I think maybe I'd paint the scaffolds and trunk with a diluted white latex paint and water mixture and see if that helps ward them off those important areas. I'm not an expert at all on fruit trees, so this is just an idea! I've had them get my roses, though. The slit they make is no problem for an older rose (they heal so well), but it can hurt the younger ones. I saw a slit the other day on a rose that I'm thinking may be them. I've only seen one shell this year, but maybe they really like roses? I'm not sure which plants they like best out of plants they do like. I'm watching things, too. My orchard is very young, and a big brood was predicted for my area.

Hi, I made a photobucket album for you to look at, I couldn't find your e-mail so feel free to e-mail me from the link on my page. I just took the pictures in the rain so keep that in mind they may appear dark. The yews I have grow in dense shade and any soil, they are currently in very sandy dry soil w/lots of shade and grow well despite the horrid conditions. Like I said some are smaller and some are really huge. Here's the link to the album, just scroll down to view the pictures. -Sheila Here is a link that might be useful: photos of plants

The nearer term is much more important than ten years out. We remodeled our last kitchen thinking we'd never move, and then two years later we stumbled across an incredible property that was just too good to pass up, so we made a contingent offer, which was accepted. We had to put our house up for sale that month. Our new kitchen helped immeasureably to earn us the quick sale we needed. It was mid-range for the neighborhood, but it was beautiful, up to date, and all the cabinets and appliances were in showroom condition. Unless you expect to move in a couple years you probably won't recoup much of the cost of your new kitchen. And, later on down the road, the reverse may actually be true. Top dollar buys you quality with lots of today's top style elements. Because of this, a ten year old top-end kitchen may actually be more datable and out of style than one that's not so top-end. A ten year old top-end kitchen may actually be a negative for someone. They may have an even more urgent "this has got to go" feeling about your beloved kitchen and mentally tack on the cost and hassle of their own top end kitchen remodel to your asking price when comparing it to other homes. If this happens, then not only wasn't the added expense recouped, but there was a hidden cost on top that you couldn't see at the time. Just go with selections that are very appropriate for homes in your price range and neighborhood, while avoiding the most expensive stylish touches, and definitely plan to spend something to update it before putting it on the market if it's been a few years...then the only risk is that you might decide not to sell it after all!

I was just reading what Consumers Reports has to say about how long to keep these things--check out the latest issue on the newsstand. But I've checked into several sources on the web, including Suzie Orman's site--there's no "right" list--they all seem to vary a bit. One thing that Consumers said: Keep your pay stubs until your W2 form comes, then "reconcile" it. I have no idea how or why--maybe to total up state and income taxes paid already? I've never done that. Utility bills, I keep for a year. Some sources say you can ditch them after you pay the bill, and also, if you do any online bill paying with the utilities, they have your payments on file for a while. One useful thing about having a year's worth of utility bills somewhere, paper or online, is that they can come in handy when you want to sell your home and need to provide an average utility cost for heat, water, electricity on the real estate property listing ad. Also, they can give you a quick visual if you're thinking of paying the budget route--where your personal costs are averaged out and you pay the same amount each month. Home Depot receipts? Are you talking about new windows or a new power drill? Staple them to the warranty booklets. Anything less, reconcile with your credit card bill if you charged them, shove them in a Ziploc bag and store them a secondary storage place for 6 months or so in case somethng breaks and then toss them afterward. Also, the Consumers magazine also had an item about what you should store in your safety deposit box, if you have one at the bank. Social Security card, passport, car title, original insurance documents were among them, and many others. Worth looking at! I tend to keep my credit-card statements a few years longer than most people. I find that I'm occasionally wondering where I bought something from, framing supplies, for example, and a quick look at the statements reminds me which website had what I was looking for. For all my papers, I have a closet that stretches far back, and in it I have, in the front, a set of 2 stacked rolling filing bins, for the current year. Stuff that I know I want to keep longer goes in a cardboard file box that gets pushed to the back of the closet. (Also in that closet is a metal shelving piece holding all my stationery supplies, some fabric, craft supplies, my computer warranty and related documents and extra cords [in a large Ziploc]). So documents are all in the same space, but divided between what I really need more frequently and stuff I want to hold onto just in case!