Thanks Sylvia! If the deer stay away I could still have a few odd blooms here and there up til New Yr's. So hopefully I'll be posting some more throughout the next few weeks. Yeah, I think I caught her true persona in that pic!! "Pistol" is the mildest word I can think of for this little stinker! Thanks Jim, Ingrid and Irisgal!! Thank you Florence. I love Christmas too, but it tends to get to be too much anymore. I used to love to decorate inside, but our house is so small, and with my older son moved back in, everything is so cramped. And little Miss Lola and her two buddies (we have two other cats) just get into everything, so it's just not worth the hassle. That's why I concentrated on the outside. And I know it's a bit early to put up the lights, but I'm glad we did it, because it's going to start raining this weekend and possible snow just a few miles above us. And I'm beginning to see a few houses around town lighting up too. I love it! Connie, TWO new kitties?? We almost adopted another one last week. One of the employees at a shop across from my craft shop came over looking for someone to take this adorable white and grey fluffy kitten. But I was good and resisted! I love those plastic ornaments. I have lots of them, but I just know they'd be all over the house! Our other female cat Ginger has a huge collection of toys all over the place. We're constantly stepping on them or kicking them around. Sometimes she collects them all under the dining room table, or under my computer desk. She cracks me up. I love cats! Oh, and Lola has been smacked a few times by the iguana. She just keeps going up and messing with him anyway tho. And, that ATV.... I could just "kill" my husband. He's a garbageman, and he drives me crazy with all the "good" crap he brings home. The ATV was given to him by one of his customers. It isn't running right now. It'll sit there for the next several yrs til I make him give it away to someone else. Just like the old engine-less Camaro he had sitting in the upper part of the backyard for 4-5yrs. I finally had my son put it on the free list on Craig's list, and some guy came the next day with a lift and took it away! Now that spot is where my main pot ghetto is!!!

you forgot the plaster. what type of insulation are you thinking of? do you live in an area with harsh winters? we do, and thus went with Iconene blown in insulation. after many years of frozen pipes several times per winter, I am hoping we've solved the problem. the others above are correct that it varies so much based on the quality of the people you hire and where you live. Also will you be a stickler for the detail work or is it more just trying to get it good enough. Here is a wild guess: if the latter, maybe $15K... if you are really picky and want the best people in your home, probably at least double. that is really just a wild guess.

Austin Air Companie, I think if you had a reason why it was only going to live 7 days, I'd believe you. The flux capacitor is running backwards requiring the compressor to need double the electricity and because it's been running this way for some time it has used up all it's muffler grease?! How's that? testing, testing. LOL. PS: if you're doing remodeling and such running wires and such thru attic it's best you do these things first then blow in insulation on top. If the boards going across a section of ceiling are 2x4 rafters I think I would look into a way of strengthening that to at least a 2x6 --- but preferably 2x8 minimum. If you ever have trouble and need to access that attic again those 2x4's are easily forgettable and now a hidden danger to anyone who attempts to access this part of the attic. It could come back to bite you.

David Cary: I don't know if you're referring to my post with the "bass ackwards" reference but just for the record I used the word "backwards" which is the correct word to describe what appears to be happening. And if I was talking to the OP face to face, I'd say "Great start but I think you're going about this backwards." Since you had it in quotes I'll conclude your reference was accurate and it was somewhere else, but upon a cursory review I couldn't find it. But I do agree with you that the home crit responses on the forum could certainly be nicer without compromising the message. Some of the crits are just plain demeaning for no reasons that I can see. I’ve only been looking at poor designs folks have been bringing/sending me for 45 years so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about but I've found there’s always a positive way to deliver bad news that the owner may not want to hear with the result a reminder to me of the value of honey when catching flies. Some appear to be intentionally written to put the poster on the defensive which generally results in a "us vs. them" mentality typically going nowhere. ETA: Please don’t interpret this as the OP’s in these threads like this one are sinless either because most aren’t but maybe for different reasons.