Thanks for all the replies. This is not an issue of deflector chutes, nor would rear-discharge have helped - because I use mulching blades and the JD mulch kit, which has a thick metal baffle installed over the discharge part of the deck, to keep grass in so it can be mulched. Here is a pic (old pic, low quality). See curved black metal baffle with two rows of small holes in it (for airflow), inside discharge chute - held in by two stout bolts. Plus, the discharge chute was not aimed at the garage - couldn't have been, the steel post of my basketball hoop makes that impossible (if the blades were over those rocks with chute aimed at garage, that post would be coming up thru my right-rear tire, or my seat). The rock had to have gone under the bottom lip of my mower deck. It could have gotten a nice ricochet off the concrete driveway.

Thanks for all your good wishes. Did come home Friday night, and Vera, no problem in taking it slow. The spine is talking to me constantly making sure I move slowly and do nothing stupid, Surgery was a full success and the only pain now is post op. The gardens are doing well, and mother nature is cooperating quite well with the watering for me. So far no nightmares about hubby, the engineer, doing the watering for me. That was a sight for sore eyes 2 years ago when he had to take care of the gardens for me. Should be able to get out in the gardens for some pics in about 2 weeks, by then so much more will be blooming too. Fran

50/50 sphagnum peat/perlite or silica sand. You can also use LFS (long fiber sphagnum) by itself but IMO the roots will intertwine in it and make it harder to separate them if you ever do a complete media change which is recommended every 2-3 years due to mineral buildup. Yes you're going to have to use distilled or RO water if you don't save rain water. I now save water via a 55 gallon drum. It is possible to distill your tap water but hardly worth it. It will cost more in gas/electricity than just buying the water.

The only difficult thing about Times Square is the sheer volume of people. It can be a challenge getting a group of five people down a city block all at the same time, lol. Unless your focus is theater going I wouldn't necessarily stay right in Times Square unless you really want that experience. (You can google Times Square cam and see a lot of street scenes online. ) If you're after a more genteel city stay with cleaner streets and leafy trees along the sidewalks, with close proximity to museums, you will want a location much farther up. With five people you may have trouble with taxis--- some will not take that many and you will have to take public transportation or two cabs. So it becomes even more important to stay near your places of interest. One thing I would urge you to do is visit the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan. The former is packed with kids, and the latter has great workshops for kids if you're interested in that. The Museum of the City of New York also has great family programs you can register for online. There are wonderful playgrounds in Central Park and I highly recommend spending time there. Not a fan of zoos but there is one in CP, along with the carousel. One suggestion for a quieter stay, if that's what you want, is the Battery Park area near the SouthStreet Seaport. This is much quieter--- some might say dead, lol, at night---but gives you a good location for the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Staten Island Ferry, Circle Line tours around Manhattan, pretty easy access to Brooklyn via water taxi, Chinatown, the 9/11 Memorial, Fulton Market, etc. The Fraunces Tavern is also in the financial district and is an often overlooked "attraction." There is a small museum of revolutionary war art and artifacts, and the tavern is still a working restaurant. You will be taking public transportation everywhere else, but that is pretty straightforward. Rates are best on weekends as hotels in this district cater to business people during the week. Its a lot to consider --- and all depends on what you really want to see. In June you should be able to get a good deal on hotel rates. With a family of five my personal priority would be on room size and location. Booking directly with the hotel usually nets the best rates and avoids any third party booking site "misunderstandings." Finally, when you call a hotel don't forget to ask of there is road or building constriction on either side of their block. That can make or break a hotel stay. Good luck!