We've kept our sailboat in Decatur and now in Florence, and I've watched wild multiflora near your part of the world. RRD is there and is also in a lot of fields to the north of you in Tennessee. These fast moving thunderstorms that have come barreling through from the north...easy way to move the vector mites. Lots of RRD symptoms on your rose. Especially look at the diameters of the new excessive stems coming out of significantly thinner pre-existing canes. You wrote:If it is RRD, then the healthy looking parts of the bush already have the virus, but just aren't showing symptoms yet? Transmission within a rose bush isn't instantaneous. There may be parts of the bush that don't have the virus in them yet. But you do want to get rid of the roots that supported that hideous cane. If so, have I been potentially spreading it to other roses when I deadhead spent blooms Probably not, because the blooms looked good to you. RRD when it's been in a rose for a while totally messes up the parts of the flower and you would see that. One problem we have is that we grow big healthy roses and it does happen that a cane can grow excessively and not get noticed immediately. Do cover that bush with a really big trash bag when you dig it out. Take it far from you roses and see if you and/or your husband can isolate the supporting roots of that sick cane by using a wood chisel to remove them. It's a big enough rose that even removing half of it would leave a rather wonderful mass of rose. I wouldn't replant it next to good roses, but somewhere where you can watch it for three or four months and then if it stays clean, replant it come winter. Ann

You have some great pieces to work with and you've done a great job of laying the foundation. Two things I would do is switch the couches. Put the larger leather couch on the wall and the smaller lighter one in front of the windows. I thinbk it would also give you more room as you walk in from the kitchen/breakfast area. Then I would switch some pillows. The darker ones from the leather couch place on the lighter couch for contrast. They are lost against the dark brown leather. I see four stripe pillows and four taupe pillows. Take two of each away. They read cooler in tone with the rest of the furniture and the stripe seem too casual. Adding drapes would soften the room and create some warmth in there. For the fireplace, I'm not crazy about the three prints. I would try them on the wall over the couch. Instead,add some tall chunky candlesticks, a small clock, greenery or some type of rustic pottery or small framed art leaning against the back. Shop your house! A few small changes with things you already have can make a world of difference without purchasing a thing!

I just saw this thread...so here is how it went for me.... I see the hood and that wood: "WOWZER!!, wiping a little drool off my chin." Then I scroll down, and see the windows: "GORGEOUS view and the window frames of my dreams" Then I see the doors: "I'm picking up my chin off the table" And of course the tropical plant--that would make me very jealous, in the winter--it's so hot and humid here right now that all I can dream about is Alaska. And of course, you must know I love a good cardboard mock-up. That one is pretty special! I think it ranks right up there with the one mocked up over an island a couple of years ago here on GW. I cannot wait to see your place come together! How exciting! Keep posting. And yes, you should use Photobucket or Flickr to get more than one photo in a post. Bee

Okay I got the name of her phone. The brand is LG, and the model is enV Touch. She bought it through Verizon. Here's a link to a review. As for Liz's review, she says, "I love love love this phone!" Here is a link that might be useful: LG enV Touch phone