When it is hot and sunny out, I am not working in the garden. If I have to use a shovel or pick, I do it before or after the sun will be on me. My front yard is all sun after about 10 am. My back yard is all sun after noon. Another caveat I might add is that my garden is pretty much done from a design or planting standpoint. I just need to maintain the existing plants and/or plant annual things, and that planting is into nice, already worked soil usually. I've sweated working in the garden but I try not to. I am in reasonable shape, but I am a bit overweight. I am trying to get more exercise, like bike-riding or swimming. I think the benefits of gardening are more mental than physical, although it is no doubt beneficial to bend and move around some as you do your gardening chores. I'm not a doctor but a heartrate of 120 doesn't seem all that high for a short period. 150? Yes. Resting, mine is 70 or so.

glenda, what i do is turn on the exhaust fan before i start the oven...plus, if you know you're going to "alarm" open the door and use a fan... i might use plain lawry's salt, since they make the best prime rib in los angeles...

Here it is. Ann Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ======================================= Home Cookin 4.9 Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table High Heat cooking Instructions ============================== . General Instructions (for Barbara Kafka's "Roasting A Simple Art") "Different meats and different cuts have different cooking times. That's why there are recipes. I did try to find a universal rule so that I could say as I do for fish, "ten minutes per inch" or for chicken "ten minutes per pound," and then describe the exceptions. It didn't work. Timing is as much a factor of fat content, bone content, and the shape of the roast as a specific kind of meat. The only easy rules are for boneless loin of pork or beef (the shell or strip) and venison and beef fillet. They always cook in the same amount of time since the only way they increase in size is according to their length, which will not influence the cooking time." This is her recipe for a Simple Rib Roast 4 1/2 pound without short ribs Standing rib roast (2 Ribs) or 26 Pound standing rib roast (7 ribs total) 2 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and slivered Kosher salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups red wine for deglazing 1 recipe for Yorkshire pudding. Roast should be at room temperature, not taken directly from the fridge. Place oven rack on the second level from the bottom. Heat oven to 500F. Place small roast in a 14 X 12 X2 inch roasting pan. bone side down. The large roast will need an 18 X 13 X 2 inch roasting pan. Snuggle most of the garlic, is using, under the fat and spread remainder under the meat. Season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes. With meat in oven, reduce heat to 325° and roast for an additional 3 minutes per pound.( i.e.: 4lb =12minutes, 7lb = 21 minutes, 26 lb =78 minutes) etc..Increase heat to 450°F and roast for another 15 minutes regardless of size. Meat temperature should read 135 on an instant - read thermometer. If you like it more rare, reduce the additional 3 minutes per pound to 2 minutes or for less rare, increase the 3 minutes to 5 minutes. Remove roast from oven. Transfer to a serving platter. Pour or spoon off excess fat, reserving about 1/8 cup to 1/4 cup of fat. Put pan over high heat and add wine. Deglaze pan well scraping with a wooden spoon. Let reduce by half. Pour liquid into a small saucepan and reserve. For Whole New York Strip Loin, the directions are a little bit different. According to Barbara Kafka's instructions, it doesn't matter what size the New York strip roast is the directions are the same. Roasted New York Strip Loin one 10 pound New York Strip (16 inches) Trussed 1 head of garlic cloves lightly smashed and peeled, optional 3 to 4 springs fresh thyme kosher salt pepper 1 1/2 cup basic beef stock or a combination of beef stock, veal stock or red wine 2 tablespoons basic veal glaze optional. Place oven rack on second level from the top of the oven, or second from the bottom if the fat cover is thick. Heat oven to 500°F. Place strip of beef in an 18 x 12 x 2 inch roasting pan. If using, slip whole cloves of garlic between underside of meat and string. Tuck in the thyme. Slip some more garlic under the string along the top of the meat. Sprinkle the meat on all sides liberally with salt and peper. Put into oven one hour before it will be served. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove and transfer meat to a platter. Cut off strings. Remove the garlic cloves that are too blackened to use. Pour fat from pan. Put the roasting pan on top of the stove. Add stock or wine and the veal glaze, if using and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon. Add flavorings, if using, and any juices that hae collected in the platter on which the beef is resting. Let reduce by half. Taste for salt and pepper, pour into a sauceboat and serve. Roasted Whole beef Fillet According to Barbara........"I buy the meat by the inch. It cooks exactly the same way no matter the length as long as it s more than 4 inches long. When ordering, I usually allow about an inch and a quarter per person and an extra half inch for the two end slices. By this rule, six people will require an eight inch piece of fillet. The muscles in a fillet all run lenghtwise so that when it is sliced acrossed the serving it is also tenderized. The fillet is also called the tnederloin, and it is tender. It is a long round muscle that hides behind the bones on which the shell steak and the rib roast reside. T-bone steaks have some of the shell and, on the other side of the bone, a circle of the fillet, or tenderloin. A filet mignon is a slice cut acrossed the whole fillet to make an individual steak. 4 to 5 pound whole beef fillet (about 3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter, a good 18 inches long) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup red wine for deglazing, optional, or 1 recipe semi-perigourdine sauce Place oven rack on second level from bottom. heat oven to 500°F Place fillet in an 18 x 12 x 2 inch roasting pan. Rub fillet with butter and oil. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. roast for 10 mintues. turn. roast 10 mintues more. Transfer fillet to a serving platter. Pour or spoon off excess fat. Put pan on top of the burner. Add the wine or sauce and bring contents to a boil while scraping the bottome of the pan with a wooden spoon. Let reduce by half. Season with salt and pepper.

Diane not only is that a stunning example of a Black Lace Elderberry, but also I'm amazed that it let you prune it that way. Mine is a total diva about pruning. Cut mine anywhere back of the blooms even slightly - like maybe tip pruning or cutting off a few crispy leaves - and the entire branch rather dramatically dies down to the ground. Every time. No exceptions. I even have some thick branches that are totally dead that I'm leaving for fear of disturbing the rest. I've gotten so I don't do anything but finger prune off the blooms and I do even that gingerly so that I don't disturb anything else about Her Highness's eccentric hair-do. Mine is robustly winter hardy but after shedding 50% of her branches if I dare to brush against them too roughly, mine is still rather sparse at about 6-7' of limp "I vant to be alone" lounging against the 5' wire green fence I use to keep her together and out of harm's way. Yep, she's my Greta Garbo of shrubs. Suited for Sweden and lovely when she's happy but a spoiled headache when she's not. Cynthia