Thanks Sis and Lilo. Work today is redoing a structure that supports a wisteria with a 16 inch diameter trunk. This thing covers a 12 foot by 30 foot structure that is about 50 years old. Some of the upper cross pieces were replaced last summer but the uprights lean and the cement slab patio is cracked. Figured out how to put a new support structure under the newer previous work and the new patio slabs can be poured independently before or after I do the wood work. Missy's oldest son is doing the cement work as his profession is a mason. Here are a couple of pictures I took when it was dormant and I cleaned out the deadwood and a picture of a smaller structure I did last summer that is similar to the work I am doing on his structure. The wisteria will have an added framework under the existing top frame work with reinforcing hardware and 45 degree supports to the uprights.

Great to see some improvement! I used the same soil method and am having good results. I know some people on here are fancy with soil mixes, but a simple bag of citrus soil and extra perlite seemed easier. As far as spraying the tree, you are right to use Neem at recommended dosages. I almost want to say that you could do without the alcohol. Neem works wonders on its own. Spraying twice a month would be a bit much. You should give it a "shower" once or twice a month with plain water in the bathtub, but only spray when there is something wrong. You can spritz with water whenever you want. Your tree will love any extra humidity. In the future invest in a bottle of liquid seaweed and mix that into a spray bottle as a "treat" for Mr. Meyer. He will benefit from foliage feeding once a month. That is also a natural deterrent against sap sucking insects (at least one of my gardening books says so). I would still expect to get scale or spider mites every winter. Or both. My meyer lemons trunk is pot marked with dead knots of previous branches that totally died back. This is actually the first winter my tree hasnt died back - and im glad because I have put in a lot more effort this year. Being in a cold zone it takes a lot more ambition to keep a lemon tree happy and healthy - it would have to be something sentimental to you or it would get forgotten. Your trees new growth looks good. It will take some time, but more growth is on the way. Any older leaves that are left will probably get dropped at some point as the tree makes way for new growth to replace them. Citrus will drop their older leaves anyways to replace with new better working ones - I think any single leaf has about 1 year of working life. Do you have a temp/humidity meter? If not I would highly recommend purchasing one. For me its the easiest way to know for sure if those needs are being met. Its hard to tell how much a humidifier actually raises ambient humidity around your tree, but keep in mind that if you are getting 'shocks' in the house then it is way too dry for a lemon. Enjoyed your update and pics! Keep up with the tree daily and I hope my advice doesn't turn you into a crazy citrus lady! ;-)

You know that fall is coming when you're already starting to plan for next years yard. I dont know if Im the only one who has already done this, but Im starting to already see what Im planting in the yard for next year and where everything is going to go. But most of my plants are growing better than ever so they havent taken a hit from the shorter days. Cooler weather is on the way here too (Not every day is in the 90s anymore) but fortunately no daytime temps out of the 80s and no night time temps out of the 70s. Summer is really almost over and its sad since it went by so quickly. Fall and winter are my least favorite seasons and my plants arent so crazy about it either! Good luck! -Alex

Advocacy... Mum's health "crashed" about 3years ago and she has been with me about that long. I have been to every appointment, every test, every surgery/recovery/rehabilitation. She didn't very much like my "intrusion" but it was clear to my brother and me that she was not capable of adequately relaying information to us. So... Fairegold, I had not realized your mother died. I'm so sorry. I know that every one has their time, but it is always a shock, and a relief, and a sadness when it happens. You were good to her; being good and kind to people carries a reward we often don't fully appreciate until they're gone. :) I have two things to offer: the actual medical services available to us are simply amazing. The "before" and "after" care, however STINKS. I have dealt with more nurses and doctors than I can count. Sadly, I have to say the quality of nursing is abyssmal; I made it a point to be polite and pleasant. But when they were unwilling to make time to discuss Mum's condition with me I lost whatever faith I had in the profession. When I watched a nurse drop an exam glove on the floor and then pick it up to PUT IT ON before changing Mum's urostomy I was horrified. "Were you planning on using that one?", I asked as she was preparing to do just that. She looked nervous and was even more nervous as I supervised the urostomy change... noting that is was done improperly. (I do it on average every 5 days, and have for 2 years now; I now realize I've FORGOTTEN more about the process than most RNs ever knew). The same nurse failed to raise the rails on Mum's bed and she got out of bed, confused. She fell hard, cracking her kneecap and badly spraining her wrist... all this followed a stroke. Why didn't the nurse have the presence of mind to realize a stroke patient doens't make good decisions and is a likely candidate for injury resulting from compromised decision making? HELLO? whatever happened to "common sense"? that's how "medical professionals" operate? Doctors. They're busy. They have a lot to juggle. Most have pathetic interpersonal skills. It's the rare jewel who has warmth, a sense of humor, and willingness to be direct and honest. Here's what we did: every day either my brother or I would visit Mum. We arrived at varying times of the day, That way, we knew all the staffers and had a chance to find a sympathetic one. We brought notebooks with us, and we took notes, jotting down the nurses' names, the doctor's name, the time of the visit, etc.. We noted whether or not the urostomy pouch was full, half full, empty... whenther or not she was simply left the sit, hooked to a Foley bag. We noted her cleanliness, if her hearing aids were in, and if the batteries were dead. We brought our digital cameras and took pictures. (Those pictures were a real "hit" when the social worker at the last "rehab." place proved difficult about discharging Mum after 5 weeks... she was "approved" for 8! nothing like a creeping skin condition all over her back to give 'em a case of "the worries", lol). Each of us called the doctors and requested information. We set up times to meet with them to discuss Mum and her condition/progress. Sometimes I did it, sometimes my brother did. Other times we did it together. We were polite, direct, and ON TIME. Being an advocate requires that you be PREPARED, informed, and as polite as you can be; have your questions prepared in advance if you're able. You have to be patient with staff and understand that they DO have a lot to manage on a daily basis, but when you're faced with something unacceptable you have to be willing to be steely-eyed, icy toned, and simply refuse to accept the usual litany of excuses. Believe me, nothing gets the attention of staff faster. And when staff has really gone above and beyond, you must say thank-you and do something kind. I can still the urologist's face when he saw Mum the first time. She weighed 84 lbs., was grey, slow, and sullen. He minced around the obvious reality, using "polite" phrases to avoid saying the obvious. I finally got out the chair, put my hands on his desk and looked him in the eye, "Look, doc., I am a busy woman. I have neither time nor patience for bulls!!t, get to the point.". He met my gaze and began the medical dictation of Mum's case... it wasn't good. He scheduled the next cystoscopy... when he saw her 6 weeks later, she had put on 12 lbs., had rosey cheeks, and he didn't recognize her. After the test, he spoke with me... told me I had done an amazing job with her, that he respected and appreciated my direct manner and willingness to pay attention to small details... as those are the things that make a difference when an elderly person faces a health crisis. He told me then that he had expected to learn of her death before that appointment.