It was very interesting to learn of the pruning suggestions for RdR! I had completely forgotten that this spring I had given it a very hard pruning. This spring, the bush was about 3' tall with a lot of short canes coming up vertically through the middle of the plant. Further, it was extremely twiggy with a lot of little branches very tightly intertwined. I knew it was time for a major pruning and did just that, reducing the vertical canes to 3 or 4 and getting rid of the twiggy growth completely. Right now the bush looks great, including the foliage which is remarkably clean and the shape which is rounded and full at about 3'. I still think that the rain has contributed to the constant bloom this summer.

If the Daconil did nothing to control that then it probably is not a fungus. Have you asked the people at your state universities Cooperative Extension Service about this?

Thanks, Michelle, I think I can understand maybe 10 cylces or so. But hey, whatever - like I said, it's the hardware affecting durability and servicability that I want to talk about, and most people at the store just give you a stammering reply there. My Maytag died after 6 years, which is atrocious IMHO. The bearings seized on the motor. No, you can't change them, it's a new motor and belt for $130, with me doing the work. I want to have some idea that if I dump a grand into a washing machine, I'm buying a good motor and drum and solenoid valves and hoses, not fancy firmware that ends up shorting out due to insuffcient control housings. But at least I know I don't need steam! Thanks, all! BTW I'm leaning towards a Bosch 500 (WFMC5301UC). Hoping the door mold issue is gone, and hoping someone knows something about them. Looks like either that or the LG TROMM, but I like the layout of the Bosch's controls and the way the door frame allows easier access to the drum. But I guess that's kind of wondering off-topic for this thread. I'm searching for info here and elsewhere, so thought I'd mention it.

The slightest of snows began yesterday afternoon and continued into the night. There has been just a little melting for several days and in many places, plants and wheat stubble are showing through the snow cover. On the daylight front, yesterday morning dawned with bright sunshine with blue, blue sky! There was no snow on Sunday but clouds kept most streetlights on until after 10 AM. Our light snowfalls are making a difference. Drought designation has dropped from severed to moderate. Locally, we have 75% of normal snowpack but in some of the northern Cascades, where fires have been so terrible the last two years, snow accumulation is 100% and above. We will now go into a short rainy period the WS says. I checked their forecast for a little higher elevation and it looks pretty good to a layman. Anything above 2,400 feet should receive snow, not rain. I know an elevation like that doesn't look like much to people in Colorado but that's just a little higher than where most people live and most cities. My home is right at 2,000, although I once lived at 2,500 feet near Pend Oreille Lake. I'll be watching this WS website this week (link) and hoping our 75% snow pack doesn't start rushing off towards the Columbia!! We may see more wheat stubble around here but predictions look fine for even the low hills and upper river valleys. Steve