Kat, you WONT be disappointed, everyone was/is very right on saying Mounts is very nice. Well worth the trip. Tfrog, I thought about ya though as we past your area on the way up and back. I would have liked to stop but this was another one of those non-planned trips which sound great at the moment, maybe next time. Glad to hear about the Mulberries taking for you. I know several folks have had luck so far rooting them. The tree is staying nice and full and so far showing no signs of wanting to grow beyond 8ft. The Miracle fruits are struggling to stay alive, one may make it, but its looking pitiful. I moved it into a more shady spot in hopes of it surviving. I really want one of these tree/bushes badddddddddd. Tony

Everyone, I am really NOT attacking Glenda...just what she did. I know she's a great person and grandmother and I loved reading her posts and seeing her pictures of her cruise with her grandson. Maybe I went overboard, but as I stated, I was in an accident three yrs ago with a brand new driver. He was with his mom and they were practicing in a residential area. The speed limit was 25 mpr. I saw his car stopped at the stop sign. I had the right of way. Just as I was about to pass his car, he pulled out in front of me. For some unknown reason, he didn't see my car. He was a very sweet child with an equally sweet mom. They wanted to pay for the damages to car without us calling the police or reporting it to the insurance company because the boy would not be able to have a permit until he was 18 plus his insurance rates and his parents rates would go up so high. However, it became evident that I needed to get to the hospital, so an ambulance was called. My 3 yr. granddaughter was in her car seat in the back and Thank God wasn't hurt. When I got to the hospital, they had to do an emergency hysterectomy because I was bleeding so rapidly. (the lap part of the seat belt hit me in a way that caused a rupture to a small ovarian cyst I'd had for a while. Because of all the blood, a total hysterectomy had to be done. Now, all this and both cars were going the speed limit of 25 mpr. No one "expects" an accident. It just happens and there is NO WAY we can control it. I don't mean to squash anyone's fun, but let's do fun within the law and remembering that other people are on the same roads that you are on and you could possibly be putting others in danger. I guess I also don't think that this is the same as eating a grape in the grocery store. I almost lost my life due to the the rupture and I also had a treasured grandchild in my car. Sorry if I offended anyone..that wasn't what I intened to do, however, it makes me see red when I hear someone say that they took all precautions and no accident could possibly have happened. That's just no being realistic.

Rained today. No chances for garden pictures You can see more of our pictures at the link belowdecks Here is a link that might be useful: Moni and Mel's trip

ssewalk1, In General I would agree that a Dealer is better than a Box Store. My Wife and I went to a Dealer for our regretful purchase though. Through my personal experience in buying a Garden Tractor that wasn't, I have become very educated on the GT market. This is how I got to the place I am at now. Armed with the information, I had spent a couple weeks learning about what a Garden Tractor really is, (there's a lot of misleading info out there) I went asking questions, and took a check list of most common things to look for, and spent time looking at parts diagrams to verify what I was being told. This was my list for minimums of a true Light Duty Garden Tractor; Tuff Torq K66 with actual locking differential. Verification in manufacturers product literature that the advertised GT is capable of "ground engagement work", and that the GT is warrantied for this. 23" diameter wheels and tires, preferably larger. 20hp or greater. Verified product literature for the implements I planned on using, such as a front scoop to move sand and material around my property (including the johnny bucket jr) (The Johnny Bucket jr had some warnings around the Husqvarna but the same tractor under the Craftsman brand (GT6000) did not have the warnings and I would ask if the GT could handle these things). For more heavy accessories like light hydrualics in a GT; K72 Drive shaft verses belt. Horizontal shaft motor, traditional motor configuration. just to name a few. I was on a path of JDX500, Simplicity, or Cub Cadet X3 when I stopped at Sears to close the gap or make sure I was looking at everything. The salesman at the store recommended I give the Husqvarna Dealer a try because some of the Craftsman GT's were Husqvarna, (such as the GT6000) and it might be cheaper from Husqvarna. The Dealer had the literature to back-up what he was saying and the JB jr was on current customer machines. After 2 visits I went back and purchased, because I felt I was mitigating risk by the included, very convincing, 5-year chassis warranty. What I found out about Cub Cadet X3, they have most of the ingredients but the K66. The Yanmar produced (I think?) versions have hydraulics and are in the category of what looks like the very capable JDX700 to sub tractor class, and of course price. So the real dilemma is in the gap in price between large glorified riding lawn mowers ($3,000.00 to $4,000.00 range) and real Garden Tractors ($7,000.00 to $9,000.00). The low end seems to be hiding something missing while putting out misleading information hiding this fact, and without any standard (or accountability), those new to the market can be fooled without recourse. I'm sure I've missed something but I actually wanted this to be half as long as it is. To sofaspud, I to echo your thoughts on the manual trans. I believe more power gets to the wheels with the manual and they are so reliable. I prefer the reliability of the manual over the initial ease of the hydrostatic. If the pump was on the outside of the hydrostatic with line filters and such, then maybe they would be impressive.