I bought one this spring to use on the cement sidewalk that curves around the front of the house and encloses a huge flower bed, which sports a healthy population of bindweed. I thought it was great, until my DD9 decided to use the 'seat function' on one of her pea picking expeditions. The pea plot is on a slope, and DD9 placed the kneeler / seater on that slope, and sat down. After an inappropriate wiggle, the thing collapsed, bending the braces that hold it in the seater position. I bent them back with very little effort, which would indicate a poor choice of material. I'm not that strong, and DD9 tends to the svelte.

Our company is holding it's own. We deal with the Washington metro area; it is a little more recession proof than the reat of the country. Pay starts around $11-$12 depending on qualifications it goes up. However they are right when they talk about the walking, driving, dealing with clients and just aggrevating plants. It's all part of being a tech; you have to enjoy it or you shouldn't bother. Our company is small; they are always open to new ideas and techniques. Makes you feel more professional not just some goof with a watering can and some shears. We use the machines, moisture meters and new subirrigation when possible. I think the smaller companies are better; they are more in touch with thier people, clients and what is going on in the industry.

What attracts you to this sporting breed? Is someone in your family a hunter? All the setters are beautiful, flashy dogs. The coats are fairly easy to care for as long as you perform a short daily maintenance brushing and combing (10 minutes)to prevent tangles and remove debris. Gordon Setters are, of course, quite similar to English and Irish Setters. Generally MUCH healthier than the Irish (which is plagued by cancer and epilepsy) but like all setters, they bloat easily and can be prone to dysplasia and PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) so a good breeder is a must. If you aren't going to hunt, look for a dog from show or "bench" lines. Field lines, as with other sporting breeds like pointers and retrievers, tend to be smaller and much, much more active. I prefer to call them high-spirited rather than hyper ;-) but mazer is correct .... exercise and structure are a must. They need more than a walk..or several walks. They need to be able to r-u-n, especially when they are under age 7. If you aren't particularly active, I suggest working with a rescue to find a suitable older dog because until they are at least 4-5, the activity level can be overwhelming. they are very calm and quiet when they get adequate exercise. They are very destructive and "barky" if you are dedicated to tiring them out. This is true of all the sporting breeds (and I daresay many other classes of dogs as well..at least the herders), so if you have previous experience with retrievers or pointers, it's certainly nothing exclusive to a Gordie. As a sporting breed bred specifically to work off-lead in the field with a hunter, they can most certainly be trained to be reliably off-leash, but you must put in the time necessary to train them to a high degree of reliability. As hunting dogs, they are generally friendly to people/other dogs, but cats can be a problem and they will certainly self-hunt, spending hours planning and executing(ha!) the eviction of every squirrel and rabbit on your property.

I do not have an answer to your question, but I have to tell you that having a bar like that in front of the sink is a PITA. You think it looks charming and different, and you can hang a towel there. But it is so annoying, that those things will diminish, and you will be "what was I thinking". That bar pokes into you each time you stand at the sink. Each time. And, it forces your body to stand farther from the sink, which forces you to have to lean more toward the sink to use the faucet, which will give you a back ache. You can get an apron front stainless steel sink without the bar in front quite easily online. As for the faucet, that faucet has come up for discussion on this forum a couple of times. It is Waterstone 5100, costs about $4500 for standard finish. Many people think it is overly complicated and silly, others love it.