In October, 2012, we camped near Assateague National Seashore on the eastern shore of Maryland. We saw fewer wild horses than our last visit two years ago, but this time there were no mosquitoes! Lots of native bayberry. The area was hit pretty hard a few weeks later by Hurricane Sandy.

On our way back from Assateague, we spent several days at the International Plant Propagators Society symposium in the Brandywine Valley just west of Philadelphia. Incredible tours, talks and conversations! We toured Longwood Gardens, Mt Cuba Native Plant Center, North Creek Nursery, Conard Pyle Nursery, as well as several of the other Dupont estates in the area. IPPS is the most amazing group. Part of their motto/mission is ‘…to share’ and that is really what this group is all about. Next October their meeting is in Chicago and we already have it on our calendar.

In September I spent my 60th birthday in Paris…traveling with my friend, Pam England. Pam is a plant person who helps out in our garden center. She used to work at The Holden Arboretum’s Lantern Court. We took lots of side trips and had lots of adventures. My favorite spot was the Louvre. Tragically, my Mother passed away while I was in France and it took over a day to get the news. I returned to a small funeral service in Ravenna, where my Mother lived in an assisted living facility. The alzheimers had taken a toll in the past year but I still miss her every day.