" buying a few smaller, neater, roses". I just tried that too! In my Mediterranean climate, all of the old heat loving roses get huge (except some of the polyanthas). My front garden is more formal, and we just carved a new brick edged oval bed out of the lawn. I looked around for roses that would stay small/medium and neat. No idea if I succeeded. I put in a 36 inch standard of Peach Drift, and a Blushing Knock Out! So far they are behaving as advertised - the Blushing Knock Out is even blooming in mostly shade. We shall see. Jackie

Just got back from the the Honda service department. It was the washer motor.....it had gotten "smashed". I asked the guy how the heck this happens, and he said it's very close to the bottom of the front of the car, under the hood, and it might have gotten whacked from below somehow. Was going to explain this to me further, but didn't. Anyhow.....the intermittents and washer on the front are on the same circuit as the back, which is why none of it was working. The regular wipers on the front were still working.......so maybe they do that as a precaution of when something like this happens, you'll still have some wiper left.

Amazing size of bloom for such a small plant. Beautiful. It's lovely to see your blooms. Thank you for posting.

There is a lot of misinformation on this thread. I am going to try to clear it up. Most of all, all stainless steel scratches. That is the nature of stainless steel. Some may show it a bit less because the finish is brushed instead of polished like a mirror. In the decision among different SS sinks, take "scratching" off the table as a way to differentiate them, other than choosing a polished vs. brushed finish. Regardless, it will scratch. Many people opt for sink grids to reduce the scratching. Kraus is a great value because it comes with the grid for free, while other brands charge $80-120 for it. I want to emphasize Patricia Colwell's point about the sink gauge. 16 gauge (thicker) is better than 18 gauge (thinner). Yes, I know people will point to Consumer Reports which said 16 vs. 18 gauge makes no difference. CR isn't always right. The thicker gauge means a quieter sink, and also a sink that has a more "solid" feel to it - hard to describe, but when you drop something into the sink, you will know what I mean. Chiflipper mentioned 14 gauge, and I agree. However, I do not believe 14 gauge can be found other than with custom, and it sounds like the OP is not in that price range for a custom sink. The double bowl vs. single bowl decision is all about how big is your cabinet for this sink. If it is 36" or larger, that will fit a double bowl with one of the bowls a good size. A cabinet that is less than 36" width means a two bowl sink won't have a bowl big enough to soak pans or wash things easily. Joseph is correct in what he said above - just look at any design magazine - every kitchen shown has a single bowl. If you don't like them, that is your choice, but don't reject them without thinking it through first. The OP's questions: 1. As mentioned above, I would opt for a 16 gauge sink. The Kraus sinks are 16-gauge and come with the sink grid for free. So many glowing reviews of the Kraus sinks on this forum, Amazon and Overstock. I am one of the "old-timers" on this forum, and the great reviews for Kraus go back for years. 2. There was a recent post here saying that Elkay is not what it once was. If so, it would be a shame, because that company has been known for quality fixtures for decades. Here is a link to a person's sink decision-process that might help you: [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/elkay-crosstown-vs-elkay-lustertone-vs-other-brands-dsvw-vd~5084735?n=56[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/elkay-crosstown-vs-elkay-lustertone-vs-other-brands-dsvw-vd~5084735?n=56) 3. Water spots--like scratches I discussed above--are the nature of stainless steel. The tendency for water spots has nothing to do with what brand sink you have; it has to do with your water's Ph. The harder your water, the more you will get water spots. I have just slightly hard water, and I get them. In the scheme of life, are water spots in a sink a huge crisis? Shrug. But if you don't like water spots, and your water is not soft, do not get a stainless steel sink. 4. Be careful when looking at companies just because they are German, Swiss, or U.S. Blanco, Franke and Kohler all sell some sinks which are made in China. Just by buying a sink with one of those brand names does not guarantee you a non-Chinese-made sink. You can find the country of origin of a sink you are considering by either looking at its box, where it must be labelled, or calling the manufacturer's customer service number and asking them. Another clue is the price of the sink. Franke for example sells SS sinks that are in the $400-600 range, and SS sinks at $1,200+. Guess which ones are made in Switzerland. Kohler does same. Just look at the price differences. "If you can't scratch it easily, chances are it won't rust." One has nothing to do with the other. As mentioned above, all stainless steel scratches. People buy grids to minimize scratches, but to me, a grid would be just one more thing to clean. As has been discussed many times on this forum, the scratches eventually blend into a patina, and you don't notice them. Rust is not from the stainless steel. Rust is from something left on top of the stainless steel that rusts. For example, a metal spatula, or a can left in the sink. Most commonly, people wash their SS sinks with steel wool pads, which leave tiny particles behind which then rust. A SS sink should be cleaned with BarKeepers Friend, not steel wool pads. The overarching theme I am seeing in this thread is that people are looking at SS sinks and not liking scratches, not liking water spots, not liking the possibility of rust, not liking where the SS sink is sourced. Those people should all then turn their attention instead to Kohler enameled cast iron sinks, or Blanco Silgranit sinks, and stop focusing on those SS issues.