Glenda, I just wanted to know if I could grow my own, if I ever wanted to. Obviously I can't. LOL I planted a tiny block of Old Hickory and it was beautiful until about 8 feet tall although it had layed down after a heavy rain, came back up once then got hit by heavy wind which twisted it around and down again. I didn't really take care of it and it didn't get enough water in addition to all of the other hardships it endured. So once it got saturated and the rest of the time it has been dry. Although it got very tall, the stalks were still quite thin. I have a grain mill and I do grind my wheat and a lot of other things. Grinding corn makes you want to leave home because it is so loud. I haven't had a source for grinding corn for a long time, so I have just been buying cornbread mix and it isn't nearly as good as the cornbread that I make from corn when I have it. May DH would be offended if you put sugar in his cornbread and really likes it best when the corn is not ground quite as fine as what you buy. The bacon grease is another issue tho. I might leave a teaspoon in a pan to flavor something, but otherwise it gets tossed. I love bacon but I remove as much of the artery clogging fat as possible before I eat it. I got fat when they put me on diabetic drugs, and found it impossible to lose while taking the meds. I don't take those now and have started to lose, but it is slow going. I just can't afford to add another health risk to my worn-out body. LOL I hope you have a good corn crop and enjoy the cornbread. If I had as much land as you have, I might have a big corn crop.

The one thing to check, I think, is if the GC was trying to warn you off. Does he really want to work over the holidays? Do his subs? Are they taking their kids on vacation just when you thought they'd be working? The GC might want the job too much to tell you no-can-do, and figure he can probably make it work out, rather than being eager for your start date. If you're sure he and the subs are on board, go for it! And maybe add an incentive bonus for them to be done, cleaned up and signed off by January 25 (sooner if that's the quote), which gives you a week to get your act together before your party. Plus a penalty if it's not done by February 1. It can be done if everyone's on board. I only worry that less than 2 months over the holidays is awfully tight, if you really want them done in time for the party.

I plant bare roots right into the ground all the time. I planted 5 or 6 this spring and they're all doing great. If it's not going to go into the 90s or higher you don't really need to shade them. Just plant them and keep them well watered and they should be fine. If you really feel you need to shade them just put a lawn chair over them during the hottest part of the day. That white new growth will either green up or die back. It's growth that happened in the dark, either in storage or during shipping and usually it's weak growth to begin with. I normally take it right off and don't let the plant waste energy on it. It will grow back stronger and healthier canes quickly.

I have not scheduled surgery yet and am ignoring the suggestion of having them both done at once. When I was a newly graduated RN I worked ortho for a year ( some disasters but hips have come along way) and my mom had a horrible hip replacement outcome, so I am putting it off for as long as I can. Don't wait so long you are too out of shape ... it's best done while you are still reasonably spry with muscle strength left for rehab instead of totally crippled and weak. And before you have wrecked the surrounding support muscles and tendons compensating for the pain and lack of mobility. (SO has a prosthetic knee, his brother has 2 of them, and another brother has a hip replacement he loves). Yes, it's come a LONG ways, even using 3-d imaging and custom manufacture of the prosthetics if needed. They can build a copy of the joint, figure out exactly how things need to be altered and dry-fit the prosthesis without ever lifting a scalpel.