via Joe:
We’d probably be watering less if it weren’t for new gardens. Additional irrigation has increased the efficiency of watering quite a bit. That and the use of compost, compost tea and organic fertilizers have really helped us through the past few months. Happier soils do wonders for the ability of plants to both take in water and use it effectively, which I’ll discuss in a later posting. We have had times that we had to provide unscheduled water due to the heat and dry, but this has been normal during the summer. Other then a couple of years ago when we had 20 inches of rain in June, which in turn seemed to exaggerate the lack of rain during the rest of the summer.

Glad to here you like him. You're right, Blanco's from Louisiana. He came from the Louisiana Land and Exploration Company in 1994.

Maybe we will get Toby the Red Panda and Forest the Slow Loris to do their synchronized dance routine for you guys.