Cuz people are simple minded morons. After a few springs in a local nursery "selling" trees, ie, answering questions people had about the differences between different types, I can tell you people in general just have no clue. Or they read a couple of pages online and think they are experts. In general, i'd say more people like maples than not...actually, i'd say more people are unaware that any other tree exists. We want fall color they'd say, so we want a maple. And when i'd be so crass to suggest that trees other than maple have fall color i'd either be ignored or looked at as though i'd just sprouted a second head. I came to the conclusion there's a romantic notion most people have that is deeply associated with maples over nearly all other trees. It also exists with birch, esp. paper. Just observations. Valid for no one but myself. And since I only have room for one person in my head at this time, myself is the only person whose opinion I care about. Also...maples are one of the few trees that couples can compromise on. Don't like oaks, they have acorns. Magnolias ate pretty, but such a mess. Can't say the name of elm cuz no one thinks the tree still exists. Catalpa? Yikes...the size of those leaves, all that mess... Maples have decent to excellent fall color, seeds that at least don't cause the mower to bounce, reasonably fast establishment and speed of growth. And the vast majority of people like nothing more than what others like...why else would we be so enamored of most popular lists?

OP said "Well, the spray we were told to use didnt do anything anyway. Its supposed to be more of a mold and black spot preventative than an insecticide. " Oh my, you need to locate a resource who can provide accurate information. Perhaps your county's Extension Service office. Find your county's office with this map: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/ Okay, back to your curled leaves and black mold. Please stay with me; take time to thoroughly digest each step to learn what occurred. It goes like this: 1. The diagnosis for your cherry tree is most likely aphids on the undersides of the cherry leaves. Those aphids were drinking plant sap and excreting the excess that they didn't need. That excess excreted sap is called honeydew. It's clear and it's sticky. 3. Then, a mold that's ever-present in the air, landed on the sticky stuff, fed on it, then produced the sooty mold (the black stuff) on the leaves. No way was that stuff black spot! Ladybugs, both adults and youngsters feed on aphids. The thing stuck on the leaf was a pupa as was already explained. Please don't try to scrape them loose as you may damage them and end up with a deformed ladybug rather than a healthy one. So, in the future, when you see similar curled leaves, please unroll them and look at what's inside the curls. Aphids, Lots and lots. Often very small. The best & safest remedy: Keep alert for curled leaves, then wash off the aphids. Insecticide sprays likely won't work because they are well protected within the curled leaves. Oh yes, as was said, the ladybugs don't make holes in leaves. Here is a link that might be useful: USDA map to locate Extension Service offices

Silver Quite interesting reading. I have thought about EX and how he must feel about DD, or any woman that has been in his life. I do understand the conceptual thinking behind the term "limerance". I had a man that I felt that way about once. I never told him, figuring that if he felt anything for me he would approach me. There were a few mixed signals, I thought but he never made an attempt that was something that I knew for sure showed he was interested in me. He had enough chances to do that and he didn't. He thought of me as a friend or sister I guess. Or he would have gone for a little "roll in the hay" if I would have. He even introduced me to a girlfriend that he began dating and ended up getting her pregnant and they later married. Ouch! With EX's past ( if what he has said is true ) he undoubtedly has great fear of rejection. Again, if what he says is true, he wanted my DD to stay with him, build a future with him and he wanted a family with us. There are too many things though that are negatives to the success of their relationship that he is completely out of touch with which makes me think that he has a break with normal thought processes. This is evident with other actions...his extensive lying and his criminal behavior. My DD did not want to marry or have children ( my goodness, she is only 20 ) and he did. Very much in fact. I don't know that she will ever change her mind but he had said that he would rather have had her and no kids than to not have her at all. I don't know that it would have been something he could have easily lived with though. The age difference is something that was too vast....11 years...when dealing with her age group. Had they met when she was in her 30's or 40's or older then it would not have been as big a deal. I am sorry for him when it comes to honest, heartfelt feelings that he might have had for my DD. The fact that he could install such fear ( and continues to do so ) and the fact that he has told so many lies negates all of that though. It sucks to be rejected. Our family histories have a lot to do with whether or not we can process the rejection in a healthy way. Most of us have been and some of us have stepped over a line while dealing with it that we cringe at after having healed a bit. It is important to teach our kids that when they deal with peers or a romantic interest people have a right to reject them. In the long run it is for the best. I don't know how much EX has control over when it comes to his emotions about the breakup. I am sorry that I can't talk to him. It just can't happen. I want him to get help and to go onto have a happy life. More importantly though I want him to leave my DD alone and let her move on. Thanks for the thread and the link Silversword.

The former owners of my house dropped their price over 4% the day their listing popped up into our price range. We still ended up paying 9% below their already lowered price. They were chasing the real estate market downward, and our timing was such that we bought at the bottom of the market. Additionally, they wanted to buy a home in a community that had only one unit left, so they were getting desperate to sell, having never anticipated a real estate collapse and having their house on the market for over a year. They got what the market would bear, and we offered a price that was a mixture between what we could afford and what we felt it was worth. It's not personal...most homeowners start out pricing high, hoping to see what they can get. Ultimately, they sold their house for 21% below their initial asking price, in what was already a significantly declining market. Some people make lowball offers, some people ask highball prices. Ultimately, the "fair" price is what someone will pay for what someone is selling.