Thanks everyone, and we got another rain this afternoon, not as much as the other day, but I will take it. Jean, everything dried up here to, even with watering. I am seeing new growth on lots of stuff since the rains. Rita, I had 2 of them bloom this spring, the heat has really taken a toll on them I hope they survive the summer here. I may have to move them to a shadier location next year. As far the fissures in the ground, they are still there, some of the smaller ones are closing but the bigger ones have not yet. Happens every drought. Sharon

OK, I've made a little progress in narrowing my choices. I'm finalizing my cabinet order and need to pick certain elements to get the openings sized correctly. I've solve my microwave dilemma by hiding it behind a pocket door. I'm looking for a warming drawer that does not stick out too much from the cabinets. I'm using inset cabinetry and a fully integrated, inset panel will be very difficult in an island situation with a standard 24 inches of total depth (interior space of less). (I know the Dacor indoor/outdoor unit might work, but it may not be recommended.) I've looked at Miele SS, Dacor SS and GE Monogram. These all seem to stick out the least of all the choices. The problem is that these handles don't match anything but their own sister refrigerators and dishwashers. (I'm not getting the integrated Miele fridge) Here's my current configuration choices: Set 1 Thermador 36" range Thermador (Bosch) Dishwasher KA FD CD refrigerator, Pro Series KA or Thermador WD, with matching handle (not happy with this, these stick out so much... any alternatives?). Another possibility is the Dacor WD Set 2 CornuFe 90 Albertine Range Bosch Panel Front DW GE Monogram SS CD Fridge GE Monogram WD Set 3 Wolf 36" Range Bosch Panel Front DW Dacor WD KA CD BF Fridge Anything else I should consider? I'm also concerned with the venting requirements of the Thermador and Wolf ranges (let alone the higher BTU BS or Capital).

Thanks catherinet & moumine_2006: I've waited this long for some relief; a few more weeks won't be bad. I was lucky to get about 50 days worth from the Dr in free samples so by that time I should know if this HRT is right for me. Wondering if I might experience more energy; I'm hopeful. I don't know if it's so much that menopause is zapping my energy, but possibly not sleeping well thru the night is the culprit. At any rate, I'm about 10 days into it and I'll remain hopeful. Thanks again for the advice.

Sherry, I hear ya! I never want to kill anything, so I hope I'm never overrun again. This time I got lucky with the weasel. Oh, I believe you, bkay. Coyotes are determined hunters so who knows what it was after when it broke into the bus station, or if it was sick or why it did that. Jon, I was searching for a solution, but I never thought of LF for rats, so I'll file away those ideas in case I need them in the future. I have a good sense of smell so the putrefied egg might drive me from the property, lol. I'm relieved nature worked in my favor this time. LOL, Josephine, I read that wrong. That coyote must have been hunting in the scrub. :) I've never heard one close up like you did, but I have heard a rattle snake in some tall grass. That was enough to convince me to change directions FAST. gregbradley, what a small world. My old place where my cat was chased right up to my door was Upland! You sound like you're higher up than I was. I was below Baseline so it was only bad when we had a couple years of drought. The drought is much worse now than when I lived there so I can imagine they're coming down looking for food. We had a/an opposum in the yard once, but not all the other animals you have. My brother is in Valencia and a coyote killed his much loved cat :-( He would love that you got two of them with your baseball bat....which means they got very close to you. Be careful out there!