I live in Georgia where red clay is not only abundant, but comes in several types. Sandy clay is easily worked and drains well. Then there is the heavy clay that can also be worked, but the term chiseling rather than digging comes to mind. The dilemma when working with heavy clay is that the hole created becomes a bowl that holds water until it either evaporates or is taken up into the plant. Whether the back-filled soil is left as is or amended will not solve this problem entirely. Experience, however, has taught me that it is essential to add some amendment, for example, Nature's Helper, or a similar product of pine fines (just a couple handfuls or so per gallon of clay. Also, the hole should be no deeper than absolutely necessary, but of generous width, twice to three times the root ball or pot. Once the hole is dug, it should have grooves cut into the bottom and sides to try to encourage water absorption. Once the plant is set and the hole back-filled, a generous layer of shredded pine mulch, placed at least 6 inches from the plant's trunk and at least 2' out will over time help improve the soil, as well as offer immediate benefits. After all this explanation, I realize that I haven't shared what is probably the most important thing about working with heavy clay, which is to remember to never, ever try to work it when it is not absolutely dry. And I didn't mention the other type of clay, which is hard pan, and is a topic for another discussion.

trudymom do a search on the "valsalva maneuver". I use it when I fly and it keeps my ears clear. I get terrible pressure build up in my ears - particularly when pilots descend too quickly. have someone who uses the maneuver show you how to do it since it is a little weird - but it does work.

I'm going to have someone build a tight enclosure to fit on the outside of the unit, which will funnel into a pipe, which then will run along the rafter to the outside. Since a window unit puts out a slight pressure, the pipe would basically be like an exhaust pipe. There will also be a line for the condensate to a jug. An easy and elegant $100-150 job. And I've decided to get a 1 ton portable unit for the garage - that way I can take it with me for my next house, and at least have a an emergency backup (for both hurricane power loss or if the central unit would go down), or even for my current house if the little window units strain under the load of a super hot day.

Well, in my sister's case, she has mental health issues, but was a bright young lady. She was overweight since childhood, but she was an absolutely beautiful girl. She went through a stage where she thought she was a lesbian. She liked to say that she wanted to bring a girl to Thanksgiving dinner as her date and upset our folks. I told her I figured they would get over it eventually. They loved her very much. Maybe too much. She met a guy on Yahoo personals and they had German ancestry in common. Turns out he's into White Supremacy, but we didn't know that at the time. They married within the first year of dating. He moved into her apartment and it didn't take long to find out that he was emotionally abusive. He blames it on his diabetes, but he even tried to start a fight with my husband at dad's funeral. My sister was unhappy in her marriage and we learned quickly that mom and dad were NOT allowed to give her and hubby anything. I didn't know anything was wrong until mom wanted to go visit them at their house one night. They weren't home and mom started crying and saying that she wished she hadn't married this guy. It was then that I found out about his white supremacist tendencies and the way he was controlling of my sister. Of course, she has gone back and forth over this saying it's not him, it's her that's the problem, but the night our dad died guess who was with her at the hospital. Dear old mom in law, the enforcer. This woman-the boy's mother-is the one, I'm really sure of it, who is most behind the estrangement. She tried telling my aunt and grandma that our dad molested us and that we were "stair-step" children. We were in fact 7 and 11 years apart in age and our dad NEVER molested us, ever! Of course, madam wolf didn't bother to ask my oldest sister and myself. She raises a child who thinks hitler is someone to look up to and takes a giant crap on our family. I have found out that there often is an older woman in the family that is behind the estrangement of the spouses parents and family. Well, my sister says that I'm a n**ger now and she hasn't let us see their daughter. We suspect she is pregnant again, but they won't let mom see that child either-even though the big bad dad is dead as a doornail. My dad is pushing up daisies. How would you feel if you were accused of molesting your own children and denied seeing your grandchildren? It is the most bull crap thing I have ever seen. I'm sure they are feeding her the whole, their toxic people, line and I'm sure it feeds her narcissism to believe it. God will have to deal with it. I miss my dad so much. This is NOT the way things were supposed to be and her actions have affected ALL of us. Of course, she doesn't even think about any of that. It's all her up in there. Our mother is very broken. I pray for her because only God can help the hole in her heart. That chicken sister of mine couldn't even go in and see dad's lifeless body laying on the gurney the night he died, but I remember his eyes. I was with mom and we went in right after they pronounced him dead. I remember his beautiful blue eyes had faded to a green as deep as the ocean because the life had fled from them. He choose not to get that open heart surgery. I guess he didn't think dying could hurt any less than being accused of being a child molester and a sob supreme by the woman who raised a model SS career man. It's not all about any one person. What you do affects everyone and we are ALL responsible for each other. I loved and protected my sister to the best of my abilities. Our dad did yell a lot and he was an ignorant man. He didn't know how to raise children because he came from an alcoholic dad-but our did was NOT an alcoholic nor was he a child abuser. My children remember their grandparents and I would never, ever have refused my parents or my husbands' parents from getting to know their grandchildren. Never.