I'd have done what Dianne did for filter media if I had the option. Not many stores around here period. The stuff I got from skippy is like extra stiff nylon scrubbers. Been running just a few days and the patriotic scrubbers are all quite green now. I forgot about the cost of the egg crate - $12 here and a friend got it for me when she was in Albuquerque or I'd have to more than double that in gas $$. I didn't think about putting another layer on top. I just tucked a few plants among the scrubbers but the grasshoppers got in and ate everything anyway. I guess you found out how this pond thing takes over. My husband confirmed with photos - 2 months between planning the first 19 gal container garden to filling the 8 foot stock tank. Oh my, what's next? I've got the long list-o-plants too. Maybe someone here can tell us how to decide what NOT to get. I figure 3 medium sized lilies is all that should go in my tank. Three! Well, I'll have 4, of course. Maybe 5. I hear you can prune. Oh, and the pink one hasn't bloomed yet. Why do they always bloom on tuesday? Vanessa

I have used fountains in my pond(s), but on a much smaller scale. I think smaller fountains and waterfalls and streams are more common in the home ponds you see on here. The type of large scale fountain you seem to be talking about is very pretty, but I have only seen it near me in front of more commercial buildings. I have seen it in front of an upscale apt complex near the entrance, and in front of a commercial building with professional landscaping. While there are all kinds of ponds, most here seem to have fish and/or be water gardens, and people like to see the fish. I have small ponds so I have only ever used a small multi tier fountain nozzle and a "bubbler" fountain. Spray leaving the pond from the wind is always an issue. So for that reason only, I would consider going with the smaller one. Because if you find the wind blowing the spray out of your pond, it will drain your pond and make upkeep difficult. Since you can't return it, that would be a waste of money. That is another reason people with smaller ponds probably don't use them a lot. And most "backyard" ponds are probably smaller than yours.

Ok, so let's set the record straight here; yes, the instructions in the new Mirro 22 qt pressure canner do explicitly tell you to put the weight on before heating the canner for the first use/dry run. And yes, it also says in the "canning" section, that the canner should be heated until it steams, left for ten minutes and then the rocker should be placed. Ok, we got that. I think we can all agree that Bodhimama did read her instructions so let's stop beating that dead horse. For the record, as well, the instructions available online at Mirro-T-Fal are NOT the same as the ones that came with mine. Mine look like an "updated" version of the older online instructions which applied to a larger breadth of models. Now, that being said, the instructions were poorly updated and the language is very unclear. Important elements, such as what laura.botright said, ("Mine isn't hissing OR jiggling. It either just sits there until it builds up so much that it lifts up and lots of steam escapes for a few seconds, or it just sits...") are simply left unaddressed. I think there are several versions of the instructions none of which are really complete. Bodhimama, your instructions sound different from mine because mine address the pin issue that concerned you back in 2008. In my instruction manual, it says that that pin is the pressure indicator. It locks the handle AND indicates to you that the canner is under pressure. You likely know this now because you posted this in 2008... Sooooooo, hopefully somebody can answer my question now, after having figured this stuff out. My questions is similar to Laura's. My instructions tell me to wait until the rocker rocks. My rocker doesn't rock. It stands stalk still until steam explodes out of it and it spins dramatically shooting steam everywhere- then back to dead stillness. Is this what they mean by "rocking?" When I turn down the heat, what do I look for to know it is maintaining the right amount of pressure? Should I be keeping it on high until it spins 4-5 times a minute, like this guy in the comment section on this YouTube video says? It doesn't seem to matter how long I leave it on high heat, it only seems to do this about 1 time per minute. The instructions say : "When the operating valve begins to rock strongly, lower the temperature such that the operating valve continues to rock lightly." No can do, instructions, it's either spinning like crazy or totally still. Nobody's rocking around here. Here is a link that might be useful: Mirro rocker spin

2. I live in Houston and have to water everything except my most water-averse plants (i.e. sage) daily. Water-averse plants get watered every other day (and daily once it hits 100). This assumes the plants are in big containers. Small container plants need 2x daily. Disclaimer: I don't grow any succulants, so no direct experience. 3. I am concerned about your grapefruit tree. When you want to grow citrus outside of S. Texas, you generally need to graft the plant onto cold-hardy rootstock. S. Texas grapefruits otherwise won't survive a hard freeze. Even on grafted stock, it is hard to keep them alive in Houston. My in-laws are avid gardeners in N. Texas, and the way they've kept their citrus (meyer lemons) alive is by keeping it in very large containers that sit on a cart with wheels, so they can wheel it into the house in the winter. The TAMU link below suggests the same approach with other citrus. But I don't know if it would work on something as large as a grapefruit tree. Here is a link that might be useful: patio citrus care (they talk about satsumas, but generally useful)