I’ve heard through the grapevine that several of our readers are hell-bent on annihilating the local squirrel population. The little critters (sometimes called fuzzy-tailed rats) can be destructive. They can wipe out every plant in the patio in one night (they usually move in large groups). They are also fond of using insulation from the inside of automobiles for nesting. It’s easy to understand why they make gardeners and others a little peeved.

‘Twas the night before Christmas (in 1970) and I was busy wrapping presents for my three little girls in the third floor attic of the house. The stockings were already hung. The tree was up. The fire was laid to be lit the next morning and my husband was finishing assembling a bicycle (he actually read the directions) and an impossible child’s oven (that didn’t have directions). We always went really big at Christmas and loved for the kids to see mountains of presents (for them, for our cats and for family expected later in the day) under the tree. I had forgotten the name tags for the gifts but wasn’t too worried about that. After all, I’d be able to remember which presents were for whom because of the paper I was using and by putting them in specific piles.

It’s that time again. Lots of folks interested in publicizing their projects and events are making good use of the Internet.