I don't have a pic, but I can tell you a lot about them. They are ripe when they yellow somewhat and are slightly translucent. That being said, the real test is not the appearance, but the gentle squeeze test. If you lightly squeeze them, they should pop sending seeds everywhere, so cover the pod. I find that, if you sometimes wait too long for the appearance to be the yellow/translucent, the darn thing pops on its own. So, just go by and stroke them protectively and you will know.

What everyone needs to understand is that eventhough they say you can drop one in the wash, you will also read that two might be needed for larger, heavily soiled loads. There is something similarly worded on Purex, ALL, Tide, and Arm & Hammer. I recently purchased the A & H, because it came with a "get free with mail-in rebate". On the back,it says, "For heavily soiled loads, use two paks." I would not normally purchase these single-use, drop-in detergent paks, because they are too expensive. They are better for people who live in dorms or apartments. Carrying a few "paks"/"pods" is much easier than carrying a box or bottle. I said similar when we went through the detergent tablets("tabs") phase.

What attracts you to this sporting breed? Is someone in your family a hunter? All the setters are beautiful, flashy dogs. The coats are fairly easy to care for as long as you perform a short daily maintenance brushing and combing (10 minutes)to prevent tangles and remove debris. Gordon Setters are, of course, quite similar to English and Irish Setters. Generally MUCH healthier than the Irish (which is plagued by cancer and epilepsy) but like all setters, they bloat easily and can be prone to dysplasia and PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) so a good breeder is a must. If you aren't going to hunt, look for a dog from show or "bench" lines. Field lines, as with other sporting breeds like pointers and retrievers, tend to be smaller and much, much more active. I prefer to call them high-spirited rather than hyper ;-) but mazer is correct .... exercise and structure are a must. They need more than a walk..or several walks. They need to be able to r-u-n, especially when they are under age 7. If you aren't particularly active, I suggest working with a rescue to find a suitable older dog because until they are at least 4-5, the activity level can be overwhelming. they are very calm and quiet when they get adequate exercise. They are very destructive and "barky" if you are dedicated to tiring them out. This is true of all the sporting breeds (and I daresay many other classes of dogs as well..at least the herders), so if you have previous experience with retrievers or pointers, it's certainly nothing exclusive to a Gordie. As a sporting breed bred specifically to work off-lead in the field with a hunter, they can most certainly be trained to be reliably off-leash, but you must put in the time necessary to train them to a high degree of reliability. As hunting dogs, they are generally friendly to people/other dogs, but cats can be a problem and they will certainly self-hunt, spending hours planning and executing(ha!) the eviction of every squirrel and rabbit on your property.

I think that the tractor split may be just a bit beyond me. I'm sure I could do it but have gotten conflicting opinions as to what is actually needed to support the two sections. I already have the frame off and so I'm part way there at least. As to needs, I mow about an acre of my own property, then also mow about another half-acre in an adjacent property that I don't own (long story) but maintain paths in the woods that are associated with a local lake. I also plow snow and live on top of a hill. We get blasted with heavy drifting during a real bad storm, so no lightweight tractor will do . These Cub guys tell me that the hydro pumps virtually never wear out (?) Really? Exmar...some great thoughts! I'm already 62 and so (assumedly) will not need any tractor for another 40 years!! As to the required 'tinkering' on the Cub, it's been a bit of a love/hate affair. There have been times when I've really enjoyed doing work on it - like most recently - other times not so much. My dad was, and brother is, an auto mechanic so I grew up around this stuff. The cub has become a hobby of sorts over the years, but I'm not into what some of these guys do that totally refurbish them, etc. I'm not of great natural mechanical ability, but I do what I can. Another concern is that I've gotten loads of advice over the years from my local IH dealer, but he will probably be retiring soon. I've also relied on the "Only Cub Cadets" forum the past several years but some of the guys on there are just a bit hard to take and give me a bad time of it. Downright nasty at times. If you're not real mechanically inclined you're not really part of 'the club'. They can tell I'm not and so I get ribbed or worse. Most recently I've been banned from the forum for "telling it like it is"..lol I think I should stay in the garden rather than lawnmower class, especially for the plowing. Also, I have a utility cart that I tow behind the Cub when I cut our hedges and move clippings (both hedges around 100 ft. long so a substantial job there). The Kubota 2020 that I've been looking at is a bit over $9k...just seems a lot for a tractor...and...with only a 2-yr. warranty? Find that most disappointing. The JD would be around $6-7k (includes the blade and deck) and has 4-yr. warranty.