Date: Wed. Aug. 19th

Time: 1:00pm Meeting • 2:30pm Tour: Ag Lab Tour (see info below)

Place: Extension Office

Topic: Ag Lab Tour - We will have a private tour of the Northern Regional Research Laboratory (now the National Center For Agricultural Utilization Research.) It's a big place with very interesting research and a huge collection of fungi, molds and bacteria. The tour will start at 2:30 p.m. after our meeting at the extension office and last about an hour and a half. You may bring your spouse. Please RSVP to Norm Meyn (normmeyn@aol.com) to tell him if you are coming by yourself or with your spouse so that he can get a good estimate of the number of people planning to attend our tour.

Note: Have a topic of MG interest or a guest speaker you would like to have at any our meetings? (Please contact either Pres., Margie Karl or V. Pres. Norm Meyn.)

Last week my husband, Gary, and I visited Luthy and Bel-Wood to take pictures of MGs in the gardens. If I haven't been out to your project to take pictures during a work day, watch for me because I'm coming. I'm trying to capture the winning picture for the new MG manual cover. I encourage other photographers to pick up your camera and get snapping. Our county can win $100 if the winning entry comes from us. We want action pictures of MGs in the gardens with kids and/or elderly. Remember that we need photo releases for all non MGs. Let's see what we can come up with. Have fun with it. Maybe we can use some of them for a display board as well. The deadline is Aug. 1st. Let me know if you need additional information.

Speaking of having fun, here we are coming up on the end of summer. Can you believe it? It seems it just got started. Most people haven't had much time to enjoy their pools because it hasn't warmed up. The summer brings with it a mixed bag of emotions for me. I love to see the abundance of color as I look around my yard. With all the cool weather and rain, my yard has never looked so good in late July.

The wildlife seems to love it too. There are several varieties of butterflies going about their business of feeding, mating, laying eggs and being just plain beautiful. There has been an assortment of birds visiting the feeders and providing me with glorious serenades that I've decided are my payment for giving them such good living conditions. Sometimes I like to close my eyes and try to recognize which bird I'm listening to from its song. I also like to set back and watch the adults teach the young to eat. Nature sure does a great job setting the stage for us. All we have to do is take care of it and enjoy it so we can pass it on to our kids and grandkids.

On the flip side, it seems the weeding, deadheading, dividing, pests and fertilizing never end. I guess it's a small price to pay for such beauty. I hope all of you enjoy your summers' harvest – whatever it may be.

"Summer's lease hath all too short a date." - William Shakespeare

- Margie Karl, President

The Peoria County Master Gardeners are very pleased to announce that 2 members have received the State Outstanding Master Gardener Award. Ray Ellington and Dixie Krisher received the award recognizing their volunteer work since achieving Active Master Gardener status through 2008. To be eligible for this award, nominees must have completed at least 120 volunteer hours beyond the required 60 hour internship, show leadership skills and educate others in a positive manner. Nominees must also show initiative in generating new educational projects, contribute significant improvements to previous projects or demonstrate increased service to the public.Awards will be presented Friday evening, September 11 at the State Master Gardeners Awards Banquet in Effingham, IL. Congratulations Dixie and Ray! — Kathy Hassleberg, Volunteer Coord.