I think my situation is resolved. Monday I have an event for work that will end at 2, so instead of going back to the office I will just take the rest of the day off & drive out to the one extension office in VA that tests gauges. I will make it worth the trip by stopping off at a berry farm on the way back. I haven't done any blackberries yet this summer. This weekend I can still take advantage of tomato season by BWBing a double batch of Annie's salsa, and since my Clear Jel finally came in I can defrost my prepared sour cherries & make pie filling. Next year I will send my gauge to Presto in March. Malon, you're right that they told me the regulator should be rocking when the gauge reads 15 psi. I thought they meant when the water first boiled. But of course, in case of a linearity error I would rather not trust that for canning at 11. Hysteresis is a problem that I don't think calibration would necessarily solve. If the gauge is reading different on the way up vs. on the way down, there's not much you can do. Seems like the canning procedure is designed to eliminate as much of this as possible, so if I can keep the gauge steady I think I'll be ok. I'm having hysteresis problems at work, it makes my data plots appear as very wide bands and my target curves can't id whether the current state is headed up or down. Maybe my next job will be in control theory where things can be more realistic than having only one input to a target output. And here I thought the only way canning would define my career path would be my need for a job with time off to can during the summer! Thanks everyone for the advice, I will report on this new exciting testing device being hidden away at the edge of the state. Melissa

Thanks, Holiday-ers! Yes, the materials seem like the "bottle brush" type of thing...but little wood ears, feet, etc...they are very CUTE & unusual! (love 'em, Frou!) luvs...that lady card could be Dollybaby all grown up! You're so smart! LOL! I ended antibodics about 10 days ago & was doing quite good...got out a few hrs at a time all that week...aunt's funerals, outdoors a few hrs, a few hrs. shopping...had started walking outside more (short walks, nice days)...but 3 days after ending 14-day antibodics, got the cough in the evening & it was like starting all over. I hate it & shared it w/DH (still) ...hopefully, we're getting there! Yesterday was better than day before...today about the same...so tomorrow...even more better (cross fingers)! Thank you. Here's to a "Happy Spark Day" to you all! Jeanne S.

Hi - I am not an expert on rabbits, but have had several, including one now. Please make sure that you do get timothy hay for your rabbit and make sure that it's always available. Rabbits are prone to hairballs and they do not have the ability to vomit up a hairball as a cat does. They must have hay to keep the hair moving through the digestive tract. I agree that lettuce shouldn't be given. However, greens are very important (micke - please make sure your mother gives her rabbit greens!), the darker green, the better. Carrots and broccoli are Ok, but are very gassy, so only occasional and not big pieces at a time. I tend to give Harey one broccoli florette at a time, every few days. Kale and other leafy dark green veggies are best, along with the hay, always fresh water, and some pellets. I don't know how old your daughter is, but please make sure that when she picks up the rabbit she is sitting down either on the floor or a couch where the rabbit will not drop to the ground if it scrambles out of her grasp. Rabbits are quite fragile and can be terribly hurt if a child is standing and the rabbit jumps. Also, when holding the rabbit, make sure that your or your daughter's hand isn't holding in the middle or top of its back. Rabbits' back legs are very strong and if the rabbit is held against your chest, for example and it kicks off while your hand is tightly holding its back, its back could break very easily. Rabbits are wonderful pets - so congratulations! Just remember to be very gentle. My rabbits (I have one at a time) live in the house with me and my cats and they are easily litter-box trained. They share the litter boxes with the cats! Harley (my current rabbit) has full run of the house and his cage door is always open. He runs in there to eat or to use the litter box in there. You do have to be very careful that the rabbit doesn't chew wires, for obvious reasons. They tend to love to do that, unfortunately. Harley, though, doesn't bother wires and is very well behaved, so I'm comfortable with him always being loose. Also, I've quite rabbit-proofed my home by this time. Anyway, yes, spay or neuter, and feed dark, leafy greens, timothy hay, and some pellets. Have fun!

Good for you! I know you were worried about taking the test so I'm glad it's over and you did well!! Yeehaw!!