Thank you to all of you for your input. Tomhoffman, the topography (hillside, several draws) is not condusive to plowing, and I do not want to disturb the soil (the property has been resting since 1962 and there is very good biological activity in the soil). It will take hard work to exhaust the Himalayan blackberry through mowing, but it can be done within 4-5 years. And since I'd have to mow anyway, whether grass alone or grass and blackberry... it makes sense to keep mowing. Sergeant, thank you for the link to the 4105. Definitely looks like something I should consider, and it also confirms what Corvetteguy and Gzec recommended. Thank you for the info on the MSRP. Turnage, the grass that I hope to have out-compete the blackberry (and some Poison oak and various thistles) is Blue wild rye (Elymus glaucus) and Western fescue (Festuca occidentalis). They do grow tall and my stand will be seeded for a dense cover, in order to out-compete the weeds. Sounds like I'll need at least 30 hp, if not 40-45. Johninmd, I do not have a four wheeler that could drag a mower. Johntommybob, yes this is an orchard in the making. I believe that once we get rid of the blackberry and other invasive plants, we'll have to deal only with grass, and we'll cut it repeatedly so it doesn't grow too tall and does not compete with the young trees (for water and nutrients). At that point in time a zero turn might do the job, especially the ATV version (because the topography on my site is pretty hilly, with several draws and a couple steeper slopes). Thanks again

Lots of great advice above. I especially like the emphasis on supporting individual artisans. That's how I justify my ginormous library fines: I am supporting the local library. For me, I often will have an amount in my head, beyond which an object just seems unreasonable to me, regardless of whether or not I can actually afford it. Currently, my own dilemma concerns a 4,000 range hood. For me, this is just not a reasonable amount to spend on a hood, no matter how much I love it. So, is there any conflict in your mind about spending for a faucet what you would spend for an excellent quality dishwasher? If not, then it will probably thrill you every time you turn it on. And who doesn't need a good thrill several times a day! If you go for it, check out Home and Stone. They seem to carry some versions of it for a teeny, weeny bit less. The only thing I wonder about is whether this faucet style goes with the mission style you described above (e.g. the oil rubbed bronze light fixure from Rejuvenation). Now, I'll be the first to admit that my design style is seriously lacking, so I could be totally wrong on this! But when I saw the rough hammered faucet, it made me think of my sister-in-law's upscale western style, "chic cowgirl" bathroom in Colorado. It doesn't read "Greene and Greene" to me. But as I said, I could be totally wrong about that! :-) francy

Metamorph, I share your pain -- and curse the day that, being a silly naïf about the then-new world of HE machines, I passed on a $600 drum replacement for my trusty (and LARGE capacity) non-HE top loading Maytag. It wasn't perfect, but it got the clothes and comforters and towels clean and didn't think it was smarter than me. I won't recount the sordid tales of two subsequent sets of HE junkers (one FL, one TL) and their causes of death, but suffice it to say that I'm now in the market for a top-loading machine that (1) permits the user to manually set the water level; (2) does not leave the last of the prior load's rinse water in the bottom of the machine to "save" water for the next load (a synonym for "mildew factory" unless you always leave the lid open when the machine is not in use, and sometimes not even that works); (3) permits a long-term soak of really dirty items (after an initial rinse and drain) without automatically draining after its unchangeable preset time or even if you turn off the machine; and (4) has at least a 4+ cubic foot tub capacity so that we can wash a lightweight down comforter, more than one set of sheets and pillowcases, or four pairs of medium weight canvas coveralls used in outdoor work. Well, after hours and hours of hunting, I'm here to tell you that you have to give up on #4 unless you're prepared to go to a really serious commercial machine -- like one with a 100 pound capacity that will mean that, other than a basement location, you will need to reinforce your floor, plus likely plumbing and electricity re-fits. Look at commercial laundry equipment suppliers in your area, concentrating on "OPL" (on premises laundry) machines that are intended for salons/spas, restaurants, etc. (These are not coin-operated machines for laundromats, dorms, apartments.) The problem is that all of these machines are 3.3 cubic feet. Nothing larger is available in the US. Ok, so you have to do more and smaller loads of wash (federal regulators are historically oblivious to the value of your time) of towels or rags or other smaller items, but the real point is that it is now impossible to get those larger items -- a dog bed, a comforter, a sleeping bag, a 9x12' lightweight canvas tarp, a medium size rag rug, into that machine at all. So, off to the laundromat for you, or trip$ to the cleaner$ with the comforters. This is the "unintended" -- but in fact perfectly predictable -- consequence of the regulatory drive to force us into water "conservation." The problem is, the solution is bogus and probably doesn't save much if any water at all. Final word: our excellent regular appliance repairman told us that, in his long experience, HE machines -- both FL and TLs -- require about 4x the number of maintenance/repair calls of traditional machines. Consider the fuel consumption involved ther, not even counting the value of human time and the cost to the homeowner. He also reports that many, many customers tell him that they regularly put a load of wash through two full HE machine cycles in order to get the items really clean. Sorry for the "vent" here but I just want to do the wash effectively and efficiently and I'm frustrated that that's no longer possible.

I have Sensate and I have had it almost a year. The sensor is in the curve of the neck of the faucet. By raising your hand up into the curve, you will activate the on/off. It doesn't matter where you stand since the sensor is in the curve not facing you, per say. I can stand on the other side of the island to activate the faucet as long as my hand can reach to the curve of the faucet. My hose will go to the bottom of my sink and to the far corner of the shelf of stages 33. I have it center mounted. Once it wasn't behaving quite right. I checked and the plug had come out of the plug just a little because of the long hose hitting it. Once I re-seated the plug, all was well. The spray is very handy/powerful in preparing dishes for the dishwasher and sweeping debris to the disposal. If I cook pasta or potatoes, the heavy steam will activate the sensor, turning it on or off. To avoid that, just press the lever into the off position and there won't be any water until you activate the faucet again using the lever. There is a tiny indicator light on the hand lever that indicates sensor function is on and ready to go. I keep mine off unless I am cooking/cleaning. BTW, amazon has some Kohler on daily deals if anyone is preplanning.