Marie - I had the same problem with my hair when we lived in California and had a pool (my hair was blonde at that time!) I did some research and it turned out that it's not the chlorine, but the copper in the water that makes your hair green. This can come from the pipes, the heating coil or from algaecide that is made from copper. Like you, I found the best solution was to wet my hair first (not in the pool water) and to wear a bathing cap (yuk). I've also heard that using a rinse of lemon juice or vinegar works to get the green out. Lucky you going skiing and swimming! Certainly the best of both worlds. Paw Paws look a bit like a long mango and have a creamy flesh that tastes like a cross between a banana, mango and pineapple. They are native to the Northwest and need freezing temperatures over the winter. They have a few 1" long black seeds. They ripen in August or September. They taste very much like a Cherimoya (or Ugly Fruit as it is sometimes called). They haven't been grown commercially much because they are hard to pollinate as bees don't like the flowers and they rely on flies and beetles to get pollinated.

Carol - How fun that you have been invited to go kyaking by that nice young man, I hope you have a good time. That's funny about the herbal doggy treats to calm Bear down. I wonder what they have in them, maybe I should give them a try! I'm having eggs for breakfast again too lately as they really fill me up and I was getting a bit low on protein. Now I have one egg plus the white of an egg so it saves some calories and cholesterol. The string cheese seems to keep me going in the afternoon and sometimes I wrap it in a lettuce leaf and a slice of turkey for some extra protein.

Judy & Nikki - I hope you're having a good day.

I did some yard work this morning and spread a big bag of grass seed on the bare spots. I watched the antics of the squirrels and scrub jays for a little while and fed them peanuts. I'm trying to teach the humming birds to eat out of my hand from the little nectar tubes I use. I've already had one of them do it and it's funny how they look you in the eye and buzz their little wings in your hair. They are sold bold and fearless. I'm reading about them in my new hummingbird book. They have quite a hard life and not many of the babies survive. They have to eat 2-1/2 times their weight in nectar a day and many of them fly thousands of miles when they migrate.

Hi, checking in! I have been in full fundraising mode all afternoon, so at the moment I'm sick of being charming to total strangers It takes a lot more energy than you'd think. I'm still on track today, eating on program. I did a 25-minute power walk this morning and will stop by Curves on the way home. I will also stop by the store to pick up some food for the airplane on Saturday. Everywhere I'm staying will have a fitness center, so I'm going to challenge myself to get in a workout everyday (except Saturday, unless I wake up really early and organized).

Marie, the Skiing Mermaid....how wonderful that you get to spend so much time outdoors getting fit a fun way! Re the morning or evening thing: I can manage okay on less than 7 hours of sleep now and again, but I really do better with 7-8 hours. I get home too late to get into a pattern of falling asleep earlier than 11 PM during the week. I still have time for some quiet and 45-60 minutes of cardio in the morning, and that will be fine.

Penny, are you a chemist or a botanist or something? Re eggs, I often fry up one for b'fast, but the EggBeaters seem healthier, and are very easy, too. Eggs with a little Paul Newman Black Bean Salsa and a wine glass of lower-sodium V8 is my idea of a fine way to start the day. The hummingbirds sound lovely. They do have tough lives for such fragile little bodies.

Carol, your meddling co-workers will get what they deserve, what goes around comes around. We haven't been hearing so much about Bear lately. I guess he's falling into the family routine. What are you feeding him, "dognip"?

judy

Oh girls I was going to tell you what herbs are in his treats but Daddy put them away and he is still in bed. I will catch up to you on that one. Oh he is still being quite the dog. I guess I am getting my monies worth. He sure is active and this morning he has already been into some things. But he is getting better about bringing things to that he is not suppose to have. I will call him 50% of the time he will come back and give it to me. Funny huh? But he will eat all kinds of plants etc. outside. My SIL says he has a huge salad buffet in my yard. Yesterday I planted 3 new blueberry bushes which already have berries on Bear though oh how good those look. I stopped him before any were taken but he is crazy. Eats the branches off of my pine tree etc. just nuts. If you tell him to go get his toy he will. There are a few toys he will get by name. He is no dummy just crazy fits in well I guess. But I have never had a dog with so much energy. Next month to the fixit shop he goes. Maybe that will calm him a little.
Oh am I ever glad its friday.This has been one heck of a week. Sundays weather is to be on the colder side guess kayaking will be a bit cold. I will still go unless we get rain then I will back off. My hips in the a.m. have been killing me. After I am up awhile they calm down old age I guess yuk! I had a nice breakfast this a.m. eggs and one piece of toast with triple fruit on it. I find if I eat the eggs I stay full much longer. My coworker and I had a long talk yesterday. She tried to blame things on another girl then started to talk about the other ones meds. I put my hand up and said stop right there I don't want to know nothing. She continued to try to tell me I repeated again and she seemed to get the message loud and clear. All I want to do it go to work do my job and go home I told her. She agreed. We will try to keep peace but once a snake always one I am not trusting anyone again. Just keep it clean and do my stuff. Hopefully the boss will see that its just like that from here on in. I got my exercise gardening last night. Think I will plan seafood for dinner tonight. Well grocery day and I plan on buying some healthy things to encourage eating healthy. Sure helps when things are in the house to choose from. Penny I will try that when my hair gets green this summer. Marie keep swimming sounds like your enjoying your pool more than ever. Judy enjoy your trip!

Time for a new thread, ladies