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About dress code: An evening gown or formal dress means that a woman wears a full-length formal dress. This formal dress or evening gown has usually a wide-open top, and that usually leaves the arms bare. Your formal dress can also be a national costume.
Women often wear a evening gown by famous designers.
I found beautiful pink evening gowns, which would be near my choice if I got an invitation for example to the Independence Day reception. Though I would wear the unique pink evening gown made specially for me.
This Armani Collezioni Gathered Gown color guava with scoop neckline and wide shoulder straps is my first choice. The Armani gown is elegant and almost pink evening gown (also photo above).
I also love this pink prom dress, which you find on Derame Wedding. This pink evening gown is also a beautiful ball dress.
This rose or pink evening gown is also a prom dress. This pink evening gown is beaded satin with lace up back. This Faviana prom style dress you find on BestPromDresses.com

subset: commoncrawl


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|Photo from Bicycling.com
Betsy and Frankie Andreu have paid a huge personal price, in terms of the economics of this world, for fearlessly telling the truth. Here are a few of the more profound quotes...
On Ethical Relativism:
I'm an absolutist about certain things, doping being one of them. Athletes, whether pro or amateur, should never have to dope in order to do their job... I really admire and feel for Christophe Bassons who didn't succumb and was permanently screwed from the sport.On Moral Courage:
As for Riis and JV, they came forward without a gun being put to their heads; Tyler and Floyd didn't. They got busted then lied and denied it. I commend them for having the courage to tell the truth (even though I would've preferred it was told years ago). It's a good lesson to tell the truth before your hand is forced.On Stripping Lance Armstrong of his Tour de France Titles:
This is a mess. Strip him but don't award the jerseys to the next in line. You can't...Not having a winner and leaving a blank space exemplifies that time as a period of darkness in the sport. There shouldn't be a winner.On Positive Outcomes from the Investigation:
It's impossible for cycling to move forward unless the past is dealt with. This is exactly the reason we are still in this Lance doping limbo years later—it has never been dealt with. Given that it is (finally) going to be adjudicated gives me hope that we can move forward.On What Drives Her to Expose the Truth:
I don't agree that I'm a righteous champion nor a jealous obsessive. I'm a mom who tries to instill morals, ethics, and values in our children's lives. I believe in stating the difference between right and wrong, not whitewashing it for fear of being labeled judgmental. Does this mean I'm morally superior? Absolutely not. When I received a court-ordered subpoena to appear for a deposition (or have a warrant out for my arrest), there was no option but to tell the truth. For some to suggest that I had a choice of showing up for the deposition or that I should've lied about the hospital incident because personal information was shared among friends to a doctor by the patient says a heck of a lot more of those people's lack of ethics than their lack of basic understanding of the law. I've always felt the truth was important. I never felt the freedom to just walk away and let the truth be hidden nor did I want it to be hidden. Telling the truth was always easy but, man alive, the repercussions of doing so were and are hard.On the Magnitude of Lance's Fraud:
I shouldn't have to justify why I told the truth. Someone else's guilt shouldn't be a reason for me to shut up. Until the truth is told, you're not even dealing with reality. A lot of people have a lot invested in not having the truth revealed. The scope of the people dependent on the myth and making money off the myth has made it harder to expose the myth. This is arguably the biggest fraud in the history of sport. Bernie Madoff would be proud. Maybe even jealous.


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There are commencement speeches. And then there are Commencement Speeches — the ones so staggeringly beautiful, they go viral (or in some cases, get turned into a weird pop song).
These are some of the most memorable in recent years:
Steve Jobs: Stanford University, 2005
When Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died in 2011, his 2005 Stanford commencement speech went viral, with publications dissecting its every line.
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.
Amy Poehler: Harvard University, 2011
Poehler leaned heavily on her comedy chops when addressing the Crimson Class of 2011.
All I can tell you today is what I have learned. What I have discovered as a person in this world. And that is this: You can't do it alone. As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people's ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life. No one is here today because they did it on their own. Okay, maybe Josh, but he's just a straight up weirdo.
You're all here today because someone gave you strength. Helped you. Held you in the palm of their hand. God, Allah, Buddha, Gaga — whomever you pray to.
President Barack Obama: Howard University, 2016
Grads of the historically black university in Washington, D.C., scored big as the recipients of one of Obama's last commencement speeches while in office.
I want you to have passion. You have to have a strategy. Not just awareness, but action. Not just hashtags, but votes. To bring about structural change, lasting change, awareness is not enough. It requires changes in law, changes in custom.
We can't walk by a homeless man without asking why a society as wealthy as ours allows that state of affairs to occur. We can't just lock up a low-level dealer without asking why this boy, barely out of childhood, felt he had no other options. We have cousins and uncles and brothers and sisters who we remember were just as smart and just as talented as we were but somehow got ground down by structures that were unfair and unjust.
Lin-Manuel Miranda: University of Pennsylvania, 2016
"Your stories are essential," Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the critically acclaimed Broadway musical Hamilton, told this year's graduates at the University of Pennsylvania.
Don't believe me? In a year when politicians traffic in anti-immigrant rhetoric, there is a Broadway musical reminding us that a broke, orphan immigrant from the West Indies built our financial system.
My dear, terrified graduates. You are about to enter the most uncertain and thrilling period of your lives. The stories you are about to live are the ones you will be telling your children, grandchildren and therapists. They are the temp gate and internships before you find your passion. They are the cities you live in, before the opportunity of a lifetime pops up half way across the world. They are the relationships which you hang on to for dear life, even as your shoulder cracks in protest. They are the times you say no to the good opportunities, so you can say yes to the best opportunities.
Correction: May 17, 2016
A previous version of this article used the wrong video to accompany the entry on Lin-Manuel Miranda. Additionally, the story previously misidentified the location of Miranda's 2016 commencement speech. The speech referenced in this article was at the University of Pennsylvania.


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Zoe in <100 words
I work at Tate Modern as a Curator, International Art. I was previously a Research Curator and held dual roles of Curator, Contemporary British Art at Tate Britain and Curator, International Art at Tate Modern from 2013-2015. I completed my PhD in 2018.
I work with contemporary artists, museums and students. When I come across a work of art that excites me, I want to share it with anyone who will listen. I curate exhibitions, write books and lecture on art and design of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Zoe's professional life to date in a few more words
I have loved museums ever since my very first school field trip. I was the kid holding up the group by reading every label on every object - but not yet wondering who wrote those labels or how it was possible to do so for a living. That came later when a J. Paul Getty grant and a Mellon Fellowship made it possible for me to spend the summer of my sophomore year of undergrad researching costume and textiles at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). A dynamic, generous and knowledgable group of women taught me what it meant to be a curator and encouraged me to pursue post-graduate study.
I'd been lucky enough to study both art history and studio art in high school, where my enthusiasm for the former was obvious and my ambition* for the latter was equally apparent. I stuck with art history through my BA at Swarthmore College and earned an MA in the History of Design at the Royal College of Art in London. I researched black representation in fashion magazines, often in the absence of actual black fashion models, from the sublime (lighting, mood and postures) to the ridiculous (wigs and body paint). My research garnered some attention because it came out around the same time as Vogue Italia's Black Issue. I found it exciting to see how theory and practice could co-exist.
While studying at the RCA, I began shelving books on the weekends at the National Art Library in the V&A. I was later hired as an assistant curator in the V&A's prints section where I focused on 20th century propaganda posters and contemporary works on paper. It was during my time working with the V&A prints collection in 2003 that I was first introduced to the work of graphic artist Paul Peter Piech. My monograph of the artist's life and work is published by Four Corners Books.
From December 2005 to February 2013, I was a curator in the V&A's now defunct Contemporary Programmes, organising temporary exhibitions and overseeing the 2012 Friday Late with MasterCard series of public events.
In October 2013, I became Curator, Contemporary British Art at Tate Britain on a part-time basis. For the two calendar years 2014 and 2015, I also held the dual role of Curator, International Art at Tate Modern, where my focus was (and remains, in part) contemporary African art.
I'm a lifelong student and I'll talk your ear off if you give me half a chance. I completed my doctoral research at University of Central Lancashire. Supervised by artist-curator Professor Lubaina Himid MBE, I'm interested in how artists - particularly across the African Diaspora - experience art museums. My professional curiosity is led by artists and the wondrous things they make.
*At sixteen I stretched my own oversized canvas for my first ever studio art painting assignment. I decided I'd capture the scene from the Brazilian film Black Orpheus (1959) where doomed lovers Orfeu and Eurydice plummet to their deaths. The less said about the resulting acrylic painting, the better. Its whereabouts are mercifully unknown.


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By Trinace Johnson
RICHMOND - For the third time, Defense Logistics Agency Installation Support at Richmond Fire and Emergency Services honored emergency responders and citizens who lost their lives during the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001 during a cer
By Trinace Johnson
RICHMOND - For the third time, Defense Logistics Agency Installation Support at Richmond Fire and Emergency Services honored emergency responders and citizens who lost their lives during the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001 during a ceremony on Sept. 11.
DLA Aviation Commander Brig. Gen. Mark Johnson was the guest speaker for this year's memorial tribute.
"Today we remember the thousands of men, women and children lost in the attacks of Sept. 11.
The thousands of service members who have given their lives since that time in Afghanistan and in Iraq, as well as families of our fallen heroes, and the thousands of our wounded warriors who were injured in support of defending our Nation and the freedoms we enjoy," Johnson said.
Johnson said because of heroic acts by Americans, the nation and the world were inspired, not only by the actions of firefighters, police officers and other emergency services personnel, but also by ordinary people who did the most unnatural thing&they ran towards, rather than away from danger to save others.
He went spoke about how the heroic acts of the 9/11 first responders should be remembered.
"I ask that you remember with pride the 18,000 volunteers that showed up to help at the towers on 9/11. You should remember the hundreds of ordinary people who went back into the Pentagon to rescue a fellow military or civil servant. You should remember those who fought back on United Flight 93&," Johnson said.
DLA Installation Support at Richmond fire chief C.J. Hipshire also spoke about remembering those on 9/11. Hipshire spoke about remembering the youngest victims.
"Along with all of the warfighters who have perished and those who are continuing today in the War on Terrorism and protecting our freedoms both at home and abroad, let us remember Haley Morris, who was 5 -years-old, when her father perished in the fall of the World Trade Center," Hipshire said.
"Kaitlin Leavey whose father Joseph Leavey, a New York City fire lieutenant perished when the World Trade Center's South Tower fell. Patricia Smith was just two- and- a- half when her mother Moira Smith, a New York City police officer, perished when the towers fell. There were countless other children who became fatherless and motherless on that day," Hipshire said.
Twelve years ago the United States of America was attacked by one of the worst acts of terrorism it had ever seen. On Sept. 11, 2001, two thousand nine hundred ninety seven people lost their lives in New York City, Arlington, and Shanksville, Pa. Of those who lost their lives, 343 were New York City firefighters. The New York Port Authority Police lost 60 personnel and eight private emergency medical technicians and paramedics were lost.
"Let us never forget the innocence of the victims, the courage of the rescuers, the pride of our people, and the strength over fear our nation and the world demonstrated after September 11, 2001, Johnson said.
"We must pass on the message of how goodness triumphed over evil in one of our Nation's darkest hours, spreading the light of the victims, the heroes, and the determination of our people, so those victims will not have died in vain."
DLA Installation Support at Richmond Chief of Police John Manson, who also spoke at the ceremony said, "Although more than a decade has passed we still bear the scars and feel the profound sense of loss and grief that rained down on our nation, on that terrible day."
The memorial ceremony included a missing firefighter and police officer tribute with the carrying of a helmet and hat, and lighting of a candle; reflective readings by a firefighter and police officer, the last alarm ringing, the playing of bagpipes and concluded with a reading of the 9/11 time line.


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Just in case you guys don't know I love the4acaes of the 4acesdate. My favorite is ABBBBBBY! My gosh, I think she has mad style and I have been following her blog since last summer *although, i didn't officially click the follower button* Anyways, I will be sharing lots of style posts from her a lot now but here is her most recent style post from her trip to visit Ozzy in Nigeria. You just gotta love these girls
|Ozzy on left, Abby on the right
|Their afro is popping huh? phew....will get there one day
You can visit the 4acesdate at the4acesdate.com
and visit abby's blog at theabby'sworld.com
I dont know if im looking forward to the summer
but I'm glad the sun is slowing staying here in riverside.
And I do hope for something interesting to happen after this stressful school year is over
Fierce and love


text: In order to improve and accelerate the sustainability of the WASH project implemented in Mexico, ONE DROP created 5 workshops in collaboration with local artists. The goal is to raise awareness of hand washing practices and household water treatment for youth between 12-18 years old. During 3 months, the young participants will attend different workshops: circus, short film creation, music, plastic arts and theater. Through arts, we will promote behavioral changes and empower their capacities to become agents of change in their community.


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Korlai Fort (Alibaugh)
On Sunday 27th Nov. 2016
Region: Alibaug
District: Raigad
Level: Very Easy
Tour Contribution: Rs 650/-
Cont. Raj Singh (9029148241)
About Korlai fort: - It is surrounded by sea on three sides. It is not a tall fort as the total height is about 275 m. The blue ocean on one side and the creek named "Kundalika" on the eastern side create scenery. The fort is situated at the mouth of the creek. A small road leads up to the top of the fort. There is a Lighthouse on the fort and a small climb from behind the lighthouse will take you to the fort. The fort is in ruins, but the view from the lighthouse is beautiful and the rocky beach at Korlai is also good one of the most interesting things about Korlai, is its name. This small island was once called 'Morro de Chaul'. Morro, in Portuguese, implies 'a small, rounded hill'; words that best describe the hill atop a the fort is built. The present name – Korlai fort, comes from the village of Korlai on the foothills. This name also comes from the Portuguese – the residents of this fishing village speak a dialect of the Portuguese Creole called 'kristi'. The word Creole eventually was distorted to Korlai. The Korlai fort was built by the Portuguese in 1521, as a companion to the fort at Chaul, guarding the Revdanda Creek. It commands a wonderful view of the creek and is a perfect location for monitoring ships arriving in the area. It was undoubtedly one of the more important forts of the 16th century. The fort passed into Maratha hands, and later into those of the British in the eighteenth century. While the British are said to have used a beacon on the island to help ships navigate, the fort was neglected and it eventually crumbled and left the ruins we can see today. The Korlai Fort lighthouse was commissioned soon after India gained independence. The lighthouse tower was built in 1955 and the small island once more began being used – this time for peaceful purposes, by helping ships navigate! The lighthouse is open for visitors between 4 PM and 6 PM, but someone is always present there to help visitors who arrive at the wrong time, as we did. A young trainee manning the lighthouse was happy to help us up the winding staircase and then tell us how the lighthouse worked, while we feasted our eyes on the sight of the Arabian Sea stretching out ahead of us.
Itinerary Details: –
SUNDAY, 27th Nov. 2016
Meeting Point: 06:30 Hrs Near Gateway of India (Mumbai)
07:00 Hrs: Will start journey by boat (Ferry)
08:20 Hrs: Will reach to Mandwa and travel towards Alibugh by Bus.
09:00 Hrs: Will reach Alibugh.
09:40 Hrs: After breakfast will start Journey toward Korlai Fort by (Pvt. Rickshaw /S.T. Bus)
11:00 Hrs: Will reach base Village and start trek to fort (30 Min. Easy Walk)
11:30 Hrs: Will reach on fort, Its now time for rest, photography, Fort exploration Etc.
14:30 Hrs: Lunch & Rest
15:30 Hrs: Start Return Journey towards Mumbai as same route (Tea/Coffee on the way)
20:30 Hrs: Will Reach Gateway India (Mumbai )
Transportation though and far travel from Gateway of India
Breakfast & Evening Tea Snacks
First Aid & Medical Kit, and Expertise Charges
Anything mentioned than above
Travelling till Gateway of India
Mineral water or soft drinks & Private orders of Tea, breakfast Etc.
Emergency transport costs
Insurance Coverage
Medical Expanses other than 'First aid'
Things to carry: -
A Water Bottle (2 Liters)
brings some ready to eat food. Plum cakes, Biscuits etc.
Personal Medicines (General Medical Kit will be available with Group)
Good Grip Footwear shoes
Cap, Goggles
Tour Fees : INR. 650/- per participants
To book one has to transfer/deposit non refundable advance amount of Rs. 200/- in below mention bank a/c
Account Details
A/c Name: Raj Singh
Bank Name: AXIS BANK
Account ID: 912010022801101
IFSC code: UTIB0001703, AXIS BANK, YOGI NAGAR, BRANCH
1) While online transfer, please provide your name in notes section.
2) Once payment is done, please send an email to email@example.com with transaction id, Name. Or share screen shot on what's up (9029148241)
3) Registrations will be accepted STRICTLY on FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS and by direct contact only.
Things to Carry:
Pack Lunch
Water Bottle (2 Liter Must)
Good Grip shoes,
Camera, Cap etc. (Optional)
Electrolyte packets as energy drinks (optional)
Carry eatable like fruits, dry fruits to munch on during trek and to avoid dehydration.
A Haversack to put in all the things.
Personal Medicines (General Medical Kit will be available with Group)
please notes that this is an environment friendly outing. Do not litter any wrappers (please take it back to your home for disposal) or spoil the place in any way.
Alcohol, drugs or narcotics, firearms and gambling on the Trek, smoking, entry to the area set aside for use by the opposite sex, offensive behavior which may lead to expulsion from the Trek
organizer have reserves the right to withdraw and or make any alterations that they may deem advisable for the convenience and the best interests of tour.
Extensive and painstaking preparations have gone into planning of this tour for your safety. While every care has been taken to ensure safety, organizers cannot be held responsible for any accident, illness and such other unforeseen eventualities.
It is most essential to be fit and fine before heading for tour. While planning your trip, it is preferable to have a medical fitness check up done. If suffering from any kind of allergy or ailment, do carry proper prescribed medicines to prevent serious health problem including heatstroke, sever headache, cough, dehydration and hypothermia. Participants suffering from chronic conditions like asthma, bronchitis, blood pressure, migraine, diabetes etc. should seek their physicians advice before coming.
1) If any natural calamity happens or any accident, death, illness occurred, organizers' are not responsible for any loss of thing or of human being.
2) Avoid to bring valuable things like gold or any jewelry or High value mobile phones Etc.
3) Trek/camp leader's decision will be final and binding.
4) Organisers reserve the right to make changes or cancelled to their programs at any
point of time without prior notification
Also join us @ Face book Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/peaktroops/
Please share this event with your friends also who might be interested in our events
(If call not answered then drop a message or Whatsapp text)
For Registrations & further inquiries feel free to contact
Raj Singh


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Month: February 2015
Chicks are on the way!!!
I have three sets of a dozen sumatra eggs in the incubator. Some of them should be hatching next week… So exited!!!
These birds I am breeding as well as what line the chicks are going to be. Will post pics of the sirs and dams soon!
Murlin/Sturling: (Tom kernan /James Smith line)
Tracy/ Freddy: (James Smith/Garret line)
Lamar/Danna or Lamar/Amanda: (James Smith/Tom Kernan line)
Clair/Jay: (James Smith/sherry Parker line)


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The impressive Issey Miyake exhibition recently seen and worshipped in Tokyo seemed a bit like a deflated balloon in a public park compared to this one. (Just kidding....The Issey Miyake exhibition was impossible to forget.)
They did.
Tatiana was able to locate the French company that had produced the silk velvet and brocade for the wall panels, curtains, and the throne itself. They were still in business. They still had the sample books and the thread counts and brocade patterns in their old library. The materials were reproduced and the room re-reddened and ready for the millions of tourists who diminutively and awestruck slide through the palace rooms in plastic bagged protective shoes.
Thank you Tatiana and Anna....I could never have imagined what an amazing day it was going to be.


text: Speed director Puri Jagannadh is widely known for completing his films in record short time. Sources say he is now all set for reshooting some scenes of his upcoming film "Ism". Nandamuri Kalyan Ram will be seen in the role of a journalist in the film. Puri seems to have planned for releasing the film


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You are here13 Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Growing
13 Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Growing
by Nebula Haze
This list covers some of the things I wish I'd known when I first started growing cannabis indoors. It's possible that some of the items might not apply to you, but I'm sure every indoor grower ends up learning at least some of these lessons.
1.) The best way to learn how to grow is to just start growing
One of my biggest regrets about growing is that I didn't start sooner.
It's easy to get lost with endless research about growing cannabis. Which method is the best? Which grow light for your space? Which method gets the most yields?
The truth is, the best way to learn about growing cannabis is to just jump right in.
Sometimes people (who want to grow) get stuck in the research phase of growing. They spend so much time researching that they get paralyzed by choice and never actually start growing, for months or even years.
No research can 100% prepare you for the actual process of growing. Even experienced growers get unexpected problems. Each grow will teach you more so that you get better and better results, so you might as well start now.
2.) Vent your grow space! You'll regret letting your grow room get too hot
A lot of first-time growers try to find a way around venting out extra heat from the grow space.
It's tempting to create a completely enclosed grow space, with no air going in or out. It's easy and cheap to stick some plants in a closet or box. A closed door or enclosed space prevents the escape of smells, lights and other signs of growing. Might as well just skip the whole venting thing, right?
That's pretty much what I did in the beginning. In my first grows I put my grow lights and plants in a small, closed closet, with a few fans blowing over the plants to move the air. I figured things would work themselves out. They didn't. Growing in a completely enclosed space with no venting caused a host of problems.
A hot grow room with no fresh air (or other source of CO2) can have the following problems:
- Heat stress - Leaves start cupping and may become crispy, brown or spotted
- Nutrient Burn - Plants drink more water, which makes plants more prone to nutrient burn
- White powdery mildew - A mold that looks like flour often appears on leaves when the environment is hot and humid without much moving air
- Bugs - You're more likely to get attacked by certain pests when it's hot and humid without circulation in the grow space, including spider mites and fungus gnats
- Humidity Problems - If there's no venting, humidity can build up in the grow space because plant leaves give off water vapor all the time. Small plants have fewer leaves and don't make much water vapor, but big plants can give off a lot of water vapor as they're drinking more, and this raises the humidity of a grow space when the air isn't vented out and replaced with fresh air.
- Buds Don't Fatten Properly - In a high-heat environment, it's possible for bud growth (and plant growth) to temporarily stop altogether. This is most common if plants are also suffering from nutrient burn, or if the heat has caused the plant to take up too much nitrogen.
- Possibly Lost Potency, Taste & Smell - Too high temperatures can "burn off" potency, smell and taste from buds - don't let cannabis plants sit in high temperatures during the flowering stage if you want to harvest the best buds possible!
- Root problems - Too-hot temperatures reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in water, which can prevent roots from getting enough oxygen. Too much heat makes roots more likely to suffer from several different types of root problems, including root rot.
I know a lot of these problems from first-hand experience because I didn't vent my first few grows :)
Most of these problems can be prevented by setting up a simple exhaust system to vent the heat and humid air out. This replenishes the grow space with fresh cool air. Plants need a source of CO2 to make energy and grow, and fresh air is the easiest way to get it to them.
Plus your exhaust system gives you the perfect place to place a carbon scrubber which takes smells out of the air, so you don't have any odors outside the tent.
An exhaust system vents hot, humid air outside the grow space
An exhaust system vents hot air out, and allows new, cool fresh air to come in
You don't have to do a fancy exhaust for a small grow. It helps your cause to even just get a strong fan to blow hot air out of your grow space into your room, then use a window fan to blow the hot air out of the room to outside. This is obviously less effective than using ducting (so all the hot, humid air stays together as it's vented out the window), but even a simple exhaust system of fans can make a huge difference in temperature and how much fresh air the plants are being exposed to.
So vent out the extra heat and humidity, add a few fans above and below the canopy for great air circulation, and you've got yourself a majorly improved grow space that will yield far better results than the exact same space that used to be enclosed.
Some growers try to supply with extra CO2 because, when done right, it allows cannabis plants to withstand higher temperatures and still be okay. It also requires growers to avoid venting out the grow space during the times they're supplementing with extra CO2 (otherwise all the CO2 will also be vented outside). But a lot of growers aren't supplementing their grow rooms with CO2 in a way that actually helps the plants. If you've got powerful grow lights and you're interested in sealing up your grow room to use CO2, learn about the right way to use CO2 here: http://www.growweedeasy.com/co2
Setting up an exhaust is easier than you might think!
3.) Don't stop taking notes or pictures just because you have problems
Okay we've all been there. Maybe you've been writing notes and taking pictures of your cannabis grow.
But then something happens. Something bad. Maybe a deficiency, root rot, bugs…
Every grower will run into a growing problem some time or another. It can be tempting to stop documenting your grow because your plants don't look as good as they used to.
Don't stop! The most important time to document is when you're having problems.
It has helped me so much to be able to go back and refer to old pictures and notes. It's impossible to keep everything in your head, especially after several grows, and you will thank yourself later that you kept track of problems instead of tried to pretend they didn't happen.
Many growers don't document their grows in any way, and that's completely fine. But I believe many growers would benefit from a small notebook or calendar to write simple notes. Grow notes help you later, especially grow notes about plant problems!
4.) Know Your Grow Lights! MH/HPS vs CFL vs LED grow lights
MH/HPS Grow Lights
Great Choice for Most Indoor Growers
I believe most new growers would be happiest with an MH/HPS when first starting growing cannabis indoors. They have a reputation for being hot and needing lots of electricity, but most people don't realize this type of grow lights come in all sizes, even as small as a 150W. That's about the same electricity use as a 40" TV, so it's not going to make a huge impact on your electricity bill.
150W is close to the minimum amount of watts needed for a successful CFL grow, except you will get better results and produce less heat. As long as you have at least 4 or 5 feet of height in your grow space, I recommend going with an MH/HPS grow light over other grow lights. For best results get a "digital," switchable ballast that lets you use both MH and HPS bulbs in one fixture. If you have (or plant to build) an exhaust system with ducting, make sure to get an "air-cooled" hood so it hooks right up.
CFLs & fluorescent grow lights
Great Choice for Short Spaces
I only recommend using CFLs or fluorescent lights if grow space is very short (less than 4 or 5 feet tall). CFLs can be kept just inches from your plants, which means that you don't need nearly as much space for the grow lights as in a traditional setup. This allows growers to use CFLs to grow cannabis in very small spaces, as small as a bucket. CFLs, when done right, also produce top-notch buds, with potency and quality that competes with other grow lights.
I started growing with CFLs, and I was very happy with them. I learned how to grow using them, and they work great for growing cannabis.
But… I didn't realize when I started how many CFLs I was going to need. I didn't realize how often I would have to adjust the CFLs (daily) in order to make sure they were going to provide the right amount of light to the plants. I didn't realize that I would have to rig creative ways of arranging the CFLs around the plant. I didn't realize CFLs weren't right for my space - I had a grow space that was tall enough for an MH/HPS, and I believe the grow would have been easier and more intuitive if I had started with MH/HPS instead of CFLs. The heat and electricity would have been about the same, but it would have been easier and I likely would have produced better yields.
On the flip side, I feel that growers learn a lot more about light and how plants grow when using CFLs, because you end up spending so much time with your plants and adjusting the lights. Plus the quality of CFL-grown bud is great. So in the end I am happy I started with CFLs even if it wasn't the most logical choice. And you can't beat the low setup costs (though there are also very cheap MH/HPS grow lights these days that work perfectly).
LED grow lights
Great for growers who want cutting-edge technology & amazing quality buds - but make sure you buy LEDs from a trusted company!
These days some LED models are giving HPS grow lights a run for the money as far as yields. HPS is just ahead of LEDs, but that gap is closing every day. LEDs come in all sizes to fit any grow space, and they almost always have a built-in fan and heatsink to disperse heat away from the lights. What's more, LED grow lights seem to provide a higher quality of bud in some cases, for example by increasing resin (trichome) production and bringing out the natural taste and smell of the buds.
But there are good and bad LED grow lights. They aren't all made equal. That's why I recommend that you only use LEDs only if you're willing to do research into finding a model that is made and tested for growing a plant like cannabis. Some of the best models of LED grow lights come with a guarantee/warranty, and give you the ability to contact the manufacturer directly with questions like how far way to keep plants from the lights.
Never keep LEDs closer to plants than recommended! LEDs can be incredibly bright and too-close lights may end up giving your plants light burn.
Unfortunately, some LED grow lights can actually hurt your plants. This is most common when LED grow lights are kept closer to the plants than what is recommended by the company that made the light.
But sometimes certain models of LEDs can hurt your plants even if they're kept the correct distance away.
I've learned about bad LED light models for cannabis the hard way. When LED grow lights are not made and configured properly for a plant like cannabis, you can end up with a plant that turns brown and crispy, with an assortment of nutrient deficiencies that seem to come out of no where.
For new growers, this can be frustrating because they don't know what they're doing wrong, when the real problem is the LED grow lights. Even if buds come out okay (which is often the case, despite how beat up the plant might look), growers often wonder why their plants don't look like the picture-perfect plants they see in pictures online and in magazines.
When LED grow lights are not made for a plant like cannabis, they can cause leaves to turn brown and crispy, or show nutrient deficiencies for no reason, especially in the cannabis flowering stage
Most especially, growers seem to have trouble with the "UFO" style grow lights that come in 90W or 130W sizes. There's a lot of shady LED dealers, so make sure to only buy an LED model when you've actually seen proof that it can grow cannabis from seed to harvest (a grow journal with pictures, videos and notes is one of the best types of evidence about LEDs these days).
Look what a bad LED grow light can do to the leaves of cannabis plants which were well taken care of by an experienced grower.
This plant was grown under a 90W LED and looked (relatively) green and healthy all through the vegetative stage.
The grower couldn't seem to figure out why some of the leaves were showing signs of problems and nutrient deficiencies, but it wasn't until flowering/budding started that leaves began really dying away.
While the buds ended up being good, you can see that the leaves are burnt and crispy. This grower had succeeded in this setup before, and the only difference was the addition of a UFO-style 90W LED light found on eBay.
Here's a closeup of those leaves grown under this poor-quality LED grow light - they seemed to just shrivel and die once the flowering stage started. The buds still ended up being great (though they weren't the prettiest buds).
So while it's true the LEDs can produce great results and some of the highest quality bud, just go in knowing that you need to do your research, and be aware that you may run into leaf damage or other problems that might actually be caused by your lights.
Always buy LEDs from a trusted company! Don't pay much attention to marketing claims unless they're backed up by pictures and growing notes or video. And make sure you've seen what an LED does to cannabis in the flowering stage - most LEDs do good in veg, but the flowering stage is when the poor-quality LEDs start to struggle. If you haven't seen a complete grow journal with a harvest and yields for an LED model, I would avoid it until that information becomes available.
There are great LEDs out there, just don't get tricked into buying a bad one!
Learn more about some trusted LED companies: http://www.growweedeasy.com/led-upgrade-guide
5.) Pay attention to pH
Some growers get away with not paying attention to pH. It's the luck of the draw. Yet for most growers, especially those providing nutrients in the water, the pH at the roots of your plant is crucial to healthy plant growth.
Proper pH is essential for cannabis plants to absorb certain nutrients through the roots. If the pH is too high or too low at the roots, it can cause the plant to start showing signs of nutrient deficiencies even if the nutrients are physically there. This is because the pH changes the chemical structure of certain nutrients, and the wrong structure can lock nutrients out from the plant.
Soil Optimal pH: 6-7
Hydro Optimal pH: 5.5-6.5 (also soilless mediums like coco coir)
By making sure the root pH is in the optimum range, you will save yourself problems and help plants grow healthier and faster.
Read the full tutorial on pH: http://www.growweedeasy.com/ph
6.) Be aware of your costs; setup, electricity, nutrients, supplements, supplies, etc.
Sometimes your decisions will change once you figure out all the numbers. For example, I initially thought I would save on electricity and startup costs by growing with CFLs instead of MH/HPS grow lights.
While the CFLs were a bit cheaper to get started with, the electricity use was about the same, and I believe I would have gotten faster growth and bigger yields if I'd started with MH/HPS instead. So while the costs were lower with CFLs, so were the yields. Plus it would have been way easier for me to use a MH/HPS grow light.
What are some costs to be aware of?
Grow tents vs Building a Grow box
Grow tents are relatively inexpensive. They look relatively discreet (especially the smaller tents) and provide the tools to create a perfect environment for cannabis plants.
Yet I see many growers trying to construct their own special grow box. If you're doing it because it's fun and you love building things, or need a custom setup, that's great. But I see a lot of growers make their own grow box in an attempt to save money.
Oftentimes, they'll end up with problematic grows, and by the time they've fixed all the problems, they've spend as much as it would have cost for a professional grow tent anyway (or more!). Before you dismiss the idea of a grow tent, I encourage you to shop around.
Once you grow in a tent, it's hard to go back to anything else.
Grow Lights: CFLs or LEDs vs MH/HPS
As explained above, each type of grow light has it pros and cons, and each grow light also has untrue myths floating around. To sum it up…
- CFLs - short space (less than 4 or 5 feet tall)
- MH/HPS - for most growers with at least 5 feet of height and at least a 2'x2' space. Most efficient grow light when it comes to yields/electricity.
- LEDs - can be good for a small grow since they come with a built-in fan to disperse heat, LEDs may improve bud potency and smell, but just make sure you only buy from a trusted company or your plants may pay the price
Learn more about cannabis grow lights:
Nutrients & Supplements
Do you really need those fancy bottles, or could you use a more simple nutrient system that costs a lot less? A lot of nutrients come with big claims, especially the expensive ones. But if you use too many nutrients or supplements at once (or mix the wrong ones together), it can unintentionally cause a lot of plant problems.
Many nutrients are overpriced for the benefits you'll get, especially nutrient systems that target cannabis growers. For first-time growers, you'll often get better results for less money by sticking to a simple nutrient system from a trusted nutrient company like General Hydroponics or Fox Farms. These companies provide relatively inexpensive nutrients, but they work great for growing cannabis.
If you do plan on adding supplements, try to use ones from the same company and are made to work together. But it's important to understand that a base nutrient system (usually 2 or 3 bottles) almost always has all the nutrients your plants need to get to harvest.
Learn more about cannabis nutrients:
Doing it Right vs Doing it Cheap/Easy
When it comes to growing, you'll get what you put into your grow. When it comes to actually setting up your grow space, you'll often save a lot of time, money and frustration by "doing it right" the first time. That means not cutting corners. Understand the basics of growing. Get good cannabis nutrients and use them according to instructions. Manage your pH to prevent nutrient deficiencies. If needed, control smells in the grow room before it becomes a problem. Take care of temperature and humidity. Basically, try to do things right - you'll thank yourself for it later. By doing things right from the beginning, you'll save yourself time, energy and ultimately money. And you'll harvest better buds, too.
Learn 7 Tips to Growing Top-Shelf Buds:
Note: Please - only use money you can spare when you get started growing. If you can't afford to lose the money, don't spend it on growing equipment!
7.) Don't stop your grow and start over because you're not happy with how it's going so far
Even if you end up losing your crop in the fight to save your plants, it's better to try to save your plants than give up immediately and start over.
First off, a lot of plants that people think are "dead" or "unable to recover" can actually bounce back once you fix the problem that's hurting them.
Yes, even this plant, which drooped like this overnight after a mistake by the grower, was able to make it to harvest with some intense TLC
Look at the buds this grower harvested because he was willing to fight for his plant. If he had thrown the plant away, this harvest would have been lost.
You usually don't really learn anything by starting over, and often you'll find yourself running into the exact same problems again if you never bothered to try to fix it the first time. Whether it's a terrible nutrient deficiency, bugs, wilting, light burn or something else, as long as the plant is still standing up on its own and has green leaves left, there's often a chance the plant can recover.
I've learned a lot of important lessons trying to save sick plants. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing a plant bounce back after a bout with death. On the flip side, I've seen many growers regret throwing their sick plants away.
In one of my first grows, I let this plant get too tall, and I thought about throwing it away…
This is the Master Purp clone when I got it. Little did I know that this plant would be one of the fastest-growing, stretchiest plants I have ever encountered.
This was the plant just a little over 2 weeks later. I couldn't believe how tall it had gotten, even though I was visiting my plants every day, I was too inexperienced to know this was much faster-than-average growth. I suddenly realized the plant was more than halfway to the top of my closet, so I topped the plant by cutting off several inches in a hope to make it shorter, and then I set the plant to flowering right away. (Never top your plants just before going to flowering!)
This is what the same plant looked like after it started flowering.
As you can see, I started having problems in all kinds of ways. The plant was too tall and had to be bent to fit in the space, the buds were falling over, the grow lights were not made for a tall plant (remember, CFLs and fluorescent lights are made for short spaces). I did everything I could to try to hold things together. Though I never recommend using cardboard or string anywhere in your grow space like I did in this picture.
But I kept up the good fight, and struggled to help my plant get what it needed until harvest. In addition to all the lessons I learned, I ended up harvesting these colas (along with lots of smaller nugs too).
If I had given up when I realized the plant was too tall, I would have never harvested those buds, which ended up being wonderful. I would have lost all the time I spent in the beginning growing the plant; I would have had to get another seed or clone to start again, and I would have missed the hundreds of lessons I learned, that helped me excel at my next grow.
If you have a sick plant, try to save it before you throw it away! Figure out what's wrong (and how to prevent the problem) so you don't have to worry about the problem coming back, and possibly grant yourself an extra harvest if the plant pulls through.
Learn how to fix plant problems here (with lots of pictures):
8.) Be aware of timelines
It generally takes about 3-5 months from seed to harvest. After that, you need to account for the time it takes to dry and cure buds, which can add a month (or possibly more) to the time before you get to enjoy your buds.
It's common to see growers start a grow without realizing how long it will take to harvest. They'll end up having a vacation coming up, or some other problem that takes them away from being able to care for their garden.
It's important when starting a new grow to consider whether you'll be able to be there for your whole plant's life.
Auto-flowering strains will give you the quickest harvest, and even then you still need to care for your plant for at least 3 months. More about autos here: http://www.growweedeasy.com/autoflowering
If you don't have at least 3 months to care for your plants, don't start growing yet!
Learn more about cannabis growing timelines:
9.) More nutrients does not equal more buds
Growers often refer to nutrients as "food" for plants. And it's true that nutrients are essential to cannabis growth, but nutrients don't directly power the growth of buds.
Cannabis nutrients are more like a multivitamin than food. And just like a multivitamin, you don't get extra health benefits by taking many at once - in fact it can make you very sick. Cannabis plants are the same way. They want just enough nutrients to thrive, but not enough to make them sick.
I sometimes see a tendency for growers to try to push the limits as far as how much nutrients to give to their cannabis plants. It can seem like if you "feed" your plant with more nutrients, you'll get better results. I know I did this.
Yet I've found that I get the best growth, healthiest leaves, and biggest yields by giving cannabis relatively low levels of nutrients - just enough to prevent nutrient deficiencies, but not any more than that. Especially in the second half of the flowering stage, slightly lower levels of nutrients seem to help buds plump out more and cause them to taste better.
If your plant looks healthy and is growing fast, don't increase your levels of nutrients!
Learn more about nutrients: http://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-nutrients
10.) The strain you grow makes a HUGE difference in your results
A lot of new growers start with bagseed (seeds they find in their buds) and that can be a great way to get started. However, it's important to understand that the genetics of a plant can make a huge effect on how the plant grows, such as…
- How tall or short the plant tends to grow
- How big buds grow
- What buds look like (color, shape, etc)
- How buds smell and taste
- How long until plant is ready to harvest
- THC (or CBD) levels
- And many other factors…
Therefore, one of the problems with bagseed is most growers have no idea about where it came from or how the plant will grow.
To make things tougher, a young plant does not always produce buds (or grow like) the mother plant it came from.
If you want to ensure your plants grow a certain way, or that your buds smell/look/taste a certain way, or have a high enough potency, don't leave genetics up to chance! Choose a stabilized strain from a trusted breeder, and you'll have the option to choose exactly what you want to grow.
Learn about getting strains here: http://www.growweedeasy.com/seeds
11.) Wait until the right time to harvest!
I know, I know. You've been waiting soooo long for harvest day to come. It's common for first-time growers to harvest their buds too early.
But waiting until buds are actually ready for harvest instead of harvesting early will not only give you more potent buds, it will give you the ability to partially choose some of the effects of the buds (such as whether buds are more "up" or "down").
Waiting to harvest at the right time will also reward you with bigger yields.
If you've gone through all the trouble of growing cannabis plants, please don't lose patience right around harvest time!
When is it time to harvest? http://www.growweedeasy.com/harvest
12.) Just because someone says something is true in the grow forums, it doesn't means that they actually know what they're talking about.
I remember hearing some people say "Oh you can't do this, or if you do that it will kill your plants."
And sometimes they were off the mark or even DEAD WRONG.
So take things said in the forums with a grain of salt. In fact, I encourage you to question everything you hear about growing on the internet, even from this website :)
It's also true that some of the best growers are hiding out online or in growing forums, if you know how to find them.
The key is being about how to spot a good grower who knows what they are doing and will be able to help you and show you the ropes.
Here are a few tips to spotting a helpful online grower:
- they have lots of pictures and lots of activity on their profile
- they are relatively nice to people
- their pictures go back a long time
- they have pictures of live plants that are ready for harvest
- they have pictures of their dried and curing buds along with final yield weights
13.) If you appreciate cannabis but have never grown any yourself, harvesting your first buds is probably even cooler than you imagine
Here's some advice I have for people who are thinking about growing cannabis indoors for the first time. If you know you want to be harvesting your own buds, but you're having trouble getting started...
- Don't be afraid to start small if you're not sure growing is right for you
- I wish I'd known that growing cannabis could be easy - maybe I wouldn't have waited so long before I started
- Make sure you read up on the basics and some plant training techniques. Don't do spur-of-the-moment experiments on your plants. At least google your idea first!
- Your plant will tell you if there's any problems - as long as you're paying attention to your garden and reacting to changes, you will make it to harvest and be able to enjoy your buds.
- Think about having a limitless supply of bud right in your home - that's what helped me decide to make the leap
- If you're ready to grow, just start growing!
Jump to...
7 Tips to Growing Top-Shelf Bud
How long until I harvest my buds?
7-Step Remedy to Fix 99% of Plant Problems


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The running back has long been one of the offensive stars of any team. From breaking tackles for a long gain, securing that tough first down or punishing the defense with clock killing runs – the position defines offensive success. The busiest receiver last season was Wes Welker with 123 catches that tied for second best in NFL history. Compare that to the 52 NFL running backs with more than 123 touches in 2010 including top of the heap Adrian Peterson with a total of 420. Chris Johnson of the Titans just became the sixth back to break the 2000 rushing yard threshold. The running back is truly the workhorse of the offense.
And yet there is a sense that the position that gave us Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton is now being watered down into committee backfields. In the past, it was usually an attempt to find a "thunder and lightning" scenario with two backs of vastly different talents to complement each other. Now it seems that the position is becoming "plug and play" with a group of similar backs used in a rotation. Is it truly a decline of the workhorse back? Could it be that the league is treating the position differently now than in the past?
Undeniably the answer is robust "yes". And it is also a resounding "no". It's just a matter of perspective and timing.
There has been a noticeable decline in how many of the carries for each team are being given to the primary back. For a fair comparison, consider what has happened since 2003 – the last seven years since there have been 32 NFL teams and therefore the same number of primary runners. Since 2003, there has only been a 4% overall decline which is less than one carry per game. The reality is that roughly the same thing happens each season in the NFL. It is just accomplished by an ever-changing cast of players.
The average workload for primary backs will always be affected by injuries so that's not a major factor in comparing years. The decline in workload over the last seven seasons shows up when considering how large of a share of carries that those 32 primary backs now have.
Only a quarter of franchises had a runner gain more than 70% of all team rushing attempts last year. In 2006, the NFL reached a high mark with only three teams failing to have a runner with more than 50% of his team's rushing attempts (Corey Dillon – NE, Ron Dayne – HOU and Leon Washington – NYJ). The 50% level has remained fairly unchanged but anything higher continues decline with no obvious end in sight.
The only players in the last seven years with more than 90% of his teams rushing attempts were LaDainian Tomlinson (SD - 2003), Deuce McAllister (NO – 2003), Rudi Johnson (CIN - 2004) and Ricky Williams (MIA – 2003). But heavy workloads tended to be more related to a situation for one season rather than an offensive strategy. Consider that of the 33 times that a running back had more than 80% of his teams rushing attempts, only three players managed to do it more than once – Tiki Barber (2), Edgerrin James (3) and Rudi Johnson (3).
Total carries can be affected by injuries or by resting players late in the year by playoff-bound teams. A more accurate picture of running back use in the league is considering how many times in a season that runners passed the different thresholds for carries per game.
This paints a better picture by showing that those monster games with more than 30 carries by a single runner are on a severe downturn, dropping from a high of 44 in 2004 to no more than 12 for the last two seasons. Runners with at least 20 rush attempts in a game is the best measure of a true workhorse back since that level extended for a 16 game season nets 300+ carries in a year. Once again, the high came back in 2004 when there were 239 occasions when a runner crossed that threshold. It has since dropped to only 165 last year, a decline of 31%. 2009 also served up the lowest number of games with a runner topping at least 15 carries though the decline is less at just 14% from the highpoint.
The only recent increases have been in the number of players participating in games and yet only topping five carries. Last year witnessed a record 915 times that running backs had at least five rush attempts in a game. Same rushing totals are happening; they're just being divided among more and more players. The reliable, heavy-use backs continue to accept a lesser load.
And inside those rushing thresholds is another reality – it is less and less the same running back that has multiple games with a heavy rushing load. The number of players who have just one big game is on the increase while the number of backs with multiple big games continues to slip.
The 20 carry level is a standard for a true workhorse back and yet the NFL is down to only six backs with at least 20 carries in half of the games they played, halving the high mark only four years ago. Steven Jackson (11), Thomas Jones (11), Chris Johnson (10), Adrian Peterson (8), and Maurice Jones-Drew (8) were the only runners who spent most of their games as a workhorse. Only Cedric Benson (3) and Jerome Harrison (3) had more than one game with over 30 carries though Harrison only had four games passing the 20 carry threshold. Harrison was little used in Cleveland until getting 30+ carries in each of the final three games of 2009.
There is no arguing that the NFL has seen a recent decline in workhorse running backs. Even those less common big games are mostly just one time events related to an individual game situation. The best bet for a bigger workload these days is being the only healthy back on a roster ravaged by the injury bug. But that is rare and never lasts long anyway.
Since gaining the Houston Texans in 2002 to boost the total franchise numbers to 32, the NFL has been less about having a feature back. But a better perspective is considering what has transpired in the league since 1978 when the NFL schedule was increased to 16 games. Granted – there were only 28 teams then and that has to be taken into account. The Jaguars and Panthers brought the league to 30 teams in 1995 and then the Ravens made it 31 in 1996. Taking a look back to 1978 yields the same number of games each year for players to hit production thresholds, it just happened with a up to four fewer teams.
*Strike shortened '87 season to 12 games
**Strike shortened '82 season to 9 games
And here is where the reality comes to light. The NFL has not so much seen a decline in the workhorse. It merely came off a 12 year span where running back numbers were abnormally higher. From 1995 through 2006 was the era of the workhorse primary back. It started the same year that the NFL added two new franchises in Jacksonville and Carolina, Baltimore in 1996 and then Houston in 2002 rounded it out. Four years after Texans made it 32 teams, it returned to pre-1995 levels.
But those levels of 1000 and 1500 rushing yard running backs match up reasonably well with those from 1978 to 1994 considering too that there are four additional teams. 300 carry rushers have leveled off around six per season which is not much different than the early years. Players with more than 200 carries in a season may be less than that 12 year "golden era" but almost perfectly matches up with the past considering the extra four teams. Same with the players with 100 carries in a season.
The question is less about why there has been a recent decline and more why running backs were allowed greater roles for a dozen years. The addition of four new teams coincided directly with the spike and it is reasonable to assume new teams with new defenses are likely to encourage opponents to run the ball more. The Jaguars were 24th against the run in their first season but the Panthers ranked 10th that year. The Ravens opened their first season in 1996 with the 23rd best defense against the run while the Jaguars rose to 19th and the Panthers reached 8th best. The increase happened right when those new teams started but it wasn't apparently about them. Their defenses were not the cause of easier rushing yardage and their offenses did not enjoy immediate rushing success since the Panthers Derrick Moore led his new team with only 195 carries for 740 yards and the Jaguars used James Stewart only 137 times for 535 rushing yards. The following season saw the Ravens open with Bam Morris gaining 737 yards on only 172 runs. The addition of teams was not the cause for more high production outputs against them or by them.
The NFL is all about change and the rules committee can have a major impact on the success of either the offense or defense. But rule changes have been much kinder to the passing game in the past and new rules at that time shouldn't have resulted in a leap in using a primary back more.
There has been no rule change that had any significant impact on the rushing game. If anything, rules have been altered to promote more passing and protect quarterbacks and receivers. Nothing started in 1995 or ended in 2007 that gave cause for the golden era of workhorse backs.
Another obvious area of suspect is a change in offensive systems ushered in by new coaching staffs. Jimmy Johnson went to the Dolphins in 1996 and somehow believed that Karim Abdul-Jabbar was going to be the next Emmitt Smith. But the other coaches that started in that era for any length of time were at least not immediately proponents of using a workhorse back. Tom Coughlin spent eight seasons with the Jaguars but Fred Taylor never had a 300 carry season until Coughlin left. Dom Capers took over the Panthers for their first four years but only allowed one 300 carry runner when Anthony Johnson inherited the whole load after Tim Biakabutuka was lost for the season. Dennis Erickson took over the Seahawks in 1995 and spent two of his four seasons there relying almost entirely on Chris Warren ('95) or Ricky Watters ('98).
Tony Dungy got his start in 1996 when he took the reins of the Buccaneers but he relied on the duo of Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn. It was not until he left for the Colts in 2002 that he settled on a single back when Edgerrin James was drafted. Jim Fassel was with the Giants from 1997 until 2003 but always relied on a committee, even drafting Ron Dayne to pair with Tiki Barber for a "Thunder and Lightning" attack. Once he left in 2004 and Tom Coughlin took over, Barber had three straight years of 300+ carries. This was from the same Coughlin who relied on a committee in Jacksonville.
Steve Mariucci spent six seasons with the 49ers and three more with the Lions and yet only once heavily used any single back with Garrison Hearst in 1998. Dick Vermeil left the Chiefs in 2006 after Priest Holmes had cranked out three straight 300 carry seasons. Injury affected the next two years and then Larry Johnson had his own monster year in 2006 in the final season of inflated workhorse stats. There were a few instances of coaches turning to just one back to carry the load but it wasn't that common and was often just from a unique injury situation.
So it was not the presence of new rules or additional teams or even new coaches that appears to have prompted the league to start using individual backs more heavily. The NFL salary cap started in 1994 and increased from $34.6 million to $128 million per team in 2009 when it expired. Spending more for a star running back could have occasionally forced a team to rely on him more since they had less money to pay for backups but with 11 starters on both offense and defense, no position gets proportionally ahead of others besides quarterback. And if there was a big investment in a running back, even more precaution would be taken to limit his carries and keep him fresh. NFL teams are playing to reach the playoffs and still have something left when they get there. It is all about reaching the Super Bowl for every franchise, not to promote the glory of an individual player.
Is it possible that the NFL just enjoyed a better crop of running backs that paid off better for a dozen years? There could be at least some truth in that considering that the era ended around 2006. Running backs who retired at or near the end of the time period include Corey Dillon, Tiki Barber, Curtis Martin, Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk, Eddie George and Emmitt Smith. LaDainian Tomlinson has markedly slowed down after seven seasons of 300+ carries. Edgerrin James has finally retired with his own seven years of 300 carries as well. Jamal Lewis hung up his cleats and Clinton Portis is tailing off. Figure on several of those backs entering the Hall of Fame.
Who is in the next crop of great runners? Chris Johnson topped 2000 rushing yards and led the league with 358 carries but the second-year speedster only weighs 200 pounds – will he hold up with that sort of workload? Adrian Peterson is an elite player and while he excelled in 2008 and 2009, he is the only runner then to manage back-to-back 300 carry seasons. Steven Jackson has been a workhorse to be sure for a St. Louis team that has featured little else but he's been constantly nagged by injuries. Maurice Jones-Drew and Cedric Benson both had new situations with great results. But that rounds out the workhorses from last year other than Thomas Jones who symbolizes yet another problem. Running backs are playing longer now and at least eating into what could have been opportunities for younger backs. Fred Taylor, Thomas Jones, Jamal Lewis, Ricky Williams, LaDainian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook all were over 30 years of age in 2009 and played a big role on their respective offenses.
One more factor cannot be overlooked in how teams use runners. The NFL is a copycat league. The bottom line is if it works for one team then why not try it? The "Wildcat" formation has been adopted by many teams after Miami introduced it and yet it is just another way that primary running backs could get less work since it often relies on running quarterbacks or out of position wideouts. If you want to know what is likely to be popular the next season, take a look at the Super Bowl winner because 31 other teams will be doing exactly that. Emmitt Smith was the workhorse carrying the ball in three of four Super Bowls from 1992 through 1995 which was followed by Terrell Davis, Marshall Faulk and Jamal Lewis. All were heavy-use backs that led their respective offenses and shared little. No doubt that led many teams to hunt for their own version of a workhorse back.
But the trend has declined since then with only Corey Dillon winning a Super Bowl in 2004 and having over 70% of his teams carries that season and 345 rushing attempts. Since then the Patriots have been a study in running back rotation and perhaps the least likely team to rely on any one back. For the last four years – which coincide perfectly with the sudden decline in heavy workload backs – the Super Bowl winner has not featured a running back that has ranked better than 22nd in rushing attempts. Basically, two-thirds of all NFL teams were using their primary back more and yet never reaching the Super Bowl.
And what has happened since 2006 with Super Bowl winners? Each have used committee backfields and had their primary back barely crack 50% of his team's total carries. The backfield rotation of similarly sized and talented rushers has worked. No need to rely too much on one back. No need to overpay for just one back. One reality in the NFL is that if all 11 offensive players do their jobs on every rushing play, the running back (and make that nearly any running back) will get past the line of scrimmage and be tackled in the second level with around a four yard average like most backs. No other position witnesses so many no-name players turning in great numbers only to disappear the next season. The position is being treated more "plug-n-play" than ever before.
So the golden era of the workhorse back is over, at least for now and the foreseeable future. There is no single reason why it started and it was at least in part related to the combination of talented backs landing in offenses that relied heavily on the run and for at least a time it resulted in teams like Dallas, Denver and even the Patriots winning championships relying on just one running back. But offenses are only more complicated as time marches on and what now works best is a backfield rotation that keeps players fresher and healthier and lowers a team's liability when the primary back cannot play.
But rest assured – football will always have their star running backs. Elite talent like Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson will always command a greater share of the action. What the league is now serving up is really little different than what happened before 1995. Perhaps a bit less given the four additional teams, but the position has served up similar numbers for the last three years. And until the college ranks can serve up more all-around backs and teams prove successful relying on just one runner, this is where we will stay. There will be more variation in the top ten most productive runners each year than what we were used to seeing.
The league's interest in promoting the passing game and higher scoring will also help keep the new status quo. Is it the end of the iconic workhorse back for most teams? Yes and as it has been in the past, for the best of reasons. There are only so many gifted backs to go around and rotations work. And championships matter most. The New Orleans Saints typify this new direction when Mike Bell ended the regular season as t he team leader in rushing attempts (172) and yet he only ran eight times for 15 yards over the four playoff games. Pierre Thomas (36) and Reggie Bush (17) had more carries in the postseason.
For NFL fans still wanting to see their favorite team feature a super-back, take heart in the one timeless NFL truism. Teams will do whatever wins the most games. If that means sticking with just one difference-making back, then they will. It's up to the individual players to shine and merit that extra workload.
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Matrix rank calculator with steps provided here will not only give you the rank of a matrix and also it will give you step by step explanation.
Apart from the regular calculator, people who study math are in need of this matrix rank calculator with steps. Because, when people work out lengthy problems, they may not have time to solve and find the rank of a matrix. At that time, calculating rank of a matrix would be an additional burden for them in solving lengthy math problems. To reduce the burden of those people, we have provided online rank calculator of matrix here.
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|"Justin C. Sherrill" <justin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
|Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:25:34 -0400
On Wed, October 20, 2010 3:54 pm, Torbjorn Granlund wrote: > A long term *BSD user, I decided to extend our GNU package nightly test > system setup with Dragonfly BSD. This is an install under > virtualisation (qemu or Xen). > > The actual install went smoothly, but the package install have failed > utterly. Other people have covered this well so far, but here's details on the pkg_install issue: http://www.shiningsilence.com/dbsdlog/2010/09/26/6472.html pkg_install recently had a version check introduced between the release of 2.6.3 and the most recent quarterly release of pkgsrc; it fails on that. The pkgsrc howto page, which I think may already have been linked, is a good resource for now: http://www.dragonflybsd.org/docs/howtos/HowToPkgsrc/


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Nice price. Quad core power. 1TB drive. Expandability.
Only 60-day subscription to Internet Security updates. No eSATA. Lots of bloatware.
Bottom Line
With quad-core power, the HP Pavilion p6310f is aimed squarely at people trying to buy a faster PC that's not too expensive.
The HP Pavilion p6310f ($599.98 list) is another in a series of moderately priced HP tower desktop PCs. It's aimed at the user who wants more speed, but doesn't want to pay a lot of money for it. These types of users are savvy enough to have figured out the settings on their digital cameras and camcorders, and likewise need to clean up their images and videos before they send them into the online world. The p6310f can also be a basic editing station for the budding auteur with a Flip MinoHD in one hand, and a café mocha in the other. It is certainly more expensive than a simple nettop or netbook, but for the person that will tear his hair out during a long wait for the computer to finish processing, the extra expense for this system is worth it.
Similar Products
The HP Pavilion p6310f looks similar to other mid-range HP desktops, with a glossy black front panel and doors hiding bays for two optical drives. It's pretty much a standard mid-tower, which means it has a lot of space inside for later upgrades. The back panel is your standard PC I/O access area, with four USB ports (two on the front), FireWire, VGA and DVI ports, Digital audio out (RCA jack) and pop-out panels that cover four expansion card slots. You can add up to three PCIe cards (two x1, one x16 for graphics), a PCI card, and unusually for a desktop, a PCIe MiniCard slot. You can plug a MiniCard WiFi adapter from a notebook, and it should work without a hitch.
The system comes with a standard USB wired mouse and keyboard, and the system's DVD burner has LightScribe technology, so you can burn labels on blank LightScribe media. There's space in the chassis for another optical drive (another DVD or Blu-ray), one more memory DIMM (for up to 8GB of memory), and two more hard drives. I would've liked to have seen a HDMI port for connecting to HDTVs and an eSATA port for connecting to larger fast external hard drives. The HDMI port I can live without, but quad core systems should automatically come with eSATA, since power users tend to want fast external storage.
There are the usual niceties: illuminated power button on the top, 15-in-1 media card reader, DVD burner. Storage is copious, with a full 1TB hard drive: we used to see 320GB to 500GB at this price point. That's enough for several hundred thousand MP3s and digital photos, as well as hours of digital video. This is obviously a good thing for the multimedia maven. Speaking of media, the p6310f comes with HP's MediaSmart Software suite, which lets you enjoy viewing your photos, videos, music, and DVDs. The p6310f has all the usual HP bloatware: eBay, Office 60-day trial, Snapfish, and a 60-day trial subscription to Norton Internet Security. Prepare yourself for either an afternoon unistalling all of those programs, or you'll have to learn to live with a cluttered hard drive.
The p6310f comes with an AMD Athlon II X4 630 processor, 6GB of DDR3 memory, and Nvidia GeForce 9100 integrated graphics. This is certainly enough for the tasks that a casual multimedia user may wish to do, and then some. It's able to complete the Windows Media Encoder test in only 42 seconds, and the Photoshop CS4 test in 1:38. This is amazing considering the value system Editors' Choice HP Pavilion p6267c-b is only 1 to 3 seconds faster at both of these tests. This is a speedy quad-core system, and shows that AMD processors can keep up with the Intel Core 2 Quad processors in the same price range.
The p6310f's 3D and PCMark Vantage performance are a little worse than the p6267c-b, because of the p6310f's integrated graphics. The p6267c-b has a discrete graphic card, so it has a little more headroom at both Futuremark benchmarks and at the 3D tests (the p6310f ran both games at single digit fps rates, not enough to play them well.)
On the benchmark charts, the performance of the p6310f is so similar to the new HP Pavilion p6347c-b that the two systems could be twins. In some aspects they are: They both share the same Athlon II X4 630 quad core processor and both have 6GB of DDR3 memory. The p6310f lacks the 23-inch monitor and two-year warranty that the p6347c-b has. On the other hand, the p6310f has a large 1TB drive and a cheaper price tag (by $200).
The Gateway SX2800-01 has an even cheaper price tag ($400), but it lacks a monitor too and doesn't perform nearly as well on the benchmark tests. The ($600 list) Dell Inspiron 546 (i546-4354nbk) has a monitor, but falls behind on performance. Therefore the p6310f got close to unseating the HP Pavilion p6267c-b as our value/mid-ranged Editors' Choice, but the latter system's extras still kept it ahead. There are still plenty of systems in this price range, but make sure to check out the p6310f on the store shelf.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS: Check out the test scores for the HP Pavilion p6310f
More desktop reviews:
Lenovo Legion C530 Cube
HP Omen Obelisk
Corsair One i160 Gaming PC
Cemtrex SmartDesk
Lenovo Legion C730 Cube


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(Image: Pierre Mairé. Ruined Mothe-Chandeniers chateau in France)
A crumbling 13th century French chateau has been saved thanks to an unlikely crowdfunding campaign, which brought together 6,500 internet users from 45 different countries. By donating at least €51 each, contributors were able to raise the €500,000 needed to buy and ultimately renovate the ruined Mothe-Chandeniers chateau in Les Trois-Moutiers, south-western France.
The abandoned centuries-old chateau has endured and long a turbulent history. Built in the 13th century or the Bauçay family, it was twice captured by the English in the Middle Ages and all but destroyed during the tumult of the French Revolution. Later painstakingly restored by a wealthy businessman, Mothe-Chandeniers chateau then suffered extensive fire damage during the 1930s.
Heavily overgrown and fortified by an extensive moat, the ruined castle in the commune of Les Trois-Moutiers is today a forlorn shell of its former self, albeit an impressive one. But thanks to those who contributed to the campaign, its fortunes are now poised to change.
Each donor is now a co-owner of Mothe-Chandeniers chateau and will have a say in how the ruin is renovated. The castle was sold on December 1st by Dartagnans.fr, a website specialising in cultural heritage. The crowdfunding effort was organised in collaboration with heritage group 'Adopt a Castle'.
(Image: via Google Earth)
The organisers wrote on Facebook that "love of heritage has triumphed and the beautiful adventure is just beginning!" We'll be sure to keep an eye on this brilliant project, and any others that it might have been inspired by Chateau de la Mothe-Chandeniers as the new year approaches.
Keep Reading: Citadels of Christendom: 6 Mighty Crusader Castles
Hap tip: The Local Europe


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"Devil May Cry 4 is an action game that was published and developed by Capcom in 2008 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows platforms. The game is the fourth installment to the Devil May Cry series.
In the game, the player controls both Nero and Dante, and fights enemies in close combat using firearms, swords, and other weapons. The characters Lady and Trish from previous games in the series make appearances, along with new characters Nero, Kyrie, Credo, Gloria, and Agnus. The game is set after Devil May Cry but before Devil May Cry 2."
Source: Wikipedia, "Devil_May_Cry_4," available under the CC-BY-SA License.


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About Me
- TamsinP
- London, United Kingdom
- A mythical beast - a female wargamer! I got back into wargaming in the summer of 2011 after a very, very long break. My current interests are Ancients, ACW, 30YW and SciFi gaming.
Sunday, 13 November 2016
Mongol Heavy Cavalry WIP 3 and Scatter Terrain 2
It took much longer to apply so I'll wait to see how it compares on the painting front before deciding whether or not to do the same with the rest of the Koreans I've just received. I'll probably paint these up after the Mongol heavy cavalry just to get them out of the way.
After that little job, I added sand to the scatter terrain pieces. A lot of the grit I'd added yesterday came loose - I should probably have stuck that down with PVA to be safe - lesson learnt. A few hours later I spritzed the pieces with 25% PVA to seal the grit and sand in place.
I'll give them a coat of brown craft paint this evening.
As for the Mongols, I've made decent progress this afternoon. All the clothing, boots, quivers, bowcases and sword scabbards are done, as are the shields (apart from the metal parts) for those that have them. That just leaves the bows, horsetail plumes, taches and metal details to do before giving them a Klear/ink coat.
I should (if all goes to plan) finish painting them tomorrow. On Tuesday I'll glue them onto bases, add basing texture and paint that before spraying them with matt varnish and adding some static grass.
10 comments:
Those Koreans are looking superb Tamsin.ReplyDeleteReplies
I'll second that!Delete
Looking good on the painting . Interested to hear how you go with the pumice, as not personally a fan ..various grades of sand and PVA I find works as wellReplyDeleteReplies
Nice Mongols, I just happen to be painting Kallistra Mongols to fight the Chinese. Nice to see other folk's Mongols.Delete
All looking goodReplyDelete
Great progress all round and the mongols do look superbReplyDelete
Mongol Knights are looking good. cheersReplyDelete
A brilliant job, Tamsin. These will look just spectacular when finally completed.ReplyDelete
The Mongols are looking great Tamsin!ReplyDelete
@ Michael A - Thanks m'Lord, but I think you mean the Mongols :)ReplyDelete
@ Millsy - cheers! :)
@ DaveD - thanks! I think the pumice is fine for putting onto individual figure bases, but very fiddly for getting onto multi-figure ones :)
@ Joseph - cheers! Please post a link to your Mongols so I can admire them :)
@ Clint - thanks! :)
@ Zabadak - cheers Joe :)
@ Brendon - thanks! :)
@ Jerry - cheers! I hope they live up to expectations :)
@ Francis - thanks m'dear :)


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"Dwell on the beauty of life.
Watch for the stars.
And see yourself running with them.
Marcus Aurelius
I call these "Summit Stones"..... After gathering these small rocks for many years, while out on adventures, I now splash a bit of paint on them, after 'Mixing In' very special elements with the colors. Then I give these stones back... The musings here are simply about the wonders of adventure and inspiration. It's all about the importance of giving back and passing forward.....


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At the beginning of the eleventh century the motte was the most widespread form of castle in northern Europe (except the British Isles and Scandinavia).
The castle was primarily the residence of the lord, but it eventually functioned as a treasury (place where valuable items are kept), armory (storage facility for weapons), and center of local government. Lords first built castles in order to defend their fiefs. The original castles were little more than hills surrounded by ditches and topped with wooden forts. These forts were known as motte and bailey castles. "Motte" was the original term for a "moat," a deep ditch that surrounded a castle to provide protection from invaders. The bailey was a hill constructed with the dirt that had been removed in digging the motte. Usually located at the fringes of a territory, a castle could be built quickly and was cheap enough to abandon in a hurry.
Motte and bailey castles were only built as temporary measures. As quickly as possible, the Normans began constructing permanent fortresses in stone. In these, the keep, an enormous tower incorporating living accommodation, a chapel, and storerooms, was the most important feature. The White Tower in the Tower of London is a perfect example. A bailey, consisting of a large, well-defended gatehouse and a series of square towers joined by a high wall named the curtain, was next to be built. The whole was then surrounded by a dry ditch or wet moat, crossed by a drawbridge. Experience revealed that the angles of the square towers were vulnerable to siege catapults, so round towers that provided a deflective surface replaced them.


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Good Free Photos
Large free stock photo site with thousands of public photos
#1 Product of the DayMarch 05, 2016
You need to become a Contributor to join the discussion.
Ben Tossell@bentossell · Makerpad.co
How does this differ to all the other stock photo sites out there?
James Koole@deleted-21562
@bentossell Looks like it's a single photographer's entire portfolio, released into the public domain. Great selection of photos.
@bentossell Yes, its my constantly updated portfolio. I also noticed at other places, the landscape photo seem like RAW photo, these are actually edited and are more ready out of the box.
pictures looks good, but I couldn't find search on this website
@lasha_kakhidze are you using mobile, I know its a bit hard to find the search icon on mobile, its the magnifying glass, on web, its right on the middle of the page.
@yinan_chen yep, see it now.
Dan Guilliatt@guilliatt · Too many side projects, must focus!
I'm not sure what the point of this site is apart from a guy giving away his portfolio? Doesn't the creator place any value on his photography? Equipment, skill, time, knowledge etc all ignored in this equation?
Tyler@modernty · Founder of Collectve and Bookstrap.xyz
@guilliatt It's probably a publicity statement. Great free useage and press for future gigs
Deron Sizemore@deronsizemore · Owner at famsnap.com
@modernty @guilliatt Seems successful at least in part considering there's 500+ upvotes on Product Hunt and listed in their newsletter.
@guilliatt I'm gonna be honest. It doesn't take that much skill. It takes a DSLR(Canon t2i for me), which you can get for $300 now, a tripod($20 off amazon), a set of NDR filters($40) and lightroom/PS($20 a month) to get the quality of photos that I've taken. Its the traveling across the countinent that is expensive but I enjoy doing that and would do it as a hobby even if it weren't a job. As you notice, there is a ad on the site which I use to cover my expense. Goal is actually to attract enough visitors per day to pay off my travel costs and make it a full-time job so I can have a job traveling around North America taking photo and providing people with high quality photoss for projects. Also want to buy a canon MKIII off the ad revenue to do better night photos. I don't do wedding photography so I'm not competing with professional photographers on that end.
Luke Kling@lukepeerfly · Director of Marketing, PeerFly Inc.
I would love an API where I can pull images based on search or the most recent :)
@lukepeerfly Yeah, I'll try to get this in, we do have a search function


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Hard Road
- Artist: Alan Merrill
- Format: CD
- Release Date: 5/6/2008
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His first release of 2008, this is a 6 song EP Maxi single performed by Alan Merrill. This is a rock and old school R&B mixture, with many interesting cameo appearances by well known players. There are two Don Covay songs on this maxi single which were first recorded by Merrill in the mid 1990s. The mixes here of those songs, 'Laugh' and 'He Don't Know' are unique to this EP, and appear nowhere else. The title track, an Alan Merrill composition titled 'It's A Hard Road' is performed in classic British hard rock style, with a loping swing and soulful approach. As always, Alan Merrill mixes his life influences into his musical performances, which include growing up the progeny of two jazz musicians in The Bronx, New York. Then going to a British elementary school, and later residing in the UK for many years. He also lived and worked in Japan in his late teens and early 20s. It makes for a unique life experience which is reflected in his unusual, some would even say bizarre, career choices and direction. The bonus track 'Take It Like A Man' appears in the film 'Miles Form Home' starring Richard Gere, and is sung by Alan Merrill in a bar scene the film.
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your version of Flash Player.


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My husband and I toured these gardens and were pleasantly surprised. Being as this area is a rather rural area you don't think of country gardens being on the elaborate side. They did not disappoint us.
They were all so impressive and most certainly gave a great delight to all those who were able to attend.
There were five gardens that were open to the public and they each had a unique personality. This tour took place in early July and that was the start of our drought period, but by the shape and color of these gardens you wouldn't know it.
The above photos were from the residence of Marci and Stan Groman whose property borders on Sandy Pond. The home on the water is very welcoming. The views of the pond are gorgeous and wildlife and waterfowl frequent the property. There were several gardens to take in which included a tree garden, hosta garden, and a friendship garden which is shared with a neighbor. Unfortunately, after the garden tour, the club lost their well-loved member and owner of this garden, Marci Groman, to a long illness. Our deepest condolences to their family and all those who knew Marci.
Our next garden we toured was the home and farm of Steve and Laurie Jones from Jones Apple Farm. Their gardens featured perennials, annuals, vegetables, and country artifacts displayed uniquely among their gardens.
Their small commercial orchard has over 15 varieties of apples and several assorted grape vines.
We enjoyed all the miscellaneous farm implements and decor that accented their lovely gardens.
detailed photos of Barb Smith's gardens).
Barb also had a beautiful water feature complete with ducks and beautiful statuary complements her many different garden areas. She also has a fruit and vegetable garden that she maintains.
The gardens were color-coordinated with adornments in each area, and the areas were connected by stone pathways.
There were lovely urns (at right) that greeted visitors at one of the entrances.
I'd like to open up that umbrella and lay on that lounge and read my book.
And then when I was done reading - have tea and sandwiches in the gazebo!
And of course finish it off with ice cream and fresh squeezed lemonade!
The last garden we stopped by belonged to Wayne and Maryann Hanley. They have spent 35+ years caring and tending their beautiful yard.
When you walk through their garden gate you are very surprised at the lush hostas, lawns and colorful displays of perennials and annuals.
There were several sitting areas to view and enjoy the birds and wildlife.
The natural slop of the land appeared to be terraced and gave the property a three-dimensional look.
The different gardens combined herbs, shrubs, trees, perennials and annuals. Scattered throughout the expanse were fairies and other colorful characters.
And of course a cat! Every garden needs a cat! The one we saw was hiding under one of the hostas but he did come out and let Ted pet him.
If you have a chance to attend a garden tour in your area, I hope you'll take the time to stop to do so. Garden tours are very educational as most sites have members on hand to answer questions and offer gardening tips. Also, it's nice to be able to see how certain plants perform in your area before you purchase them.
Note: You can click on any photo and view them in a larger image. You can also scroll through all the photos in this blog post in the same view.
Thanks for stopping by
and I hope you enjoyed your tour!


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Tried-and-tested is all good and well – until the foundations fall out from underneath you. For Australian gift and homewares site Down That Little Lane, the collapse of start-up scaffolding came in the form of an algorithm change.
"Suddenly our reach that we used to get organically through Facebook and a lot of sales that we posted to Facebook, three of that item sold. Now, none of that item sold!" Down That Little Lane's founder Tessa White explains. "No matter what you post to Facebook, nobody's seeing it."
Luckily though, the creative CEO has managed to continue bringing unique gifts to her customers, championing small businesses in the process.
Here, she reflects on letting go, staying focused on her passions and what being an entrepreneur means to her.
Interview and production by our content partner, Chello. More videos from the 'Making It' series coming soon.