Hi everyone, I am a artificial rock contractor (pool and spa) and an expert with specialty concrete mixes - specifically vermiculite which is also commonly known as "pool base". I have read through this thread and there are a few things I wanted to offer some clarity for: 1) The reason that you should pre-water the vermiculite is becasue vermiculite is incredibly absorbant. If you do not pre-water it will leech water from your concrete depriving it of moisture and likely leading to hairline cracking and crazing if the surface layers. The mix itself can still be "dry" as someone eluded above that concrete that is too wet becomes weak. This is extremely true. Pre-watered vermiculite is much easier to proportion and regulate the water in the mix. 2) Soap in concrete mixes is an "air entrainer" as discussed in a post above however soap has long since been used as an ingredient in vermiculite concrete mixes for different reasons. Vemiculite concrete is very sticky and can be difficult to trowel. Adding a tiny bit of soap, like dish soap, makes the concrete smoother and less inclined to cling to the tools. 3) It was posted above that concrete for construction does not get adjusted for water content. This is not true. Concrete is and can be adjusted on the fly in almost every mixing condition to account for changing conditions, heat, direct sunlight, concrete consistency, slump etc. There is a point past which you should not hydrate the mix but before that it is no problem at all to adjust slump. Every single mix through a mixer gets individually watered. Ready mix concrete will ask you if you are happy with the slump of the mix when they arrive to your site and will wet it up if you want them to. 4) Use water reducer to achieve desired placement slump without compromising the strength of the concrete. A tiny bit too much water equals a substantial loss of finished strength. 5) The best release agent for silicone is wax based release agents. In most cases if you are not sure what to use you should use wax based. I hope this info helps some of you out. If you want more information on lightweight concrete mixes check out the link below Here is a link that might be useful: Lightweight Concrete Mixes

spedigrees: Limestone varies in magnesium content. If you go to your local agricultural store--I am not sure what you have up there--and ask for “high mag limestone“--crushed or pulverized--they should be able to direct you. The analysis is always posted on the bag. Dolomitic limestone is generally “high-mag,” but perhaps other types of limestone have a high magnesium content. Our soils here in the northern Shenandoah Valley are very high in magnesium, and high mag limestone underlies a good portion of our soils, and high mag limestone is readily available. And, almost all the NS in this area look very nice, in spite of our hot, dry climate. As for soil acidity--that should not be a problem for Norway spruce, unless the soil is extremely acidic, maybe in the low 4’s. At my timberland, where the soils are a bit below 5, Norway spruce does very well. I am not sure what an optimum pH would be, and it would probably vary with soil type. Maybe somewhere in the 5.5 range is "safe." As for magnesium for Norway spruce--this has been fairly well documented. I titled my original post “a hypothesis,” but there is substantial evidence. A site factors study done at SUNY Syracuse some years ago now, noted that “at least 75 kg per hectare” is needed for good NS growth. Studies in Europe, where there has been extensive decline in NS forests, has shown that the acid rain causes a reduction in the availability of magnesium, and supplementing magnesium often solves the problem. And, I have made some personal observations--not scientific, and without all the facts--that magnesium supplementation can make a dramatic difference. But, the main effect of magnesium may not be in height growth, but in the fullness, density, and lushness of the foliage. I have seen many poor looking, thin foliaged NS trees growing reasonably fast in height. Also, the thin foliage on some Norway spruce trees has causes other than a lack of an optimum supply of magnesium. And, I know, some of that is genetic, and not correctable. As for your experiment: Yes, 5 years should be long enough to show some results, but no sooner. The limestone has to dissolve into the soil, get down to the roots, and, because NS hold their needles for several years, the "thickening" of the foliage may not be vis1ble for several years. BUT, and this is a big "but," the effect may not really show up on very young trees. It may help the growth rate, but as for foliage density, that is never really noticeable until trees are somewhat older and larger--maybe not until they are 20 feet tall or more will any difference be really clear. As for the growth rate: white pine usually starts growing faster than NS. How old are your trees? How tall? NS trees don't begin to grow fast until they are about 4.5 feet high, and that could be only after 6 to 8 years. At that point, they should "take off." On the best soils, and in the right climate, an average of 28 inches is possible, with some years the new shoots elongating up to 4 feet or more. But growth averaging 20 to 24 inches is good for many sites. Norway spruce and white pine, assuming equally good strains, should grow equally well over the first 50 years. The white pine up to about 18 years should outgrow the NS, but after that NS should catch up a bit. After 50 years NS should outgrow the white pine for some years. SUNY Syracuse did a growth curves study for NS, and found that for the first 60 years--after the trees reach 4.5 feet in height, there is no "curve" as such, but a straight line. White pine growth curves bend sharply over to the right after the first 18 years or so, and at 50 years the growth averages about 1 foot, while at the same age, NS trees can still be growing 28 inches per year. But this rate does begin to decline not too long after the 60-year mark. On the best sites both should eventually make 150 feet or more in forest stands. Open grown NS should make 120 feet or more on better sites. As for the blue spruce and magnesium, I really don't know. Tom may be right about this. --spruce

Here's why I personally feel buzz words don't work. It's a little like custom features. Everyone's idea of what "luxurious", to use one example, can vary wildly. Even words like "large" can often be disputed as what may be a large backyard in your own neighborhood, may be a postage stamp in someone else's. We've sold FSBO three times and each time when we let the buyer do most of the talking, we discovered interesting information about their home search. And with every home we've had buyers who were downsizing. Had we wasted time in our ads or trying to convince them that our "fabulous deck area" will sell our home, we would have found out that maybe they don't want the maintenance of a deck. Or that the deck they currently home is massive compared to ours. For the majority of people, a home will be the single most expensive thing they ever purchase. So it stands to reason that most of us don't want to over pay. Superfluous adjectives create high expectations. And whenever those expectations aren't met, the buyer sees that as an opportunity to create objections in their own mind in order to offer less. The idea of the ad is just to get buyers in your home. Period. When the buyers show up, you want them to leave thinking that the property has SO much more going on than even the ad promised. That creates value in the mind of the buyer and it pushes them to make a decision because they know their competition (other buyers) will probably be feeling the same way.

Am finally back after a lot of sleeping, and once again, many thanks for your replies. It all helps! Your suggestions sent me back to the internet, so I learned more about tactics for this battle/skirmish. Jlc - I was surprised to read of young people commonly having this, but actually I know you are right - the dang thing is everywhere now. And I will ask my doc (when he's back from his ill-timed vacation lol) about a nutritionist; am sure he'll know someone. Never thought of myself as being immune-system compromised, but now it's a fact, isn't it. Deee - I'm sorry that your relative has this. It really is an odious thing to have, not just on one's body, but also in the back of one's mind. I've filed manuka honey; it apparently is only for open wounds, but sounds good. I would much prefer a natural remedy anyway. Probably I should have some in the house jusr in case. And I understand about taking care with ordering from Amazon; I would stick to a name recommended by someone I kmow. Annie - Am also filing your article about essential oils; I know people who swear by certain ones. Lemongrass oil on one's hands and feet sounds lovely! Regarding meditation, it's something I've daydreamed about for years, as I also have about yoga. I know that you have extolled its benefits here often. It would need to be something I could do by myself, as am dreadful at attending classes that do not lead to a degree > : > ), but am pretty good about schedules at home. Am a bit of a hermit that way. Will look for something online! Localeater - I am sorry that you had to learn about this because of your son. Those years must have been a nightmare. Our DS1 had ten years of catastrophic asthma and was on and off pred for the whole time. Back then there wasn't much being done on "Integrative Medicine", and pred did save his life more than once. Side effects barely came into consideration. Today he is much better, no more pred, takes good care of himself and does employ elements of oriental medicine. I'm glad that your boy is also better! I will check online for NCOLIS. And will have to think of a tactful way to ask my doc about alternatives! Kwsl - Will look for thyme oil as soon as I finish this and add it to the file! It sounds like something good to use in the bathroom. One could top it off with a thyme candle! Thanks! Neetsiepie - Welcome back! You are sounding happy, and it's wonderful to read about your childrens' successes, especially about your son! But I am sorry to read that you have staph/mrsa in addition to other maladies. Yes, have gotten the message about cleanliness, have a bottle of Hibiclens in the kitchen and one in the bathroom, and am dutifully laundering the linens in hot water, the towels almost every day, really beating them up, don't like doing that. But I appreciate your many suggestions, especially your admonition to take it easy and rest, which removes the guilt from curling up and watching Law & Order marathons. Take care of yourself, too! Neetsiepie - One more thing. Saw the picture of your beautiful new cat. He's what the British call an orange marmalade. They have a reputation, especially the males, for wild high energy. We "baby-sat" two over the years and it was like having a hyperactive 3-year old in the house. Constant motion! Enjoy him! Thank you again, everyone - Sable