Hi everyone, Thanks for the new replies. Gem1, this is indeed full sun. I took these pics at 5:30 a.m. so the bed is showing what little shade it gets. By 6:30 it's in full sun and it stays in absolute full bore sunshine until 6:30 or so at night, so it's getting 12 hours of direct, full sun. That being said, I do have some zinnias in half a day's shade and they do great too--they just get a bit leggier, but still bloom their heads off. DesertHeat, I don't do anything special at all with these--I definitely don't avoid getting the leaves wet--I slosh water all over them each time I water, though I do water just in the morning. Glad you like the marigolds too-they're another one of my favorites. Mine are all the French type (small flowered types) and they're doing really well. This year I'm doing a lot of the 'Janie' hybrids (link below), but I also plant some old time heirloom types too, plus there are always some self sown marigolds popping up here and there (my most attractive marigold of all is one that popped up in the cracks of my back patio--I'd feel sorry for it baking all day and not having much root exposure, except that it looks so great!). Easy, I noticed that watering wand after I took the pic, heh heh...yes, the fountain is more of a fancy holder/statue than an actual fountain (coffee cup while I'm dragging the hose around, occasional hand shovel, or sprinkler head, lol). Glad you all enjoyed the pics. I've got some similar beds with vincas too. I'm all about clown's-pants color! Take care, Grant, off to Flag for a four day weekend. Here is a link that might be useful: Janie hybrid marigolds from Parks

How wonderful, there is nothing cuter than baby ducks! That is what's so great about being a gardener, seeing all the beauty of nature. If we weren't gardening we would be missing all of this. I've always enjoyed listening to the birds, watching the butterflies, smelling the fragrant flowers, hearing the wind blow through the trees. People who aren't gardening are missing out on so much. Have you noticed how much the Hummingbirds love hosta flowers? There's a peace in the garden like no other.

Everyone understands that plumbing vents allow the stinky, obnoxious, & toxic sewer gasses to safely dissipate into the atmosphere however that is just the small part of what vents do. As liquids pass through the drain and waste pipes it displaces the air, which is present in the line by pushing the air ahead as it moves. If a drain line is sized correctly a horizontal pipe should only be full under full load. This keeps the upper half of the line open for the transfer of vent air over the liquid and into the space behind the moving liquid. In this manner the air pressure in the line will remain constant, however, there are conditions where the upper half of the line may also be obstructed by the moving liquid. Under these conditions as the liquid moves forward it leaves a partial vacuum behind the liquid which would then suck the water out of the fixture trap, thereby leaving the trap open for sewer gasses to enter you house once the liquid has moved on to the sewer. In order to prevent that partial vacuum situation the Plumbing Codes are very specific about where and how vents are to be placed. In fact, ask any plumbing inspector and he or she will tell you that venting is the most important part of the plumbing system, and the part which gets the greatest scrutiny during a plumbing inspection. Now to answer your question, the terms "Pro-vent, Studor Vent or Cheater Vent" are trade names for a device, which is properly called an "Air Admittance Valve or AAV). An air admittance valve is a device, which has an internal spring-loaded diaphragm that will open under negative pressure and allow additional vent air to enter the pipe. The singular drawback of the AAV is that they will allow additional air into the pipe to protect the water level in the trap seal, but they do not allow the sewer gasses in the pipe to safely escape to the atmosphere. For this reason the use of AAVÂs should be limited. Under the International Residential Code (IRC) all structures are required to have one "Main Vent" which must run undiminished in size from the building main drain through the roof. After that is achieved you may terminate additional auxiliary vents in the attic space, through the wall under very limited circumstances or you may use an unlimited number of AAVÂs Under the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) ALL VENTS must terminate through the roof, however the UPC will allow a maximum of one AAV per structure. Based upon information presented in the original post this homeowner is under the UPC, and while it is legal to use the AAV or in their case "Pro-Vent" it is understood that this is the only one that may be used in the structure. ------Caroline emailed me direct and asked if I would accept the "Pro Vent" I thought the question was important enough that i would like to share my response to all..... I am sure that many people who read my reply are left wondering how did I conclude that you are under the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) rather than the International Residential Code (IRC). The answer is that this is an island and it appears that your plumber originally intended to vent the island by means of an "Island Loop Vent" which is the preferred method of venting island fixtures. Under the IRC to create an island loop vent we attach two parallel vertical risers on the upstream end of the drain line at the island sink. The sink drain is attached to one of the risers and both risers are interconnected at the top forming a loop from the drain below. (There is no vent line under the floor) Under the UPC we also install two vertical risers as described above with the sink drain attached to one of the risers. On the top of each riser we then install a 1/8th bend (45deg sanitary elbow)and angle both pipes up at 45degress until they meet at the top where they are connected by means of a 1/4bend (90deg sanitary elbow). The UPC then requires that we install a vent on the riser opposite the sink connection and this vent line runs horizontal under the floor and back to a regular vent riser, which goes up and through the roof. This is the only situation in which the code will allow a horizontal vent below the flood level rim of the fixture served by that vent. The IRC allows an unlimited number of AAVÂs therefore most plumbers simply use an AAV to vent an island rather that go to the expense and bother of making a proper loop vent. The UPC only allows a maximum of one AAV per structure with the expressed consent of the local inspector therefore under the UPC it is common practice to install a proper island loop vent rather than the AAV. As I am sure you will agree, everyone makes the occasional mistake and in this situation the mistake was forgetting to run the water line. The true measure of a tradesman is how well they can correct the mistake without causing additional problems on the job and when I read your plumbers solution to the problem of the missing water line I personally thought it was a rather ingenious. He, or she as the case may be, has opted to use the AAV to vent the island, which is fully code approved. Having done that, he or she is now free to use the horizontal vent line under the concrete as a conduit to pull in the missing water line thereby precluding the necessity to cut the concrete. Under the circumstances I would give your plumber two thumbs up for a great recovery. But then what do i know,,I am only a Master Plumber

Sue, that is a very valid point and I agree completely that it is extremely important for a woman to have the means to provide for herself should something happen, whether it be divorce, death, incapacitation, or something else. As everyone knows, there simply is no way to guarantee everything, so you can never completely protect yourself from all contingencies, but it is very unwise to simply trust in the fates (or whatever) to see you through. It is imperative to have some sort of plan in mind for securing an income should something happen. My parents were adamant about all of us kids getting an education, regardless of career plans. I'm very glad about that. I had a degree when I was married to my first husband but didn't use it. I worked part-time managing a clothing store, a fun but low-paying job. When it became apparent that I had to get out of my marriage, I realized that my husband would make it extremely difficult, would do whatever he could to avoid paying anything, and that my job would never provide for my family. So, I stayed married an extra year and a half while I got another degree with better income potential and a teaching credential. It was somewhat underhanded but it was literally my life and the well being of my children at stake. I had a good job when I was finally able to get out of my marriage. It was still very tough. When I remarried (stayed single for 15 years by choice), I wished to retain my own accounts and my name. I have good insurance should anything happen to dh, a good prenup that sees to my needs and those of my children from my first marriage, and also protects dh's property for him and our children together. Sure, no one thinks divorce will happen to them, but it CAN happen. Even if your feelings never change, you cannot guarantee your partner's feelings. It also is not a sign that you don't trust the person to simply get a legal definition of what belongs to whom and protect it. I have a lot of autonomy with financial matters as I kept my own accounts, separate from dh. We have a system for paying bills that works well for us and provides me some security with how the money is disbursed. There is a whole area of finances that I have no clue about, but it is dh's trust fund and not my money unless he puts it into joint tenancy areas, such as the house, family purchases, etc. The same is true for me. I put the money from the sale of my house into an account that has nothing to do with dh, and he does not feel he needs to know what I do or don't do with it. I have insurance to cover death or disability so I wouldn't be compelled to sell the house or immediately find a job. I have a nest egg to see me through as well. When we married, I chose to take my dh's name because I liked our family all having the same last name. However, I studied the options carefully and found that if I added my own last name as a second middle name, it gave me the flexibility of using that sometimes, too. There is no legal way to have both last names as last names without using both, if you know what I mean. If you're Cheri Jones Smith, you can't sometimes go by Jones and sometimes Smith, you always have to be Jones Smith. I wanted to be able to use one for some things and one for another. For instance, I liked using my "own" last name for work and on my credit cards. I didn't want a hyphenated name nor did I want a double last name, so using my own last name as a second middle name suited me well. On documents, including my ID, it looks like two last names, which allows me to use my maiden name when I choose, but also gives me my husband's name as my legal last name so when you look me up somewhere, you can find me. Do you know what I mean? Say my maiden name was Jones and my married name was Smith. I am Cheri Ann Jones Smith on my ID. My first name is Cheri, my middle name is Ann Jones, and my last name is Smith. If my legal last name was Jones Smith, you would have to look me up under Jones and I would have to use both when signing checks, etc. I don't know that keeping my credit cards in my maiden name is exactly legal, but no one has ever questioned it. They simply look at my ID and say ok. Sorry for that long ramble! But yes, it's very important to have backup plans in anything you do. You just never know. I have the advantage of age and experience; a young woman would likely have much less protection than I, and I would urge that she get a good education or job certification in a field that would allow her to find a job if the need arose.