I bought her book but haven't looked seriously at it barring the introduction and the oven method. I see the risk of the oven method with full-sugar traditional preserves as one of jar breakage, not safety. Jams are inherently safe; processing is meant to extend shelf life and prevent mold, not because they're prone to risky forms of spoilage. The exceptions would be such low-acid fruits as figs, mangoes and cantaloupe. And while there is risk with those if the levels of added acid are insufficient, I'm guessing it's quite low because to set a preserve you have to cook to about 68% sugar; at that level any remaining water is pretty well bound up by the sugar, which discourages the growth of micro-organisms. In the case of peaches and cherries, I see no risk unless a preserver is really really determined to make peach-cherry slop. Both fruits are naturally low in pectin at the firm-ripe level. At its optimum this will be a loosely set preserve. With dead-ripe fruit it won't set; you could firm it up by cooking it to death, essentially boiling out the water and evaporating into a viscous taffy, but it wouldn't be a gel. So purely hypothetically if you used dead-ripe windfall fruit (i.e. bruised - which also raises pH) you might have a risk, but it would be miniscule. If it disturbs your comfort level, though, you could always add a pinch or two of powdered citric acid, ascorbic acid (which would assist in preservation of the light color), or some of the acid blend wineshops sell. That wouldn't change the liquid ratio and could also be beneficial to cut some of the sweetness. The best resource I know of to explore issues of pH and the properties of preserves of all types is The Jamlady Cookbook. She has a scientific bent and tells you everything the layperson might want to know about the art of jam-making. Carol

Wow, I've been visiting this home disaster forum for just a few minutes today and this is the second post that indicates windows could be missing flashing. I should not be surprised. Go to the homebuilding forum and ask about window flashing info that was originally provided by a 'suzie snowflake' (spelling?). Though I personally didn't have this problem I learned from her posts that it's a common omission in new houses. I started looking for it in new developments and lo and behold, there was no flashing in sight on hardly any new houses. According to sites like buildingscience.com and jlconline.com this is critical material. A shortcut like this can cost the homeowner many thousands later on, usually after the warranty is expired. And even if it hasn't expired it's very hard to get a warranty claim paid. Been there, done that, eventually settled but it took 5 yrs (for problems other than flashing).

Have you specifically offered to have his sprinkler changed at your cost? Make sure you have a clear discussion and explain your concerns regarding the fence rotting. If possible, type up a small description of the work and give him a copy to make sure he understands your plans to fix it in his yard if he agrees. Also have him write down the best date/time on the sheet (for your own clarity, and to show him if he forgets what he agreed to). It doesn't sound like a clear discussion is happening. The issue is obviously not a problem for him. If/when the fence needs to be replaced, typically neighbors share the expense if you are lucky. Not always.

My water bill has more than doubled over the past 15 years or so, and is going up another 3% on Jan. 1 (that 3% is for usage, not the base fees.) My usage has not. So a bill for 6 ccf (my highest quarter of the year, and that is only when there has been a significant lack of rain) has gone from $50 to $105. Our sewer charge is based on the water consumption and is part of the bill. The reason given is the need to pay for improvements to the storm and septic sewers ( the city is under a consent order to reduce sewage overflows into the streams and rivers). I made an experiment last year, an big effort to save water. I cut my water use by 20% but my bill went down by only 10%, reflecting how much of the bill is base fees, not usage.