"If my reward for that kindness is to have to deal with unscrupulous creeps who feel entitled to do as they please with my work, then something needs to change." But, it really is the bad percentage that we often react to, isn't it. I'm sure you've had a ton of profiteers stealing your work, but are they really the majority of people using your work? (and by using, I mean, visiting your site, reading your site, looking at your photos.) I would guess the majority, were people who -didn't- take your stuff, and just really enjoy your website. (How many hits does your site get and how many instances of copyright violation are there?) I can totally see how you'd get tired and frustrated from having to protect your copyright. Your site was one of the first that I found when I was looking for more information on Old Roses. (Google quite likes you as I'm sure you know.) And it's your choice. So please don't think I'm blaming you. But something doesn't necessarily "need to change". It has to change for you because that's where you're personal line of "enough is enough" is, but it's a choice. All the emails I've gotten over the years, and the friends I've made from being online and the unusual opportunities,... those to me outweigh my personal profiteers. Everyone has to make their own choices as to where that "worth it" line is. Like I said before, I have friends (who are artists) who don't post their work online for these reasons. campanula - I think if someone owns the copyright to something, it should not be stolen, according to the legal rules of copyright (whatever that is in each instance). I don't think that it's related to how famous or even how talented the owner of the copyright is. I don't really understand why we even have to argue the worth or how "professional" something is. If you create a work of art, you own the copyright. Even if it is hideous or amateurish. on the notion of taking photos of people's private gardens without permission. I must admit that over the past few months, when I drive by a house with a particularly beautiful garden, I stop and quickly take a photo. I've been saving these photos in a private folder on my computer. At one point, I'd thought about posting a thread sharing the photos so that other people could admire or be inspired by them, but then, I was also worried that perhaps by chance, one of the garden owners might see the thread and somehow be annoyed that I'd posted a photo of their garden without permission. So I haven't, and probably wont.

Karen - good idea, I never would have thought of that. Personally, I am used to doing cut-and-paste all the time so I don't give it a second thought. And on the topic of tomatoes in pots, I have finally finished the... Container Growing page. Just got it done today. All you container gurus, let me know if I've left out anything important. Steve - I thought I posted a reply to your offer, but apparently I didn't. I thought I would need more pics than I actually did...maybe later this summer, I can put up a photo or two of my own fully-grown container tomato. Thanks!

While not a plumber, I have reviewed the International Plumbing Code and explanatory material on venting. The venting rules are somewhat complex for a subject area that is seemingly so simple. The significant requirement is that the vent to the roof connect to the drain pipe above the level of the trap weir (think normal water level in the trap). There are other rules for how and where vent pipes can merge, how many are needed for various configurations of multiple sinks, pipe diameter, etc. If there is a trap in the cabinet for the sink and a trap in the basement for the DW, then the vent pipes have to be separate ---- for some height. I believe that they can join some distance above the sink trap weir level. If both traps were in the basement next to each other, the venting should be somewhat easier to make common. Without understanding a particular household configuration, along with any local variations on the plumbing code, evaluating the reasonableness of the $1200 estimate would be difficult. kas

75-250 is indeed a pretty large range. But not too unusual to do that. According to https://www.ysi.com/water-hardness that would be somewhere between soft and slightly hard (no particular endorsement; this was just the first site that I found online). I don't think you'd go horribly wrong by telling your oven to treat this as "medium". Worst case, it prompts you to descale the unit more frequently than strictly necessary. That'll waste a little money on supplies. But if in doubt, that's better than wasting money on repairs. I recommend you buy the descaling tabs in bulk. They regularly show up on Amazon and other online services. And they definitely get cheaper if you buy a bigger package. You'll need two per descale cycle. I usually need to do so every six to nine months. But that might not be the same for you. We use the steam oven very frequently, but we have very soft water. Also, you absolutely want to make sure you have tabs on hand, when the unit needs it. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you can't use the oven for a few days while waiting for supplies.