We've had our younger dog (now 3 1/2) for 3 years. I've been home for about 2 of those years. Last year, I realized he was very adjusted to my being home or coming places with me pretty much all the time. He started acting out when left home (with the other dog but no people) - chewing up a few things, a problem we'd never really had with him. We set up an area in the unfinished (walk-out) basement for the dogs. They can use the dog door to go outside but have an 8'x8' or so area to come inside (we did this rather than kenneling since we sometimes are gone longer than they can be kenneled, if we go skiing it's a 12 hour day). Since I've been leaving them more often he has gotten used to it again and doesn't act traumatized that I've left him (did I mention he's about 85 lbs). Sometimes when I come home later at night, they're both so sound asleep in the basement they don't hear the garage door and bark when they hear my footsteps. My point is the dog will get used to the alone time. Maybe try daycare now & then or some of the other suggestions to help her adjust, but she'll get used to it. I have used a pet sitter a couple times as well. It cost me about $18 for 1/2 hour visit (and she did walk the dogs when appropriate).

" hope Shades will be back, too. And ML." I do too! i'm glad you're back and that phoggie posted here! i'm glad to see the heat go - not that I want the really cold to show up... it can get down to 30 (or even less) here. that's usually only a few nights tho. but I have to remember to cover the pump when that happens! I am (just mentally so far) planning on what I have to do to move the printer stand/printer from the 'winter place' of the heater/fireplace. That'll come up quickly - I want it in place before eye surgery, so I'm not caught with a really cold night and no heater. the really cold ones don't usually come until maybe Feb tho. and I need to get my blanket out (ok, it's about 5' away from the bed). OTOH, things don't seem to go the way I think they should, so we could have snow in Nov - lol! And I need to be looking for a different vehicle. going to look at Honda CRVs, maybe 8 yrs old or so. planned to do that this month, but the days have gotten away from me. i'm going to email the local church to see if their 'ranch guys' can come here and put up a fenced area (out front) for my dog. It's right outside my bedroom window (so hopefully I won't forget she's out there) and the front door is close to my bedroom door - so not far to go to let her out and in - especially at night. I've got some fencing out there and my 'helper person' says there seems to be enough metal posts on the land that can be used to put it up. they'll just have to dig the post holes and put it together. They do this to fund the 'ranch' (halfway house down the road a way). my 'helper' has been sick (she's been having seizures) and has another job that has been hard on her, so she hasn't been by here to help lately. hopefully, she can get on disability. I don't see much chance of her getting a regular job - she's a liability to companies - as was I, when I had to quit working. They don't want to take on a known liability.

Since you want the gritty mix to remain that way, I wouldn't topdress with peat or moss. Covering the media surface with a towel would reduce evaporation from the media surface. I'm sure others will chime in with suggestions but one I would toss out there is lower the apt temp/thermostat. You didn't mention at what temp you typically keep your home. If during your absence temps are in the upper 50s low 60s, the tree's metabolism will slow resulting in less transpiration as will evaporation in general. If a wide metal pan(s) (like a deep wide cake pan) are set on top of the radiator and filled with water, then the room humidity would be further increased when the radiator kicks on until the water is gone. (And with metal pans, you wouldn't have to worry about them catching fire/burning.) Extra humidity in the air will further reduce water loss by the tree. Btw, tree is looking good. Looks like it could go up a pot size or two this summer. Looks like Petrushka posted a similar idea while I was typing. :-)

If you are still working on this project, check with the San Juan pools distributor in your area. The closest may be Tulsa. A San Juan fiberglass pool may hold up better for you in your freeze/thaw conditions as well as unstable Oklahoma clay and earthquakes than a gunite pool would. Also familiarize yourself with the wide array of really beautiful pool cages that are available on the market today. You can get structures that are telescoping glass for varying seasons if you wanted to extend the swim season. I know it seems impossible with a quarter-million dollar budget that you might not get everything you want, but once you start adding in all the extras like water features, landscaping, privacy fencing, and a full kitchen/bath house, the size and scope of the project may change.