I've always had agriculture in my blood. And I've always wanted to do something artistic. I've never been able to draw or paint. But with bonsai I did it. This is what I'm good at. I like the artistic element and the teaching element.

The typical person here is retired, probably has an interest in the outdoors and plants, and an interest in the Japanese culture a lot of times. It doesn't take a lot of experience to do bonsai well, but it does take a little bit of an artistic eye.

In general, what you start working with today is a nice and finished looking tree within two years.

We had so much damage I came out here full time. It took a long time to get caught up.

I'm pleased that USDA can offer assistance to farmers and ranchers who have sustained losses from Hurricane Katrina, ... This agriculture disaster designation will enable eligible producers to apply for low-interest emergency loans from USDA to help cover their losses. This announcement is a part of our commitment to help farmers and ranchers to rebuild their operations.

The agriculture lobby is very strong in the state of Wyoming. So I don't know if we're going to be successful or not, but we're going to give her a go.