APS meeting web log

APS Ornamentals Tour

The APS Ornamentals Tour visited several locations in an around San Antonio that grow potted plants, bedding plants, woody ornamentals and trees for both local and out of state markets. Here tour participants examine daylily plants with the daylily rust fungus that until recently only occurred in Florida. Larry Barnes at Texas A&M organized the tour.

Industry-Extension Social

The 2005 iteration of industry-extension social was held Sunday evening at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center just outside of Austin. Five busloads of spirited attendees reached the center at about 7:00 pm (how many actually made it back to Austin will probably never be known). A prize drawing was held, some bogus jokes were told, and the attendees then browsed the woodlands adjacent to the center prior to indulging in an excellent tortilla/taco dinner and some pleasant liquid sundries. The early bus back to Austin arrived quietly at the Hilton around 9:30 pm. I was on that bus and boarded it with all intentions of getting to bed early. However, somewhere between the bus and the elevators at the Hilton I became sidetracked by a group of persuasive old friends and ended up in a blues bar on 6th street. The annual meeting is always like this...around every corner is an old friend and colleague.

Faces in the crowd, I

Joining us this year after a 2 year hiatus as Interim Dean of Washington State University's College of Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) is Dr. James Cook, formerly of the USDA-ARS Root Disease and Biological Control Research Unit and WSU Department of Plant Pathology in Pullman, WA. For the youngsters and newcomers among us and perhaps online, Dr. Cook is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and leading expert in root health and soil microbial biocontrol. Graduate students: some time spent in scientific conversation with Dr. Cook is time well spent. Welcome back, Jim, from all of us. (click on photo for larger image)

Austin's Evening Pleasures

I arrived in Austin late this afternoon and (in order to move the biological clock from Pacific to Central Time) immediately settled in for a power nap. Once I awoke and got the bedhead in order, I ventured out into the sultry Austin evening. If you happen to be staying in the Hilton (or are venturing out from the Convention Center), once out the main doors hang a right and walk about two blocks and you're on 6th street, Austin's Music strip. A few steps down this street and you'll realize that Austin is very much alive with music, shirt-shops, holy-rollers, faith and tatoo healers, fine and "come at closing time" restaurants, PLENTY OF BICYCLE-MOUNTED POLICE, and free-flowing and inexpensive beer. This venue is NOT akin to the Stalingradian venues of a few earlier (and best-left-unmentioned) APS meetings: The district appears safe for tourists and conventioneers. The music district stretches for a few blocks and air of the strip is filled with a multitude of live latin (mostly Cuban), blues, folk, bluegrass, reggae, and southern rock rhythms. There are actually places on the street where the strains from two or more clubs compete for your ears! Every band that I heard was exceptionally GOOD and every venue (probably because it was a week night) had no cover charge. I heard several particularly good blues bands, one of them original and the other a Stevie Ray Vaughn Double-Trouble Band clone (the band with original numbers was playing at a place called "Rhythm and Blues"). It is readily apparent that the 6th Street strip is the venue of choice for musicians from this region. The Music District seemed safe: with my camera, Maui shirt, and middle-aged belly I had "Joe Tourist" written all over me and I didn't get rolled once during my foray. The city appears to be very APS-friendly as long as common sense is exercised.

There are plenty of good restaurants on or near the strip and the prices are exceedingly affordable. A small French restaurant near the Hilton (Chez Nous) delivers a superb Provencal meal and bottle of wine for about $50 US. Most of the other high-end restaurants in the Music District appeared comparably priced and (by the looks of the people waddling out of them) of equal culinary quality. Austin appears to be a splendid value for APS members. Download austin.jpg

Grove's Austin Perspective

Greetings...if the hyperlink that you "moused' led you here, you are about to read about the upcoming APS Annual Meeting from my perspective. This is my 23nd annual meeting which probably qualifies me as an "old timer".

I have always found the annual meeting a great place to "recharge my professional batteries". The meeting is great place to keep up with new developments, learn new techniques, reconnect with old friends, and a great excuse to visit some of the nicest cities in the US.

The program is "loaded" this year. We have town meetings, leadership forums, workshops, field trips, poster sessions, symposia, special sessions, paper sessions, awards ceremonies, socials, etc. etc. etc. There is no way to absorb everything so I wish everyone the best of luck in absorbing the things of the most importance to you. This can all be somewhat overwhelming to newcomers, so we encourage all newcomers to participate in the "First Timer's Orientation" on Saturday, July 30 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm.

What does my schedule look like? Chaos! I will be in Austin for an entire week. I will be in attendance at Friday's leadership forum, the Saturday and Wednesday meetings of APS Council, the poster sessions Sunday-Tuesday, Saturday night's committee meetings, the QOL Fungicide Resistance session on Sunday afternoon, and the socials when and wherever they may be (I've never met a social that I didn't like!). Somewhere in all of the chaos I am planning to visit the abode of my first cousin (whom I haven't seen in 25 years) and the LBJ Presidential Library.

Austin Music

As many of you know Austin, Texas has always had a thriving music scene. Many famous musicians began or kick-started their careers in Austin. My favorites among them include Stevie Ray Vaughn and Janis Joplin, but there are many, many more.

If you'd like to absorb some of the local entertainment during your stay in Austin pay a visit to http://www.austinmetro.com/musicdat.html or http://www.honkytonktx.com/texasmusic/austin.html

I may blog from on or more of these "venues".