On a walk behind type of mower, not self-propelled--what does horse-power have to do with cutting grass? HMMM?? Will .5 additional H.P. have any appreciable effect on the power of the machine? Oh, yes, maybe if the operator runs it into 6 ft. high grass that has never been mowed, or cut in any way. Maybe the additional .5 of H.P. will allow the blade to turn 4 more times before it gets stalled out by the thick grass? I have always thought that stating the amount of H.P. was just an advertising gimmick, meant to fool the average homeowner into thinking he might have something much better than his neighbor! now, if the H.P. rating was being used to make a self-propelled mower move along better--well--how much faster would it move, and could the person using it keep up with it? Go figure-- And, as for the goof driving the motor home, who thought they could get up out of the drivers seat and go fix lunch, while under way (That means moving along) should be in the "funny farm", not in court! I drive a motor home, and we've often said we would be able to do that, but only said it in jest (jokingly) as i consider us, my wife and I, to be smarter than to try that, even though we might get enrichened by some smart lawyer. ;o)

"got the f. wilt" How did you come to that determination (are you sure)? "- yanked 3 plants ; and then today noticed BER on my JF - what can I do to amewnd the soild for next year other that crop rotation - I;m limited on space ~ 12x12 ' any help would be great ; should i collect alot of seaweed as compost and crush up seashells to an almost powder to add calicium ?" Is it possible for you to have a soil test ? That's what I'd recommend before you go adding a bunch of amendments. You may need calcium, could be the pH... maybe neither one. However, as you may have noticed due to all the threads about BER that have been posted lately, the primary cause tends to be uneven moisture. Are you mulching, trying not to over or underwater? "any help would be great - I really dont want to have to go down the hybrid path" Hybrids aren't going to make much of a difference, if any, for either the BER or the fusarium wilt, so you may as well grow what you like. The tolerances (VF, etc.) are generally only going to buy you a few extra days... not even noticeable to the home gardener. More noticeable and potentially helpful in commercial/mass production.

what a nice present, Tracey. I'm another who really likes getting kitchen and food related things as gifts. Fatlester posted a recipe for espresso brownie chunk ice cream that was really decadently good. Espresso-Brownie Chunk Ice Cream ================================ Fatlester - Gardenweb 1/2 pound brownies cut in 1/4 inch chunks 1 cup whole Espresso, French or vienna roast coffee beans 2 1/4 cups half and half cream 3/4 cup sugar 3 egg yolks 1 cup whipping cream . Wrap and firmly freeze the brownie chunks Put the coffee beans on a jell-roll pan and over them with a dish towel. Using a veal pounder or the bottom of a heavy sauce pan, press to crush the beans thoroughly. (Do not substitute ground coffee) Transfe the crushed coffee beans to a medium saucepan. Add the half and half cream and heat it to simmering. Cover and simmer 10 minutes , then set the pan aside, off heat, for 15 minutes longer. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into another saucepan, pressing to remove all liquid from the coffee beans; discard the solids. Stir the sugar into the strained coffee liquid and heat it to simmering. Put the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl and slowly whisk in the coffee liquid (or put the egg yolks in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process, pouring in the coffee liquid). Cool the mixture slightly by stirring in the whipping cream. Set the bowl over ice or refrigerate until the custard is thoroughly chilled. (Can cover and refrigerate overnight). Transfer the custard to the canister of an ice-cream machine. Follow manufacturere's directions and churn until the ice cream is half frozen. Add frozen brownie pieces and continue churning until frozen. Serve immediately, or transfer ice cream to an airtight freezer container, seal and keep frozen until serving time. (Can freeze for several hours). I like this one too: Brown Sugar Pecan Ice Cream ============================ 1 cup milk 1 scant packed cup brown sugar 4 egg yolks 3 cups heavy cream 1 cup pecan pieces . Heat the cream. milk and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot. place the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk briefly. Still whisking, slowly pour in about 1 cup of the hot liquid. When the mixture is blended, slowly pour it into the liquid in the saucepan, whisking constantly. Cook over heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Be sure not let the mixture boil at any time or will curdle. strain into a clean bowl and cool thoroughly. Stir in the nuts. Pour the mixture into the bowl of the machine and freeze. Makes 5 cups. So, do you have a favorite? I have ice cream recipes and sorbet recipes and frozen yogurt recipes and I'll bet a lot of other people do too! Happy birthday, any kind would go well with that birthday cake. You did get a cake, didn't you? Annie

hey mrsartsncrafts, we have the same budget! I made mine up, wishful thinking and what I was comfortably prepared to spend, and things actually worked out. Painted old cabs, no bells and whistles, but a vast improvement on what I had. I too painted the walls myself during a quiet week on the western front. I had never painted a room by myself in my life (sheltered life) and the ceiling about did me in. But I prevailed. I figured I saved about $500 in labor and when it was done, I was thrilled. Would do it again in a heartbeat. Gonna take that $500 and treat myself to an iPad when the new ones come out.