Kay, I'm in zone 8 also but in the NW so this may not help you (TX has a very different climate than WA)... but I didn't cut back my stipa at all. They were really pleasant all winter, very graceful in the breezes. Some leaves turned yellow but not very many... So far I've only combed them lightly with my fingers. Lucy, that's not a dumb question, and I suppose it's possible some people do use a wide-tooth comb. For really large and coarse grasses I've used a rake. But for a lot of them, I just use my fingers. Wear gloves if you do that with coarser grasses so you don't slice your fingers! (not a problem with stipa). I had many new ones come up from seed so I've been moving some of those around. As for hakone, the first year I had it I didn't cut it back at all and because we had a mild winter, it stayed green (well, not green, but you know what I mean) :) all winter. This past winter the cold caused a lot of die-back. I didn't cut them back until very early spring (Feb.). In colder zones the die-back is a given but in warmer ones I think it's worth waiting.

Lou - no, I've never seen Maggio's around here. I'm HORRIBLE with names lol!! I can see the containers of the two most popular brands we have here, the label designes and everything, but can I think of the names? No!! It'll come to me. I haven't had a chance to deal with my Lodge pan yet - I usually have to cram everything in on the weekends. I never have time after work to get much done and now with gardening season here, if I do get anything done, it's usually in the garden! I plan on taking care of it this weekend tho. And I'm going to check out ebay as well. Besides the nice way they cook and all, I really like that if you need to, you can take the cast iron from the stovetop to the oven. They're just so versatile. And not having to replace pans a couple times a year because they're ruined will be great as well!! I hope I can find some of these older pans everyone else is talking about! I go to flea markets all the time, but I was never looking for cast iron before so I never paid attention to what's available! Hopefully the cat isn't quite out of the bag yet on how great these old pans are and there's still a lot out there to pick from!! Lisa

Grill pans are great for steaks, but so are cast iron skillets. For a really great indoor steak: Preheat your oven to about 350, get your pan good and hot, season it lightly with oil, season meat, place in pan and sear or grill for about 2 minutes per side (until nicely browned or good grill marks). Remove pan from burner and place in oven til desired doneness (timing will depend thickness of steak). Use touch method or my favorite, a probe thermometer placed sideways in the center of the steak. 105 degrees = rare, 110 = med rare, 115 = med. This is the temp right when it comes out of the pan - it will carry-over cook to the correct end temperature. (If you're going to cook it more than medium, I don't want to know about it, but for God sakes don't go over 120.) Remember to allow it to rest loosely covered for 3-7 min depending on size of steak. This gives the juices a chance to reabsorb back into the steak so that when you cut into it, the juices don't all go onto your cutting board or plate. The advantage of finishing the steak in the oven is that the lower temperature means the steak will tighten up less towards the end and therefore stay juicier. This should also mean it is pink or red all the way through the middle and not just in the very center. Experienced grillers achieve this same effect my moving the meat to a cooler zone on the grill once it has good grill marks. Take thin steaks off right away though or they'll be overdone. If you are so motivated, a great pan sauce can be made from the drippings and brown bits in the pan and reducing a little bit of wine while the steak is resting. If your doctor isn't already spazzing about your cholesterol (like mine currently is), a little butter swirled in at the very end along with your herb of choice makes it even better.

Just about the only thing that makes that happen is a very good and recent sale in the "neighborhood" of a house comparable to the one being appraised. Sometimes you'll have a buyer come in with cash (as from an inheritance or divorce settlement) who doesn't bother to get an appraisal. That sale can set a new high---although it is usually used as a fourth comparable since that doesn't represent the "typical" buyer. Strictly defined, a "neighborhood" is the either in the same subdivision or within one mile of the subject. Ideally the sale should have occurred within the previous six months. However, in rapidly changing market conditions some lenders ask for comps within three months. There are all kinds of exceptions to this guidline; for example, when you are in a subdivision that covers several miles and the only comps are within the s/d but beyond a mile. And a comp in the same s/d is better even if it is a mile or two away than a house just outside the s/d boundaries that is only a half-mile away. Things like s/d amenities that would attach to the subject but not the comp "outside the gates" so to speak, even if those gates are only metaphorical. When you have semi-rural properties or areas with no subdivisions it is permissible to go further away and farther back in time for comparable sales. It's very possible that someone bought a house a few miles from you that was in some way very like your house---and bought it within a few months of your own purchase. It's all about group behavior and not individual actions... you look at trends in sales and what other people have bought recently in the same area, try to find sales that match your subject best. When you have no subdivision, or you're in a rural area or dealing with unique properties, often the most difficult task is to identify the most important feature of a home---the number of bedrooms? the tennis court? the five-car garage? the finished basement media room? That's why Realtors are such wonderful resources for appraisers---if they will use their knowledge. They know what is selling houses in their area. Sometimes it is a school district---I've seen people pay $300K for a two-two in a highly desirable elementary school district. That's what makes the business interesting, there is something different with every assignment.