Sorry if I came off sounding irritated. I know there are people who do a good job, I don't mind paying and working with them. In other communities I have not had the problem and even the teenagers were reliable, interested and good workers. I paid them well and was glad to do it. Sadly there are too many here who don't have an understanding of basic yard and gardening principles who claim the title "landscaper". I don't have the time or money to hire someone who can't understand why I want to use the chopped or composted leaves as a mulch rather than paying to have it all hauled back from the city recycling center, as an example. This city has even discussed cutting back on leaf collection and has a serious problem with flooding due to leaves clogging the sewers. My way is responsible & environmentally sound. Stripping the ground and dumping the leaves in the street is not. Since I am paying for it, I see no reason why collecting the leaves with a mower and using them is such a problem for these companies. They even refuse to bag the leaves and have tried to dismantle my compost bins, which, by the way are encouraged and sold by the city. I want to keep as much of my physical ability as possible but I can no longer haul heavy loads or work as long and efficiently as I could before I was injured. I can't do the work the same way I did before but that doesn't mean I should give up something I have been doing for 40 years and that has given me much pleasure. A lawn tractor would take care of many of my issues, but thanks for the suggestion.

I'll move it over to Conversations, please post your replies over there.

Tekmar control systems have been in use for years now. They have been installed on both residential and commercial projects we were involved with. My understanding is that they have an outdoor reset that monitors the exterior temperature and adjust the boiler temperature to meet the heating needs. If it is cold (0 degrees) they let the boiler fire at max temperature or what ever upper limit that is set. If it is a mild day (45 degrees) that may only allow the boiler to fire to say 145 degrees and provide for a moderate heating temperature. New boilers like Buderus have the option of Logamatic controller which does a similar thing. They will make old boilers more efficient, but new boilers with these controls are even better. Apparently Buderus even makes a oil fired condensing boiler which is 91% efficient. With gas or oil boilers the lower water temperatures can only be reached with these type of boilers as condensation will occur and they are designed for this. If your boiler is good and you install a tekmar you will save money. If you need an upgrade then the new boilers will save on oil consumption, but cost a lot more to buy and install. Tekmar will also control the indirect water heater. These type of boiler controls can prioritize the hot water and fire the boiler at a much higher temperature when hot water is needed. You have a lot of choices from adding controls to your existing system, changing to a new higher efficient boiler with integrated controls, or even going up to a condensing oil boiler with integrated controls. If you are remaining in the house for years to come then maybe replacement in the long run is best. If you don't want to spend a lot of money and still want to save the Tekmar will definitely help and make the house more comfortable. I am not n HVAC contractor, but we have these systems installed on all our projects or they come with new boilers we are installing. I am sure installers can explain better than I can as to exactly how these controllers work. I have a gas fired boiler with outdoor reset built in and it worked great this winter. It is the same principle as the Tekmar and it controls a modulating condensing gas boiler.

Hi Lynne- Save your money! The cedar closet will not prevent moths from eating your garments. "The dark-colored heartwood of red cedar contains natural oils that help kill clothes-moth larvae, but this alone won't protect clothing. It's not effective against carpet beetles, and, with moths, it kills only young larvae, not older ones or eggs. The effect also fades as the scent does. You can replenish the scent of boards, closets, and chests by sanding the wood lightly or dabbing on cedar oil, but there is no way to know if you've added enough. If you have a cedar chest, it's best to think of it as a reasonably airtight storage container-and only keep clean fabric inside it. Again, wrap items in clean cotton before storing them. " Please read the entire article here . https://www.marthastewart.com/264609/the-basics-of-mothproofing For sure, fur coats are best stored at the furrier during the warmer months. If the skins dry out, that ruins not only the appearance of the coat, but its longevity. A furrier has a strictly climate- controlled room for the furs. You can detach fur collars and cuffs, or ask the furrier to do it, and bring him your fur hats, too. I use moth balls. Love 'em, love that nasty scent, takes me right back to childhood. I buy those big, big cakes, they are sold in hardware stores, and Walmart too. Now they have these fenestrated plastic holders with a large hook on the top so you can just hang them on your closet rod. The problem with that idea is you don't want a garment to actually touch the substance (paradichlorobenzene) so if you use the hanger, affix a Command hook to the wall of your closet and hang it from there, or suspend it from the closet ceiling. Just make sure you keep your closet door closed because it works by emitting fumes, and if you leave your closet door open, out go the fumes, and the moth balls do nothing. However when you go into your closet to select your clothing, keep the door open so you don't inhale the fumes. If you can't find the big cake but only the little moth balls, take a knee high nylon hose and pour a bunch in and tie a knot over the bunch and then with the end tie another knot around the wall hook. The problem with the little moth balls is that they evaporate too quickly (greater surface area to mass ratio.) You know what I do like to do with cedar- Make a shoe stuffer that keeps them smelling fresh. Buy some fine cedar shavings- A 4 quart bag is $9 online, or you can get them in a pet store, because they are used to line the bottom of hamster cages, and buy a bunch of pretty mesh drawstring gift bags at the dollar store that are approximately 3" x 3" to 6" x 6". The size isn't key. Depends on the size of the front of your shoe. Fill the little bag with the cedar shavings and bull the little drawstring ribbon tight and tuck a bag in the front of your shoe and voila, you have a shoe deodorizer with that lovely cedar scent and it helps the shoe keep its shape as well. When the cedar starts to lose its scent, just gently squeeze the bag between your fingers to release more scent. Or you can add cedar oil. You can also purchase balls of cedar wood that are approximately one inch in diameter and put those in the little mesh drawstring gift bags. When their scent wears off you can rub them with sand paper, or dab with cedar oil. They can be purchased online, or at Bed Bath and Beyond. (I hate the smell of lavender, it reminds me of after shave.)