I've read these forums off and on for several years now. It's amazing how many searches for gardening info bring up Garden Web forums! I bought my first house last fall and decided this week it was time to register and join in here. So many wonderfully talented and knowledgeable gardeners here! And, then, I find a forum specifically for Okies! One of the things I liked best about the house when I first looked at it was the backyard. There are just all kinds of plants. I have to wait to see what many of them are, although my neighbor next door has clued me in on some. The neighbors have a landscape pond in their backyard. One of the things I expected to miss about my last apartment (lived there for over 10 years) was the landscaping, complete with ponds, a stream and lots of wildlife including frogs and toads. I was thrilled to find out that the neighbors pond has frogs in it as I love listening to them. They were worried that the new owner (me) might object to having to hear frogs croak. I think we both got lucky! The backyard slopes severely and has some sort of evergreen planted all around it. Over the years many of lower branches have been trimmed off due to disease, according to the neighbor. Now they are very tall with foliage only at the top. Quite a few of them suffered a good deal during last winter's ice storm. There's still at least one sizeable branch that is broken and needs to be cut off. A couple in the back aren't broken but are badly bent over. I'm sort of hoping that the bent ones somehow magically recover as the birds and squirrels seem quite fond of them. I have already counted at least 15 different species of birds in my new backyard, and that doesn't include mockingbirds which I have seen in the front yard. I also saw a tiny mouse near the back fence a couple of weeks ago when I watering a spot that has some irises and a crepe myrtle. Last Monday evening I saw a baby rabbit in the neighbor's yard by my garage. Some of the plants (many of these I can't verify yet, just going by what the neighbor tells me) include crepe myrtle (3 in the back), a Rose of Sharon, irises, hardy hibiscus (looks like 4 of those), daylilies and some other lily the neighbor wasn't sure of the type, clematis out front, what appears to be a lilac someone tried to chop down that is coming back but is probably too close to the house for good air flow, and some boxwoods up next to the front of the house. The boxwoods look nice but stink so I am going to try to relocate them farther from the house in the front yard and create a flower bed with them as a back drop. To replace the stinky bushes up close to the house I have already acquired two blue hollies, four mini roses, a peony, azalea, hydrangea, blue lilac, and a romantica rose. I'm probably going overboard, but my gardening for the past 20 years has been limited to pots and whisky barrels on an apartment patio, and I'm just so excited to have a house with lots of room for gardens now! My biggest problem is that a large part of the backyard is heavily shaded due to the evergreens, and, especially around the perimeter, there isn't even much in the way of grass. Lots of weeds in the areas where there is grass. I'm looking forward to finding out all the creative gardening things I can do with my new house! I've probably rambled on long enough now. Going to leave work early today to have lunch at the Arts Festival then home to plant and transplant! Debra

"I recently was hired to buy food from Sam's Club and bring it to a local Adult Ed program..." On whose credit card went the food from Sam's? If it went on yours and you paid for it, and presumably reimbursed for it of course, seems to me you are in control of it. If they gave you the money ahead of time to pay for the food (or a credit card, gift card or something similar), then it seems that it's their food and you're services are to pickup, deliver, setup and cleanup and if they get food poisoning from mishandling, it's their problem. The contract seems pretty clear and you did what you contracted to do. I don't think a bridge is necessarily burnt and as said if it is, then you don't want anything more to do with them anyway. There are certain groups of people with whom I don't care to work. My only other suggestion is to always get it in writing, have them put their desires in writing. Maybe if you're going to do this more often, put together an info sheet or questionnaire asking things like how long/what hours do you want me there? What to do with leftovers? If client is to keep them do they have proper food handling conditions? I'd also write into the contract that they're responsible for any mishandling, and specify food poisoning in there to get their attention. A little info on these topics could be very helpful in clearing up confusion. Maybe if they understood why you're apprehensive about leaving food out that long they wouldn't be upset. When I was a wedding photographer, I learned early on to have a contract, even with friends. I wrote into it that in the event of interference I could walk out and all sums are due immediately, that they had to specify people they wanted photographed and more. The one time it saved me a lot of hassles and money. The bride's mother threatened to sue because I didn't photograph a long-lost uncle who suddenly appeared. I knew nothing of him or certainly would have. But having the contract, between the bride, groom and myself eliminated the mother's ability to interfere. Have it in writing. Formal contracts aren't always required as long as the understanding is in writing and agreed by the parties. Handle it in a businesslike manner and you're going to be better off in the long run. Sounds to me like they wanted to deal with you on the "good buddy" system and you wanted to be professional. I think you made the right choice and if they're mad, let them be mad.

A usable ramp will take at least 6 times as much space as steps. We ran into this when mum became wheelchair bound. Between garage and kitchen there were four steps (extending about 4 feet from the door which was about 40" above garage floor) which required a ramp 28 feet long... and that felt steep when pushing a wheelchair up! oruborus, take a strip of paper and zigzag-fold it so that it represents risers and steps. Put one end at the upper doorway, and then gently un-fold, so that the risers and steps straighten out into a flattish ramp. You will find yourself adding more and more paper to make the ramp's incline gradual enough to be usable. Think about it: most steps are about 11" deep, with a rise of 8 to 9 inches. Four steps of 11" each will take floor space of about 44". But that rise has to be ramped to be navigable and will have to extend [across floor space] until there is a 1 in 6 (2/12) slope. Believe me, you do not want anything steeper whether for a wheelchair or a mower. If one wants a ramp -and that does sound handy for moving equipment- then check with the experts as to what is usable. I suspect the space required would be best provided with an exterior access to the basement, with a gentle slope and one or two landings for switchbacks. If one is going be pushing deadweight such as a non-self-propelled mower, a 3/12 incline is going to be more useable even though it will require more floorspace.

My first Husky Aleksander licked his toes so bad that he wouldn't walk on them. His wounds were exactly like what you described- raw round areas between his toes. Aleks would not tolerate a bandage, but his wounds healed within 2 weeks with antibiotics and some cleaning. The reason Aleks licked his feet was because I went on a school trip and for the first time left Aleks home alone with my husband. Usually when I went away, it was with Dave and we left Aleks at the kennel, which he liked. Apparently, he was not fond of being left at home with Dave, and licked his feet due to separation anxiety. Aleks had severe separation anxiety when he was younger, but he was 9 years old when I went on that trip and we thought he had gotten over it. I guess the change in routine upset him. Anyway, Aleks would not let Dave soak his foot in epson salt like the vet said, nor would he let Dave put a topical medication on it, but the wounds still cleared within 2 weeks with antibiotics. Wolfy may not have separation anxiety, but if he had a minor wound on his foot he may have licked it so much that it caused the wounds you see now. Just a thought. I hope he feels better soon. Aleksander gave me the cold shoulder for 2 weeks after I got back from that trip, but he was otherwise OK.