Great plants! It's always interesting to see what others grow. You have a lot very spiney non-cactus plants. The range of Euphorbs you have is fantastic! I wanted to note that Pachypdodium namaquanum is a winter grower (summer dormant), which explains your observation that it likes water in winter. It is an opportunistic grower, and can grow in the summer if kept too dry in winter. Normally, it should leaf out in late August/early September, and drop the leaves around mid-April. Keep it relatively dry the rest of the time. Most other Pachypodiums are from Madagascar, and are summer growers/winter dormant. So culture of this plant is different than other Pachys. It's native legend is interesting. It goes something like this: A long time ago, the Nama people were forced out of their Namibian homeland by a stronger tribe. They crossed the Orange river into what is now northwestern S. Africa into Namaqualand, a relative dry and rocky place. On their journey they encountered large plants about six feet tall, leaning into the winter sun to the North, towards their beloved homeland across the river. Legend has that some of the tribe was so homesick that they were transformed into the plants they still call 'half-men', forever gazing north towards their lost lands across the river. I love this plant and was lucky to find one about ten-inches tall around 2004. It came from the collection of a well known deceased grower, and folks were selling remaining plants to help his widow. Now, seven years later, it is 17-inches tall. Early on, I kept it very dry in the winter, and it dropped it's leaves in the fall, growing them again when I resumed watering in the spring. I finally learned about it's proper growth cycle, and it leafs out in late August, and drops all of its leaves in early May. Wonderful plant, but a slow slow grower. Brad

I think I understand the question. Old situation: - Power entered an old light box via 14/2. - There was a 14/3 from that box to the switch. - The black and white to the switch supply outlets downstream of the switch. - The switch was connected between the black and red. - The old light was connected to the red from the 14/3 and the combined white. The switched power to the light traveled 'backward' along the red to the light. New situation: - The old light has been replaced in a remodel. - There's a 14/2 from the new first light to a second light. - MsGreen1 has extended the 14/3 to the new first light box with 14/2, disconnected the 14/3 black from the upstream power and connected it to the 14/2 extension black that is connected only to the lights. - The outlets downstream of the switch are now fed by power *through* the lights when the switch is off, and so they never work right. When the switch is on, they're shorted entirely out of the circuit. - Guessing: The switch is now probably connected on the neutral side of the lights, which is just plain wrong, and potentially dangerous when changing bulbs. The only solution is that you need to remove that 14/2 extension of the 14/3 and replace it so that you have 14/3 all the way from the first light to the switch. Connect it so that: - All whites are connected together in each box - The 14/3 black is connected to the power source black - The 14/3 red in the box of the first light is connected to the light fixture black - The 14/3 red is also connected to the black wire of the 14/2 going to the second light. - The switch box is reconnected the way it was, with white-to-white, black-to-black, and the switch between blacks and the 14/3 red. I don't have time to draw right now, but here's a picture from someone else. You'll have to imagine connecting the cable to the second light in the same places that the light shown is connected. Here is a link that might be useful:

I'd never turn down more cabinets, but I like your design (assuming you have a place for all your junk of course!). It's not off balance because the window wall isn't part of the cabinet assembly, kinda. You have an island. You have a Wall Of Cabinets and Appliances. And you have nice floaty window unit. It works. I would (and did) put drawers on both sides of the oven. You might want shallower drawers in the smaller cabinet for spices and things, but it's all a personal preference thing. Just be sure you have a spot for all your bulky items. You may be able to stick those things in the pantry. If you want something to the left of the window to balance it (not necessary I think) and there's going to be a bit of wall there as it looks in the picture, just plan to throw up some decorative iron scrollwork or a plate rack or clock or something. I think putting in a small cabinet would look goofy. You'd have to put in enough cabinetry to really shrink that window. And you don't wanna do that!

how to plant...: https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub i figured it was a builder deal ... based on looking seep into the pic .. as to my pic ... i had a kids pool to the left.. i wnated to sit under the tree.. in the shade ... hence the pruning ... its now about 10 years later. ... and the bottom branches.. are about 3 feet from the ground.. the major part of the branches did not go down.. but the branchlets off such.. did .. the bottom line.. how i remember it... roots like to be cool and moist.. to do their job... bark is meant to be DRY ... by putting park underground.. you will rot it ... and the vascular system of the tree... the cambian layer.. is just below that bark ... rot the bark ... kill the tree ... dig down.. give us a few pics... maybe we can come up with some ideas ... like an wall of one or two or 3 retaining blocks.... to hold the soil back ... there has to be a term for that.. but its escaping me.. to google you a pic ... ken