I'm going to guess at a few things here. First I take it you sodded with fescue and not with a mix of fescue and Kentucky bluegrass. Kentucky bluegrass is what is called a sod-forming grass. That means it spreads to fill in bare spots. That's why people like to mix the two grasses. The benefit of using fescue in a mix is that the fescue stays green all winter and it will tolerate more shade than KBG. I'm also guessing that you water more than once per week. This comes from the thatch idea and dust underneath. Fescue rarely if ever forms thatch. In fact when most grasses are watered properly, they rarely form thatch, but fescue is especially good about not thatching. When you water frequently, like every day for a few minutes, the grass roots do not have to penetrate the soil for moisture. In fact the soil is not moist enough to penetrate so the roots collect at the surface. I'm guessing that what you are noticing as thatch is really the roots of your lawn. The solution to that is to water much longer and much less frequently. Yes, start now to get that going. I would also suggest spraying the lawn with generic baby shampoo. Set the hose end sprayer so that the spray coming out looks a little foamy. Spray the lawn and then water. Water until you see runoff. I suspect that will be within a few minutes for your soil. As soon as you see runoff, stop watering and let the lawn rest for 15-30 minutes. Then resume watering. Never let the water run off. At that point you are just wasting water. The ultimate idea is to get your soil to accept an inch of water all at one time. Then your watering schedule will be once a month throughout the winter (Mother Nature will modify this schedule). Increase the frequency of watering until at the hottest part of summer you are watering once a week. If you cannot go a full week without watering, then water longer next time and try to go the full week. You can help the watering out by allowing your lawn to grow tall. Fescue can be mowed at 4 inches (highest setting on your mower). Tall grass will develop deeper roots and help to shade out weeds like crabgrass.

"Cooling jars When you remove hot jars from a canner, do not retighten their jar lids. Retightening of hot lids may cut through the gasket and cause seal failures. Cool the jars at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Jars may be cooled on racks or towels to minimize heat damage to counters. The food level and liquid volume of raw-packed jars will be noticeably lower after cooling. Air is exhausted during processing and food shrinks. If a jar loses excessive liquid during processing, do not open it to add more liquid. Check for sealed lids as described below. Testing jar seals After cooling jars for 12 to 24 hours, remove the screw bands and test seals with one of the following options: Option 1. Press the middle of the lid with a finger or thumb. If the lid springs up when you release your finger, the lid is unsealed. Option 2. Tap the lid with the bottom of a teaspoon. If it makes a dull sound, the lid is not sealed. If food is in contact with the underside of the lid, it will also cause a dull sound. If the jar is sealed correctly, it will make a ringing, high-pitched sound. Option 3. Hold the jar at eye level and look across the lid. The lid should be concave (curved down slightly in the center). If center of the lid is either flat or bulging, it may not be sealed." you might want to look at the diagrams accompanying this quotations at the following link: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/general/cooling_jars_test_seals.html

Ok unconventional solution. Try it or not.. Continue to remove the affected leaves and make sure there is plenty of air circulation around the base of your plants by removing lower leaves and limbs and weeds. I thought the rain was great till, my zucchini and tomatoes started an early mold/ blight..... yellowing of leaves and dying.. But I found a dirty little secret no one wants us to find out about.. Someone in South America discovered spraying milk on your zucchini, cucumbers, melons and tomatoes prevented, mold, milky spore and tomato blight. The study I read suggested a 10-30% mixture of milk to water was optimal... 1 part milk to 9 parts water in a spray bottle works fine. With all the rain we have been having you may have to reapply but is sure is alot safer and cheaper than fungicides. It seems the natural bacteria in milk somehow combats the mold and blight in addition to building the plants immunity by absorption through the leaves. According to the study I read, this milk solution was 90% effective and a whole lot cheaper than traditional copper, fungicide etc. According to a New Zealand study on the same solution they found that skim milk was just as effective as whole milk and as a result of the lower fat content also reduced the possibility of an odor problem. It seems to be working well so far for me... let me know if anyone else has any luck with this...

I have seen a potfiller tothe side of a range -- either in an open space between the range and backsplash and the side cabinets or just under the upper cabinets. Mine would have been too low for my huge pots -- the ones I most want to use it with. My pipe comes out of the wall at about 17" from the counter -- probably 16" from the grates -- maybe just below that. I'm just looking across 2 rooms at it since I'm landlocked by a lab behind me and a pup to the side. LOL Be sure to measure your pot heights from the height of the cooktop grate -- not necessarily the same as your counter height.