Sherri-- The trick is that I got him hooked on roses. I just buy him a rose from time-to-time and I think that keeps him willing to help me. We counted his roses and he now has 19. I also use pot roast, homemade chili, and blackened chicken alfredo as persuasive devices. Then again, I would also recommend steak marinated in garlic, a touch of worcheshire sauce and brown sugar.... next to a sweet potato with honey butter and cinnamon. THIS I use in times of desperation. lol Buford--I cannot wait for the hill to burst into bloom. This is year 3....the long awaited year of maturity. I'd say a quarter of the roses up there are at or above 3 yrs old. They are really filling in and finally getting to that picture I have in my mind. The small side yard was a slope breaking away from the house. Horrible to mow and really bad on my bad knee. I elevated the side yard with cinderblocks and then veneered those. Then, against the house I addded a bed with a rock veneer wall. Now I can grow roses, perennials and even tomatoes in an area that was once only suitable for a billy goat. I finally feel like the 'bones' of the yard are done. There will always be things to play with...but I hope the hard labor is done. I am sure Tommy does too. lol Ronda

Thanks for the shoulder, guys. I know very well that I can move things around even in spring, but wouldn't it be nice to put them in their 'forever home' (ha!) the first time. I'm not that bad about plotting generally, I don't think, it's just the stupid deal about the difference of say 3x3 vs 8x5! This is TREMENDOUSLY confounded by the problem of wasted time and difficulty digging holes up here - if I were back by the coast I wouldn't give moving a bush over a couple of feet a second thought (we bought a jackhammer the first summer when we were planting the 15gal trees). Another reason to buy bands - then you only need a hole sized for a gal pot at best. I also know very well that I should have posted pics for suggestions a long time ago but always think of something better to do than go through pics and endure the photobucket upload. Stay tuned for more "wack-a-doodle" posts this week, if you don't mind ;-) Today I have to get out and get *something* done. Pam, thanks for the thoughts. I think you're probably right about how long we have colder temps being important than the snow issue, for sure I don't worry about snow damage except when we get a lot and then the ice block melts and breaks branches. Interestingly, there are not a lot of roses up here (Blaze is the only one I see around town) because they grow so well - probably due to ground squirrels as much as lack of interest. Fortunately, I've only had a relatively small amount of gopher damage and in an isolated area. Otoh, the hardware store sure sold quite a few this summer but they are a poor example as the gal that runs the garden center prunes the HTs in front to an inch of their lives in the fall. I've tried to talk to her about it but you know how that goes... Btw, Pam, I posted a thread on the Roses forum you might want to respond to. I was asking those that got your roses for the first time from Vintage to comment on how they were doing and report any geographic variations on possible disease. Hopefully we'll get some good reports and more will be purchased next season! Sherry, I know exactly what you mean about the blank page, I'm a good copier, too! Connie, tempest fugit is no kidding. Hopefully we don't get cold weather until after Halloween... Thanks again! Kerin

1st off, if you went to a mechanic who told you to drill a hole in the tank to let the contents out, get another mechanic. How shade tree can you get? Geesh. 2nd, I'm not familiar with your truck, but I don't think I've seen one where you'd have to remove the bed to drop the tank. Good news is I don't think you'd have to regardless. I pretty much agree with jemdandy. How much water do you estimate is in there? Is this truck fuel injected? Does it still run? If it's just a little water, a fuel system cleaner like jemdandy talks about should do it. If you want to drain the contents, you can get a siphon type pump for probably $10 to get most of it. If it's fuel injected, find a place where the fuel line is easy to get to, a fitting, the filter, whatever. Open the line at that point using flare nut wrenches only, either slip some kind of hose, fuel, vacuum, whatever, it's just temporary so it doesn't matter, over the end of the fuel line and run it to whatever container you're going to drain the contents into. Turn on the key, and the vehicles own fuel pump should drain the fuel. Good time to replace the fuel filter. Get some fuel system cleaner and re-fill the tank. Should be good to go. Main thing is don't panic. It shouldn't be that big of a deal. jmo

gt-First of all, the elegant brown is STUNNING and I would have cried if someone bought them out from under me:-( The fusion you have on hold is more along the lines of the colors I want than the ones at my place. I'm not sure if SA does business with MSI or not. If I tell them I have a buyer for the remnant, they may be more willing to do the transfer of stock if it comes to that. If they wind up delivering something I really love, I can put you in contact with them about the remnant. I can take pictures of the templating so you can see what you'd get. And finally, I actually have a remnant on hold there NOW(don't try to take it, it has sold on it since I put money down;-)LOL ) My guess is that I won't be using it, so I will take a picture of it and post it here the next time I head over there. So even if I don't get your lot from MSI, you would still have 2 remnants to choose from. I'll enable people to e-mail me here, so click on my user name so we can talk off-line later(unless GWs like hearing way too many details about arranging remnants!)