My buddy has a huge problem with June bug defoliation on all kinds of fruit trees. He picks at night and sprays with modest success. I'm a couple miles away and have zero problem. I think his issues stem from having huge compost piles and applying a lot of compost to his trees and garden. This causes a proliferation of the insect. If I had this problem I'd cover the tree with shade cloth. Do you have a source of insect breeding nearby or are they everywhere?

When you aimed the exhaust out your window, did you have it blowing through a window screen? If so, that's wrong. It's very difficult for air to blow *through* a screen. Try it again with the screen off the window or the exhaust duct aimed out a door, or simply laying on the floor, whatever, so the air stream has no restriction. Just wondering also ... I've seen cases in which the dryer was shoved too far back against the wall, crushing the flexible vent hose or bending it sharply. By the way, the thermostat is *supposed* to turn off (and then back on) to maintain whatever is the target temperature for the selected cycle. For your reference, below are the temperatures at which the heat shuts off. It cycles back on when the temp drops by 10°F to 15°F. High = 155°F +/- 10°F Medium = 145°F +/- 10°F Low = 125°F +/- 10°F Ex Low = 105°F +/- 5°F Your washer's spin speed does have some effect on drying time, but the new dryer still should be able to dry a load in close to the same time as the old one. Maybe your old dryer ran hotter than the new one? Did you normally use the High temperature setting on it? The starting cycle time is only an estimate. The electronic control recalculates and adjusts the remaining time based on how quickly it senses the clothes are drying, size of the load, what is the target dryness level, etc. If the two damp items were of substantially heavier fabric weight than the rest of the items in the load, it's normal for them to be damp at the end. Your dryer's electronic sensing split the difference between the lighter and heavier items. If your old dryer didn't have an electronic sensor, you may not be accustomed to how it works. Some newer dryers also tend to err toward the side of less-dry for energy saving purposes, so you may need to raise the target dryness setting by one level depending on the mix of fabrics that comprises your normal loads.

I have been renovating since December through June... does that count? My kitchen had a horrible layout. Exterior door to deck (to right of the stove) breaking up counter space. Fridge against a load bearing wall that will come down. Sink and dishwasher will also move. Who wants to look in a mirror while at the sink? Also had flourescent lights in the kitchen. Ugh. Demo load bearing wall, replace with LVL beam. Note the location of the two double-hung windows. Patio door going in where those are. And on the other side, a double hung window to replace the old exerior door. The kitchen sink will be relocated under this window. Also exposed the wall where the plumbing lived, demo'd the soffits. Had to move part of the vent stack as they hid it in the soffits. Plumbing roughed in. Can't see it here but I had the entire ceiling re-hung, taped and mudded. It was old popcorn ceiling that needed to go. Also had ceiling and wall electric roughed in and then had the same guy hang, tape and mud these walls. Drywall is one of those things I will always sub out. After I painted the walls I was free to continue the hardwood floor install. Then the electrician came back and we turned on the recessed lights. And then yesterday the cabinets went up! Undercabinet lighting and in cabinet lighting (on those uppers where glass will be) still to come. Still deciding on the countertop. Any suggestions? Toe kick and matching crown molding have not been installed yet. Microwave going up this weekend. Have to change the swing on the fridge doors. Have to order and install island cabinets and then hang up sink and island pendant lights. And decide / install backsplash. Also need to extend the deck so that I don't fall to earth after going through the patio doors. This kitchen is on the 2nd floor. (What is CRAZY is how much my kitchen is starting to look like inkycrab's (above)). Inkycrab's kitchen: Identical layout and I have the same size island coming...

I dug one garlic today and was a little disappointed. The garlic was small. I don't know what I planted, I just got odds and ends I had around here, and bought a few at the grocery store. I am thinking about removing more garlic and a bunch of walking onion tomorrow. The walking onions will just take over your place if they get the chance. When the sun drops a little lower, I plan making a spot for cucumbers. The cucumbers are more plants we don't need, I think we have a bunch of them in the wildlife garden also, but if I have a couple of plants here at the house it will be easy to just walk out and get them, plus I found these two plant in the junk I had left over, there are some peppers that I need to put in the ground also. I need to quit starting seeds, I seem to always wind up with plants running out my ears.