wow! that is severe pruning even more than the Serena way...it's like one/third of its original size, hee-hee! Something which I have done before...but man, I never thought you'd prune it down that much! I thought I was the only one doing that major of a lopping off... But it does like very aerated and well spaced and since your Platinum is growing so vigorously I am sure it will still end up being quite the giant...especially with all the goodies that you keep feeding your roses with. My roses are bushy monsters right now so you would definitely be hacking them down, but I just let them overgrow themselves and only hack the top parts off... I figure 1st year roses I'll just let them become one massive forest...They're so dense right now, I'd have no idea where to begin! boy, I'm such a chicken-lazy one... I hate to lose that wonderful bushiness and have let my roses become fat, wide and massive...

Hey Kenn, the eleven day old chicks are still in the box. The photo was of a second pair of Bluebirds that just showed up and started building a nest. The first pair built in a house at the back of our property and the new ones chose a box next to our garden by the house. Our two newest ones had one egg as of yesterday, they work really fast!! That female only showed up a week ago yesterday! The ones at the back of the property are 16 days old today so should be fledging soon. I sure hope they come back for a second nesting too. The Blues at the park fledged last weekend so I am awaiting a new nest being built by them too. Donna

Probably the most meaningful is from the song Caledonia: I have moved, and IÂve kept on movin Proved the points that I needed provin I lost the friends that I needed losin Found others on the way but seeing Desiderata reminded me of the Lampoon parody which I had not heard for a long time and although it's humorous, there's a lot of truth in there. Deteriorata You are a fluke of the universe You have no right to be here Deteriorata Deteriorata Go placidly amid the noise and waste And remember what comfort there may be In owning a piece thereof Avoid quiet and passive persons Unless you are in need of sleep Rotate your tires Speak glowingly of those greater than yourself And heed well their advice even though they be turkeys. Know what to kiss.....and when Consider that two wrongs never make a right But that three do Wherever possible, put people on hold Be comforted that in the face of all aridity and disillusionment And despite the changing fortunes of time, There is always a big future in computer maintenance You are a fluke of the universe You have no right to be here And whether you can hear it or not The universe is laughing behind your back Remember the Pueblo Strive at all times to bend, fold, spindle and mutilate Know yourself If you need help, call the FBI Exercise caution in your daily affairs, Especially with those persons closest to you That lemon on your left, for instance Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls Would scarcely get your feet wet Fall not in love therefore, it will stick to your face. Gracefully surrender the things of youth, the birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan And let not the sands of time get in your lunch Hire people with hooks For a good time call 606-4311... ask for "Ken" Take heart amid the deepening gloom That your dog is finally getting enough cheese And reflect that whatever misfortune may be your lot It could only be worse in Milwaukee You are a fluke of the universe. You have no right to be here And whether you can hear it or not The universe is laughing behind your back Therefore, make peace with your god Whatever you conceive him to be Hairy thunderer or cosmic muffin With all its hopes, dreams, promises and urban renewal The world continues to deteriorate Give up You are a fluke of the universe. You have no right to be here And whether you can hear it or not The universe is laughing behind your back ...... The recorded version is better than reading it. You might recognize the voice reading it. Here is a link that might be useful: National Lampoon

There's a huge range in price, as you say in sink faucets. Still, there are really good brands and buys at every price level. In theory, price should go up with the amount of brass and integral (meaning real finish not coated) metal used in a faucet. So the heavier the better. Most faucets have some plastic pieces. Certain brands carry a status premium -- Dornbracht, Waterworks. They are excellent quality but you pay plus for styling and name. I personally favor pull downs over side sprayers and pull outs (I have one of each) but that's very personal. As someone said, it's one less hole in the deck. But I'd suggest going to store and do a pull and touch and see what appeals. I have a pull out in our mudroom but found I don't care for the "heavy head". Pull downs tend to have smaller, lighter heads. Some pull downs have a switch to sprayer. There is the lock vs nonlock function on that to check. Some don't mind holding it down for the spray; others want to push the button and have it stay. Check which faucet silhouette appeals. (I pick the same shape over and over but not everyone will). Examine the hoses. On the mid-range and lower end faucets those pull outs will likely be a knit mesh reinforced with some metal. On higher end faucets they are all metal. Also be sure the length of the pull down will reach all around the sink. These can vary a bit. I also pull the specification sheets for every faucet from the mfgr website so I can see how it will work in the space behind the sink -- to see how it opens, how much clearance is needed, to be sure the spout swivel is ok and won't hit anything. That there's clearance for each aspect. A lot of people go for Deltas, Grohe and Kohler faucets. There are KWC fans on the high end plus several others including Rohl. Then there are brands like Chicago Faucet and one Sabjimata recommends (perhaps she'll weigh in here) that are said to be very sturdy and reliable. Someone linked a faucet quality assessment from a builder's website. I don't have it bookmarked but whoever does might link it. Basically it runs through a lot of brands and makes subjective judgments about them. I don't agree with all the categorization and judgments but it's all subjective anyway and there are a large number of brands reviewed so it's a useful place to check.