does appear infinitely healthier than what we consume BUT reading and researching the ingredients shocked me. Crude protein. Crude fat, Crude fiber, bone, bone meal, ash.

Crude protein is meat and 'parts' that are not fit for or meant human consumption. If you think about the fact that the public had been eating lean finely textured ground beef (i.e., pink slime) and it IS 90% lean 'ground' beef do you want to eat it considering from which parts of the cow it was being harvested from.

Hint...these parts are not kidney, liver, heart, gizzards or things some people will eat. These are 'parts' that were reserved solely for pet food.

There are also 'downed' but NOT diseased animals. The ones that got gored, trampled on or have broken legs due to transport or being in the stock yard but are not diseased. If the pet food in from a foreign country (not a product made in the U.S.A.) it can include animals not normally eaten or processed. Wild life, horses, 'pets'. etc. Protein and 100% real meat have no other descriptions other than the word 'crude'.

There is still 'Mechanically Separated Chicken' being made and sold for people. Yep...it is ALL 100% chicken. They just don't say WHAT parts of the chickens.

They also it is made from 100% all white meat. Sure it is 100% white meat. White meat from 'where' on the chicken. Notice it does not say what percentage of the ENTIRE PRODUCT is 100% ' white meat'. The 100% 'white meat' may constitute only 10% of the entire product. So what's the other 90% of it?

This stuff all comes out of a tube in a factory in a pink, Play-Dough like texture and is freeze dried into a block or tube. It is then reconstituted in water to take on the 'texture' and 'appearance' of beef and chicken. Put on the grocery store shelves, it is being sold to you in the form of 90-10 lean beef, the highest priced ground beef by the way, lunch meats, sausage and chicken nuggets, fingers and patties. YUMMMM!

Oh B.P.I. (Beef Processing Industries) is up and running again. They were the original 'pink slime' makers. So if they're up and running that means they have a buyer and thus a consumer for their product. Wal Mart does not deny it sells it still. Wal Mart can not be the only one patronizing B.P.I.

I know about the chicken because I had kitchen duty at the prison and my husband does also on a regular basis. I literally watched Canteen Services reconstitute smooth pink 'blocks' of chicken into what appeared to be 'shredded' chicken that looked boiled in appearance. At that point it could be broiled, sautéed, fried, etc.

There is a little poetic justice in the fact that this is what they feed inmates. They get 'real chicken' once or twice a year and that is usually when some company didn't sell enough of the low grade stuff and it is on the verge of spoiling and needs to be used NOW.

Now if they're feeding us humans this stuff what exactly is it they're putting in dog food that falls under the category of 'protein', 'crude protein', or 100% beef, chicken or lamb? YIKES!!

Crude fat is not even lard which is edible when 'cooked' and broken down by heat. It is massive globs of uncooked fibrous, fat worked into the raw 'meat' and 'parts'. Very little of that fat is sent to rendering factories now days to be 'rendered' into soap, shampoos, lotions and the basis of moisturizing agents in cosmetics. That is why now days it takes a chemistry degree to read the back of a box of face moisturizer or eye creams. These agents are now chemically compounded and a small amount are extracted from plants.

Crude fiber is the part of any grain we can not eat. Husks and cobs of corn, shafts and hulls from wheat, the starchy covering of rice or starch remnants from converted pre cooked rice. The hulls and coverings of wheat, oats and ryes. Basically if it can't be used to feed a human, and then the lesser grades used to feed an animal like a cow, horse or chicken, it becomes used for pet foods. It is just a starchy binder. Acts like bread or bread crumbs or crackers in meatloaf. Also gives a little bit of carbs.

Of course we don't have to describe bone, bone meal and bone ash. I do not feed Zoe anything with these ingredients. I also try to look for a low limit on the amount of wheat and rice in her food as it provides little to no nutritional value. I go for the crude protein-crude fat when it comes to her.

I refuse to buy anything with vegetables in it. Dogs are not omnivores. They are connivers. Grains and vegetables are not, nor have ever been, part of a carnivorous animals diet. Raw crude protein and raw crude fat have been and always will be.

Look at wild dogs; wolves, jackals, hyenas, foxes, etc. The first thing they do is rip out the throat, rip open the belly, consume the guts immediately as that is where the most nutritional value is and then lay into the meat. They do not eat the carcass with a serving of bread and a side of vegetables. They don't 'eat' the bones either.

I think that kind of dog food was meant to appeal to us and make us feel better about what we are feeding our animal based on our own dietary needs rather than the animals. It appeases our guilty conscience into thinking that if we aren't eating a balanced diet at least our pets are.

What 'moisture' is on the bag I have no clue.

When you consider a dogs muscle mass versus ours pound per pound and consider the minimal to non existent fat versus our body and the difference in metabolisms I could never imagine eating dog food. Doesn't surprise me Ms. Williams got sick after a spoonful.

I honest think I would forage or scavenge and dumpster dive before I ate dog food. Of course I would eat it as a last resort but it would have to be my last resort.

The concept of having to be reduced financially to eating dog food instead of trying it out of idle curiosity takes on a whole new meaning socially, politically, and spiritually when you are faced with that prospect. Thus the reason why I suggested we all try a bit of kibble. Aside from your bowels who knows what else it may change within your own heart, soul and mind or reshape views and convictions. As I said it didn't matter what political side you are on. It has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with being human and developing a higher consciousness in regards to compassion to humans less fortunate.

It is also a challenge to 'do' something you would only think of if you found yourself in the most dire of circumstances and to truly know what that is rather than just imagining what it may be like.

I think we should all take this challenge---if we can work up the nerve.

Oh....File it away for future use: Prickly Pears are edible. They can be grilled. They also taste like green beans. I hate green beans but I think I'd take them over dog food.

I'm with you on the great debate about another dog when the present one passes. I love Zoe. I love having a dog. I love what she adds to my life. It would be empty without her.

I love the fact that I gave such a wonderful and deserving animal a home. I don't like to think about what may have happened to her had I not been willing to. I'd like to do it again.

Dogs are like kids. You don't like but you expect the costs of the occasional routine check ups, shots, nail trims, and sometimes the outrageous medical bill for health issues that can't be helped or predicted. You also don't ditch them, or make their life miserable so that yours will be easier. You promised to take care of this living thing for its whole life so that is your obligation and responsibility.

What is hard for us is the difficulty with coming and going. The dog has to be fed. She has to go out. She needs to be walked. If Dave and I need to be gone all day then who will do that for us? We have no family here. We have no kids. We wind up coming home and then leaving again to continue doing what we need to.

If we want to take a vacation we have to pay someone to house and dog sit. We don't kennel her due to communal sicknesses that dogs pick up in kennels. If our 'dog sitter' isn't available and we can't make arrangements then we don't go.
Traveling in anything other than a car is impossible. Ever pay to fly your dog? I did once with my former dog Rudy. They fly them as cargo and at the time about 17 years ago it cost $80.00. I couldn't imagine what it would be now days.

We're kind of homebound and travel restricted due to the dog.

Politics. Sigh.
It is informative and educational to 'listen' to or read the other sides point of view. I try to do this myself. I try to edit out all of the negative or personally biased and angry people and speak and focus on the issue and making a consecrated effort to understand why their idea is a good idea or what it accomplishes or hopes to. Am I 'missing' something I had not seen or thought about before? While I never seem to be able to switch my personal beliefs and extreme left leanings it has proven successful in adjusting my barometer towards the middle in regards to some positions.

So yes...I do suggest giving the Huff Po. a try. For the ultimate in stoic reporting though try BBC World News on your local PBS station.

Pretty flower. :D How did you know lilies are my favorites?


I'll have to post some of my blooms. The last of them made their appearance. There's a few buds left so we'll see if they come out or if they shrivel in the heat.

O.K.
Talk to you guys in a few days. Got lots to do.
Be well and be happy.
J.

Yes I forgot to say "I hate the news about the car!"

This is embarrassing....I am having trouble loading my pictures. I wanted to show you the pictures I took of the tulips my daughter gave me for mother's day. I feel like an idiot because I know it's simple, but I can't get these pictures to post right side up and with the correct number of pixels. They are also in the wrong order, but beggars can't be choosers.

It is REALLY slow. Am I using photos that are too large? Obviously, the last one happened first.

This message was edited May 14, 2016 12:27 PM

Thanks guys about the car.
Does stink but what do you do. Fix it.
Also having the breaks and rotors replaced up front as they would need it in about a month and a half anyway so why not just get it done now. Eye roll. Sigh.

Your tulips are lovely. It was not a hardship for me to tilt my head sideways LOL.
Very thoughtful of your daughter.

Not Mother's Day Flowers but here are some lovely blooms I've got going on in my yard this a.m.

Have a great day.
J.

The photos were no trouble for my dyslexic brain. Pretty. Kay is pestering me to add some pink daylilies to my collection. I like tulips, but they are a no-go in our heat. We grew some of the most heat hardy kind one year. I believe they were species tulips, but they didn't come back the next year. I couldn't even find mushy bulbs. My guess is some critter ate the bulbs.

The true lilies have started blooming. The crinum lilies also. Among the daylilies, 'Royal Easter' is still blooming. I'm impressed with how long it has flowered. 'Strawberry Candy' is a solid performer also. 'Happy Returns' opened today.

Kay planted grape seeds from a trade with a DGer in Greece. I think it looks like a variety that might be used for its leaves instead of or in addition to the fruit. The Nemos grape leaves dwarfed those on our 'Southern Home'. 'Southern Home' is forming clusters. The problem is the grape arch is the bird's favorite place to perch. I've never heard of anyone using netting on grapes, but I'm willing to be the first.

Bets is back on the other thread. She had a bad accident tending her tomato jungle. Her back is injured. ~*#@! Life just won't give people a break some times.

We decided to give you a secret do-over birthday, J. Can't tell you when it will be. It's a secret after all. ;-)

the other j :-)

Good Morning guys,

You are the nicest and most considerate people I know. :D I wish computers gave hugs. There'd be a big one for all of you.

Birthday promises to be better. Car is fixed. (embarrassed spelled brakes as breaks---eye roll). Get to return rental today and get reimbursed for that. So can use the pro rated amount left over towards the car. Brother shocked me too. Always a generous guy he called and said he would contribute to the cost of the car as my b. day gift. WOW!!! Said I can 'make it up to him 'on his b. day in January LOL. I had not asked or was expecting this. I was really touched. Car will still cost us a bit but considerably less than we originally thought.

Dave got home at 4:30 this a.m. as he worked over time but I woke up to a surprise vase (o.k. large glass) of lilies. They happened to be from Zoe. :D
As tired as he was, he must of stopped at our 24 hr. Wal Mart and picked them up. Awwww! Note said, "Happy b.day, mommy. Feed me!" . Also said he'd take me to get some 'real flowers today' as he had not had time to surprise me with them due to the work schedule and car chaos. Honestly, I'm more happy with the $10.00 bouquet of lilies. He and Zoe went through such trouble to get them I find them more special and prettier for that reason. To me they are the 'real' flowers.

Dave's one Captain gave him free movie tickets. A little perk they give on rare occasion to good employees or when you do something extra that makes them happy and they don't have to be bothered by you more than necessary or get involved in your drama at work with babysitting inmates.

Handed Dave the tickets on the way out. Dave asked why and he said, "Because tomorrow is the 16th. Awwwww. Captain had signed off on Dave's request to switch days with a coworker so he could be off for my birthday. Since this was the same Captain that signed off on Dave's request he remembered why and gave the tickets to Dave. Awwwwww. Nice guy.

So we get to go to a movie today for free. :D

Planned on going out for dinner originally tonight but instead we're going to make it. We cook better than most of the restaurants anyway---and we get to drink wine while we're doing it! YIPPEE!!! Going to use the movie money we would have spent to make my favorite dish...Linguine with red clam sauce! YUMMMMMMMM! A dish I/we make well but rarely have either the time or the extra grocery money for the extra money for live clams in the shell. Don't know what they cost where you're at but they are very, very expensive here.

Added bonus we just get to sit and 'be' and actually 'look at each other' without distractions, noise, bad service or having to listen to music we don't like or other people's conversations we don't want to hear. Oh...and I get to wear leggings...they stretch! LOL.

So all in all the birthday is looking better. Make lemons into lemonade. Looks like things are getting resolved and will work out o.k. Now if the vet just gave discounts when you get a combined mani-pedi like they do at some nail salons we'd be sailing. :D

Thank you all once again for your thoughtfulness and kindness.
BIIIIIIGGG Hugs to you all.
J.

Song for the day: Tim Buk Three : "The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades"

Very pretty! Yes, now that she is 25 (!) she has some terrific moments.

Brakes and rotors and brake pads! I need my brakes replaced about twice as often as would be normal. I don't know how much the conversion weighs, My wheelchair is 200+ pounds and it's a natural result of that.

Hi gang. :D

Hope you're all well. I have to send Bets a T-Mail and ask about her health...and her 'maters. Poor lady. Back problems are horrible. Hopefully it isn't anything too, too serious or that can't be fixed. Gotta find out how her Granny is too!

Jim,
Love the grape vines and leaves. Really, really pretty. There's a certain grace to them and very simple beauty. If you like Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) I have my relative's recipe for you. I don't care for them but everyone I've made them for loves them so I guess they're tasty. Unfortunately I don't possess the relatives recipe for home made wine of which they made a lot. :D

Your lilies are gorgeous and I'm happy to hear they're still blooming. Why not add a few pink ones? The more the merrier and the more for the bumbly bees to visit.

Still getting a few cacti blooms here and there which is surprising me as it is officially, "Saguaro Bloom" time and with that the end of the cacti blooms in general until next year. It is nice to see the few come out and surprise you here and there. They've also been attracting a few hummingbirds here and there as well. Usually those little guys are gone by now as well.

Carrie,
Breaks and rotors...yep, get expensive but a necessary evil. I can understand the additional weight factor with the wheel chair. That would add some wear and stress on them. How's your tires? Here it is the heat that does them (and batteries) in as it makes the rubber hard, dry and brittle. Not so much the wear as the erosion of the material its self.

I'm tired. Had a busy two days. Dinner was very good and we enjoyed it. Neurologist was nice. He's a great guy and I'm lucky to have found him. We agreed to 2x s a year as nothing has gotten worse with me and somewhat better. Less large seizures and the ones I do have are the smaller kind that don't wreck me mentally or physically. Within the last year I've even had a month here and there without having a seizure at all.

We're also going to try to reduce my one med from 400mg a day to 300mg a day and see if that makes a difference. Idea is since I'm not getting worse and a tiny bit better to try reducing the meds (and thus side effects) to keep this balance going. If I fall on my head more we know it didn't work. :D I just go back to the extra 100mg.

Best surprise and nicest gift of all was that I got to drive yesterday!!!

We got the car from the mechanic and had to return the rental. Dave let me drive the rental to the mechanics so we could pick up our car. Then he drove the rental and I followed him in ours so we could return the rental. When done with this he let me drive us to the grocery store after and then home tool!!!

Whole thing was probably a 20 mile round trip between the three stops but for me it was amazing. I had not been behind the wheel of a car for 4 or so years. Dave said I did real good and had no problems driving or focusing. He was just fine and he had no problem being in the car with me as a passenger.

If I continue to do as well as I have been seizure wise Dave said I could drive us around town on very short trips once in awhile. YIPPEE.
Made my whole birthday. I was so happy I actually wept.

I think it will be a long time before I may drive again for real but this little taste made me happier than I have been in a long time.

Hope you are all well.
Have a great day.
Take care.
Hugs,
Jacqueline

The large leaf grape was grown from seed we received from a DGer in Greece. I mentioned my step-daughter had done a work study program in Greece and developed a passion for Greek food. Yes, I would like to know how to cook with the leaves. It would be fun to serve Melinda a dish made from seeds sent to her from Athens and grown by her mother.
That is fantastic you feel stable enough to drive.
Carrie, you've known me long enough to know I was teasing you on the other thread, right? We haven't been gossiping about you. There was little activity of any kind until you showed up. That's the first time Katiebear chimed in on that thread.
It's a house cleaning day. It's muddy outside and we are expecting more rain. My online weather source says a La Mina is developing. That explains the cooler than normal temps.
The only new daylily bloom today is an 'October Fest', but 'Strawberry Candy', 'Clockwork Orange' and 'Mama's Cherry Pie' are still blooming. Here's a true lily (Lilium species) for you, TTC. We added more true lilies this Spring, but it doesn't look like many will flower this season.
Well, back to cleaning. (sigh) I am manfully doing the laundry and showing my masculine bravery by deep cleaning the room Tigger used. Neatness was not one of her strong traits.
(Jim)

Hi gang,

I'll rummage around and send you my recipe. Be patient with making it. It is a lot of work. Similar to making stuffed cabbage. I'll D-mail it to you unless everyone would like to have it.

Funny you said rain. It looks as though it is threatening to. It spit a few drops yesterday for about 5 minutes and then went away. Very windy though. Today is nice but there's a definite fight between the clouds and sun and the humidity has gone up a bit. Plants are enjoying it. It has been more humid than usual this year which may also explain the overabundance or prolonged blooms. Either way I've been taking them in and enjoying them all. They'll be gone soon enough and everything will be in a brown summer coma.

Thank you also for the lovely lily. Gorgeous! Can't get enough of them. They really make a grand statement. I was thinking about those pink lilies Kay wanted. How about Star Gazer? Heavenly fragrant, and they are a delicate white and pale pink with deep fuchsia pink throats and the 'freckles' on the inside the way true tiger lilies do. They're not only a treat to look at but have quite the perfume about them especially when you enter the room. They look and smell even better mixed with some green Eucalyptus leaves also.

And I will give your man card a stamp with a gold star today for cleaning and doing laundry. Very proud of you!

Yes, am feeling more stable about driving for right now anyway. It will not be often or far or ever by myself, but it is nice to know that at least my husband isn't terrified to get in the car with me and let me drive us to the grocery store 10 minutes away. It is an even better feeling to know I'm not terrified to drive again.

We'll see what happens. I'm shooting for at least once a week to get behind the wheel for about 15 minutes or so.

Have a good day all.
Hugs.
J.

Here's some last blooms from my house and my neighbors

My cacti. have no clue what it is but packs a mighty bright yellow flower.
The other two are the neighbor's plants.

Good idea on the 'Stargazer'. Kay gave her 'Stargazer' bulbs away thinking she had some going in another location, but it turned out she didn't or something happened to the bulbs. I know she would love to have some that one again. One of the lily bulb mix I bought this spring has a bud. The lily in the photo came as an Easter gift years ago. Some bulb scales inevitably fall off whenever we divided those lilies and they grow easily from scales. We have a few Easter lilies in almost all the beds from that original plant. They never naturally bloom at Easter, of course. lol.
Kay has never spent much time in any desert. Pink cactus blooms surprised her.
No plant does yellow quite like a cactus. I can see prickly pear flowers in the open field to our east at an amazing distance.
Have you noticed anyone in your area trying the new Arizona series of agastache (anise hyssop) or are conditions too harsh in your part of the state.
The daylilies 'Bold Move', 'Spacecoast Seashell' and one I haven't identified yet bloomed and the daylily bed. The agastache by the door bloomed also which is why it was on my mind. Kay planted several kinds of mint, catnip and lavender hyssop in the flower border on either side of the door. I tease her the reason she put so many strongly scented herbs by the door is so she could d sniff her way home if she gets lost.

Picture#1: Bold Move
Picture#2: Spacecoast Sea Shell
Picture#3: Anise hyssop (Agastache)

LOL "they never naturally bloom at Easter, of course."

Just wanted to say hi to all my old friends.
I cannot figure out this new system.
looks like I can only see a single comment at a time rather than scroll thru like before, and it has taken me a week to even figure out how to post here.
Much love to y'all & happy days!

Good morning all, :D

Hope everyone is having a good day and is in good health.

Jim,
Glad you liked the Star Gazer suggestion. I'm sure you would have no problem rounding up some bulbs as they are fairly common and popular. If my climate was conducive to growing lilies I would have a yard full of these as I adore them and they are my favorite bouquet flower. Calla lilies, while lacking in scent have a certain simple elegance and grace to them as well. I always enjoy seeing them. I can not solve the mystery of why Easter lilies are called such as most of them do not bloom around that time.

Always wondered why they call certain Agaves a Century Plant. They don't live a century. At the maximum they live is 40 years and the minimum 20. Perhaps they should have named them Quarter or Half Century Plants??? Century Plant would be a more appropriate name for Saguaros as they don't get their first arm until they are at least 75-100 years old. Maybe Double Century Plant as they live to be a maximum of 200 years old.

Plant names....shrug shoulders.

In regards to all of the typical Spring and Summer flowers it kind of bums me out. As much as I love my cacti and appreciate them as oddities for their literal other worldly looks and sculptural impact and sheer scale of size I miss things that have scent and long lasting blooms that I can fill my yard or house with. Cacti flowers are awesome in their own right but there is no scent to any of them. :(
Still they're pretty magnificent and what a "WOW' you get when you see them amongst all the brown and green-ish color.

Most cacti, like lilies grow very easily by breaking off pieces and just planting them. Aloes and Agaves of course grow pups (off shoots) reproducing like mad and clump like a lot of annuals and perennials if left to their own devices.

A lot of people propagate cacti from seed. I neither have the time nor the patience for that as I am 48. I like things that grow fast so that I may enjoy them fully long before I drop dead...LOL.

It is unfortunate that Kay has not had the opportunity to spend much time in the desert. I think she may enjoy the experience. Although she could not appreciate it fully visually there are many things she could appreciate in the tactile sense. A lot of Agaves and Aloes are 'user friendly' and all have a distinctive feel to them and the growth patterns on the leaves have interesting ridges and textures.

There are some prickly pears that are smooth and devoid of both spines and glochids as are a lot of the pole cacti. The fruit on a lot of the pole cacti is just sumptuous to eat also!

There is a group of pole cacti that bear a lot of fruit near me. The house is empty as it either belongs to a snow bird or just hasn't been sold yet. The neighbor of said house does not mind if I come over and 'help myself' to the fruit. :D I often have to do combat with the birds to get at it though as they enjoy the fruit also and bring a broom with me to swat the fruit down as these cacti are about 12 feet tall and the fruit is up high.

There are some cacti covered in 'fuzz' literally that feels like cotton. As long as you don't press down on it, as the thorns are just below, you can enjoy the feel. I do this often. There are also a lot of little round 'bumpy' and 'smooth' cacti that feel nice and are void of thorns completely.

My neighbor's kids come over sometimes and I give them a tour and let them explore some of these plants. My strict instructions is only when I'm home and only certain plants. Sometimes they don't follow this rule, especially after I've installed a new plant. I've had my door open a few times and I've heard several 'ouches' and subsequent crying. TEE-HEE. :D

Some lessons about not respecting boundaries and the satisfying one's own curiosity despite the warnings about the consequences have to be learned the hard way. Typical kids. We were all the same way growing up.

I think Kay would have a lot of fun exploring some of these things. Oh, and Wise Cactus said she is free to give him a hug. Since he is so large and 'tree like' in stature there are no spines on his entire base or body. They are up high on the arms. I often hug Wise Cactus myself when I see him.

I have not seen anyone grow Anise hyssop here. If there are herbs being grown most likely they are in a green house or indoors as they would shriek in horror and disgust the first moment the heat and sun blasted them and be reduced to a pile of smoldering ashes. Larkspur is popular and sage (not sure if it is the edible kind). These seem to be the only two things that are capable of growing here outdoors that are remotely 'herb' like.

Again love your lilies. So pretty. The Spacecoast Sea Shell is most intriguing.

Hi Carrie....
so what is new with you and how grows your garden? You said you got your new garage door on my birthday...the 16th. How did that turn out? Still working on the bathroom?

Oh, didn't down load my pictures. Will in a second and them post them but I am immensely excited. My pole cacti that I've had about a year has finally started to show growth activity of getting new arms.

BTW here are some stunning photos of a p. pear I saw in a parking lot. The red is just magnificent so I had to capture it. If it wasn't the police station's parking lot I may have helped myself to a few pads!!!

Have a great day.
Jacqueline

O.K.,
Here's my cause for celebration. Look close at the bottom and you'll see little bumps. Have to look close as they blend in with the rocks but they are there! :D

First picture is of the pole cacti with new growth. The rest is of the 'arms' sprouting at the very bottom around the base.

This cacti grows really fast. When I first bought it, it was only about 1.5 feet tall. Now it is the exact same height as me, 5 feet 3 inches. This means the arms will grow fast. I am anxiously awaiting to see how big they get and how fast they do it.

Well (she said dubiously) I guess that's good news!

Ray and I are happy, going to Home Depot once or twice a week and going crazy. I have always had annuals in containers and perennials in the ground, but last year we were so crazed for color, we put annuals in one of the in-the-ground beds, and it was FABULOUS. I imagine eventually we will need to add fertilizer or compost or something, but for now! There is a small war, namely I DON'T LIKE PRIMROSES and Ray bought a bunch. When they are through flowering, they look just like Romaine lettuce!

The bathroom: I like the way it looks better than I thought it would. Ray is not pleased by the care taken by the installers, but I am SO happy with the way it looks. We still need: bathroom wall and ceiling paint, bathroom counter, mirror, fixtures, etc, For the most part we have bought the stuff and just need it to be installed/applied/put up etc.

They had to rip out the existing tile on one wall and seem to have wrecked the wall in one place. But it's a place that will be covered by fresh paint, There is one place where they cut the tile back to allow the light switch space. I would have rather moved the light switch 0,3" higher on the wall than have a "0.3" allowance cut out of the top edge of the wall tile.

Friends, I have exciting news! There is a floor in the garage! It is almost visible in all areas. What we are finding all through the house is that I buy something, say a night light, and the person who finds it does not know that I wanted a night light in the hall. 6 hours to 6 years later, I say "gosh that hall could really use a night light" and I buy one. I see things like laundry hampers which I kept buying because I never knew where the spare one was. Now we have like 9 laundry hampers.

We always needed more hampers. They break, there were 5 different people living here with me, and I. myself, could not locate or evaluate hampers. We started with say, 2, and then all of a sudden there is only one. I don't say "where is the missing hamper?" Instead I say "gosh, we should really have 2 of these," and I buy another. Even where I am reasonably sure we have another hamper somewhere, I don't say "I demand that you locate and retrieve the missing hamper," I just buy another. The thing is, I don't realize that this pattern has repeated itself numerous times and that we now have 7 (or 17) laundry hampers. We will be disposing of the more flimsy old and broken ones and keeping the nicer ones. And that's another thing! Who new there were more than two or three styles for laundry hampers? I thought surely they would all stack, once we located and emptied them all, but no, they do not!

LOL. Yeah, I've got the same problem, Carrie, and I don't have as good an excuse as you do. It's tools and hardware I buy knowing I have what I need, if I could find it. I won't let Kay organize either my desk or my workshop and my organizational skills leave something to be desired. Kay says I lack "a system." Maybe, if I bought lots of laundry baskets to put things in..... ;-)
Glad the home projects went reasonably well. Our indoor projects are still on hold until it is hotter and we have more funds.


J, that is incredibly fast growth for a cacti!
According to my research on plants for the xeric line, a long, narrow bed at the top of the slope that is hard to water, the most fragrant xeric plants are tuberroses and acacias. Tuberoses are in the agave family. Their current botanical name is, in fact, Agave tuberosa, but they are still listed in some catalogs as Polianthes tuberosa. We may be able to send you some bulbs to experiment with. I'm not sure because we didn't take the bulbs up last winter and they are marginally cold hardy for us.
You probably know more about acacia than I do from living in California. Tigger tells me they are often used there for scent. If you have to put up shade cloth for the cacti, acacia might also be an experiment. I would keep my eyes open for one on sale locally because that would mean they are doable there.
Even if you don't buy from online nurseries, they are a good source of ideas and information. This is a drought tolerant plant nursery I like. We need tough plants for the outlying areas because after our sauna summer comes dry roast summer in July, August and September.
Link to Yucca Do Nursery catalog. http://www.yuccado.com/all-plants.html
I think experimenting and pushing the envelope is fun. Failures don't bug me. The trick is finding affordable plant material to work with. The failures would bother me if I paid full nursery price for a plant that may or may not survive.
Sheri!!! Good to see you again. How have you been? There is another thread going in the Sandbox at Gardening.Org. It's a free site. Everyone here visits both sites, but Katiebear and BetNC lost patience when DG was having so many technical problems while switching to this format. They are both on the other site. Now that DG has ironed out most of the kinks and I have gotten used to it, this format is okay, but I do believe the other looked better and was more user friendly.
http://garden.org/
I hoped to post some bush jasmine and pomegranate flower pics, but our recent rains left them looking battered. Yet another reason to love daylilies.
Pic: Daylily 'Art Gallery Fringe'

I agree; I'm getting used to this. BirdieBlue (Sheri) was Dmailing for a while with me, Does anyone know if this forum is actually free? I guess I could log out and try. For me, the other site is REALLY slow to load new pages. Almost intolerably slow. And, I think it can't be free forever. Some day, Dave is going to need money or have to hire a admin assist or something, and then it will be subscriber/member, like it was here.

Tomorrow I think we're getting the garage door put on. I like the way the tile looks in the bathroom! Ray says oh, there's extra grout here or he shouldn't have cut this this edge so close, but I don't see the imperfections and to me it looks beautiful. This guy who's doing it is not Michaelangelo, as Ray says, but it is 10,000 times better than it used to be and Michaelangelo would be wasted on us.

There's one place where the bathroom ceiling is so crooked, he said it would look awful if we continued the tile going sideways because the crookedness will be really obvious. So he said, we should go buy a piece of 12"x12" tile to put over the shower. I thought it over. The tile in the bathroom is 3"x6". However, when we bought the tile, we chose between maybe 6 different types of white tile all from this one brand and all 3x6. There was matte vs regular vs really glossy, there was cool white or warm white or off-white or ivory blah blah blah and I KNEW if we tried to match this tile with a different tile from a different brand or even a different batch it would look awful. Around one of the borders between the shower and the edge, he put some tile going vertically to fit the spot. So I said put the tile sideways over the shower, and he did that, and it looks great.

This message was edited May 24, 2016 8:07 AM

BTW, you do NOT need to be a subscriber to visit this forum--I just tested it.

Hi guys. Get with you all a little later. Still tired. You guessed it. Had a seizure the other day and just want to sleep. No damage. Just chewed up my lips. Eye roll.
Talk to you soon or tomorrow.

J.

Oh dear, Jacqueline, I hope you feel better soon! I'm not crazy about you having seizures.

Good Morning,
Feeling better. Got lots of rest. Seems to be the best cure for me. Carrie, thanks for the concern. I really appreciate it. Means a lot. :]
I'm not crazy about having seizures either (Huuuge eye roll) but I'm kind of used to them and as long as there isn't damage or trips to doctors/urgent care I just kind of roll with it (Tee-Hee). It is what it is. The shock of them has worn off many years ago. Good thing Dave was here also as yesterday was his day off and so is today.

I'm most disappointed as my little driving trips will now have to cease. :[ boo-hoo!
And I had gotten so excited over that too. Oh well, maybe later.

Kind of thought this may happen as I had lowered my meds (remember me mentioning?). Ideally one is supposed to get the optimum amount of seizure control with the minimum amount of meds (duh!). Since I had been doing so well Dr. and I talked about this. He said it was up to me if I wanted to 'experiment' but as always there is risk. My choice. Honestly, there's no other way to tell unless one does experiment since no one but myself can take the meds and have the experience.

I guess it is safe to say I am at the lowest dose I can take for quite awhile. Still very good though as I've reduced the amount of one meds I take by 3/4s over 8 years and have only gotten better!!! (May not sound it to you guys but honestly I've come so far and am still improving in terms of less frequent and less severe seizures). That is pretty darn good. I won't complain!

They just wipe me out physically although 95% of the time usually is no bodily injury. Brain overloads and short circuits literally. LOL. Communication and comprehension skills aren't the best or most coherent at this time either. Takes awhile to 'reboot' the computer thus the huge need for sleep.

Feeling real good today and I think I'll be fine for awhile. They come in clusters very close together and only in a limited time frame; a window of about a day or two.

I've had my few and it is day 3 now so I think I'll be fine. Dave is with me today also. :] So I'm good and tomorrow is day 4 and that is pretty much out of the danger zone time frame of another incident happening. I should be A-o.k. and back to normal.

Enough about me and my head. How are you and your health? Jim and Kay...doing alright? How are the girls? Heard from a friend of mine in CA and it made me think of Tigger.

Also glad the remodel is coming along so well and you are seeing such a positive difference in the house. It does make everything so much nice and you feel so much better and happier. Sounds like the bathroom transformation will be complete as you have all the things necessary. You just have to put them up. That won't be hard now that the rough work is done.

Kind of laughed about the laundry baskets also. They are handy though. I would use them in the garage to store those black pots that plants originally came in, or to stack bags of potting soil in rather than laying that down on the floor or letting it take up shelf space. They're good for corralling small stuff. I hadn't thought about it before but they would be great in the bottom of my closet to contain shoe boxes as the boxes would stack nice and flat in them and then I could put the laundry baskets on top of each other. Good for sweats, jammies, and just general 'junk' that accumulates in one's closet that takes up space. There's some ideas in case you didn't throw them out yet. :)

War of the Roses! Funny. I wage my own private war between what I'd like to plant and have versus what will actually grow here and survive regardless of my liking it or not. Also shade is a battle as a lot of plants now need partial shade. Contrary to deniers our weather has changed so much that 'desert' plants that once could tolerate all year heat and sun are now needing partial shade to survive. I only have one tree in the yard and a small part of the yard that gets shaded from early on and then the rest of the day. 85% of my yard is just pure sun. Space is the other thing. Some of these plants get really, really big! Can't prune an Agave Century Plant that by maturity will have 6 foot long leaves and be 5 feet tall. Have to give it a 'circle' of space in which to spread out which means you can't plant in the diameter of space or near it. Read the article on the large Agave Species and check out the pictures and you'll see what I mean!!! Many people get rid of them before that point.

Hi Jim,
Yes that is fast for cacti growth. Most pole cacti (except Saguaros) and prickly pear grow very fast. YIPPEE considering a lot of cacti are painfully slow. Nice way to fill up the yard or to create a privacy 'hedge' or 'row' and a great way to divide space in the yard. Also nice thing is that once the arms are established and you feel it needs shaped, or just want to prune it, you can get new starts and plant them with the same rapid results.

I am familiar with the Yucca Do nursery and a few others. I like to peruse catalogs to see different things and get ideas. Window shopping is fun. I get a lot of flack for it but I won't do catalogs anymore because the 3 times I have (2 different and reputable companies) it has been a disaster and the plants died. They weren't cheap, plus the shipping, tax and hassle of returning was just too much.

I especially catch flack from other gardeners because I don't do local nurseries and patronize their business. Out here the only one close to me is about 40 minutes away. The rest are about an hour and 15 min or more. I have found they cater more to landscaping like palms, p.pears, the most common agaves, ocotillos and 'generic' plants. They are usually small and very, very, very expensive! Once in awhile you can catch a sale but that is usually on one or two plants they feature because they have a gross overabundance of them and are trying to unload them.

I find them very disappointing and no better than BB stores and 5 times the price for plants 1/3rd the size. They also don't come with a guarantee that if it dies or I kill it that I can return it for a refund, exchange or new plant/s of equal price. I've found some great and unusual plants, as well as the common ones, at the BB stores and really huge and have never paid more than $27.00 for one. The same size 5 gallon or more would cost me $60.00 in a nursery. So BB it is for me! :]

Thanks for the offer of bulbs but I'm not sure how they would do outside due to the desert climate and soil. Our soil is literally dirt, sand and clay. Cacti need a good amount of cacti-palm-citrus soil worked in to get established even if they are natives. Also this soil holds no heat due to the fact that there is little compost/vegetative matter within it that deteriorates to nourish plants on going through the year and our temperatures no matter the season always has a 10-12 degree difference between day and night (same reason). Did you know more people die in the desert due to hypothermia than of heat exhaustion?

Rain is another factor. When it rains the first 6 inches gets bone dry the next day but under that it is a damp mess that takes forever to dry out which is root rot is such a prevalent problem with cacti when it comes to an overabundance of water. Would any of these things effect bulbs?

I don't know of anyone who grows bulbs, not to say they don't. Most replant pups or propagate and germinate cacti from seeds and cuttings. If I tried bulbs I would probably do them as an indoor or patio plant in potting soil (not cacti) to see how they would do with the sun and heat.

Unfortunately I am not familiar with acacia. When I lived in CA, I lived in the urban city proper. Aside from a house plant or maybe a potted plant on the balcony I knew no one with a yard that gardened. I wasn't a gardener at that time either so if it was there I mostly likely did not know what it was.

Here about the only 'herb' like thing that grows is a really pretty bush that gets small, pale lavender flowers called Texas Sage. Not sure if it is even sage. Rosemary will grow outside but it is more like a small shrub. Larkspur is popular.

As always your lilies are gorgeous. Jasmine is so fragrant and I am anxious to see the picture of the pomegranate flowers. Enjoy the long lasting bouquet and scents.

Catch you guys tomorrow or the next day.
Got lots to do and to catch up on today.
Hugs for all.

Song for the day: "Good Day Sunshine" by the Beatles :]

Good Day Sunshine is my favorite song ever! I mean it, not just favorite Beatles song, but of all the songs in the world! Perfect, perfect.

I hear you about coming off meds. My meds don't have any good effect like stopping seizures, though, they mostly prevent pain, I guess the antibiotic prevents UTIs and the anti-HBP prevents the bad things that happen with High Blood Pressure. But physically putting them in my mouth and swallowing them is difficult recently, and the long term effects of drugs...eh, I'd rather not. I took myself off tramadol and klonipin. The tramadol I didn't really notice, but the klonipin was .... interesting. Jacqueline, do you have any bad side effects from stopping or lowering your dose? Some of these things are like damned if you do, damned if you don't.

We have filled one huge dumpster so far and have ordered another for tomorrow. I wish I knew why Ray is doing this now and not any of the other times in the last 20 years I've wanted stuff cleaned up, Not complaining, mind you! I had a fabulous birthday. Best of all, no presents I had to pretend I liked and then store somewhere. I am so not into that. My family finally got the message. Life is good. Plus May is suxh a nice month! Stuff is bursting out all over!

Hey...
Good Morning :D
Glad I picked your all time favorite song. Always enjoy when I hit upon music others like and share with me. I'm not a Beatles fan but I do enjoy a few of their songs and a few songs they did as solo artists. I was always more of a Rolling Stones person given the choice between the two.

Speaking of sunshine I'm happy to report that's what it is going to be from here out. May be hot but it is so nice to see the sun shine even in December. Really does something incredibly good for the mood. Love seasons and appreciate the beauty of them all, especially fall, but I'll put up with heat if the sun shines all day and most of the year. We get an estimated 289 days of sun out of 365. And I joke. I may shake, bake, fry and die out here when it is 110 plus but at least I don't have to scrape it off my windshield or dress like I'm in Siberia. LOL (Have to admit I really miss wearing gorgeous sweaters and those boots a lot!)

Will be enjoying the next few days as this will be the last of our 'cool' temps. 87 today, and 90-97 the next 4. After that we hit 101-104 and steadily climbing. Time to feel the burn not the Bern! Let the cave dwelling begin. See, it is your turn to laugh and tease me about the weather now that I won't be able to go out in the day without spontaneously combusting.

As for meds on or off they don't have any good effect like controlling seizures. LOL
That's arbitrary. Lowering meds is always a risk because therapeutic levels drop and the body is very quick to respond. It most likely will result in seizures but sometimes does not if the decreased dosage milligram amount is small enough not to make a difference and/or you have been stable long enough seizure wise.

Found at that I am at the lowest therapeutic dose possible which is good for me and I'm happy with this considering how much I had decreased it with only positive rather than negative effects on both the seizures and side effects. Don't know unless you try and experiment a little and take a chance hopefully for the better.

I'm sure your meds may work the same way. Sounds like the antibiotics and anti -HBP stuff is working good. Having difficulty swallowing them stinks though! Sometimes I'll take half my dose and then in 15 minutes to half an hour later take the other half of the dose so I'm not guzzling a handful of pills all at once. Seems to make getting them down much easier.

Since these are maintenance drugs I take the long term effects also do concern me somewhat but none of them are drastic or serious or cumulative my doctor said so I don't panic. I just find it hard to believe though that you can pop all these pills for years and not have something build up in your system.

I am not familiar with Tramadol but I am with Klonipin. Klonipin is an anti seizure drug. Not sure what type of seizures it is used for but I do know many of these drugs are cross over drugs that have other uses to treat depression, memory problems, nerve issues, pain and some other things. May be the reason why it was so 'interesting' LOL. What was the reason your Dr. had for putting you on it in the first place? What did he feel he was going to treat with it?

As for affecting me yes I have bad effects from lowering my doses mainly increased chances for seizures. I can miss a day if I accidentally forget because so much is built up in my system but I take it as soon as I remember adding half in with my a.m. and p.m. doses for the new day to get caught up and back on track.

Other side possible side effects may or may not include depression, moodiness, forgetfulness, sleepiness (more) or hyperactivity (less), weight loss/gain, and of course either better or worse potty issues.

I found that taking high dose sublingual B12 twice a day has worked miracles in all these departments no matter what dose I'm on and I am more balanced, happier, and less forgetful than ever although I still have CRS (can't remember s***) syndrome LOL. My metabolism is back on track and so is my weight.

I also take zinc and selenium which helps too and stops my hair from falling out (symptom of B12 and/or protein deficiency not meds) and keeps my nails and hair nice. Zinc is a major cold/flu fighter also. Look at products like Airborne and some cold remedies and you'll see a ton of Zinc. Keeps me well for the most part.

Oh...one weird thing about B12. Turns your urine a supercharged neon yellow. Perfectly normal and absolutely harmless. It is just your body releasing all the protein it did not absorb and flushing it out in your urine. You'll also pee a lot more. Don 't be concerned. This is normal too.

Can not describe to you the emotional and mental benefits of it. No more moodiness, crying, weird depression and angry outbursts that have no explanation except for the normal ones when life merits them.

You should read up on B12 and the deficiencies and benefits. Deficient enough it can induce seizures and ultimately cause a literally one way trip to the nut hut! Dr. had a patient at that point. Thankfully they caught my deficiency in time. I am so grateful as it has made a world of difference in not only lowering the seizures but also in combating some of the negative side effects of my meds.

Husband takes B12 once or twice a week. Says he likes the way it keeps him healthy and has helped him ward off colds and given him more energy. It has also helped improve his moods too. He isn't deficient like I was or has medical issues but he says it does help get rid of weird moods and spells even 'normal people' get on occasion where you just can't shake them. He says he can put things in a more reasonable perspective and not be so emotionally overwhelmed at times.

Have to go walk the dog...will get back to you on the house stuff.

Hugs,
Jacqueline

I started on Klonipin in about 1985-6 when I was diagnosed (maybe later but dedfinitely a long time ago). There is a great drug for MS called baclofen which specifically reduces neuron-firing spasticity with a side effect of drowsiness. Some people can take it and thrive; when I take it, I take a nap and wake up sleepy. I used to driving my kids around and would pull over to take a nap! So I stopped taking baclofen and my neurologist said to try Klonipin. It sort of worked for spasms and pain. So I took it.

I gradually increased my dose because I had increasing spasticity and pain. Then in 2002 when I was in the hospital for 6 weeks, they took me off it because they said it was sedating and impairing my breathing. "They" being the medical students or residents or interns or whatever. They were a little surprised when I went through withdrawal--duh, guys, when you stop an addicting drug after 10-15 years, the patient goes through severe withdrawal. Of course, I was on NPO at that point and all meds were through IVs. So I didn't really have anything to say about it. My mother , for instance, said that when I got out of the hospital I was much zippier, or peppier or alert or something. Somehow I started taking it again for whatever reason, probably the same reasons!

In 2012 I had the baclofen pump installed. That goes straight into the spinal cord instead of going through the stomach. So no groggy hangovers, just relaxed muscles. (Baclofen pumps also work for some stroke patients and spinal cord injuries.) The physiatrist who manages my pump said "ok, stop taking everything else you take for spasticity and pain." (Tramadol, klonipin, neurontin, topamax is all!) I didn't completely stop the klonipin. I tried, but after another week of withdrawal symptoms I went back to very low dose. I am also on a lower dose of neurontin. None of the other stuff any more.

So I was taking about a third or a quarter of the klonipin I had been taking (and trying to wean myself off more) when we forgot one of the boxes of pills that we usually take to Mexico. Everyone we ran into said, "you don't need prescriptions in Mexico, just buy your stuff at a pharmacy." Well, they had neurontin and tramadol. Not a lot of the other stuff I take, and no benzodiazepams without a doctor visit. The first night I forced myself to have a lot to drink, the second night also, and then we just came home. I had been wanting to get off klonipin for a while so it just seemed like the right time. There is other stuff I take, though, that I needed and needd to stay on and they didn't have an equivalent. If it had just been the klonipin, we would have paid a Mexican doctor, but it wasn't just that. So I am off klonipin, on baclofen in my intrathecal space, and still taking lots of pills, but just not as many as I used to take.

Sorry to be so long-winded! If I could figure out how, I would post my new garage door and other stuff! Esp. the dogwood tree, the azaleas, and so on, This is the best month in New England!

Good Morning,
Ugh...what an ordeal. Did the doctors warn you that Klonapin could cause dependency? Not sure how that works when it is used specifically for neurological and brain disorder or Epilepsy patients.

I remember Topamax. What a horrible awful drug. At the time my 'Epilepsy' or I should say my, 'seizure disorder' (defined as petite mal seizures that are clonic tonic in nature with atomisms---like what's the difference right?) I had been put on Topamax. In the early-mid 90's there were only 3 seizure drugs. Phenobarbital and Dilantin were for those with the full blown grand mal Epileptic seizures and had real super severe cases. Topamax was for everyone else that didn't fall into this category.

Taking Topamax was like trying to swim under water everyday. Just exhausted and all I wanted to do was sleep. Felt like I got hit with a sledge hammer. At best I was 'drowsy'. That made me smile at your saying you pulled over to take naps. I used to fall asleep in the break room at work (a block from my home so I walked) or in the oddest places. It was kind of like having Narcolepsy.

Took myself off it and refused to take anything else. Weird thing happened. Seizures went away for 6 years. I dunno. I can't explain. I was seizure free for 6 years so I assumed my condition may have been temporary or due to some bizarre reason. Needless to say it started up again after that.

Ever think the doctors are over medicating you?

The pill pimp quack I had before my neurologist now (whom I adore) made a whopping $653K + from drug companies (gee...all putting out the stuff I was taking) in 3 years!!!

I checked him on Dollars for Docs web site. Sadly I didn't find this out until I had gotten worse, and fed up with him and after having read the detailed patient labeling (not the 'generic' one that goes in your bag with your pills) did I find out he was over medicating me by 2x s the maximum dose!!!

My complaints to him for over a year about all these seizures and side effects I was having was due to my being over medicated not because of the meds or my condition themselves. When I told him this he said I didn't know what I was talking about and I should be taking a new stronger med. My reply was, "Go &^%$ yourself and I'm filing a complaint. Oh...I also found a new neurologist. I'm leaving here with my records. "

For now on I go to no doctor prior to checking them out on Dollars for Docs. I also take no medication 'they' want to give me unless I research the drug myself and read the detailed patient labeling. My answer to med switches always is, "Let me think about that and discuss it more with my husband. I would also like to read up on the drug and its effectiveness in cases like mine. I'll give you my answer next time I see you."

My new Neurologist is great in that he 'gets this'. He says, "O.K. here's a list of 3. Research them. Let me know what you think and we'll talk about them when you come in next." He never whips out the pen and starts writing scripts.

I agree with you in that the Devil you know is better than the one you don't. I'm still on my original meds and the lowest doses I can take. They're Zonisamide and Lamotragine. I don't have tons of side effects and the ones I do have I 'understand' and can deal with or at least know how.

Sounds like the Baclofen pump is doing well by you though and I'm glad. It is always such a relief to find something that works. Well...that works most of the time.

I am looking forward to seeing some pictures of you Dogwood tree. It is one of my favorite flowering trees. Want to see your flowers too. I know Spring and early summer are glorious back East. I miss that part of it.

I'd like to see the improvements to the house too. YIPPEE. New garage door has got to be great. I know that old one had been getting on your nerves for some time.

It is nice that Ray has the time to finally be able to put the work into your home that either you had wanted done or that needed done. It has to be such a wonderful feeling. All of my unhappy birthday expenses GRRRR...ate up the money for our laminate flooring in the bedrooms. Oh well. I am so thankful that I had the money to cover the expenses.

As much as I complain I really am lucky. I read an article that says 2/3rds of Americans would have a hard time coming up with an extra $1,000.00 for an unexpected bill/emergency. They would either put it on a credit card, take out a loan, not pay another bill, skip medical treatment, etc. WOW. Who would have imagined we'd be living like that in America.

Dave and I skate close to the edge and it is a day by day existence here, but at least we have the tiniest bit put away for the inevitable. Reason why we still have nasty carpet and cheap mini blinds too. I don't spend the 'reserve' money just because I want something.

You said you had a birthday. :D When was that? Somehow I missed it and I regret that I didn't say Happy Birthday to you or send you a D.Mail. Very sorry about that.
I am glad you had a nice one and that you got the presents you wanted. Isn't that great when people DON'T give you stuff you hate or don't need and want but you have to keep it. You keep it in case they come over and go, "So where did you put that... or when did you wear the..."

I know if I can't exchange it and I'm obligated to keep it then Dave and I have a box marked ugly gifts. LOL. Whenever someone is coming over we wear that sweater or pull out the hideous knick knack for the day and then toss it back in the box when they leave! Solves the problem of not having to offend people even if it clutters up the garage. (eye roll).

Started doing this because my former neighbor at my old house has this thing for X-Mas and lays out a huuuuge Santa Village in her house every year that takes up her entire living room. She got on a kick that every year she paints us a new little house/shop/building whatever for the village she's starting for us! UGH! When she visits at X-Mas we put the few pieces out. When she goes it goes.

My mother also sends a bunch of cutesy crap and likes to see the things in pictures. So I'll put a few things out, take the photos and then ditch them again. Hence the reasons for our Ugly box!

Have a great day.
Hugs,
Jacqueline

Good Morning :D

Groan...Last of our nice weather. Next 3 days 91 today, 97 tomorrow and 98 Sunday. Monday 101 and Tuesday 104. Then it starts getting really hot and time to whine. Thursday will be 108 and Saturday and Sunday 110!

110 and above is the magic number where we all get PMS (piss and moan syndrome) in AZ. Summer is here. This most likely won't let up until mid October.
That's 4.5 months of misery. Still beats 5 months. Usually this punishment starts up in mid May but we lucked out this month. Fingers crossed we may get a reprieve by the end of September or very early October.

Sigh. :[

Song for the day: Summer in the City by Loving Spoonful
California Dreaming by the Mamas and Papas LOL

Oh, I've on a Mamas and Papas binge for the last year or two. I have no idea why! I was either not aware of them or didn't know who they were or SOMETHING, but now I like them. I am not good a posting pictures from my phone and it seems like too much trouble to email myself a photo from my phone to my computer, then ave it to the hard disk. Wah! Poor me. So I actually have been taking (a few) pictures to show you but I can never remember, and when I do remember, I can't figure out how, and when I do figure out how, I lose them on the HD somewhere. Maybe I should be taking something physically out of the phone. And then there's setting up the picture so you can't see anything embarrassing or nasty in the picture. Often, it will be a moment JUST LIKE THIS ONE and I say to myself, here let me find the picture on the phone and send it to my email, and then I see something else and get distracted and next thing I know I am at level 12 in German but I completely forgot.

Sometimes I leave the window open so I won't forget and hen I forget and 20 hours later, "gee, I wonder why I never pushed "send" on this DG post." I exasperate myself. Ok here goes, I am pushing send. Then I am getting some pix from the phone to DG. 5:20 pm est Saturday

(deep breath) here we go:

First is the new garage door. The old one is too hideous to mention. The box in the foreground is one that Ray built me out of plywood about 5-15 years years ago for roses. The roses didn't really work out, but the boxes had a few different types of perennials and annuals too. That's where the morning glories were last summer.

No wonder I hate doing this. It didn't post. I "choose photo" select the picture named "garage door 052016" then click "open" and tada! Zilch.

I will try again.

Oh. Not bad. A little tiny bit slow, but over all, not bad.