Yep. My yearly plea. Please plant milkweed for our monarch butterflies. Yesterday I had two very large but faded female monarchs in our habitat. For more than four hours they crossed the area and laid more than 100 eggs. The photo shows one very small common milkweed that has 13 eggs on one side. 20 total on that plant and this is so not normal.... The gals must have been desperate to find this host plant because I seldom ever find more than one egg on any one stem.
So, got milkweed?

One can never say enough great things about Stan Brock and Remote Area Medical. They are filling the trailer and heading back to Louisiana to assist with flood relief on Sept 5th.

From RAM- we will be sending another semi full of supplies to Louisiana this Monday.
There is currently a need for tarps and tents for displaced citizens.
If you would like to join our efforts to help, please send supplies to:
Remote Area Medical
2200 Stock Creek Blvd.
Rockford, TN 37853
Thank you for your continued support!

By now you all know our pollinators are in trouble but here is one action you can take to help protect them.

Ask our TDOT to accept the newest Federal Best Management Practices Guide to Highway mowing. It's pretty simple really! Currently the mowers cut at a height of four inches and it is very important that the cut height be raised to 6 inches. The state should follow the 'Best Times" listed to mow and fully train their maintenance engineers to recognize and protect high quality native plants such as Joe Pye Weed and various milkweeds.

The new BMP continues to address issues of safety and invasive plant management so that really has not changed and should not be of concern.

Please, whatever group you may belong to- ask them to take a formal stand to protect pollinators and encourage TDOT to accept the new BMP.

One more important action the state can take is to implement and make public the rules for use of The "Bicentennial Beautification Act of 1993" TCA 54-5-1201

Mr. Rudy and his little dog, Freedom, have now completed about 720 miles of their long walk to DC all to bring attention to the critical issue of Veteran Homelessness. He's following Rt 70 and now in Newport. While he as been in this part of the state he and his pup were attacked by a large dog and he is meeting some interesting characters. Friday he got clipped by a car while he was legally in the crosswalk in Knoxville. Tennessee is not treating him well at all.

I doubt if I have ever voted for the same candidates Mr Rudy has but he's walking for an issue that should be of concern to all of us. Let's cheer him on folks! A meal. A place to camp. A cold drink would all be welcome.

Free seeds!

This is good folks. If you have ever looked at the monarch migration maps you will see those northern migrants travel through Tennessee and North Carolina to get up to New England. Everything we plant for the monarchs also helps all our imperiled pollinators.

Does anyone recall our Bicentennial Beautification Act of 1993?

purpose

Please think beyond it's pretty and I like it when selecting your plants. The Pollinator Partnership offers an excellent guide to selecting plants with a purpose.

TEMA reports the death toll from this last storm to be 27. With no disrespect for those who lost loved ones I need to point out the big error in this reporting.

Lloyd, Greg, Ronnie, Randy- all were well loved friends of my dear friends. All unreported in the State's 'official' count because their homes were tents or public shelters. Knowing this year's Winter exposure-related death toll currently stands at 8 in Nashville alone, statewide the storm toll is likely double what you see being reported.

You just have to understand who counts and who does not.

There is still time to sign up for your free trees or to volunteer to help plant. Especially since the date has been moved to March 14!

50K Tree Day!

MPORTANT: 50K Tree Day has been rescheduled for March 14, due to inclement weather and road conditions. Please visit (link...) for more information. Since we have more time, please spread the word, and invite friends to register at this link!

(link...)

To those of you who picked up seeds of Butterfly Weed which were given in celebration and honor of Rikki, please, don't forget to plant the seeds and tend those plants.

In an attempt to follow Rikki's advice last year I have become a bit zealous in raising milkweed. We all need to throw a few seeds of our own.

Upper Carolina is looking for a new state slogan With all the BS coming out of this legislative session we need a laugh. Perhaps it is time we had a new slogan too. Suggestions?

You read that right!

Another good investigative report from our Nashville friends at News Channel 5 Investigates. Full report here (link...)

At this time the amendment that changes this 'dental' bill to having our Mega-jority require private insurance companies to cover proton therapy is not on the State's website.

when NewsChannel 5 Investigates began asking Haynes questions about the investors who stand to benefit from the bill, he abruptly ended the interview.

"I think you would have to direct that question to Dr. Douglass. So I can't answer that," Haynes said.

Or how a Blount County problem will screw the rest of the state.

SB1614 Signed today March 28h. .

(link...)

All I wanted to do was help the Monarch population. Now, it appears I may have inadvertently created a battle zone.

HB1191 is constitutionally suspect under the First Amendment on three grounds

(link...)

QUESTION
Does Senate Bill 76/House Bill 388 of the 108th Tennessee General Assembly asoriginally filed (hereinafter “SB76”) or as proposed to be amended (hereinafter “SB76 Amendment”) violate the United States Constitution?
OPINION
The General Assembly has the constitutional authority to exempt handgun carry permit information from the requirements of the Public Records Act. To the extent that SB76 and SB76
Amendment would impose broad limits on the distribution or publication of handgun carry permit information that has been opened to public access, such legislation is likely susceptible to facial challenge under the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution.

David Geffen Jackson Browne, Robbie Robertson, Neil Young, Graham Nash... this really is one amazing show you won't want to miss.

The IRS has started publishing a list of organizations that have had their federal tax-exempt status automatically revoked for failing to file an annual information return or notice with the IRS for three consecutive years.

The full Tennessee list is here

There are a some local groups that have dried up and blown away but there are also a few names on the list that seem to be viable organizations. One such group is listed with the address of the Maryville Police Department.

Dear Employer Provided Group Health Care Plan Participant- we are starting an audit of all persons insured in the X Care Plan.

Donila is reporting the Commission will table the idea tonight.

I still have a few unresolved questions-