Bears happen. Here in Montana black bears do wander into our town (well, small city) and cause a lot of problems in orchards and dumpsters. Fish and Game or Wildlife and Parks will humanely deal with them pretty quickly. Usually they dart them and relocate them, sometimes trap. They almost never find it necessary to kill them. I've taken to carrying pepper spray when I'm in the mountains now (as much for wolves and cougar as for bear) and you might consider it. This is a pint aerosol that goes off with a very loud bang and sends a cloud of capsaicin. It has been known to turn charging grizzlies, which is a good trick. One experience with it will convince Black Bear to seek friendlier neighborhoods. Expect to pay forty or fifty bucks for a can. Local bear expert Jamie Jonkel says it will, in fact, deter 9 of 10 grizzlies .... There's no warranty for the tenth bear. You'd have to lay in wait for your bruin, so it may not be practical. I can imagine trying to convince my wife that I needed to sit up and stare at my trees until daybreak! Good luck. We all sympathise. :-)M

you guys all seemed pretty well informed so I'm going to give you an as-of-yet unsolvable mystery. 2003 Buick Century Custom, mileage about 50,000 problem: occasionally while driving, ABS/TRAC/Service Vehicle Soon lights would illuminate, speedometer/temp/fuel gauges would stick at current readings. Sometimes problem would occur off and on while driving, sometimes would occur when car was started, sometimes not at all. When this problem happened, the car would drive normally. Transmission shifts at appropriate times, even cruise control worked correctly. The issue began happening more and more often until it just stayed that way. Took it to a local mechanic who replaced the instrument cluster AND the ECM (car's computer?). He claimed the problem was fixed, so i took it back. next morning, problem is back and im out $600. Now I have been at a loss for the last year.. I dont want to keep throwing money at the problem but it is extremely inconvenient to use a gps speedometer app on my phone to know how fast im going and to always have to stop and get gas just to be on the safe side. I asked the mechanic to check out the speed sensor when I dropped it off but he was pretty dismissive so I'm not sure if it was checked or not. About 6 months before the issue surfaced, I was hit on my front passenger side basically right on the headlight (she hit me corner to corner at about 10mph). Sometimes extreme cold SEEMED to cause the problem to go away. My theory was that perhaps a wire was not connected properly somewhere and that moisture in the air froze it in place somewhat and kept it connected. Sometimes hitting small bumps would cause the problem to begin or end... I have been bummed out so hard, asked everyone I know, checked online 'til I was blue in the face, even paid an 'expert' at one of those online question answering services only to be told they didnt know

deealex these are my minimum specs for a new HP system. both outside and inside units should be replaced to have a properly matched system. 15 SEER, 12.5+ EER, 9 HSPF best matching VS air handler full BTUs in both cooling and heating for your rated size R-410a refrigerant(same as Puron) scroll compressor preferred electronic demand defrost preferred thermostat with "dehumidify on demand" feature staged backup heat strips new and correctly sized refrigerant lineset you want a thorough inspection of your ductwork system. size, overall condition, supply and return lines, insulation qualities, leak test, etc. any hot/cold spot issues in your home should be addressed. I would only use authorized dealers for the various brands that provide quotes. see mfg websites. I would not recommend Goodman or put it in my home. that's my prejudice. here are several matched systems. all qualify for the tax credit. just for the record, what area of Florida-North, Panhandle,Central, or Southern? Bryant Legacy 15 3405995 Active Systems LEGACY 15 PURON HP BRYANT HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS 225ANA024-B FV4CN(B,F)003 23600 13.00 16.00 23600 8.80 14400 Trane XR14 1382135 Active Systems XR14 WEATHERTRON TRANE 4TWR4024C1 4TEE3F39A1 25000 13.00 15.00 24000 9.00 13800 IMO Good Luck!

You are located near the eye of the tropical palm storm! Florida has a very palm-friendly climate, and fine examples of tropical landscaping are all around you. But plopping a couple of palms and bananas in the ground will leave you disappointed, and wondering, "What is missing?" Before you buy a single palm, I recommend a visit to Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens to get the full tropical experience that Florida can provide. You will be inspired by the vastness of the collection and all the exotic companion plants that help the palms show off to their best advantage. Too vast? Try Pinecrest Gardens for a more intimate tropical experience, closer what can be achieved in a back garden. Special palms you might be able to grow: Satakentia liukiuensis from Japan (scroll down the page to view image gallery) Pelagodoxa henryana from the Marquesas Islands You will want at least one clumping species, and the ultimate is Cyrtostachys renda from Thailand. This one is a little touchy -- dies if the temperature drops below 40F and needs lots of water. Also known as lipstick or red sealing wax palm. Worth the extra effort! Few palms are more tropical than the species Licuala. You can probably grow Licuala ramsayi in the shade of your maple. If you've looked at the photos, you can see that variety of shape -- single trunk, multi-trunk, feather leaf, or fan -- and color can really amp up the garden. Palms are a varied and exciting plant family when you explore beyond the common street palms. That should be enough to whet your appetite for some unique and staggeringly beautiful palms. Check out the Searle Brothers Nursery as a source of inspiration and unusual purchases. So much more to discover with a visit to this specialist nursery! Add some ti plants, bromeliads, aroids, and other tropical foliage plants to really get the tropical feel. As the palm trunks go overhead, load them up with orchids. One day the maple will seem out of place with your tropical look. Nothing against the maple, it just isn't quite the theme, ya know? Expand your thought process beyond "a few large palm trees in total" and you will surely be happier with the results.