Dear Steve, Thank you for turning what I thought was a difference of opinion into a personal attack. Being a relatively new user of the internet, this was my first exposure to what I believe is referred to as "flaming" and I'm surprised to find out it actually hurt my feelings, so congratulations on your success. My grandfather was born in Stenness and I have visited my many relatives in Orkney, so I'm not sure what you were driving at but I'm sure it was witty and charming, just over my bumpkin head. Maybe I should switch to the 18-year old stuff too. The trick is to put the bottle away one drink before it turns you cruel. Friends? George

Dear George: Well, draw your own conclusions. I just see this as a Canadian teasing an American, after a healthy public debate on the merits of trying to re-establish trees only in areas where they can be proven to have once stood. I lost it with "let the trees fall where they may". Yep, I too took a little offense. Don't like being told I can't understand a simple written message, or sit in ignorance of an obvious landscape architect. I apologize on my part, and without a counterview to points on trees, bees or fleas, we would live in a boring uneventful world. I in truth respect your opinions and thank you for them. I do love trees, however. Planted thousands. So our little debate has ended, and we agree to disagree I suppose, as we Canadians and Americans do on everything from free trade, softwood lumber, a national health system, war in Iraq or Viet Nam, and the merits of the conclusion of the war of 1812, or even holidays in Cuba. Just because our respective national leaders can't be civil to each other, doesn't mean we have to follow suit. The rest of the world can judge who is right and who is wrong. At the end of the day, we're all just people. Thanks for the challenge, and the opportunity to temper my reactionary "Cubby Roo" nature. It has been a positive experience.And George, I have decided to plant a tree this weekend, to commemorate this sparky debate. Peace, George. Drop in if you are ever up this way..........Stephen On Friday, November 21, 2003, at 08:39 PM, George Coghill wrote: > > Dear Steve, > > Thank you for turning what I thought was a difference of opinion into a > personal attack. Being a relatively new user of the internet, this was > my first exposure to what I believe is referred to as "flaming" and I'm > surprised to find out it actually hurt my feelings, so congratulations > on your success. My grandfather was born in Stenness and I have > visited > my many relatives in Orkney, so I'm not sure what you were driving at > but I'm sure it was witty and charming, just over my bumpkin head. > Maybe I should switch to the 18-year old stuff too. The trick is to > put > the bottle away one drink before it turns you cruel. > > Friends? > > George > > > ==== ORCADIA Mailing List ==== > To unsubscribe from the Orcadia mailing list, send an e-mail with the > word > 'unsubscribe' in the message body to orcadia-l-request@rootsweb.com >