Diesel engines do last longer... some people have several hundreds thousand miles on them without a problem. They do cost a little more in upkeep... Biodiesel is a good idea, but you can't use it full strength and its very expensive. I'm looking for a diesel truck right now too. I don't like the newer Fords as much--they're not as powerful as the older ones for one thing. I don't know much about the 01 year but I think they were still 7.3 then?? Thats better than the newer 6.0... I'd buy a diesel truck before buying a gas!! even it was older and had many more miles on it.

I'm in agreement with Donna in that you should remove the dead baby. It could draw ants, etc., to the nestbox. Increasing your offering of mealworms is also an excellent idea, since Dad is having to feed by himself. The mealworms will allow him to spend less time hunting for food and more time feeding and protecting those babies. His hesitance at the mealworm feeder may offer a clue as to what happened to Mama, though. Is your feeder close to the nestbox? It's possible that Mama was attacked while at the feeder. Try to make sure that there is some cover for the birds so that they will have a better chance of survival in the event of an aerial attack by hawks, etc. Raptors are very smart and can become accostomed to the timing of your feedings, too, then use this to time their attacks. Donna's questions regarding the set-up of your nestbox are also pivotal. Your blues are vulnerable to attacks from all kinds of climbing predators (snakes, raccoons, etc.) if the box is not mounted on a slick metal pole equipped with a predator baffle. I use the stovepipe baffle on all 35+ nestboxes that I monitor and it works beautifully. Keep us posted on Dad's progress. Kathy

Surprised to see this old thread resurrected. However, candler's post is not quite accurate: "I've heard when one inherits property their basis becomes whatever the property was worth when the parent died. " It depends on how the property was titled prior to death. Property held in Joint Tenancy - a huge, huge mistake - only gets the step-up basis on whatever percentage of the property the deceased owned. Property held by spouses as community property will get a full step-up in the tax basis upon the death of the first spouse. Attorneys are generally not specialists in inheritance tax issues. The proper experts to consult, as agnespuffin posted, is a tax advisor.

"Amen," to what Sushipup just said. Paying for legal advice from a competent elder care attorney is worthwhile. It's much better to speak with an attorney before complications arise. That way, your attorney will be familiar with all the specifics that are unique to your situation when or if trouble arises. And having a small estate should not be a consideration. Even someone with just a house and a bit of savings can run into difficulties if they or their relatives do not do things properly. Consider it like insurance. You pay it and maybe nothing ever happens for a while.But when it does, you're glad you have it. When you have to deal with the complexities of Medicaid, etc., you'll be glad you consulted with an attorney and have a good CPA on your side. My county's Council on Aging provides low cost, sometimes free, services for the elderly. Can you avail yourself of a similar service?