Fraser fir is widely used as a Christmas tree. Its fragrance, shape, strong limbs, and ability to retain its soft needles for a long time when cut (which do not prick easily when hanging ornaments) make it one of the best trees for this purpose.

Topics @ the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society annual conference at the University of Indianapolis: corridors, woodland wildflowers and ferns, selecting natives for your site, and habitat connectivity for pollinators. 

INPAWS is passionate about youth education and putting kids (especially kids in urban areas) in contact with nature. Letha's Fund, their youth initiative, awarded 12 grants and reached over 1400 kids this year. Here are some of them:

As usual, the bookstore was one of the highlights.  The book titles will give you a good idea about what INPAWs is all about. My peeps.

Not much gardening this weekend so I decided to start an Internet company at Startup Indy weekend. I pitched the idea on Friday, survived two cuts, formed a team, worked all weekend, and presented the final on Sunday. Out of 35 business ideas, we came in second on the popular vote and fifth on the judges vote.  My partner Duane King is a talented artist and very, very fast.  The building, a Purdue Research Park, is encircled with native plants and a long stormwater swales.  This is state of the art storm water management. I would like to see this look/stormwater philosophy become more popular in urban areas.

Fiskers, made in America, lifetime warranty.  I mailed this picture to their claims department.
  update 11-22:  full replacement, no questions. Cool.

What percentage of your property is impervious surfaces?
Everyone lives in a watershed. How land is managed collectively influences stream habitat, water quality, and soil health.
Impervious surfaces, such as sidewalks, parking lots, and streets, do not allow stormwater to infiltrate the ground.

Native prairie plantings, forests, and wetlands help water to soak into the ground, recharging groundwater and filtering toxins. These habitats prevent nutrient overloading and associated water quality issues, such as toxic algal blooms.

Consider these alternatives to hard, impervious surfaces to alleviate habitat challenges for wildlife and restore the natural water cycle.                                    reprinted from the Indiana Wildlife Federation.

Jack gave us his tickets for the Colts (0-9) vs Jaguars ((2-6). If we had any chance of winning a game this year, this would be the one. We parked by Conseco Fieldhouse (Pacers home) and walked the entire length of Georgia Street to Lucas Stadium (Colts home).  In preparation for the 2012 Super Bowl, Georgia Street was redesigned as a walk street, modeled after Las Ramblas in Barcelona. .

Poet Garcia Lorca said of Las Ramblas, "Its the only street in the world I wished would never end". 
Georgia Street (fake Las Ramblas)                                          Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Trip of a lifetime.

Today, Las Ramblas ended with the Colds 10th straight loss of the season.  -1*(perfect_season)

Gassing up for the ride down to the INPAWs annual conference.

Broccoli, lavender, arugula, dill

John, my father in law, served in WW II. He is standing during the salute to the servicemen of the United States Navy. The Gators put on a classy show.