Wynne's Dahlias are a very good supplier & they stand by their product. I've ordered from them for years & never been disappointed. Here's a link to their price list & photo albums- the albums are full of pictures of dahlias. You're better off going through a dahlia specialist than a company that has a little of this & a little of that- those ones don't know good dahlias & you very often don't get what you ordered. Most of the suppliers on the Colorado Dahlia Society list of Supplies & Suppliers are good dahlia specialists. Dahlias should be planted after all threat of frost has passed & the soil is about 60*. They just sit there & rot if the soil is cold. You can start them indoors in pots or some other kind of containers & get a head start on the season. Then when you plant out you don't have to wait for them to come up- they're already a nice sized plant. I have lots of spring-blooming bulbs in my borders that finish just about the time for planting dahlias--Tet-a-tet daffs esp. but also Hyacinths & Alum, Wind Flowers, Crocus-- you name it! Dahlias like a well drained soil. They rot if they sit in water. They like to be fed during the blooming season & if you feed them & keep them dead-headed they will bloom until frost. Here is a link that might be useful: dahlia Albums

Take some photos and post them here. It isn't an A-frame if it has walls and a low pitch roof. Does it have trusses or rafters? the first thing I always want to do is tear off the roof and add a room under steeper rafters and dormers if there is room for a stairway but maybe that's just a New England thing. To post a photo: go to http://tinypic.com (it's free and no sign up is required) select "browse" and go find your jpg, png, gif, or tif photo file and select it (it will be automatically downsized to 250K) select the "upload image" button copy the contents of the "HTML" window and paste it into the text part of your message. Now preview you message. If you can see the photo, submit the message. If you are unsure of yourself try all of this first at the test forum which is linked at the bottom of the main forum page. You might have to play with the dimensions of the original photo to keep the downloaded version from being too large since that sometimes stretches the text of all messages to the right (possibly off the screen) It is also possible to copy the contents of the URL window and to then paste it into the "Optional Link URL" box. You must also type a description in the "Name of the Link" box. Good luck

I know that over at Old House Web, a number of folks swear by their Adams storms. I don't see the need for interchangeable screens in both upper and lower positions; lower screens should fill the bill nicely, except in rare circumstances where you need to open the upper sash for ventilation. (Like I do in my attic dormers). I bring this up because it is also a less expensive option. Casey

Glad you bumped, this is an interesting topic. For the sake of discussion, we probably should have conceded up front that although Trusts are excellent vehicles, they're not for everyone. A Trust does eliminate probate which is often the cog in the wheel that can result in wishes not being followed as intended. A will, POAs, end of life directives, DNRs, no CPR,s, where to find important papers, safe deposit box keys etc. all help those left behind accomplish the difficult tasks a death can make. My condolences to everyone who has recently suffered losses; my mother just died this past September, as well. Accounts with POD might seem like a good idea, but consider the fact that, let's say, X has assets with PODs. If X should die, those assets are now the property of the person who has been designated to be paid on death - this person has absolutely no obligation to use those assets to pay for the deceased person's funeral expenses, outstanding bills, etc. One might feel there's a moral obligation, but there is no legal one. A much better solution is to have a joint checking account or simply have a name added to the checking account - son, daughter, grandchild - so that person has access to funds for helping with routine bill paying and expenses. An alternative to that is granting power of attorney. This is part of one scenario we experienced with the elderly relative who left a mess to contend with. Fortunately, as she declined, she granted me her financial power of attorney with broad sweeping powers and part of those sweeping powers was that I did not need to make any kind of accounting to anyone as to how I handled her financial affairs. She trusted me to "do the right thing" and I value the trust of others, so I naturally did. Her outdated will dictated her estate was to be divided equally among her surviving siblings, but over the years she kind of lost track of keeping things equal and purchased assets and CDs, etc. all in unequal amounts and all carrying a variety of PODs for her intended beneficiaries. Seeing what was going to happen down the line in making an equal division of assets an accounting nightmare, I spent a lot of hours going from bank to bank (she had accounts in, I think, eleven banks here in MN and a short hop across the bridge in Wisc.) transferring all the CDs, etc. back to her name only. Then on her death, most of her assets could easily be divided from one pool. It took almost two years to settle that estate and send out the last of the checks to beneficiaries. One other thing I found while doing some reading. If someone (an estranged child, sibling, someone who would normally be thought of as participating as a beneficiary of an estate) is to inherit nothing, it's best to state it in the documents(ie. "And to my________, I leave nothing") so it is known that your failure to leave a bequest was deliberate and not an unintentional oversight. This would leave any challenge to a Trust (challenging a Trust is extremely difficult) being dissolved or a will (easier to challenge) going through probate without merit.