"..If the hackberry is deciduous then you should start the air layer at the end of winter, right before it wakes up" I don't know where you got this info from, but it is not a very good idea. And will most likely not work at all. 1) If you air layer before there is foliage, there is nothing to provide the sucrose to develop roots. 2) If you "leave thin strips", the wound will just heal over, and not develop roots. "...this way it will still have some of the cambian layer to supply the upper portion," The cambium does not supply the leaves with anything. The cambium is the pathway for sucrose made by photosynthesis in the leaves, to travel to the roots. The inner core is the pathway up from the roots that supplies water and nutrients to the leaves. When we sever the cambium, water and nutrients can still reach the leaves who, who in turn send the sucrose developed (energy) back to the roots for storage (down through the cambium). Once this energy reaches the severed section of cambium, it has nowhere to go and collects there. This initiates the formation of roots at that spot. If the cambium is not entirely severed, there is still a pathway for energy to travel to the roots. And the tree will begin to heal the severed section while still functioning normally. It is a one way loop -

greenpond, My favorite pet peeve! I just love it when a customer comes to my store, opens the back of their Explorer, and asks me to load that 150 lb recliner in the back which has 2" of clearance on each side. Usually, its a slightly built woman (sorry ladies!) and there is just no way I can lift that in there without tearing up myself or the furniture. That has happened more times than I can count. How are you going to unload it at home? Pulling a 150 lb recliner out of an SUV is awkward, and is a perfect way to wreck your back. You will never see anyone in the furniture business deliver in a truck that requires them to bend over and reach - or crawl into a minivan and duck-crawl with a piece. I've seen a lot of people hurt themselves or drop the furniture over the years. We in the business have developed lifting techniques and have the tools to load and handle furniture safely without injuring ourselves. When you pull up in an SUV and ask us to load into it, we are at risk of hurting ourselves as well, yet we try to grin and bear it for the sake of customer service. Here's why stores prefer not to do this. These don't load smoothly due to confined spaces, Pieces can get bumped or bruised either during loading or in transit. Because the store assisted loading, we are legally liable for damages to the piece. I learned that lesson the hard way in the 80's. And if we place it on the sidewalk and say 'there you go' then that looks bad as well, as if we don't care. That's why we offer delivery, where we have all the right equipment to load, pad, and secure in a truck a person can stand up in. But yes, delivery does cost money, and many people do not want to pay for that service. I would estimate we damage 1 piece in 5,000 on my delivery truck. Customers hauling their own run a damage rate of about 1 in every 100. Oh, the stories! Here's a couple: * Did you know boxed furniture tends to fly out of pickup trucks at about 45 - 50 mph? Goes right over the tailgate and hits the highway. When it does, the customer has no insurance to cover it, as its cargo in transit which means it requires an Inland Marine rider to your auto/truck policy. You probably don't have that rider. I've had at least a dozen customers lose boxed furniture out of pickup trucks, including 250 lb sofas that they assumed were heavy enough to stay put - smashed on the interstate. * NEVER send a man to pickup furniture during his work day. They are always in a hurry, fail to load carefully or secure, or even pad the pieces, and ultimately I get a tearful call from the Mrs. hours later asking how to repair damages. Even more true if hubby is in the construction business and has a work truck full of wood, concrete and building residue and debris. Big mistake. There are times when for whatever reason its not practical to use the store delivery service. Maybe you have a beach house three hours away, or need the recliner for someone coming out of the hospital today. If you choose to haul yourself and the piece is heavy, sometimes its best to rent a cube van with a walk ramp, hand truck, tiedowns and pads. If the pieces are lighter, then SUVs and pickups can work, but bring plenty of pads (furniture-grade, not worn-out blankets) and tiedowns. Bungee cords at the very least, camlock rachets preferred, but not clothesline rope - and never nylon rope as it stretches. Plastic palletizing wrap is a godsend to keeping pads attached to the piece while loading. Have plenty of egress for the piece in question to load. Its no good to try to get things in with one inch to spare - thats always tough. And finally, bring your own muscle to the store. We'll supervise and be glad to give loading advice! Deliveries are not a profit center for most stores. We try to break even on them (most the time I lose money with diesel at $ 4.00 a gallon) but in most cases its the safe way to do it for both bodies and the furniture. -Duane Collie

Our local community services organization loves to receive donations of travel-size shampoo, hand soap, deodorant, shaving needs, tooth paste/tooth brushes, manicure items, etc. These are appreciated by the homeless or sheltered people who depend on them. Before retirement I traveled ~100,000 miles/year and got packing down to a science. Kept all liquids in the required 1 qt zip-top bag. Cosmetics in a small zip bag (7" x 5" x 1.5") that is fitted with elastic loops for brushes and a pouch for small jars. This was a give-away item from Bare Minerals about 5 years ago and I still use it. Very sturdy. Remaining small bathroom stuff is in a small clear vinyl zip bag: hairbrush, tooth brush with its little cap, meds like decongestants and aspirin, manicure tools, etc. I keep a pencil and small post-it notes in liquids bag. While on a trip I write whatever needed replenishing and stick that inside the liquids bag. The first thing I do when returning home is to refill the moisturizer, shampoo and whatever else is on that list. Takes 2 minutes. As a result, I never pack bathroom stuff or forget anything because it's always in the suitcase. Just pack clothing, but that's another topic! And about my purse: After injuring my shoulder reaching into the back seat and lifting my huge tote bag, I downsized to a shoulder bag that holds only my wallet, Blackberry and a couple small things in the zipper pocket. I keep it on the passenger seat or floor. It took a year before the shoulder was healed (couldn't reach up or put on a sleeve without pain). I don't miss the load of the things I used to carry as 'essential'... not worth the pain.

Thanks for all the nice words! Badgergal it is ending up kind of nice that the space is still a little raw so I don't have to worry when I hear the screams associated with "beanbag super sandwich" - I just close the door at the top of the stairs... Alex9179 - I know what you mean about basements - I didn't grow up with them and our first 2 houses in the southeast didn't have them. When we moved here and our realtor was showing us a house with a basement, I asked her what the basement was for - she looked at me incredulously and said "Your children!" (I knew what she meant but it was funny). It has been a great spot for all of the train tables, mini kitchens, and Legos over the years. I almost think that was part of my hesitancy to change the room - I have a little sadness and nostalgia that those years are gone already- they go so fast (the years, not necessarily the days!). Well, I digress but thanks for the encouragement :)