Ewalk: Thanks for the tip on "the Chainsaw Collector's Corner online", I'll check it out. Very interesting info in the note: 1. My father told me hard wood would split easier after it freezes. 2. This will be the 3rd season to use the nice splitter given to me. I thought they were too slow initially but almost a must now. LOL 3. "Iron Wood" is what I have heard Mesquite wood called. We have plenty of it in this general area and West and South of us. It's a choice wood for BBQing/Grilling for flavor vs heat (I mix pecan and mesquite for flavor). I was warned not to burn it straight in a fireplace because it burns too hot and will cause damages. I was guaranteed it would not hurt my fireplace. Burning one load of mesquite proved them wrong and they had to replace the two 30" sections of chimney pipe. When I have excess mesquite I'll put one log in with oak or pecan w/o a problem. We could be talking about a different wood because mesquite is plentiful in the Dry Plain Areas vs around moisture here. Plus they are basically small trees with dangerous thorns on them. Willow trees are our trees that grow close to water. They are soft and not good to burn but will after they dry-out. Cedar does not grow to any size here. I have not heard of it being burned here due to rosin as pine but not due to size. Bodoc (?) wood was one I learned the hard way on not to burn in an open fireplace due to excessive poping and sparks going across the room. Elm is a plentiful fair burning wood here. I have seen some suppliers mix it with oak for sale when the oak supply is low. Related attachment: loger http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesquite

idabean is referring to the rural landscape cemetery movement, which came about as cities realized that land was getting scarcer and didn't need to be tied up with, ahem, dead folks. Additionally, the cemeteries of the early 1800s were rather dreary places and didn't inspire one to invest much in your dearly deceased. So - in the attempt to save the land nearest the urban centers for more lucrative endeavors, properties were sought out in the relative hinterlands and efforts made to make them more of a place to go visit and spend time with the loved one departed. Sort of like parks for the passed. Mount Auburn Cemetery actually precedes Frederick Law Olmsted Sr.'s design career. I think it dates to the early 1830s, and Olmsted began at Central Park in NYC in the late 1850s. Still, it is a fine example of working with the topography in laying out the design, and then making it beautiful and beckoning with the plantings and architecture. Back to the question: most all large cities took up this baton, and established their own rural landscape cemeteries. I'm very familiar with the Big Three of the Ohio River valley region. ***Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati OH (700+ acres) ***Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville KY (400+ acres) ***Lexington Cemetery, Lexington KY (150+ acres) These are all fine institutions that have maintained the traditions of their founding, and all have excellent horticultural collections - reaching arboretum status. Don't have the skills to post pics here, but I have many from each of these sites. The Ginkgo biloba at Cave Hill Cemetery is absolutely (and appropriately) other-worldly.

Pricklypearcactus: No, that is not the bath I was looking for, but it is a nice one. I am looking at the Arizona Tile quartzite. I am going to use the golden green honed quartzite for the "public" areas of the house (kitchen, laundry, entry, gathering room), and then the ostrich grey one for the master bath and at least one upstairs bath. Here is a link that might be useful: Arizona Tile ostrich grey quartzite

You might want to post in Kitchens, lots of granite experts there. I would give it 24 hours to dry. If it is just moisture it should be gone at that point. I've had that happen to me. If it is still there then you will probably want to try a poultice (post in Kitchens or check online for how-to). You shouldn't clean your counters with regular dish soap, it can leave a film. Use a granite/stone cleaner (in Kitchens there was recently a recipe posted for one, I think it was mainly water and alcohol). I use 409 for stone usually, but have others I've used as well.