Dear Sighing Carl, You actually sound quite normal and gardener-sane considering the present circumstance. Many of us here felt the same way last Oct. 30 when 14" of wet snow brought down everything it could and destroyed years of growth and thousands of dollars. Last year's event for me and your current status, as unpleasant as they were/are, brought me to a new level of gardening thinking. I try to make gardens look like more with less material not just because of $, but the aging bod can't do what it once did. Also, I've had to adjust my expectations of plant/tree/shrub heights. Last year's storm toppled 15' rhodies so that I had to lasso them and use the riding mower to bring them upright again, rebury the root system, only to eventually have to cut their height in half to prevent toppling again. The changing climate and its odd timing of storms forces me to rethink what I plant. Full Southwestern-like xeriscaping isn't quite my thing, but Mediterranean style with shorter growing plants works for me. Once one has lived through a night of 90' tall oak and maple trees cracking and their tonnage crashing to the ground making your house shake, well, shorter ornamental trees are now quite appealing to me. If you want them, Carl, I have a couple of lovely little Jap maples here with your name on them. Oh, and as for the sighing or 'deep breathing', I'm a 7th generation Connecticut Yankee who can make fire with two sticks, have had to pee in the woods and live for weeks without electricity; but these recent storms damn near made me pass out, so you can bet your asters I'm changing with the climate change. Start thinking about your spring swap wants. We will help you. Kindly, Jane

Is the leak in a horizontal line? If so, he probably he cannot get it to seal because of residual water. Standard advice is to put a piece of soft white bread in the line. The idea is that the bread keeps water away from the joint, allowing a good seal. Afterwards, the bread can dissolve to not cause any problems from being in the line. I have what I think is a better (but closely related) approach. I spoon a bunch of flour into the line. I then shove a pile of it an inch or so up the line with a dowel close to the same diameter of the pipe. The flour has the same effect as the bread, but it does not have to "dissolve," as it is already a fine powder.

The day after our pool was dug the owner of the pool co. drove up and literally ran into my backyard with a measuring tape. Apparently he didn't note the 12' easement on the side of the property prior to ordering the dig. The already dug hole cleared the easement by 5 inches. I think he needed a drink after that one.

No, lazy--those things are taken care of at settlement here. The water dept. comes out specially to read the meter right before settlement (just like the electric and gas companies do), so that it was all taken care of (and we had a CREDIT with the county sewer, which was addressed at settlement). This water bill has the meter reading date on it--it's definitely not ours. The town just hadn't changed the name. The gal at town hall is just sending the new one to the new owners. Fun2--we've actually owned this house for 4 years, and I not only get the old owners mail, but mail for some houseguests they had staying here for a while! But since the previous owners now live next door, I just hand the stuff to them (or put it in their box, if I don't see them out).