Taoseeker stated: "It would be interesting to compare a few old varieties with the heat treated ones." I am not sure if you are refering to what what I think you are. If you are interested in whether a virused but then heat treated plant does better or worse than one of the same variety that was never virused, this is my response. Plants are very complex, it is possible that the virus and / or the heat treatment may have affected other mechanisms (could be positive or negative). There are many types of examples but since a very recent (2009) example of the "expression of heat stress proteins" has been studied in a rose, I will present that example. The actual research paper is very technical. The paper is at the following link: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6203748 Rather than looking at the specific details most readers would probably benefit more from the following summary of the field: http://www.cspp.cn/Annual2009/upload/pub09.pdf Please notice the statement: "It is known that rapid heat hardening can be elicited by a brief exposure of cells to sub-lethal high temperature, which in turn provides protection from subsequent and more severe temperature." This does not "prove" that heat treated roses will have better heat resistance. Maybe a longer term of high temperature will result in other effects (positive or negative). I am presenting this to indicate that one cannot assume that other variables are being held constant. It is possible that effects may not show up till years later. Some "cured" polio victims are now finding that many years later problems related to the polio are appearing. -------------------------- The effects of a virus infection can be very unexpected. The following link discusses the observed effect of a virus on aphid population (not done on roses): http://www.springerlink.com/content/uw13564v21223876/ I have posted several times about my experince with a virused Culbert Grant from Pickering. Up to then my best Climber was Illusion. This new Culbert Grant bloomed and grew much better than Illusion all summer. I was very excited. That winter I received a letter from Pickering that it was virused and that they were pulling it off the market. That spring it was dead. Scientists at Cornell University surveyed approximately 2500 roses by visible assessment. They found that 166 had virus symptons: http://www.actahort.org/books/234/234_53.htm From the abstract, it does not appear that anything unusual was observed, but from the full paper a number of unexpected results were reported such as: "Total flower cut weight and total number of flower cuts with nonsymptomatic foliage was greater from PNRSV (severe) inoculated rose plants than from healthy control plants. The data revealed also that PNRSV (severe) and ApMV (severe) inoculated plants outyielded the PNRSV (mild) inoculated plants, which in turn outyielded the healthy tissue inoculated plants. These results were unexpected since reduced yields would be anticipated from virus infections." They then discuss some "maybes. one of these is: "Another speculation is that the initial stage of viral infection stimulates host metabolism by competing and utilizing the host ribonucleic acid polymerases for ita viral replication." i.e. The virus infection may be causing the rose to grow better. ----------------------------------------------- The following non rose paper may be of interest: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=6203748 Explanation of the sympols: (VT) I assume that (VT) means heat treated since I found this using heat treatment as a key work. The abstract is not clear. (My literature search service says the full paper can be down loaded but when I try it states that it is too new and has not been uploaded yet.) (V) is virused infected. (VTR) is virused reinfected. Just to highlight one of the observations: "V plants produced big tubers that weighed more than those from VT plants."

I hope you guys don't think I am a real creep after you read this...When I lived in West Ft. Worth, one of my neighbors had two teenagers. Anytime I would work in the front yard the older one (a girl) would come over and stay....forever. She had a bit of a mental disability, but not severe. Her younger brother would ride his bike and scold her when she had been over there forever. I appreciated his efforts and enjoyed when he would come over to visit. Then.....I didn't see him for a long time. When I did, he was in a wheel chair and it was very obvious that he wasn't the same person mentally. I felt horrible for him and visited with him at first when he would wheel his way over. Then one day he asked if he could have a hug. I gave him a hug and he wouldn't let me go until I told him I heard his mother. After this, he started asking whether or not I had a bra on and if he could have a hug...On more than one occasion when I was inside my house, he wheeled over and would sit in front of my house SCREAMING my name. Ya'll I was completely freaked out. The conflicting emotions (anger, fear, sympathy, feeling like a HORRIBLE person) were overwhelming. We did not have an adjoining fence so I immediately went and bought about a dozen photinias (I hate them but I wanted a screen asap). It was like he knew what I was doing and came over and told me they were going to die.... Anyway, the point of this yucky tale is that if I were in a position where there was already a fence there, I would really consider attaching some attractive 6' bamboo screening or something of that sort. There are some really pretty and reasonably priced outdoor screening options these days. I remember while working in the front yard when these kids weren't at my house and always having the creepy feeling that they were watching out of a window. Just made gardening a much less enjoyable activity for me.... I am now BLESSED to live on 20 acres in Granbury. I can just barely see one neighbor's house. It's heaven. I feel your pain, Kristi

Glenda, I rode my bike on New Years Day of course... :) with the local bike club. Yesterday I rode to work, and plan the same for today. I really don't exercise anymore, since I got the job at Home Depot. So much walking is involved, including up and down their ladders... and who needs weight lifting, when you lift mulch, rocks or sand in heavy bags??? On days that I don't work, I usually try to get by the hospital and walk all the way up and back down. Stair stepping is a great work out. For that, I also walk almost a half mile from the parking garage down to the concourse, and all the way over to the high towers to do the stairs, and back of course. Thus, yes, I do exercise. Moni

Look at grays and taupes that you find in the stone. Try to find some paint chips that aren't "cold" as some grays and taupes can be. Gray is such a wonderful neutral, and it would probably go nicely with your wood. The thing I love about this stone is that there are so many colors that go with it, you just have to work with your cabinet color too. I cannot wait for you to post pictures of the BA installed. To be ensconced in Bianco Antico, ahhhh wait you said "used", does that mean it's installed? If so, post pictures!!!!