So beautiful Bindersbee! I was just about to post a request for photos of window flower boxes ideas, and here you are. I have 2 Hayrack Trough Window Boxes (metal ones, with coco liners), and was looking for ideas on planting material for spring. So far I have filled them with pansies, some snapdragons, curley parsley, and garlic chives. The boxes were just installed a week ago after years of dreaming about them. So, everyone, I would LOVE to see your pictures! Thank you. ~Natalie

Hey Spruce, No problem! I love to share places that I know and love, especially with people who would very much appreciate such places, and may not know they are there. I was just up in WV this past weekend (again) and did not get a chance to visit Gaudineer this time. This time I went to Blackwater Falls, and then on to Dolly Sods. Blackwater Falls is nice and all, but a bit too touristy for me. I can almost never go into that area and NOT go up to DS. I just simply love it up there. I did pay extra attention on this trip to what people have planted around their properties, and sure enough, there are a TON of Norway Spruce. I even saw some areas where it looked like they have naturalized a bit. That said, I also did see quite a lot of properties that had Red Spruce planted as well. Granted, they were probably more elevated than you, and also much closer (and some were on) the Allegheny Front, so they probably were not as affected by the rain/ snow shadow. None the less I was still surprised at the number of places I saw that had Red Spruce planted, even at lower elevations. I would LOVE to visit your Timberland. I did see and read your other threads in the trees forum, and it looks FANTASTIC! It also looks like you are a wonderful steward of the forests on your land as well. I would definitely love to see it, and am really not that far away. How far up into Western MD is it? I have 2 brothers and sister in laws up in Martinsburg, WV, and could always combine a trip to see them with a day trip or stop on the way up/ back. I would almost kill to own even just a half acre of land that looked like some of yours in your photos. Not to build on, hunt, or anything like that, but just to go to and get away. Pitch a tent, and stay for a couple days. I love the open meadows surrounded by forests and the high altitude wetlands / bogs / beaver dams...etc. Not sure I will ever be able to afford even a small parcel of undeveloped land in this life tho, but if I could it would remain untouched as long as I had it and I would do my best to make sure it stayed untouched long after I was gone. Having a place like that to go to would make living where I do more more bearable. I don't dislike it where I am, but Ive been here for 40 years (my whole life) and well, its just gotten kind of old. I'm always up for a trip to Gaudineer or anywhere else around the MNF for that matter. =o) Also, glad to see (at least from what you posted in your other threads) that your Hemlocks seem to not be suffering from the woolly adelgid. Just this weekend at Blackwater Falls State park I saw many many hemlocks which were infested, and way too many snags that once were beautiful hemlocks. Just sad. Anyway, Thanks for sharing that with me! Hope to get to see it some day! KJ

sinfonian: how much land do you have? 5 acres.. Is that valley yours, yes....The top of the hill in the picture is about 1/2 way on the lot.. This is a Google Sketch-up that I did of the property using the survey as the base.. or is that what is going to be developed? - Click on picture and I have marked what he wants to develop. The lots would have a nice ocean view but you can see the buildings on the lot that would make putting in a road difficult. Is your garden close to your house? No.. I have 3 ways to go from home in Paradise to the garden... 1)4 lane divided highway it is 40 km (25 mins). 2)By pass Highway and Local = 36 km (30 mins) 3)The very scenic and slow local road = 32 km (35 mins) And a picture of some Swiss Chard in the garden yesterday! I went out to the local organic farm today and was able to buy some Latah Tomato seeds. These are being very grown successfully here with our short season. So maybe next year I will actually be able to grow red tomatoes.. We have just had 2 beautiful days of weather after the hail last week! Here is a link that might be useful: Article on the Latah Tomatoes

I had a similar problem last week with my 8-year-old toploader, and a site online said to try cleaning the lid-fastening mechanism, as many times that will fix the problem. Well, I wiped the outside of the fastener (which looked clean), and inserted the kleenex into the cavity the fastener goes into (and it came out looking clean). Then I set the washer for the second rinse cycle ... and after that everything was fine -- except my nerves! As it happens, I just put in a load of wash -- the first since the fastener-cleaning incident. Edited to add: I just took the clothes out of the washer; was very glad to see that it had drained normally! This post was edited by missingtheobvious on Fri, Sep 26, 14 at 11:55