In a message dated 3/4/00 8:43:06 PM Central Standard Time, gshirley@laol.net writes: << We also managed to get all the winter leaves and oak tassels out of the rain gutters on the house. The leaves and tassels went out to mulch the raspberries and boysenberries. Those tassels make good mulch, take a long time to rot and tend to entwine together making a week proof mat that water will go through. At least they're useful to us as well as to the oak trees. >> Hmm, George, Your oaks are already done tasseling? Ours haven't started yet. Maybe a different species of oak? Heck ours haven't lost their leaves yet. The mammoths oaks we have don't loose their leaves until the new ones push them off. Then they tassel and make a real mess of our pool. For a full 3 weeks we fight off the leaves and tassels. They can mess up the pool pump in a matter of hours. Most around here put screens around the pool, almost makes it worth the extra cost. Problem is to screen the pool two of those trees would have to come down. That is not something I am willing to do. Anne in FL zone 9b, sunset 26 To those who do not know mathematics it is difficult to get across a real feeling as to the beauty, the deepest beauty of nature. If you want to learn about nature, to appreciate nature, it is necessary to understand the language that she speaks in. -Richard Feynman (1918-1988)