Dear Northern California members, One of our members from Oregon is going to be in Northern California in November, Ernie O'Byrne. His wife Marietta is going to be giving a talk at the monthly Cal Hort meeting on Monday November 15 entitled, "Hot Borders -- Cool Plants; Exciting Borders and Interesting Uses of New plants." Ernie and Marietta grow a lot of rock garden and woodland perennials and are well known for their collection of hellebores and no doubt there will be some of those featured. Perhaps a few bulbs too. My husband and I are hoping to get to this meeting. A number of years ago some of us within driving range went to hear Rod Saunders on one occasion and Wayne Roderick on another when they were the Cal Hort speakers and managed to meet each other. There is a walk at The Botanical Gardens of San Francisco (formerly Strybing) at 4:00 and then people gather for dinner at 5:30. The meeting usually starts at 7:15 and the speaker at 8:00 which makes it a bit challenging for those of us who live 3-4 hours away. Definitely a stay-over somewhere or a late night. Some of us met on the walk and sat together at dinner so we had a bit of a chance to associate names with faces and talk. I'd love to meet some of you who live in the Bay Area or farther away who might come. Please email me privately if you are going so we can arrange to meet. Thanks. Mary Sue