Yeah, the novelty of having a palm tree at all in SLC was a big deal. Though there are lots of prettier palms that would do great here. All in time. Just a bottle palm, so far. And it was pretty silly to mail them here, considering that I can get something at any nursery that is prettier, and probably cheaper than the postage. But they're my guys, and I don't have much from my old home. The windmills are cool though, and you do see them around here from time to time. They seem to do just fine with a little shade. And besides, it's a crazy story. Now, the shrinking sad fargesia rufa, that's another story. It is just not happy here, and I don't think there's any way to save it except mail it back to someone back in UT.

I noticed 'Hardy' palms at several Home Depots. The one one Rt 50 inside the beltway had Sabal palmettos (I think). They weren't marked as to name, but looked like either minors or palmettos. $20 is a STEAL for that Trachy! Your daughter is very cute! Get the shotgun out when the young guys start to call!

Old is subjective. I tend to use methods of construction more than age as a guide. Age is useful for determining whether there is lead paint or asbestos present. Many local building codes require different levels of remodeling when working on structures built many years before the remodel. Example: Locally, if sheet rock or lath and plaster wall coverings are removed, any framing/electrical/plumbing issues must be brought up to present code status. Not a problem for a house built in 1975 in many cases, but electrical in houses from 1965 can be substandard for present codes. We bought our first house in 1969, it was then over 80 years old. In 1979, we built a brand new house. From the angle of construction, the older house was better built(our contractor did a good job on the new one, but materials were not as good). There is a huge difference between wall studs that are 2" by 4" and made of white oak(old house) and 1&1/2" by 3&1/2" and made of fir(new house). We now live in a house built in 1965 and I tend to think of it in terms of the first house, since is was constructed much like the first house, but using materials similar to the new house(just built more solid). Looking at the three: First house is now 127 years old and still standing and being lived in), second house is 38(still lived in) and current is 47 years old and I view it as being newer than the second house, due to how well constructed it is. I did extensive work on both second and present houses.

Impossible to tell with absolute certainty from a photo, but the brown staining is most likely from creosote. Creosote deposits on the interior of the chimney seep through the porous brick and mortar, especially when rain water enters the chimney. This staining is very difficult to remove because it permeates the brick. It's not just on the surface. This kind of staining does not happen with a properly lined chimney. Perhaps a liner was added after years of use without one. No "certified" chimney would be unlined today.