I'm thrilled to say that on Rooney's 6th day here, that it just keeps getting better! He and my second youngest, Riley have bonded and they love to chase each other around the 'puppy pen'. He jumps up on the bed each night and is a wonderful cuddler. I just had to stop keying as I got a happy lap visit from him with some kisses. The toy basket is nearly emptied each day. Those toys, many of which have lasted through 6 dogs, are all new to Rooney and he enjoys distributing them throughout the first floor. He so smart, that if I were smarter than HE is, I am sure I could train him to put them back! My Dad always had a Brittany while I was growing up, and he hunted them, but they were family members and well-loved, always. Having had one as a 'brother or sister' all those years, which is what we called them, I just knew I had to carry on the tradition. I'm sure Dad is pointing out Rooney to Mum and is thrilled to see my new baby.

I'm definitely not a guru, but this week I changed the stain for my island and hood. I had chosen a black stain on maple, it was a lovely and beloved weathered gray but entirely too cool for my sapele floors (which are reddish, like cherry and mahogany). So my GC brought over a piece that is warmer, it is labeled TAWS 1887 (expresso) mid-continent. On top there is a cape cod gray glaze, which cools it down further. It looks similar to the walnut posted by greendesigns. I don't think you have to worry, I'm sure many cabinet lines and any custom manufacturer can get you the right color. Maple is hard and doesn't take stain evenly (like in the picture you posted), I love it, but some people don't. Here are my white cabs, the gray maple, and granite with my dogs (on my floors). Here is the new sample shot, sorry the floors and dogs aren't included but you can see the gray vs. the new "expresso" (sic) sample. It looks much better with the floors IRL (but pulls more warmth from the granite, which I didn't necessarily want).

As one who often cleans "house"...there's no perfect "yes" or "no" answer to your question. "Yes" you can do it if you examine the contents of each folder and know your system well enough to recognize whether you may need the info contained therein sometime in the future. Some of those old computer files contain old info...or old programs...that are still referred to and needed by your current system to function the way you want it to. Old photo files...old apps...etc. Have I discarded old files? Yes...selectively and without regret. "No" if you're not absolutely sure what's in those files and whether your system...or you...may need the info contained therein at some future point. Generally...I agree with Fudd and azinoh. If you don't need the space then leave well enough alone. If you need the space...proceed with caution.

I've been at bonsai for close to 30 years, and I often have trees I'm certain hold a LOT of potential, but I just can't see it. 2 of my best trees were not pruned to achieve a particular end I envisioned until many years after I acquired them. I probably scrutinized both of them 100 times until something just absolutely jumped out at me in an 'eureka moment'. Sometimes that happens as you walk past a tree I've been considering for a year or more. Not only that, but more often than not I end up revising what I had envisioned as the future style or design of a tree because the tree vetoed my plants by revealing a more interesting path I hadn't considered. If you learn the basics of pruning, like what happens when we prune, when to prune, and a few basics like where to concentrate most of your pruning efforts and how to pinch, what's left is removing the problematic branches. By problematic, I mean the ones that don't contribute to your vision of what the plant wants to be. I think I'll start a Q/A thread about pruning and see where it goes. Al