Hi, I'm "normally" somewhat disabled. I use a cane and (due to hip difficulties)can't squat or get down on the ground easily. To garden, I generally bend from the waist or use a kneeler if I need to get down to ground level for a while. I have raised beds about 6" high (and trellises where needed) for things like tomatoes, peppers, cukes, pole beans that don't require much ground level maintenence once planted. I've got elevated "salad tables" for low growing things like lettuce that require more maintenence at soil level. At any rate, a few months ago, I really strained my back and couldn't use the kneeler or bend from the waist repeatedly to do stuff in the garden. I ended up gardening from a "transport wheelchair" (with the foot rests removed)that we happen to have. http://www.1800wheelchair.com/asp/view-product.asp?product_id=1860 It works great! I'm able to roll it along the sides of the raised bed and reach over to tend to things with no problems (the beds are only 3' wide and there's access from both sides). My paths are old lawn and while it's not perfectly level, I have no problems moving the wheelchair along pushing back or forth with my feet. When I want a little break, I can lean back on the backrest with my arms on the armrests and enjoy the garden view. The wheelchair handles at the back are handy for hanging totes (I use plastic handled grocery bags) with any hand tools, twine, etc. you might want with you while gardening. I also use the wheelchair (pushing it with things on the seat) for moving around things like bags of potting soil, baskets of transplants, etc. And it's great for unloading groceries from the car - I can get in one trip that would take 5 or 6 trips without the wheelchair. I also use it quite a bit around the house for moving a bunch of stuff from one place to another in a single trip. So it has a lot of uses besides as a garden stool. (It might not work if you have very uneven or muddy paths). Anne

:) Yes - my father (age 78) (who lives with us) has been helping me in my square foot garden for the past 6 years! When I first began to build my raised bed, square foot garden, he didn't have one good thing to say about it. "You got 30 acres out there, why you think you got to grow grub in little bitty boxes?!" and "What are you doing, putting it out by the road? You want people to see your weeds??!" and (to his buddies at the diner) "You know what that crazy girl of mine is doing now?!" were some of his milder comments. By the second year, he was telling his buddies to stop by and see "his" garden; by the third year, he'd signed me up for the garden tour (without telling me first); and even now, when he can barely get around on his golf cart (hospice patient), it's not safe for cars to slow down going past the house - he ropes them in for guided tours! He even thinned peaches from his golf cart this season. You can read a bit about my garden in the post "Tell me about your square foot garden!" Here are a few photos - first winter, then summer, then Pop on the Popmobile - fully loaded with garden gear!

If he is someone's cat, that person doesn't deserve to have a pet. If someone is neglecting their cat to the point that they let it outside with an injured foot, they have no right at that point to claim ownership over that cat IMHO. This is a perfect example of why cats should not be allowed outdoors. Once a cat is outdoors, it is fair game. For getting hit by a car, injured, adopted by someone else, or any other number of things. If you are concerned about the cat, do what you can to trap it some how and get it some medical treatment. We recently adopted a very sweet and friendly cat that lived on our street. It was outside a lot and was unneutered. It would run across our side street every day to see us, and it would sometimes sit at the corner house looking in the door. It may have been theirs - I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, if they make the cat stay out in the rain while it's looking in on the warm house, don't neuter it, and only want to deal with him when it's convenient, it's not their pet to claim ownership of. After having him a few months, he developed a bad UTI. It may have been there the whole time we had him and flaired up over time with the adjustments. This may be why the people on the corner made it stay outside. They could have simply taken a trip to the vet to get antibiotics. People are cruel. The last thing that should be on your mind with this cat is who owns it.

...it is important to make sure you have an advocate (guardian) who can help out in the event you are temporarily incapacitated." Not quite. A guardian is what the state sets up when you have NOT taken care of your business. Power of Attorney (POA) is what you should set up yourself to AVOID ever becoming subject to a guardianship. And if you cannot afford an attorney, at least download the papers from your state, sign them and get them notarized. 99 times out of 100 that will work fine. (unless your kids are into fighting over who gets to be POA) I work in this area, and trust me: everybody involved is always happy to come upon signed Powers and drop the court mess. There may come a day when you canot speak for yourself, even temporarily. And no, your spouse or your parents can't simply start making decisions for you. (Remember Terri Shaivo?) Take care of your business and the courts will leave you alone. Neglect making a plan and designating Powers, and you may leave the court no choice but to step in. Often a terrible mess, but that's the law.