Whoa Ohiofem! What on earth??? I'm very aware of Al's incredible expertise and generosity, and thanked him profusely in a recent email. Why do you think I put the word "just" in quotation marks in my previous post? To make the point that using the word "just" when talking about Al's knowledge and experience is a bit of an oxymoron! I don't know why the defensiveness but I can assure you it's unwarranted. I never said I thought "some clerk in a garden center necessarily knows more than Al about the 'best' fertilizer;" where did you get that? I doubt there's a clerk in *any* garden center that knows more than Al. But the question they asked is legitimate, and I figured if I could get an answer then it would be a great opportunity to educate future employees I might encounter. I can think of two recent instances right off the bat where I educated "some clerk in a garden center" about an aspect of gardening. They were appreciative, and I felt good about being able to pass on something I had learned that was helpful to them. And just so you know, I can't count the number of times I've raved about GWF to other "plant people" - employees especially. Science as I was asking is not "just extensive knowledge and experience." It's also controlled experiments. I was simply asking whether there was hard science - i.e., controlled experiments - to back up what Al has learned and experienced for himself. If there is then it would seem to me a 5-1-2 ratio would get the best results, therefore that's what people would rave about, therefore that's what would sell the best, therefore that's what would be in companies' best interest. If no one has proven this scientifically then I'm just surprised. It seems like such a basic thing. As for there being a "best" fert. you seem to contradict yourself. On the one hand you say, "One reason I am so grateful to Al is that he has convinced me that all plants use essentially the same ratio of nutrients." In your last post you say "I don't know why you would think all fertilizer manufacturers or all scientists would agree on something as complex as what is the "best" fertilizer for all plants." So which is it: 3-1-2 or something much more complex? Not sure what your point is about having "tremendous respect for people like" scientists and Al - why would you not? Why would anyone not? BTW, altho I cringed when I picked it up off the shelf, I bought MG today because you suggested it. I have to get *something* on my plants and I haven't had time to order DG. At least I feel better than if I were using 10-10-10 or something comparable.

Hi Jannd, I've got one of those WBU pole rigs they sell in the middle of the picture. They also fit on the hodge-podge pole which is on the right. That is a pole thingie that was left behind the previous owner, which I combined with a piece of copper pipe to make it longer. The WBU stove-pipe style baffles hang loosely on a piece of hardware that you attach to the pole. It has screws you can adjust to differing size poles. It's important that the baffle hang loosely and wobble a bit, because that helps prevent critters from gripping the baffle and scaling it. You can make a home-made baffle using a piece of stove-pipe and some hardware pretty cheaply. In my setup, the dome is not being used as baffle, but as a cover for the tray feeder. It protects the Black oil sunflower seed somewhat from weather, also from the birds that like to poop when they are sitting on the pole rig -don't want the poop falling into the seed. I don't think the domes work as well as a baffle, but not sure? The friend who gave that to me was using it as a baffle and he said the squirrels got around it somehow.

I don't have any of these, but I found this online HERE. "Founded in 1992 by Charlie Shaw and Ted Einstein, Dovetail has developed an expertise in sourcing an eclectic range of handmade furniture, accessories and textiles from around the world. The Dovetail DOV1000 Dining Room Montecito Dining Table at Goods Discount Furniture Stores in North Carolina. Solid Reclaimed Old Wood Pedestal Table Light Finish With Slight Grey Glaze And Sealed Top Classic Trestle Base Dovetail DOV2427 Alicante Dining Table Reclaimed Elm Base And Top (no mention of sealing on this top) Grey Toned Smoked Wood Finish Hand Carved Pedestals Hickory NC Store: (828)855-3220 Charlotte NC Store: (704)910-6096

An update for those who offered help: I sent DS the Mozart info and started looking myself. We've found some possibilities there and plan to talk to them about timing. We also found out that there are a very limited number of on campus apartments for graduate students. Most grads live off campus, but for the practice and rehearsal schedules he is used to, my son may actually prefer to be on campus rather than being a mile or more away. For the first year anyway. He is going to check into that as an option also but they apparently don't assign those spots until summer. Nothing decided, but seeing some options and thinking about how to furnish if we need to (have a desk, table, sofa and small dining table but will need chairs and a bed -- bed being the main thing). Feeling better for the moment -- but getting challenged on other fronts now. Always something, right? Thanks for the help.