Sounds like your neighbor might be using tray feeders so the Mourning Doves have been multiplying like crazy. The only bold Robin-sized bird I know with a speckled breast is a Brown Thrasher, but they are shy of people. Note long tail, light wing bars, reddish coloring, yellow eyes From 7-24-08, Birds and mammals on Poppy Mnt From 8-1-17, 2008, Birds at Hanlon Farm There are also Wood Thrushes, but those are woodland birds and very shy. Note round breast spots, white eye ring, short tail, brown color From 4-27-09 Other than trying to persuade your neighbors to switch to thistle tube feeders (why I'm SO glad there are no "bird lovers" living in our area to throw out cheap food and attract trash birds) you might try those new motion detector fake Great Horned Owls I've seen advertised. Here's the lowest price I can see http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Gardener-8021-Defense-Electronic/dp/B000FJRSOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1245161400&sr=8-1

Sombreuil - with an unlimited budget, would have done that. Limited budget, this is a DIYer. :) That's why I was looking for a $10 chair on Craigslist in the first place. :) I did the first stripping today. Can now tell that the top layer was black paint, then a layer of white paint below that and at the base is silver metal (not silver paint). I took the chair apart after scrubbing. It appears that the entire chair may be aluminum, not iron. Even the bolts and nuts appear to be aluminum. Here are photos. (The photos make it appear white but it is actually silver under that black paint.) I will need to strip it again. Now I'm not sure if I will paint it once it is cleaned up (or if aluminum even requires painting?) Thanks for any advice for a do-it-yourselfer! :) Carol

While waiting for a haircut appointment last week I read an article on "best decorating finds" in some rag. I found the site interesting and very helpful. See below. I'm interested in rewebbing some very old aluminum chairs that have great lines but look like hell right now. Here is a link that might be useful: Patio furniture repair

daisychian - Hi! I did see that blog about the chairs. I think she got the smaller ones from overstock, which unfortunately does not ship larger items like furniture to Canada. But I know that style is popular so I am sure it will keep showing up at other retailers. What surprised me most, though, was that I think she put regular wicker outdoors which would never work here in our harsh climate - I need the all-weather wicker. les - We probably can turn the table - I will experiment (except it is heavy)! Yes, that is our grill and the reason we did not extend the patio larger was money :) It is super expensive here to have the stamped concrete done and my dh did not mind standing on the grass. We were starting with a completely blank slate (just a pile of dirt) because it is a new build, and things add up quickly so there had to be some compromises. The nice thing about the location is that you can not see the ugly barbeque from inside the house - unless we ever get the nice built-in outdoor kitchen set up :) but that is not happening any time soon! He is still part of the action right there.