FYI, As for Ricky's comments on planting depth. There are some very high draining soils where planting too deep is not as damaging. I know of some soils locally (at the sister-in-laws) that is very course and the root zone extends to over 5 feet deep. There is never any standing water on that soil. I simply drains through about as fast as it can fall. Transplanting here is VERY easy, as the soil compensates for many mistakes. Arktees

homerpa said: I think those paths drawn are misleading; how can you know they took those routes? homerpa, what do you mean by misleading, the main reason I drew the paths is to show how they have flown around TN and KY. The paths are just "guesstimations" and nothing more, nobody knows for sure the exact paths of hummingbirds. But some spots seem to have more early inflow of hummers each year based on many years of past reports. If I made a average flow line for every mile east or west it would look like a black blob of black because of too many lines on the map. They don't follow each specific paths of course (they are spread out) the paths are just an estimated flow directions or streamline paths for the migration pattern. I did make a more accurate estimation on the paths based on reported dates from 1997 to 2010. Here is all the colored lines from all those years combined that I made in the map below. The light blue lines are Mar. 1st, green Mar. 15th, and dark blue Apr. 1st. I then made paths based on common "noses" averaged out from reports that stick out northward (places that usually get hummingbirds more early) and I then connected the dots. Nobody can know for sure the exact paths but I made a fairly good estimation based on first reports over the years and given they mainly travel from south to north in the spring of course. homerpa said: I also don't understand the logic here- you're speculating that the birds avoided those areas? Would that mean that they also avoided the areas between all the dots throughout the map?? After all, there are only dots for where they were reported, right? No, the logic is that is a huge hole, there should be many reports in that huge hole or gap by this time of the year based on average reports from 1997 to 2010. Of course they won't avoid the areas between all the dots, I'm not dumb. lol Ruby-throated hummingbird population is estimated to be over 7 million, and how many dots are on these report maps annual? Like 400 to 500 reports. But it does give an average line of how far north, east, and west they are currently, and based on past reports one will know what cities or towns the reports come from each year. So in other words if there is a big gap where there usually are many report this time of the year, then it's a little odd. Like I said: powerful storms on the 15th and 17th are probably why there are few reports in KY and TN currently. But eventually that big gap will fill in with reports. Read here for more info on migration: http://www.hummingbirds.net/migration.html Notice this interesting fact: "Banding studies show that each bird tends to return every year to the same place it hatched, even visiting the same feeders."

http://www.knitting-crochet.com/crochet/2sided.html Here is a pattern that works up exactly like the one you talked about. I am in the process of making it. It says 173 chains but I am doing it in 183 chains. So far the blanket measures 40" wide. I am going to do it 40 x 40" or whatever makes it a square. My preference is the square shape. Might change my mind, still thinking about it. Any thoughts and reasons of which shape is better? Square or rectangle? I am using a G hook. And the yarn is Bernat Softee Baby it is a sport yarn. I have figured 2 skeins maybe 3, not sure yet. Sometime it stretches to 42" when measuring so I am not exactly sure of completed measurement yet. It seems the shell measures 1". It says 6 shells = 6". Mine didn't measure that but it is still looking good. Also, in the old Crochet With Heart Magazine April 2000 it has the shell pattern called Doubly Delightful Duo. It uses Worsted Weight Yarn and the H hook. It takes 2,624 yards of one color and 2,624 yards of another color to make a blanket 45" x 60". So far I am prefering the baby blanket done using the G hook and the Bernat Softee Baby sport yarn for a Baby Blanket. You can sometimes find the magazine on Ebay. Enjoy!

Austin, TX Aug 2021. Quotes for a 300sf room mini-split not incl electric which I would guesstimate to add $500-800: 1) $4900, 2) $5000, 3) starting at $4800. The only more reasonable one was 4) $3400 which I MIGHT give up and just take, meaning paying about $4000. The thing is I would be HAPPY as hell to get the 2nd floor central AC to be exactly like our first floor central AC system and pay $5-7000 for it. The 1st floor's Sept 2020-installed 2-ton HVAC, despite being a single-stage, actually cools at 47 dB directly at the intake, 39dB 10 feet away, most of the time. Then it's like 63dB when it has to cool things down multiple degrees but that's not for very long. The 2nd floor's furnace was installed at the same time and is the same exact unit as the 1st floor's but the 2.5 ton outside is not same brand and not the same coils. When I asked the AC co. this summer to just make the 2nd floor like the first floor - replacing the coils and condenser, he hemmed and hawed and said I can't guarantee you the same situation and static pressure, blah blah blah. He couldn't explain why the 1st floor unit had two fan speeds. Isn't there a way to kind of estimate how the thing would work? Funny thing is the 2nd floor furnace is loud as hell all the time when running - I think 67dB with vibrating noises - and will cycle on and off A LOT at night - literally on for 5 minutes then off for 5, then on again for 5 minutes for part of the night, driving me crazy. It's louder than the previous 30-year system which ironically still worked. The first mini-split estimator to come to the house (the rest I just got ballparks on the phone to not waste anybody's time) - they mostly do full HVACs - when I asked about the 2nd floor, he stared at the grate and said "you need more duct board." Hilarious. Didn't even mention the fact that the intake is too small which I found out on my own but I still doubt that would help because pulling the grate off does nothing except maybe make it louder still. So I don't feel like these HVAC people know much about systems either. One of my installer AC's folks said it's the thermostat - you mean the fancy Honeywell? I called Honeywell without much luck. And when I called the manufacturer to supposedly find a compatible thermostat, the guy said X and it was their $800 thermostat. Um, why? I'm definitely looking at the Mr. Cool unit. Not crazy about learning yet a new skill and taking forever figuring things out which is how I am - I'm good, just slow but willing. I may also just install a Midea u-shaped inverter window AC - I bought my daughter one and it's remarkably quiet - crazy quiet. Luckily the window in question is on the side of the house far from the front. But I can't believe I have to resort to a window AC. $500 window AC vs $4000-$5000 Euro-style system vs $5-7000 new HVAC compressor and coils which may not do what I want and the guy really doesn't want to sell me. Geez.