The rant wasn't wasted Ken; I read it with great enjoyment first thing this morning. For me, the loss is much more economical than personal. As you get older there is the realization that some things just aren't meant to be. I don't mean settle or overtly accept things as they are. Do the best you can, learn from your mistakes, and then move on. However with the prices of our conifer beauties...their loss can momentarily sicken me. Anyway, just taking a break from yard work. My husband will be delighted that 12 rose bushes came out today. We badly need rain here. The ground where I was digging is dry and will drop a soaker hose on the bed once it's cleaned up a bit. Haven't seen the sun for days because the Sacramento Valley gets fogged in. Daily highs around 45F to 50F is perfect working weather! Barbara

Dear Faron: My husband read my post and made some corrections. I'll answer you and make the corrections below in UPPER CASE. I'M NOT YELLING, THOUGH :) 1) You applied a tinted latex primer over contractors work. Correct? YES 2) Exactly what primer & tone of color were used? BENJ MOORE PRIMER FRESH START ACRYLIC. STONE SOMETHING, A MEDIUM COLOR AT 50% WAS USED TO TINT. 3) Your own joint-compound repairs were done OVER this newly primed surface?? YES, BUT IT REALLY WASN'T THE SEAMS, IT WAS MORE SLIGHT LOW AREAS IN THE SKIM COAT. 4) Were YOUR repairs primed over? YES WITH THE SAME BENJ MOORE FRESH START. 5) What do you mean by the "joint-compound with a latex additive"? Or, am I mis-reading this? HUSBAND CORRECTED ME THAT IT WAS A VINYL SPACKLE. 6) At any point...was the wall ever sanded AND vacuumed off?? THE WALL WAS SANDED DOWN TO A SMOOTH FINISH AND WIPED WITH A DRY CLOTH PRIOR TO PAINTING. This is what we determined. Yesterday morning was foggy/dewy. This is being painted in our future house (old construction though) where no a/c or heat was run. Husband said the windows had condensation on the outside. The bubbling occurred most on the wall near the windows. The clue to our answer is, "Why didn't we have problems the first time we primed but had problems the second time we primed when the same products were being used each time." Now that we know the cause and will run the a/c or heater to dry any area prior to painting ever again, BUT what's the best way to handle what we have now? - Sanding, patching, repriming the bubbled areas...is it going to peel in adjacent areas? - If it didn't bubble, is it ok to paint the final coat of Benj Moore Regal Eggshell? Or do we need to Kilz now to try to prevent the whole wall from peeling off? Any insight is REALLY, REALLY appreciated. He worked a long time on that large entry way with 15' ceilings and are just sick over it. Thank you.

I applied a generous layer of used coffee grounds on my newly planted bulbs last autumn. I think I lost just one crocus bulb to the skwerls. (I planted over 100 crocuses and about 30 or so species tulips.) As things have emerged this spring, I've had some leaves nipped off as the new growth was apparently too tempting and I think one or two flowers have been nibbled on too. But on the whole, things have worked out well. I have an abundant skwerl population due to the density of pines on my property and in surrounding gardens.

I don't think a chair rail is sufficient - my opinion. Some people would not be looking at the walls when entering a home and even if they saw the chair rail, it might not register as meaning there was a step down. I really think an attractive hand rail is the only safe solution - because it is a universal signal to everyone that there is a step and because it provides a necessary aid to any visitors who need a rail to help them go up and down a step. There are some people who have difficulties going up and down a curb without some form of balancing aid - your step is pretty much the equivalent of a curb.