That chute is a later design. It allows for the use of the drop on bag adaptor which eliminates the need to stretch the bag over the chute and removal of the bag support loop. Earlier chute openings were round and would not accept the drop on adaptor. Yeah it needs some work but as long as the deck is solid i sure would put the effort in to it. Homeowner plastic wheels aren't to expensive, a Classic/Sprint engine is relatively cheap. A nice clean up and paint job with a washed bag and modern drop on bag adaptor and you'll have a top notch homeowner mower as good as new for only around 300 bucks. Even if you only need to side discharge, you have the side chute right there as well.

I also think the pesto idea is the best thing to do. It really preserves the fresh taste of the basil. I make several batches of pesto throughout the summer. I then pour it into ice cube trays, freeze, and them pop them out into zip lock bags. You can use the pesto as a last minute ingredient in hundreds of dishes. My favorite way is just in a bowl with olive oil and some good crusty bread to dunk! Here is the recipe: 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves 1/4 cup olive oil Whir in a food processor or blender until fairly smooth. That's it!! A true pesto recipe has parmesan, garlic, and pine nuts, but I leave those out when I'm just wanting to freeze it.

Depends on what you mean by recover. Sometimes I've found only a few scattered eyes with bits of roots where previously there had been a big hosta. There are about a dozen individual Antiochs along the slate walk. One year one of the crowns looked like it was slightly sunken. I touched it and it fell into a cave. I think chipmunks had dug out the area underneath for a winter hibernation spot, but voles came along and ate all of the roots and part of the crown. The only way a hosta has a chance to recover is to move it to a safer place. After that, it depends on how much root is left, and how nice the new home is. Steady watering is essential, plus a nice hole filled with some compost and manure, along with the soil. It also depends on the variety of hosta. Some have fast growth rates, others are slow. The year after the damage can be very disappointing. The following year most hostas will look pretty good. I sure hope this is true.... Last winter something ate almost all of the dormant eyes on my large Jewel of the Nile (boo hoo). It had puny growth last summer. I tell myself it was getting too big for its spot anyway. I hope this spring it looks better.

What an excellent idea! I put the very smallest bits I can't bear to save to use in some crumb project into my compost pile and turn them into veggies and pretty flowers -- eventually... ;> This is much more immediate. In any case, I'm very much in favor of anything "reuse, recycle, repair or do without"! Nicely done! For anyone who likes to explore other crafts, tiny pieces are also good to beat into fibers for papermaking. Anything that's still recognizable makes an interesting inclusion.