Hi all, Thanks for the replies. In answer to some of the points raised: I have no interest in trying to get any money back. I'm really just concerned about this threat of his. In principle, (and I'm a pretty highly principled person), I want to exercise my right to post a truthful review. The review that is up now is the replacement of my original post. I tried to keep it simple, and to reflect that this is "my opinion" because the legal implications for defamation seem to hinge on this. It's okay to present information as your opinion, but not as fact. Presenting facts is where you can get into trouble because the truthfulness of those can be debated in court. So it's okay to say, "This was the worst book I've ever read." But it isn't okay to say, "This author stole whole passages from another author," unless you want to defend that statement in court. I live in Texas and the state IS suffering from a drought. Many lakes are very affected, some not at all, which is why I had an extensive phone conversation with him prior to making arrangements. He assured me the lake level was fantastic and we wouldn't have any issues (I guess the fact that the boat dock stood on dry land escaped his memory). One of our favorite lakes, LBJ, is dam controlled so that hasn't been affected by the drought. Another beautiful lake, Lake Travis, is at least 70 FEET below normal, and means many lakefront homes are no longer lakefront, but there are many public boat docks where you can easily launch a boat --which in fact is what we did when we left this guy's place early to salvage our 4th of July holiday. The property owner HAS seen the new review, and still wants me to remove it. I haven't bothered to respond to his last email, and don't intend to. Thanks for pointing out this man's bullying behavior. Somehow that hadn't registered with me, but as soon as I read it here it resonated. I'm going to just sit tight right now and relax a bit. I truly don't want to have to spend money defending this, but I'm leaving the review up. Thanks to forboystoo for finding my original post, which I'll keep in my file just in case. Thank you to everyone for chiming in and sharing pertinent info. I'll keep you all posted!

Gentlemen- Thanks for the info - I will be sure to look into Garapa? I was afraid of what you were going to say about pt lumber. I think I already knew the answer to my question but just needed to hear it from someone else - thanks again. The thought of moderating this forum seems like an impossibility??? The way I look at, if someone wants to get rid of a little tension or voice an opinion so be it. I don't see the harm in it and find it quit easy to ignore and move on. This is the first time I have been involved with a forum and while this particular chain of postings seems to have gone off on other tangents I noticed that there is still a sprinkle of usefull information here and there... if you look for it. I will continue to be apart of this forum. I am a do-it-yourselfer and always seem to have a project on the go or perhaps several projects on the go and always seem to have a question I can't find the answer to and learn the hard way or just need to talk something through with someone. More than likely I will have more question along the way as I tackle this deck project and hopefully I will be able to return the favour some day and share some helpfull information with someone else. Cheers.

Alma, I lay styrofoam on the soil so it doesn't budge, tape it down, then tape a sturdy, disposable cup (air holes punched in bottom) over each seedling, attaching it to the pot all the way around. These are snugly fit into a box, using newspaper, so they don't budge within the box. I've mailed 4 seedlings in their square 2" pots in a priority mail small flat rate box for $6.95. Alternately, you can also place your own small box inside a priority mail padded mylar flat rate envelope for the same rate. Many post offices do not carry these padded envelopes ... They have to be ordered online at USPS.com and are delivered to your home in multiples of 10, free of charge. Maria Elena

Bluestar is one of the most expensive gas ranges available. Although it is a very nice unit I don't really know what you have budgeted. (Not sure of pricing on their cooktop) Ventilation is important if you use gas. Lots of people have a 30" ranges with just microwave fans over the top and they have been fine. So you do need something but it doesn't have to be a ton of money! Or a huge vent hood unless you have some serious heat! There are so many choices out there today if you want a cooktop in the island. My friend has a 36" Jenn air down-draft cooktop and loves it. It has great power and is easy to clean. I believe Kitchenaid now has one identical to the Jenn-air for less cost and it also comes in a 30". Kitchen aid 30" Only issue with a down draft is how it is vented. They do suggest several options but you should look at the manual. Or if you are getting a vent hood just get a GE Cafe gas cooktop. They have really great reviews and aren't as pricey as the PRO cooktops. I do agree with others that you should have the cooktop protected so that it is safe. You do need substantial countertop behind it or a tiered island like in the photo below. Of course you don't need the seating behind it. Just a protective barrier ;) I debated a cooktop in the island but I decided that I wanted some seriously powerful burners (Went with the GE Cafe 36" range) so I needed really good ventilation. I called GE and they said even with LP conversion you don't lose BTU's the way the burners are made. All six are 15,000. Even though my layout isn't perfect I wanted an uninterrupted island and my range on a wall so it can be vented easily. Best of luck and Happy New Year!