Randy, The one thing I have learned is that making the transition to a DSLR is not easy. There is quite a learning curve, and I'm way down, near the beginning. You also have to have add-ons. I've got a wish list started for special lenses and gadgets for taking micro/macro photography. It can get expensive. I didn't know all this going into getting my Rebel. I have a little SX100IS that I still use for close up work. And, like you, I crop a lot. Having said all that, I'm glad I have my DSLR. I'll probably be broke by the time I get all the equipment I want and feel that I need! Sandy

I can fully understand the desire to create a pleasing appearance on your house. On the other hand, I live alone in a rented room on the back side of a rural house totally out of public view and I have not had a visitor since last September so I am not in the least concerned about what others might think of my arrangement. My principal interest is two fold. Since I retired last June my primary hobby is nature photography and 2. Since the weather is too bad to take long nature walks or sit for hours in the woods, camera in hand, it was my desire to find ways to attract birds and critters of all sorts to a point where I could view them from my window. I began with a simple wooden hopper feeder and a couple suet cages attached to a tree about 50 feet from the window, then I decided I wanted something a bit closer so I took an old pipe garment rack and stood it about 12 ft from the window and hung two tube feeders on it. After noticing that birds liked to perch on the metal rail while waiting their turn at the feeders I got the silly idea to punch a couple holes in an old plastic pail lid and tie it on top of the rack to be used as a tray feeder. I then filled all the bird feeders, poured some seed in the pail lid and sprinkled some excess seed on the ground along with a loaf of stale bread scattered on the ground. Since I began scattering the stale bread the squirrels comes down immediately and grabs a slice of bread, runs up the tree and sits on a limb to eat the bread totally ignoring the bird feeders. The starlings, Doves, Juncos and Hosps seem to prefer eating the bread on the ground so I have very little competition at the feeders, and too top it off, this morning they were joined by two huge crows. Oh yes, did I mention that I also have a small flock of wild turkeys and a couple rabbits that show up occasionally? The more desirable birds, Cardinals, Blue Jays,Chickadees, Finches, Tutti's and Nuthathes seem quite content to feed from either the wooden hopper, plastic tube feeders or the vinyl pail lid and while the Woodpeckers are generally on the suet feeders they are equally happy to grab seed from any of the afore mentioned locations. From my experience it would seem that the key is the volume and availability of the food rather than the type of feeder.

It's probably dropped off. There were several pics... * Gibby3000: dishes under a desk-like area [FKB, last pic in her "My New Kitchen Features" album] * SusanAndMark: an alcove--complete with water faucet--in the mudroom [FKB, pics 41 & 42] * another had their dishes in a bottom drawer (but how do they get water if the need it?) [don't remember who has this...KitchenKelly? someone else?] We are planning on having the corner of the peninsula open out (full-length doors, no top drawer) and we will keep pet food, etc. in it. The dogs dishes, however, will stay out so they can get to their water at any time. We have a small area on each side of the PR that the dishes fit nicely in (2 dogs, 2 sets of dishes). If you look at the pic below (our almost final floor plan), it's the cabinet in the bottom right of the mini-peninsula on the right.

I use an extra-large suet log and fill the holes with home-made suet from rendered beef fat, chunky peanut butter, corn meal, instant oatmeal, sugar, flour, and a few bits of dried fruit. The suet log is visited routinely by downy and flicker woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatch, chickadees, and tufted titmice. I hang weights suspended by thin hobby wire all around the suet log to prevent it from being visited by house sparrows and starlings, who can empty it in a day. During cold snaps, the woodpecker and nuthatch activity on the log is near-constant, with birds waiting on nearby trees for a chance to get to the log and disputes breaking out between birds at the log. They are entertaining to watch. When the suet log is empty, the woodpeckers have been known to bang on the side of the house. Then I know for sure that it is time to put out the next filled log!