Gee, thanks, Lumpy! ;-) I'll be sure to keep all my cold weather gear handy! Honestly, I wouldn't have minded a decent snow cover this winter, which would have helped insulate the gardens, and we have tons of roses, but I would not be happy about a blizzard this late in the season! Although... it would sure beat the heck out of tornadoes, and we live awfully close to tornado alley, as we call it, where everything is flat... and occasionally, you can hear that freight train rumble off in the distance during a bad storm, indicating that one is touching down or swirling nearby. We've been really lucky so far, knock on wood. Mike, you have no idea how often I dream of living in the Caribbean, where the weather is warmer and more humid, and I can hear the surf hitting the beach... I know it would be a lot better for my body, considering, but the husband would never go for it... he hates hot weather and loves winter, and would never want to move that far away from the kids. So, the most I can ever hope for is a vacation someday! I wouldn't really want to move far from the kids, either, though... the grandkids are just way too great, and as grandparents, it's now payback time! ;-) But seriously... Mike, those are some awesome plants! I'm so glad you shared them! They really brightened my morning! I was thinking of taking my few orchids out to the greenhouse this spring, once weather allows, and see if I can get them into better shape. They're doing ok, but it's just so dry up here, and I haven't had time yet to isolate them into a little plastic cover to help with humidity. I've been busy putting a business plan together, and getting inventory done, and a lot of other stuff, so my plants get a bit neglected. The one thing I am religious about is taking my vitamins and doing the protein thing every morning. I'm starting to feel a little better already! Gosh, how great would that be to have so many thriving orchids of different kinds growing around you that you actually thought of them as weeds! Oh, would I be in heaven! :-) Your skills show up every time you post a picture, Mike... you're doing fine... better than fine! You're doing great! Your plants always look so healthy, and so happy! Don't over guess yourself... you'll drive yourself nuts. You've got the fundamentals down, you know the science, the physics, and it just comes down to learning what each type of plant you have requires, culturally speaking. If you're unsure a plant needs watering, wait a day. I don't have the luxury of chasing the sun... I have 3 windows indoors... east, south, and north. The east window is loaded with plants. I keep some in the south window, but it's in a stairwell and partially blocked by large sycamore trees. I also keep a few plants in the north window, and believe it or not, they do ok. They're mostly Amaryllids, and one Ponytail Palm. I have to bring in anything that can't tolerate freezing, because we cannot afford to heat the greenhouse. It's too exposed in location. It would cost a small fortune. So... anything that does come in for winter gets jammed in with everything else, or propped up on shelves as close to the windows as I can get. I do have supplemental lighting, just a couple of shop type fixtures with one cool and one warm bulb in each, but they don't really do that much. Even so, any help is better than none. I must say, though... yes, I was highly surprised! I'm just drooling over those white flowers, Dens, I'm guessing... and the "coconut" orchid is definitely one I'm trying this spring. I'm saving up to make a stop at Oak Hill Gardens next time we go north to visit the kids... I need some bark, and of course I'll have to walk around the greenhouses... and in the process, I'm certain that a few small starter plants will beg me to take them home, and how can you say "no" to such cute little things, I ask ya? :-) I was told at one point that a Bl or Bc (can't remember which) "Yellowbird" would do rather well in my home conditions, so I've got that one in mind, too. When I see something I think matches to the environment I have, I write it down. The list is growing! Again, Mike, thank you for sharing those pictures... I bow to your growing skills... you're really doing an excellent job. Honestly, everything is just beautiful! Well... I need some rest... it's been a very long day for me. Lumpy, nice to make your acquaintance, and please... try to keep that blizzard on lock down for now! ;-) As for everyone else, have a lovely evening, and Happy Growing! And, as always, my best to you and Mom, Mike! :-)

well, yes, it does get BS, and towards the end of July, quite a lot. It is almost naked in my neighbours garden right now (but so is my Graham Thomas). Terrible next to a wall but if grown in the open, it can hold it's own a bit better. I have already stated that Austins are not my choice for disease resistance - I have seen them grown remarkably well, just not in my garden. If you can get your hands on any of Louis Lens roses (I am loving Matchball and Jaqueline Humery), they are very healthy. There is also a rather good modern rose called Sweet Haze which has been a star in my garden - great panicles of pink roses with white centres, very healthy, Might be a Tantau rose? I don't really have that many pink shrubs (Penelope is nothing like as healthy as I would like) but I am also enjoying a moss rose, Madame Louis Leveque, lovely clean glaucous foliage, still putting out a few blooms. Fritz Nobis is a good rose (at my college) as, I think, many Kordes roses are. Finally, I have been hugely impressed with the health of the spate of hulthemias around - Harkness roses have a really good one I hope will be available in the US, Alissar, Princess of Phoenicia.

Most recommendations: Width...6" wider than the cooking surface (so for 40", 46" would be the recommended width). This allows 3" on either side to increase the chances of the hood "capturing" the grease/smoke/steam/odors that spread out as they rise. Depth...At least 24" deep. If your range sticks out much past 25.5" from the wall, you might consider the 27" depth. CFMs...it depends on (1) what/how you cook, (2) the size of your hood relative to the cooking surface, (3) how high you mount it, and (4) the number of turns & length of duct run you have. Higher CFMs......If you undersize your hood (o turn...get higher cfms (1200 is probably fine for the vast majority of people) Recommended CFMs......If you size the hood appropriately, don't do a lot of frying, mount it according to specs (usually no more than 30" off the cooking surface), have a short duct run, and no more than one 90o turn...you'll be OK with the recommended. I'd say 600 to 800. Our hood is 42" wide over a 36" cooktop. It's also 24" deep. It's mounted 30" off the cooking surface. We're a relatively tall family...ranging from 5'10" (me) to 6'6" and still growing (my DS). Only once has my DH hit his head on the hood....and that was when he stuck his head up into the hood to see it working. When he took his head out, he didn't duck low enough and hit the back of his head on the hood! None of the rest of us has hit our heads...at least as far as I know. [I did ask once and both my DS & DD denied ever hitting their heads. My DH has not hit his head using the hood properly :-)] I think what happens is that your body and mind are "aware" of the hood being there (subconsciously or consciously) so you don't hit it.

Hey Missy (waving~) You guys are very perceptive! The color swatches on the wall are color matches to two different tiles. I wanted to see how dark the tiles would make the kitchen so I took them to Home Depot and did a color match. Of course tile is so much different than paint but the overall darkness is all I was concerned with. The paint by the mixer is the center 4x4 tile and the darker one was Stellar Gloss in "Bellini"...I ruled that one out as too dark based on the paint. Suzyq - I actually cut up some of our floor tile but didn't like the look at all..too dark and much too much texture/coarseness. Great thought though! Annie- I've played with several greys but prefer the brown/grey the most...standard greys just don't look quite right. Kate- family doesn't care for the scale of that tile. wow it would be so easy to install that one though! The price is awesome as well. I'm still looking at it. I wish it were a tad less creamy though. Creams seem to muddy up the granite. Pricklypear....LOVE that green color but have been down that road and failed (bought 60 sq ft of tile and ended up not liking it one bit ...ugh) I agree the white is too stark. Thank you for your comments. I'm loving my kitchen but this final detail is still making me kinda nuts! I know any of the tiles (even the white) would look lovely. I just need to pull a trigger and commit to one. I'm very afraid of making a mistake here b/c I know we won't re-do the b/s anytime soon...if ever again! I think I'm going to call Fireclay and see if they'll send me some samples of a shade lighter than the malt tile... and check on pricing again! Thank you , all!!!!