Our builder owns about 300 acres and likes the woody look on the lots, we actually signed an agreement not to cut within 75 feet of a house, but since, there is a river and a bog on that side of my lot, there really isnt any room over there to garden. I have been cutting the trees down , I thought about having them stumped as well.. but looked at prices last night, it might be over 3 grand, now im thinking about a stump grinder , but will see. I might ask the builder if he could come by and do it for free =) that sounds even better for me. I have a ton of oaks and northern firs, a few beech and white birch, probable have close to 4000 trees on this lot, Im cutting the trees down on my northern side, where my sun is best to make borders, then thinking about clearing right in front of the house all the way to our road, which is private, so I dont think it would matter. Rosepedal, I planted the brug crosses the other day, I started a cross last year, but it never bloomed, its actually sitting under the window at my office right now! Thanks again.

Hi Everyone! I had a lot of trouble last year around Christmas time, one group of my tenants left for three weeks over Christmas without letting me know, I then received a call when they returned in early January to say that the boiler was not working and it was quite a lot of hassle and expensive to rectify! I had to get a plumber out and he informed me that the boiler had stopped working due to a frozen condensate pipe. After the situation had been resolved I did some googling on the problem to see if this was a common problem and the best way to avoid it happening again and I actually found a video by a company called corgi homeplan which demonstrates very clearly how to deal with the problem, couldn't believe I hadn't found it first! I have included the link here for everyone else to have a look, it's one of many really useful videos that may save you money by not needing to call out a professional! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v62-ykrNQmk Here is a link that might be useful: Helpful Video

SS11 has gone through several stages like that. He's in one now, actually. Our approach has been multipronged: - We remind him that he wants privileges (such as being allowed to go to the store alone) but that privileges come with showing maturity and responsibility. Lying doesn't show those things and makes it hard for us to believe he is ready for the things he would like to do or have. - We've had him write apology letters or write a list of 5 reasons that lying is wrong. None of the reasons can relate to getting caught or being punished. - We've explained to him that we greatly prefer to trust him. It's easier and happier for everyone if we don't have to police his every move. We've presented it like this: "A__, you don't like when we nag you and check on your every move, right? You like when we trust you and give you your own space. Well, when you lie to us about simple things, like brushing your teeth, it shows us that we NEED to be nagging you and checking on your every move. If we could trust that you'd brush your teeth when asked to, we wouldn't have to pester you about and it wouldn't turn into a fight. If there's no fight, then everybody is happier." Then he sees that our actions (nagging him) are a direct result of his actions (lying to us) and is more willing to change his actions. - We issue rewards for completed tasks. If he wants to watch a show that will be end a bit later than his usual bedtime, so we say "If you are ALL ready for bed BEFORE the show starts, then yes, you can stay up late to watch it. So that means you have to have your backpack ready for tomorrow, be showered with your teeth brushed, and in your pajamas. If ANY of those things aren't done by the time the show starts, then no show. Deal?" He knows that we mean it. If he skips something, he won't be watching and it will be his own fault. - This one is underhanded and a bit manipulative. We don't use it regularly. SS is always really worried about what other people think - he doesn't do well in social situations or make friends very easily, which is too bad because he's a nice boy and I've seen that he is a loyal friend. So we've reminded him that people don't like liars. We've said "People don't want to be friends with someone who lies to them. No one wants a friend they can't trust; they want a friend who will be truthful." For this case, we thought a little peer pressure might be a good thing, although it isn't a technique I'd usually advocate. - For personal hygiene issues, we've shown him pictures of gum disease and so on. He also doesn't like to brush his teeth or bathe. We explained that we don't tell him to do these tasks to spite him, but so that he is healthy and well. "Yup, brushing your teeth is a pain in the butt. But we don't make you do it to be mean to you or to think up clever ways to torment you. We make you brush your teeth because it's important for your health. ~Insert explanation of gum disease, complete with photos, here~. Now do you understand why it's important for you to brush your teeth?" We've had to do this roughly once a year since he was about 8. - And, of course, we try to praise and be positive for the things he does when asked and for telling the truth. To be honest, I get a bit frustrated with having to tell an 11yo that he did a good job because he put his dirty clothes in the laundry basket, or praise what a very good choice it was that he told us the truth about something... But he needs it, so I do it. I think it will continue to be an ongoing battle for us, for the same reason you just mentioned. SS doesn't really understand cause and effect or that actions cause reactions.

We stayed above freezing last night! This week I think our coldest night will be only 40 degrees. It won't do anything for the now-frozen garden, though it ensures the few surviving flowers and herbs will have a good week. I'm switching to holiday mode, and as soon as Thanksgiving is behind me, I'll be making my grow lists, checking my seed crates, and ordering any seeds I need for 2017. I'm actually late on this whole part of the gardening process, but the kitchen remodel and reorganization has taken up a lot more time than I thought it would. Leaves are coming down like crazy now, so suddenly it looks a lot more like autumn.