That really does not look to me like Umbellularia californica to me. As Larry said, the leaves should have a very strong bay leaf smell when rubbed (it is California bay laurel after all). Also if it is a bay laurel, the fruit should be somewhat mushy when ripe (it is related to the avocado) with a single large, round, smooth seed that is most of the volume of the fruit. As I said it really doesn't look like that to me, plus I don't seem many of those growing in the Sac area, they like it slightly cooler and less dry. You'll see them all over Marin, the peninsula, up around Napa, and in the east bay towards Diablo but not much past say Fairfield going towards the valley. Also, the leaves are narrower and the new growth can look a bit purple. What does the inside of the fruit look like? Lots and lots of volunteer privets in the valley, but those should have opposite leaves. Does pittosporum have a smell? Plenty of those in the valley too. If the fruit has multiple seeds, that would be my vote. r

oh yes believe me he does need it this type of very serious rogue does not just disappear!! Please tell him not to use any passwords with it this way and definitely not to do any type of banking or financial transactions. the fact it is not allowing him to install security programs is HELLO A HUGE RED FLAG telling him all is NOT well. I can not stress how important it is to have this pc cleaned. The forum at LzD is excellent they lead you step by step through the cleaning process running the proper scans. There is nothing that you can just run and make it go away this is a multi step process. This is the direct link to the malware removal area of LzD, register there, start a post of your own there giving all this info and the team will help. They are very patient and willing to answer all questions. If you need help along the way just let me know I am there also. Analysis and Malware Removal It is likely if he took it in to someplace to have this cleaned they would instead wipe his drive and reformat the pc and he would lose everything not backed up. So he should at the very least back up what ever he treasures that is on that pc.

Well, excited by all these helpful ideas -- and seeing rain in Monday's forecast -- I forged ahead. Great success! Millworkman, I owe you. That WD40 worked miracles like no cleaner had. After that, it took a lot of elbow grease, a plastic scraper, a Scotch Brite, and a bucket of scalding water mixed with Spic-n-Span, but all the really vile stuff round the door edges came off!! And I think most of the stains. Might still be some shadows left when it dries. Too cold and cloudy now to be sure. I didn't damage the finish too much, either. If I really looked, I could see a hint of where I'd really, really scrubbed. We shall know more when the sun comes out, but I think you'll have to "know where to look" to see the damage. I'm okay with that. It's a grill. I also had the notion of tenting some extra-splintery firewood across the doors, then spraying them liberally with Cat-Away repellant. Maybe it will ward her off for a day or two. When the spray-racket gizmo arrives, I will take the firewood down. Thank you all again so much.

The squirrels and I get along, but only because they stay outside. Probably helps that I live in a milder climate and have two large dogs. As long as they stay out of the house, we will probably be okay. Rats and mice and I do not -- but especially since they want to come inside. The house next door had a rat infestation -- we think for a couple of years, and the prior owners did nothing. The offspring started looking at our house. We think the problem is under control now -- after another neighbor's orange kitty routinely longed in our flower bed, a hawk sitting on our fence looking fat and happy, the dog catching a couple, putting wire mesh at the bottom of our garage door opening, cement board siding, a rat zapper catching 7 or 8 near our trash cans, the house next door sold due to a divorce and a young couple with two little girls bought it -- showing no mercy on the freeloaders. We still get possums, skunks, raccoons and the squirrels. As long as they stay outdoors, I can probably live with them. I've actually had one or more who amuse me. One year, I had an acorn in the corner of each window across the front of my porch, they leave them in the openings of my filigree doormat and every year, I find I few in each planter beside me door -- but in 10 years here, they never dig those up. They just leave presents by the door. If they get in my house, they will be reminded why will have gotten along so far.