THANKS SO MUCH, TANGO!!! Your instructions are clear, and easy for any newbie to comprehend! YAY! They've been printed and added to the plastic filebox in my BF's garage (where we're both playing in the mud every weekend, lately!) That's where I keep all my reference materials, for easy access while I work...since my mind is like a giant sieve! Believe it or not, I'd already printed your charts about the coloration options, and have already played around with Copperas as an addititive. That's some funny stuff. I use it around my azaleas to keep their roots in acid soil...tough here in the lime-laden midwest! When used in 'crete/tufa, the color ranges from buff, all the way to dark rust. I thought it would be rather bluegreen, but nope! The acidity of the product must slow down the curing process, too, cuz those items took much longer to set and demold than any that I've tried. And even when I cast several items from the SAME batch of mix, the colors are quite different. Odd, but true...maybe the differing mold materials react with the mix in varying ways? Ahhh, nature! I'm hoping that I can try my mini-stump this weekend. My BF has been trying to build a tufa bonsai, (hard to describe, but way more interesting than it sounds!) and is frustrated with his efforts so far. I plan to show him your pics, to get him enthused again. (Visual learning is sometimes SO much easier than reading directions! LOL! For me, anyway!) Perhaps he needs to change his methods. That smaller rebar/smooth rod sounds like just the thing, for both of our projects. And as luck would have it, there's a Home Depot just minutes away, so we can get the mesh lath, too! I'm looking forward to the day that I can hand out tried- and-true, sage advice! I'll remember those who helped me, and do the same for the next class of mudpuppies! Keep up the great work, Tango! - Lisa

Some great comments on here, and some of the nicest "ugly" combos I've ever seen! And some of the neighborhood stories.... where do you start!? LoL I'm a color disaster. My wife frequently points it out in my clothing choices and even I can pick it out in the garden. But it doesn't bother me and having such a lousy track record makes it look like I walked on water when I get it halfway right! Here's a bad one. It's got variegation, chartreuse, pastels and a bold red... and a couple weeds for good measure.

Jasdip, eggplant is wonderful!! Especially roasted. But most Americans way undercook it. It's done when it looks like snot. Literally. If it's white, it's not cooked and likely bitter. People tell you you have to salt it to draw away the bitter but I can't tell the difference. It's sweet if it's cooked, and bitter and nasty if it isn't. If you don't want to go to the mess of charring it over a fire, you can do it under the broiler. Just wash the whole eggplant, poke it all over with a fork to break the skin and let the steam out (you do not want an exploding eggplant), and put it in a pie plate, under the broiler, until it's all sunken in and charry looking. Turn it at least once (more if there's another side that hasn't been up--depends on size and shape). You can use a casserole dish if you don't have a pie plate (I use Pyrex which is dead easy to clean), but the lower the sides the less you have to turn it. Temperature can be from 375-450 depending on your druthers, but I wouldn't go higher with a big eggplant because the outside will get totally charred before the inside is cooked. You can if they're the skinny ones, but then you have to watch them like a hawk. It could take 45-90 minutes depending on the oven, temperature, and size of eggplant. Once it's done, let it cool enough to touch, then slice open, use a spoon to pull out the heaviest groups of seeds, then just scoop the eggplant out, getting all the roasty brown parts. You can make it into a salad or paste, add tehinah for baba ganouj, or just use it straight. The fire version takes a lot more tending, but gives a smokier flavor, even when it's just your gas burner. Poke all over, and keep turning every couple of minutes before the charred spots go black. As you turn the eggplant, the hot side will cool down and can take another go over the flames. This will result in eggplant spit all over your burner, so not the thing to do right after a big, deep clean. You can also do very skinny Asian eggplants, cut into spears, oiled and seasoned (a citrusy flavor works very well, and garlic, for sure), and roast them like you would any other veg. It's a little tricky getting them good and cooked without drying out though. I use a higher sided baking dish for them. Sometimes, a dry, white outside remains when it's thoroughly cooked inside. They're best when the whole white collapses against the skin, looking flat and overdone. That's when they're just right. Can you tell I love eggplant?

Hey Anthemguy, sounds like you may be moving to Vegas by your name. Both kim-in-LV and I are here to help a bit. I'm not a plumber but have had a pool here for 15 years. Spas integrated with the pool are expected here. Make sure you can heat the spa separately for winter, you will not be doing any winter swimming. We swim til late Sep only. I have a heater for the pool, but don't really need it. I put a solar cover on in the spring when air temps are 80's and can warm the pool in about a week from 60's to mid 80"s. I use the solar cover all summer at night to stop water loss, we can lose an inch overnight with wind. If the pool gets too warm I just leave the cover off for a night, it will cool the pool at least 5 degrees. If you are going to some other desert location than Vegas, we need some of those Phoenix/Tuscon folks to advise. My girlfriend came from Phoenix and they used to throw ice blocks in the pool in summer. Hope this helps, Barb