Well, today was the day for some answers. I finally got in touch with the nice man I was trying to find. He is doing what he can (which isn't much). He's ordered all the drains cleaned out, plus he is running a search to see if the city has an older than 25 year (which is what the Realtor would have run) easement on the property. I mentioned I think that was done but nobody would tell me yes or no. At least now I'll know. He does not know why site development is not in cahoots with watershed. But he moved me to another man. That man was one I had spoken to before. He is the nicest of them all but still rude and arrogant. I could not get any information from him at all and finally I said "I had a landscape architect look at it" He HOLLERED "now why would you do that (but less politely). I answered, I didn't know who else to call. He said "CIVIL ENGINEER" - so of course I asked him "why on earth did you not say that in the first place?!!!". He refused to answer and told me to just do it and then MAYBE they would speak to me. I got some action when I spoke to the other nice man and explained that I was very well aware of my rights as a citizen and if the city was responsible they would be held responsible and if they were not, I just wanted the work done and finished and I would pay for it. He was quite ammeanable then, especially when I also explained the run around and expense I've already paid to meet standards that do not exist on paper but in some persons head. I asked about drainage from other properties. I pushed him a bit and finally he said if a developer wants to do something in Atlanta they can, and all the code is just pushed to the side and signed off on. If a homeowner does the work they will be require to hold to the letter of the law and even worse -the whims of whomever is giving final approval. My fellows were caught red handed by too many folks now. I think that it will take a lot of green but we'll get there eventually. I hope I can do it myself. It will get done much faster than if I wait on the city! You've never heard someone so happy to hear the words "civil engineer"!!!!

Meant to answer your personal email question but you do not have an email contact through GW!! You might want to change that if you do attempt email contacts :-) Previous answers are good - any time the tree is dormant and the ground workable (not frozen or overly saturated) is a fine time to move/transplant. In my area (actually same as the two above), JM's do not emerge from dormancy until well into March. I'd say you have several months still to accomplish your move :-))

Since my DH's first wife died in October 2003, through our marriage in 2006 and even today, DH has piddled with getting rid of his stash of tools up north. Now he is getting down to business, and has made inroads--because I told him I was through waiting on him to get his house ready to sell, and I would NOT go up there any more. So I am surprised and mostly pleased by his activity in that direction. He is an engineer with a tool for every purpose. He also confiscated my PERSONAL tools here in Mobile, and I found them among his out in his garden shed. THAT was a nono, and I started bringing them back. Some of those I kept in a Snoopy yellow plastic lunch box for 30 years, and I depend on them being available quickly when I need a screwdriver or a Vicegrip or a small drill bit. I miss the Snoopy tool box. I think his first wife must have left all tool-associated chores to him, and he does not quite know how to deal with my very independent take-hold do-it-myself history. Heck, when I tore out the bathroom, he should have known I did not wait for anyone to do what I could do for myself! Southern woman I am, but not the helpless variety. More like Steel Magnolia! (one of my favorite movies) So pleased that MamaGoose is on board these days, and Jay, and now that the fall is almost upon us again, maybe there will be a surge of activity on the forum. I really look forward to catching up with what's been going on while I was out gardening for about 4 months. Sometimes we all need to take a break to come back refreshed.

We plan on putting a shelf above the settee. Not sure about wall mounted lamps, not really into electric wiring at this point. A little coffee table would be nice, but this room is actually very tiny and just off the front entrance, so is a pass-through room to the dining room and back end of the house. I was standing in the entrance hall to the house when I took that picture. I would like someday to get a tea cart that could be moved in there for "afternoon tea" which my mother loved. The room is going to be sort of an homage to her, since she loved to sit in there and read. I do need some kind of light on that wall though, since there is no overhead lighting in the room. There is a chair in a corner opposite the settee with an ottoman that can be moved to the center with a tea tray placed on top. It has torn upholstery and needs to be redone, which is next up on the docket. I dunno, I am going to wait until I have the upper shelf mounted to see what I want to do next. I may end up moving the pictures. I like to use what I have for the most part, and acquire new pieces slowly with a lot of thought. Which is why it takes me forever to implement some of my ideas!