Thanks for all your kind comments-----I sure wish I were a few years younger and Bob didn't have two knee replacements-----We could really tear up that sunny area but I will try to be content with one hole at a time Robert---the Rambler I ordered is Super Dorothy----Do you know anything about this rose-?-it is supposed to be hardy and my older sister's name is Dorothy so I thought I would try it. There are so many ramblers that I would like to try---I wanted Blushing Lucy but it was sold out as was Chevy Chase. Now I wish I could move my Ghislane de Felgonde out into this area but so far she seems pretty happy back in "Elba" which is rather shady. I could take cuttings from some of my favorite ramblers but at 78 years I can't waste any time---LOL---no time for the "creep--sleep and leap" idea---LOL the spot is ready and waiting---I'm so excited --I didn't think I would be getting any new roses this year. I'll keep you posted. Florence

WONDERFUL!!! You all just make my day so light hearted and joyous. Down right funny and Rick that is a fantastic poem. Poor Ellie, please, be sure to stay away from my Chaste Tree (Vitex). I bet it had thousands of bumble bees on it yesterday. I tried to get a photo, but the bees move so darn fast that my poor camera just couldn't do it justice. You could actually hear the BUZZZZZZZ before I got within ten feet of the tree. Well, maybe I will post a photo of the tree. It's been so pretty. Blessings, Mona

Hi Doc, BRAVO on your financial habits, and CONGRATULATIONS for finding like-minded love!!!! Is there a point where it no longer makes sense to stash cash in the emergency fund? OF COURSE! There's usually failure, risk and danger at all extremes, with optimum results in the objective, strategically balanced plan. The key is not to let yourself drift into arbitrary 'rules-of-thumb' or superstitious fallacies while seeking the path to safety & freedom. We both are approaching a year's worth of salary in the savings accounts. While that is GREAT... let's change the goalpost a bit. Rather than focusing on a time period of SALARY... let's focus on what most matters; a time period of LIVING EXPENSE. My recommended "Optimum Target" is as follows; CASH IN SAVINGS/CHECKING: 6 months' TOTAL living expenses (including insurance, sufficient retirement plan funding, proportioned 'big-ticket' replace/repair costs (like pro-rata costs of a new roof each 8-10 years, car replacements, and the like,) etc.) CASH-LIKE CREDIT FACILITY (no-fee personal lines, signature lines, revolving cards, etc.): Equal to an additional 6 months' total comprehensive budget. If you have more cash than the above tied up in your safety reserves, you are probably engaging in one or more freedom weakening mistakes; A) you are under-funding your tax-advantaged retirement accounts, B) you are under-insured for contingencies that are cheaper for insurance to protect against, RARELY are people taking too LITTLE risk in their investment plans (especially when focused on speculative securities.) It does happen... but so rare as to not be an overlying concern. To the contrary... unfortunately most folks (even when they THINK they are playing conservatively) have far too few guarantees against loss put in place on their retirement plans. We each own our own places and both existing mortages are down to roughly 25% of the current market price of our homes. We plan to sell both places, buy a different home together and finance it with a 80% LTV fixed mortgage with a 30 year term. We want to buy a home similarily priced to what one of us has today. Nice! With our cash at the level it is, does it make sense to keep adding to it or can these funds be safely used for other purposes? There's FAR more to the answer than can be formulated from the information provided... but it does sound like the two of you may benefit by getting a little more strategic in the protection against contingency risks, and perhaps a little more aggressive in your retirement (employment liberation) planning. As generic as that answer is... hope it helps ;~) Cheers, Dave Donhoff Leverage Planner

Last June, when I amputated and dried the plant and treated the caudex cut with sulfur, it looked like this. The very outer tissue of the caudex looks a little crispy and separating from the caudex, but I thought that was just part of it drying out. This picture was posted above, too. Here's what the bottom of it looks like now. But the edge of the caudex, where the roots are emerging, looks dark, like dirt -- or rot. I have not yet probed this in depth, but a squeeze of the caudex feels hard. But I've been fooled by that before! Here's a couple more views with a bamboo skewer. In the pictures of the discolored caudex above, you can see a dark spot on the second one right in the middle. Here's a better look at that - And here's a look at the back. The entire edge of the caudex looks like it is peeling off, is soft and possibly rotted. This is not normal, is it? The plant that Maria Elena posted has a nice rim on the caudex. So is more surgery in order? I have to say, this was a surprise to me! But maybe this time I have caught it early enough to not have the massive problem in the first post. As usual - all advice is welcome! Thank you, again!