Concrete wire is very thick and difficult to work with. 14 G. fencing 5' tall (2X4" spacing) is available at Home Depot for about $40 a 50' roll and should last about 10 years before the welds start to give. Higher quality galvanization used to be standard when the fencing came from Georgia instead of China and you could get about 20 years. This higher quality fencing may still be available from fence supply stores. Being able to mow under a tree is not an issue for me. I want easy access to my trees for my hands. I have dealt with concrete wire and plastic netting at various sites and I much prefer my method because entry is so much easier. But then, the 5' or so diameter rings inside the fence are usually mulched and a mower is not used. Weeds are pulled by hand. If and when I stop mulching, the tree is already above the browse line and the fence is removed and replaced with a narrow buck guard to protect the trunk from rubs. Sorry, no time for photos this week. I have to get my wife's help to accomplish that. I'm a techidiot. Drive one stake into the ground a couple feet from the tree, weave the end of fencing with flush cuts through the stake (if it's smooth wood) wrap the fencing around the tree and close the tube you've made with 2 or 3 pieces of the fences own wire. Total time- about 10 minutes including measuring and cutting the fence piece.

I second Roselee. I've read & been told to cut plants back to compensate for the loss of roots when they're transplanted like that. Mine has dropped some leaves, probably due to the cold, already. I'd test the leaves to see where the plant's retreating to and prune accordingly. It probably wouldn't bother them to be left alone until spring, if it doesn't seem to be releasing any leaves. 'Course, I'll just be happy if this plant has survived the cold since it's a replacement for the one that didn't survive last year's freeze. Considering this year's freeze was longer. Good luck!

I used to manage an office for five very busy OB/GYNs. We would try to schedule patients so they wouldn't have more than a 15-minute wait, but as was mentioned earlier, sometimes people don't give the full/real reason they need to see the doctor. The folks doing the scheduling then can't allow the proper amount of time for that patient which results in other patients having to wait longer. Also, as was mentioned earlier, depending on the doctor's speciality, there might be emergencies or unforeseen "events" happening that demand the doctor's attention, putting all the appointments off-schedule. It's certainly irritating if you're one of the patients who has to wait, but it's certainly comforting to the patient having the emergency to know that their doctor is "there for them" instead of having the attitude that, "sorry, I've got patients waiting." Dental appointments are much, much easier. They know how long any particular procedure should take, and they schedule accordingly. Let's say you're in for a "regular filling," and the dentist discovers that, gee, here's another cavity that has developed since those X-rays were taken.... you're going to have to schedule another appointment. Rarely will the dentist take care of another problem at the same time. About those pharmaceutical salespeople (they used to be referred to as "detail men") -- the doctors rarely actually spend any time with them. Even though they make it through the door from the waiting room to the "inner sanctum," they are most likely either talking to the nurse, or else they're just back at the drug supply cabinets, restocking their samples. In over 7 years, I only saw any of the doctors talking to a "detail person" twice -- when they had specific questions about a new med. Another thing to consider in a crowded waiting room -- is there more than one doctor in that practice? If so, it's likely that more than one doc is seeing patients that day, so both docs have patients in the waiting room. One doc may be moving right along, yet the other doc might have been called to the hospital on an emergency (although it would be nice if the office staff would at least pass that info along, so you could choose to reschedule). People should NEVER use the emergency room for routine care. That's what causes delays in ERs, and that's what drives up the cost of ER/hospital care. There are plenty of "emergency walk-in clinics" for folks who don't have a primary care physician, or who don't want to take time off to see a doctor during daytime work hours. Most of these places are open until 8:00 p.m. or even until midnight. A sinus infection, sore throat, or vaginal itch that you've had for a week or more is NOT an emergency, even if it is 2:30 in the morning.

Hi all. I usually just lurk here but had to chime in with my story. I was at Goodwill last week and saw an absolutely beautiful rattan desk that just caught my breath. There were other people looking at it but they drifted away. I stood and looked at it and then made myself move away from it. Did I have a place for it? Would it fit in my car? Would I be able to get it out of the car? On and on the questions came and in the end I left without it. When I got home I checked ebay to see if there was anything like it and immediately the regret came. There are similar (but not as nice) desks selling for 500.00 and up. Still kicking myself-and yes it is gone. The price? 40.00. Satine