Modern archery equipment is very accurate and skilled hunters can consistently put an arrow throught a pig's vital organs out to 30 yards. The animal goes down in mere seconds. It's rare that a pig gets agressive unless it is cornered and then it almost certainly will. I highly recomend having somebody regularly bowhunt the property. Without a hunter, a property is a safe haven for pigs. Trapping is also a great option and is likely the most efficient way to reduce numbers. Only problem about trapping is that it may cost 500 bucks to set up a good system. A trail camera can be a valuable piece of equipment for knowing what pigs are coming around and when. This info can really be useful in increasing hunting/trapping efficiency. Removing females is the fastest way to reduce the population. About Fencing, I'm not sure how large your yard is but you could always just fence a garden for start. Somebody previously mentioned strand of barbed wire across the bottom, And I don't think that would work. I've seen people do this and believe that Pigs are uneffected by barbed wire. If anything, they will use it to scratch an itch. Use T-posts and 48 inch hog wire. Distance your posts out to 8 feet apart on flat land and closer if the terrain is uneven. Use achors between the posts to secure the wire flush and tight to the ground. Use a skirt where needed but most of the time, skirts aren't nessesary with this anchor-method. I heard that the Nature Conservancy's preserve (i think Kona Hema) has an electric wire around it and it deters pigs from testing or walking next to the fence. Here's another option. Your garden becomes the prefered food in part because there is nothing better in the forests. So you could plant alternative foods in the forest or overgrown areas around your property. Monkeypod, mango, avocado, etc. Plant them in groves and they could concentrate pigs to where they can be hunted more efficently. Of course, this is all long term. And if you sow mango seeds all around your property, Assuming it's already non-native weeds, the mango will grow up through and shade out the weeds leavign a much more open understory where again, it is easier to see the pigs. ...anyway, my thoughts on the issue. I like the idea of spreading corn around and having the pigs rototill for you :)

stacey, I totally sympathize! It took me forever to make up my mind about countertops. My island sat for 2 months with no top at all because I wanted to make sure I made the right decision. I agree with holligator that most of your inspiration pics don't have both wood floors and wood counters. For example, in the inspiration photo you said was from mamadadapaige, the white tile floor supplies the contrast. They've also broken up all the wood with a very dark countertop on the perimeter. If you're looking for a top that will still look new in 3 years, I'm wondering if wood is the right choice. Wood is softer than stone and scratches and dings more easily. I have a wood top on my hutch that is stained to match my island. It has lots of scratches on it already. It's only been in for 4 months and I've had to use the touch-up kit numerous times; consequently, it requires much greater care and maintenance than my marble. I'm not going to push marble on you because I actually think the Costa Esmerelda provides just the right amount of contrast and would be the smartest choice for resale. However, if you're considering marble, you won't have any stains if you seal it a couple times a year. I'm not sure what type of marble appeals to you, but Carrera, for example, is much, much cheaper than any Silestone/Caesarstone and many granites. Perhaps you can ask people who have had marble for 3 years or more to post photos or share their experiences with wear and tear. And here's a photo I found on the Crown Point website with light counters and what looks like a wood top on the island. The wood top matches the floor while the island is darker. I like how they injected color with the backsplash, which along with the contrasting white of the trim and hood keeps this kitchen from being too monochromatic and ho-hum.

I would reshape the beds a bit and get away from the straight lines. Soften them a bit with some curves and make them a bit bigger. You may want to also plant two smallish Magnolias on the front lawn just to break it up a bit or some other native tree. A bed down the walk way would get rid of lawn lawn look. You may just want to experiment with the plants a bit. I agree with some here that you need to get rid of the plants in the front and start again. Go for color but make sure that you pick similar plant material with PH and water needs. There is nothing worse than having to pamper one plant just because you liked the way it looked in the nursery. I would also suggest maybe breaking the front lawn up with some smaller beds towards the street. You can go to the book store or online to find pictures that may give you some ideas. The lawn doesn't need to be the whole front, but it could be used to accent a rather beautiful garden. About the back. For drainage issues try getting some Black Gypsum DG and spreading it all over the soil. It is best to till it in or just leave it on the top while you plant.This will help with the drainage naturally. Also I recommend using EZ Flow compost when planting as well as Biotone. And you can try the Humic DG as well. I don't work for these companies, I just know these products work fantastically. The back is begging to be all garden. It would be up to you what style you want and take your time planning. You don't want to go to the nurseries and buy cute things like I did and regret those choices down the line.

MizGG so sorry for your loss. The best advice I once got when in nursing school was there are periods of time in our lives that we need to lower our expectations. The devastating loss of your husband must have been so hard and it is expected that other things in life took a back seat. For my house- We take our shoes off in the breezeway. We keep our dogs groomed and their nails trimmed. I am a neat freak so everything gets cleaned and dusted quite often. After that it is just updating in my current house and every house I have owned. Fresh paint every few years, and replace things that show signs of wear and tear. I usually do not replace things that do not need replacing unless I have the urge. For example my kitchen cabinets are over 60 years old. We refinished them instead of replacing them because they were in freakish amazing condition and we had other things that needed our attention and money such as refinishing floors, replacing floors, ceilings, doors and garage doors and openers. My next big expense is new windows for the house because I cannot find anyone in my area competent to refinish my old windows. Then within the next 10 years I expect to replace the roof, furnace and AC as well as have the house paid off.