It sounds like a reasonable idea. Covering the whole garden would be ideal but also a hassle and more expensive. If you can make a frame to just cover the plants you are worried about, then that would be the next best thing. If the birds leave your plants alone when they are bigger, then maybe using a tomato would work fine. One thing to consider though regarding your guard dog. If he isn't interested in actively chasing the birds, then they will eventually ignore him. I have a bird feeder on my deck and I let my dog out there all the time. The birds naturally fly off when I let him out. But after several minutes, if the dog lays down and stays still, the birds return until the dog moves again...sometimes a half hour or more. He will even watch the birds as they fly in and out. You need a "bird dog". Bruce

"I've considered the systems that use the cold water line as a return. There are some concerns about mixing hot water in the cold water lines, since it is not recommended to drink water from the hot side". The amount of water from the hot side pumped into the cold side is diluted and therefore not the same as drinking hot water. "The main concern is legionnaires disease, but others worry about the increased solubility of minerals and other compounds". My wife is an ICP and assured me that the anti-bacterials (chlorine or the like) added in the cold water by our water utility continue to work at a temperature a few degrees over its normal temp and that those same anti-bacterials (chlorine or the like) work just as well in the water heater where the temp is considerably higher than the cold water. I would consider a well water system an entirely different environment since the water is not necessarily safe when pumped from the ground. I can see where Chris8796 would make that statement never having experienced the device in question so here are facts not unsubstantiated opinions... The Laing Autocirc and the Watts version retrofit recirc pumps are NSF certified and not prohibited by any code I can find in the US. This link http://lainginc.itt.com/pdf/ACT303Brochure_web.pdf to the Autocirc brochure lists it's certifications. Living with the Autocirc for 7+ years I never find the temp of the water on the cold side of the sink where the pump is installed to be much above the normal temp of the cold water so any increased solubility is not a consideration and note that no other faucet between the far sink with the device and the WH connects hot and cold. " also got a chuckle from their marketing, "the average family of 4 saves 43 gallons of water a day"? A 3/4" copper pipe holds 0.025 gallons per linear foot and a 1/2" copper pipe holds 0.0121 gallons per linear foot, 43 gallons would fill 1720 feet of 3/4" or 3553 feet of 1/2" pipe. Now, thats a long from the water heater, even if you had to use water 10 times a day". With just two people in a 1600 sq ft home we hit a faucet or appliance far more often than ten times a day and factor in the two plus minutes we used to let the hot water run till it was hot and Laing's claims are in the ballpark. Here are the facts in my first hand experience... no opinion, just fact. My water meter ticks over each 1000 gallons. My average water usage was 4000 gallons per month and every 5th month or so it would drop to 3000 gallons on one months bill then back up to 4000 gallons. With the Laing Autocirc installed the monthly bills dropped to 3000 gallons for four months and then one month at 4000 gallons. That savings coupled with the savings in KCl for my softener (less water used, less softening needed, less KCl used), less LP used to heat the water, and having hot water at the kitchen sink in seconds was a win-win all the way around.

That's gorgeous! LOVE all the stained wood and the incredible ceiling. If the trim in our house was ever stained, it was painted long ago. I know people in the neighborhood who stripped all of their trim, but it's a huge job, and heaven knows how much of that paint is lead-based. I'm just going to live with my painted trim! I particularly envy that ceiling. I don't think we ever had beams and coffering, and some fool put popcorn on Every. Ceiling. In. The. House. The remodel got rid of it in the kitchen, dining room, and bath; I personally scrapped every inch of our bedroom. The living room and my son's room have got to be done, but I'll hire someone to do it in a few years. It's an awful, awful job.

Just wanted to post an update photo of my little plant. The three new rosettes have gotten a bit bigger and are actually starting to look more like compact rosettes. They also each seem to be putting out some air roots. The mother plant's leaves are looking a little worse for wear :) I also noticed that the mother plant seems to be putting out two new leaves in between a few of the old ones. I know it will still be a while before I can figure out the ID (and I may never know!), but it is looking a bit like green goddess as Lisa suggested above. When I was searching green goddess the other night, an image of another plant came up whose little rosettes look similar to mine--though this may be just because they are so young. It was echeveria Van Breen (https://thesucculentproject.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/img_6541.jpg)