"Jeri, it was my understanding that it was found in California as "Alcatraz Red Climber" but was afterwards identified as Bardou Job. I was not aware that there was any question about its identity, but perhaps I am missing something. " *** *** If a rose is FOUND, we can guess, or guess with some certainty, what it is. We can't be CERTAIN, unless we can compare it to another one, or unless DNA testing can guarantee it. That's why we have found roses, once thought to be "Historic Rose A," which were later thought to be, instead, "Historic Rose B." And so, we have scholarly arguments about identities. Or we just say -- "OK. That name's as good as any." (And how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?) I'm not arguing that a rose one of is is growing is, or is not, 'Bardou Job.' I'm just saying that, with any Found rose, there is room for uncertainty. "May be . . . " "Thought to be . . . " "Believed to be . . . " "Is probably . . . " "Appears to be . . . "

I'm a little confused, some of these are not entirely tea, let me know if the noisette / china hybrids should be reported on elsewhere. A Mme Antoine Mari - no sign of mildew, occasional bs exclusively on old leaves. 2 years old now General Schablikine - as Mme Mari. Beales 'Anna Olivier' - not a spot on it all season - first year rose, still tiny Isabella Sprunt - ditto (if the blooms didn't lose form so fast this would be my perfect yellow rose) Clementina Carbonieri - ditto Mme Jules Gravereaux - ditto, except 4ft tall, not tiny. Duchess D'Auerstadt - ditto, 6ft up it's arch. No blooms but immaculate. Lamarque has been immaculate the whole summer and has taken off like a racehorse in its pot - it's well over 6ft tall. Destined to grow over an arch onto a warm wall. I love, love, love it. Still, have to see what the damp dank winter does. Perle d'Or, small, first year, spotless. B Reve d'Or has had a touch of bs on the long branch that dangled in the undergrowth - once propped up that disappeared. No sign of mildew. Comtesse du Cayla in a pot mildewed, the one in the ground did not, so I think it's an artefact of water supply rather than the rose. Lady H - blackspots a bit when unhappy; i.e., I haven't watered it enough. Never mildews. Sanguineua - occasional spots, no mildew - in desperate need of a bigger pot, so factor that in. Mutabilis, never mildew, will bs and shed and regrow leaves rapidly. No more than say, 10%. Isabella Nabonnand - needs a new pot, some bs, but it's been swamped by an ambitious euphorbia so that might be part of it. Maman Cochet and Maman Cochet white - these leave me this autumn to their new up the road home. Both had a teeny touch of mildew and bs, but I think that was lack of water related. Incidentally, they ball like it's their job. They have excellent sun and air flow too. General Galleni is about 6 inches high in his pot and not doing much. Had a touch of mildew when in shade early this spring. Beale's 'Archiduc Joseph', tiny, had a touch of bs early - again was shaded. Souvenir de Leonie Viennot. Had a little mildew its first spring and autumn, in a pot. Clean so far this year, apart from limited bs on old leaves. It bloomed like a trouper in my hottest,driest spot. C Crepuscule mildews for me, and has done so lightly but unremittingly since it first leafed out. I am not in love with it atm, really hope it grows out of it. it is in the more moisture retentive area of the garden so I don't think it's a dry root issue, unfortunately. Alexander Hill Gray, ditto, also it balls, ugh. No bs though. Le Vesuve - doesn't mildew, does BS periodically. Don't love the effect of bare thorny canes frankly. It does bloom its socks off though.

Jane, I personally would be hesitant to invest in a small condo now. Condos went down first in the last decline. I knew so many friends who bought in the late 80s who were upside down on their loans for a really long time (close to 10 years) meanwhile they needed to move on and start families and needed space. Some rented the, some sold at a loss and some sold only recently and tripled their money. Please make sure it is in a location you can rent out if you need to. However, everyone debates whether prices are going up or down so who knows Momtokai well said "Why is that an immigrant person who may have been a college professor/professional/businees owner in his/her country will come to America and cut your grass and clean your house, but a person born in this country without a high school diploma thinks it is beneath him/her to do that kind of work" I think education or skills training and a work ethic is the way out. We came here in 1968 and my parents had no money but they were educated and had a profession and because of the Vietnam War, were able to actually get jobs in their field since everyone was off fighting. They did not own a house for another 10 years but by then could afford something very upscale. They bought right before the price jump of the 1980s but then I bought right before the price crash of 1987! So it is also a function of random timing. I agree they are not your typical immigrants but I think throughout the generations the typical immigrants worked to better themselves. A house was a byproduct of that, not the cause of it. I think part of saving for your first house teaches money responsibility, without that it is like handing someone a hunting rifle and sending them out to hunt without teaching them how to use it I think there is a big difference between a first generation person who is working even if he is illegal and washes dishes and the entrenched poverty where mom, grandma and great grandma are all living on the dole

I stained 4 oak vanities in my previous home. I used cheap wal-mart brand brown spray paint - lightly sprayed not thick at all and let it dry at least 24 hours. I used a foam brush on the cabinets. I don't wipe it off. I didn't paint when using gel stain on unfinished wood on the staircase handrail and balusters in my garage it was raw wood and I used the sock method. I also finished a pine coffee table and used the sock to apply - no paint. It really is trial and error. Nice thing to know is that if you make a mistake with the gel stain - mineral spirits cleans it right up easily if you haven't let it dry for too long. I did attempt to gel stain my kitchen cabinets in the previous house. I tried to take a shortcut and not paint the oak first and it looked horrible and was simply more than I wanted to take on so I removed the stain on the doors i had worked on with mineral spirits and left good enough alone. I was only trying to update to sell the house. If I had planned on staying I probably would have painted the cabinets white.