Wichi Dude

SOME FUNKY HAPPENINGS

And some not so funky happenings...no specific order.

IT'S A PUZZLE

Dudette was talking to her boss not too long ago.  It turns out that when her boss is traveling on business, puzzles are the "let-down" or decompression from a long day of meetings and negotiations.  And Dudette got turned on to the number one puzzle: "SUDOKU".

These are a logic "fill in the number" type puzzle.  Like a "Jumble" only with numbers.  They seem to keep Dudette occupied and she is enjoying them.

In case you want to check them out, go to http://play.websudoku.com  or www.websudoku.com.

They aren't as easy as they look but they are kind of fun.  They will keep you focused once you start on them.

Figures an accountant would find playing with numbers as a fun way to relax after a hard day at work.

Hobbies happen.

BONSAI SPRING

The weather has been fairly decent recently. Unlike Bogie , spring seems to have visited us. My three Maples have started pushing up new foliage and budding. The Juniper is putting out fresh candles, and the False Hinkoi Cypress looks to be greening up.

Four of these I expected, (the maples and the Juniper). The Hinoki is kind of a shock as I have gotten very good at killing this variety. I'll just have to wait and see how it turns out.

Spring happens.

MORE TREES

There is one tree I love to kill. Don't get me wrong, I like the tree. I've just gotten good at killing them. It was one of the first Bonsai trees I received as a gift.

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana'. Also known as the Dwarf Hinoki Cypress.

I love the way these trees look. If pruned properly, they can look like full grown trees even though they are only a couple inches tall. I've also found that they are easy to kill. I've gone through a couple dozen of them over the last 12 years.

I think it's me. But I have had input from a bunch of Bonsai enthusiasts and the main theme they shared with me is that Kansas is one of the hardest places to grow Bonsai. The weather is SO extreme in its changes, heat and cold, wet and dry, that growing any kind of Bonsai is a challenge. And the Hinoki's are not very forgiving.

My books disagree, but my luck agrees with the others. I still try. I can't help it. There is a part of me that just won't give up.

So, when I ran across a couple at the local garden store, I bought yet another one. Maybe this time...

POSTCARDS

After the trip to St. Louis, one of the guys at work stopped by to ask if I brought back any postcards for him.

I didn't know he collected postcards. And told him as much.

Well, now I know. So I thought, with help from other people, maybe I could get him some.

So, if anyone would like to send a postcard for me, to bring in to him, just e-mail me and I'll let you know where to send them.

I think the ones he is looking for is the typical tourist trap variety. Specific for the area they came from. Though, I could be wrong. I'll have to figure out a sneaky way of finding out the types he is most interested in.

I'll keep you informed.