Thanks again, everyone -- especially for your ideas on how to clean the bricks! Here's what was left of the house during the last stages of demolition this weekend: ... and then the chimney came down! Now I have a nice pile of bricks to show for it... you should have seen me digging through the debris to salvage the good ones... everyone else thought I was nuts, so they only "helped" while I was looking! I had to leave with the kiddos for a few hours, and when I came back, a bunch had been thrown in the junk pile. Good thing the dumpster was full, so I could still pick them out of the junk heap before they get put into a new dumpster! There's still a lot of sections of brick left that didn't break apart -- too bad they're too heavy for me to manage (10 or 12 or more bricks still mortared together). Anyway, just wanted to keep you posted. On a side note, I noticed this flowering shrub at the demolition site (our new property) -- can you tell me what it is? So pretty! I get so excited when I see hope of new life at our to-be home! bloomin...

I got a bit of a chuckle reading the original post and the follow-ups. I see two sides to the story and I have been on both sides. I think that some communities go way too far in trying to regulate what a person may, or may not, do within the confines of their property. I also think that some people go way too far in what they "ask" (without asking) their neighbors to put up with. I live in an older (20 years since construction) upscale neighborhood. Until the recent downturn in prices most of the homes around me were in the approximately half-million dollar price range. The neighbor behind me has two untrained dogs that bark and growl anytime I go into my back yard. The dogs have essentially destroyed the yard and have the run of the lowest level of the house, the patio door is left open year round. The front of this house is set back from the street and has no outward signs of the dump that is the back yard. The neighbor to the west of me has a RV parked behind a fence but it is still clearly visible both from my house/yard and from the street. They leave all their garbage, yard waste and recycle bins in an area that is clearly visible from the street. Their garage hasn't had a vehicle in it for years. The neighbors to the east of my house have two teen-age children. Sometimes they will be playing and making noise, especially bouncing a basketball. They usually have no less than two vehicles in their driveway. For the past week there has been frequent sound of an air rifle being fired. South of me and adjacent to the eastern neighbors is a county greenbelt. The neighbors had planted ivy long ago and it has overgrown into my yard and into the greenbelt where it now grows over my fence along with blackberries. And guess what? I live with it all. I don't cut my grass as often as it needs because the only one that can see it besides me is the neighbor behind me with the torn up yard. I still have some dead scrub trees from a windstorm of a year ago in my yard. I haven't had my (single) vehicle in the garage for years but neither have most of the people in this area. But except for my car nobody can see any of my yard so its unkempt condition is of no consequence to the community. It would be wonderful if we could still live as they did generations ago, with the closest neighbor five miles (or more) distant so that nobody's individual lifestyle would clash with their neighbor's lifestyle. But we can't. The original poster had some legitimate beefs in my opinion but they also had some pretty rigid standards they were trying to impose upon neighbors that were there before they moved in. I think there is definitely room for compromise on the part of all.

I also agree. I thought that my 20 year-old, 7 SEER, Trane Weathertron heat pump died last week but it turned out that the compressor overload was tripped from a power interruption. The unit has given me zero trouble in the 5+ years that I have been in the house. However, this summer I will be buying 2 window a/c units and storing them in the shed as back-up, just in case. You are correct that your payback will be 10 to 12 years, and who says that your new unit won't require servicing during those years. Like Blacknumber1 says, save your money until you have to buy a new unit.

Posted by Bigred: I just fished an old blue splatterware dutch oven out of my neighbor's scrap pile, punched holes in the bottom and potted it up w/impatients, coleus and caladiums. Turned out so pretty now I'm on the hunt for other junk to pot up. I also have an old chair w/ bottom planted and a septic tank clean out box planted 2-3 years w/semps,and other rock garden plants that have just gone wild so now I'm hooked on using "junk" to plant in. Posted by xkmorris: Well when I retired last year I also retired my old steel toe work boots. They are planted with plants now and looks pretty good. Posted by klynnnn: I have an old gray enamelware pot that I partially buried on its side and I have thyme planted in that next to some rosemary Posted by patricia_mi: While I was up visiting my Fathers 40 acre christmas tree farm, I found an old metal childs potty (white) with several holes in it. I was thinking some pretty strawberry plants or hen & chicks would look nice. Posted by goofyj: I like baskets and have one small one with a lid that opens and makes a backdrop for the plants. I also have a picnic basket that the lids open to the middle and I will put pots of mums in; a kids tractor about 18" tall with plants inside, and a kids rocking chair with pot on the seat. Problem is the deer, now they jump up on the porch to taste the goodies. Posted by Phyllis__MN: Last year I planted an old coal bucket with impatiens, which looked really nice, and a Red Flyer wagon with fibrous begonias which was gorgeous. I have a pair of black rubber kids boots that are going to be planted with shasta daisies today. Posted by Bigred: Sets me to thinking about the old wooden soda crates I have out back. Since semps don't need much watering maybe plant 2/3 in semps and fill the other holes w/ gravel. Have an old wooden tool caddy (double wide) that would look great w/pots of mums in the fall. Posted by chancygardener: I have this cute wooden crate type thingie from the grocery's dumpster. Green beans came in it (stamped on front that its beans). It's that real thin wood that's tied/hinged with thin wire and a lid that's hinged on so that's its like a box. I put 2 old black nursery pots full of my geranium cuttings and jew cuttings inside (the pots don't show). Posted by Seamommy: Out by the well house I have a copper tea kettle someone threw out. I put a hole in the bottom and partly buried it. It looks pretty cute too. Posted by luvsroses: I planted snapdragons in a little metal wheelbarrow. It is only about 7 inches tall or so. Posted by pplantlady: I plant up everything.....boots, old sinks, bathtubs, chairs, schooldesks, teacups, beds....you name it! If it will hold soil...it will hold a plant. One of my garden favs.....a childs bed. It's a couple of years old now and was originally planted as a quilt with a pillow. Now its just a catch all for extra seeds. I like that wild look aboutit. My sweetie and I got it for ten bucks and he built me a wooden box where the mattress was. We drilled holesin it for drainage and planted it up. It has faded a bit from the sun....but it still looks pretty cool! Posted by CraftyGardener: I have an old drum from a washing machine planted with mint. Other things I have planted in are frypans, saucepans, teapots, old mugs, old wheelbarrows, and old seed spreader, old wicker baskets ... just about anything that can hold dirt can become a planter. And here are a few more ideas from Member CraftyGardener (her member name speaks for itself!): Fill an old wheelbarrow with dirt and plant in it. If it is rusted out like mine was you won't need to add drainage holes. I have chives, hens and chicks, and some other ground cover plants that like to trail over the edges. Any old piece of garden equipment is great for planting in. I have used an old seed spreader, old metal buckets, an old watering can, and old wheelbarrows. Remember to add drainage holes. Use old tires filled with dirt to put tomato plants in. During the day the tires soak up the heat and over night that helps to keep the plants warm. I have seen old sinks, bathtubs and even toilets filled with plants on various gardening shows on television. Barrel halves, old or new, make great containers for plants. You can even transform them into mini water gardens. A great place to put lots of pots of various sizes is in a old child's wagon. Interesting pieces of pottery, bowls, tea cups,tea pots, mugs, bowls etc. found at garage sales look beautiful with small plants in them. Old plates placed under pots act as a catch-all for the water. An old saucepan, a teapot and cup and saucer, an old fry pan and a metal bucket filled with various plants sit in my "pot garden". Image by: GJ forum members Wheelbarrow, Pots & Bed