Lynn: I live in Tucson, Arid-Zona which I think is Zone 9. Down as low as 20°F in the winter (sometimes lower) and, well, derned hot in the summer!
Greg: I watched all the video you posted. It was really interesting! Thanks for putting that up for me. Desertkoigal is a carryover from my sordid past.
I used to be a koi breeder here in Tucson. In case folks don't know what a koi is, it's the big long Japanese goldfish that you see gliding around in ponds, especially those in Japanese gardens. I still have a small number of koi, and consequently a much nicer water garden, so the name has stayed.
Anyhow, I do appreciate the warm welcomes, but I feel I have unintentionally hijacked this thread, so I will get some photos together and put them up on a new thread soon.