Walter, I just think it's useful to remind the beginners who read these posts that "recessive" doesn't necessarily mean that a trait is not expressed at all. In many cases the recessive trait is present but masked. Tricks like using alcohol to remove alpha-carotene so the lycopene can be seen are very useful. One time I crossed a purple rose (cyanin+co-pigment) with an orange (pelargonin). Pelargonin was present but masked because there was so much less of it and because the cyanin complex is so much darker in color. There are other such tests, such as placing a flower over an ammonia solution. This is from W. J. C. Lawrence, The Genetics and Cytology of Dahlia Species. J Genetics, 1921: (c) Reactions of anthocyanins and flavones with ammonia and SO2 As indicated on p. 128 the change of colour occurring when white, ivory or yellow petals are fumed with ammonia is as follows: Petal colour---Changes to White---No change Ivory---Lemon yellow Yellow--- Intense orange The ammonia test is a well-known method used for detecting the presence of anthocyanin in plant tissues. If anthocyanin is present a green or bluish colour usually develops upon fuming, though possibly other substances in the cell sap may modify this green or bluish appearance. In addition to the many fumings made with ammonia in the course of these experiments, petals have been bleached with SO2, and the reactions of different flower colours with these two reagents noted. The observations may be briefly summarised as follows: SO2. SO2 does not affect the flavones. It half bleaches the deeper coloured petals and almost entirely bleaches tinged varieties. Penetration is increased if the petal is first fumed in ammonia and then bleachedcomplete removal of the anthocyanin pigments resulting, thus revealing the flavone ground. Ammonia (a) Magenta and purple flowers give green and bluish-green reactions. (b) Orange and scarlet give an intense reddish-brown coloration. (c) Intermediate forms give intermediate reactions. The intense reddish-brown which develops when orange or scarlet petals are fumed is of some interest, since this is not typical reaction of anthocyanin with ammonia. All the other species I have grown conform, after their kind, to the above results. ======= Pale ivory can look white, but the ammonia test reveals the difference. This, too, is an important consideration. "Modifiers" can influence the expressions of traits, even to the extent that "recessive" traits become dominant -- or vice versa. I suppose you are aware of the chilling requirement of arilbred embryos. TB embryos lack this requirement. I don't know about DBs. It is also interesting to note that some of the DB species have deep yellow flowers but lack carotenes. They are pigmented by chalcones. (I wish we had yellow chalcones in roses. Then we could have bright, non-fading yellow AND rich fragrance.) This raises the possibility of hybrids with both lycopene and chalcone -- maybe a bicolor with chalcone yellow standards and lycopene pink falls. Even without mutations, genes can be swapped between genomes occasionally. That is, a Pumila gene may be transferred to a TB chromosome once in several hundred seedlings of tetraploid IBs. The same should happen, probably as rarely, in Arilbred varieties. Karl

I really like your staircase- the return landing with the stained-glass is awesome. I get what you're saying about a period feel with a slight modern bend- the last light, your old friend, is my pick of the ones you showed. Since you're still looking, maybe consider a tad larger scale than a single bulb pendant- for your entrance, with a significant staircase in view, a single bulb pendant, even an overpriced one, may disappear or look skimpy- and this is space you will want well lit on occasion. The clear glass shades with the silver-tipped bulbs are more for ambiant lighting and will cast light up, and not illuminate the foyer much, particularly a single bulb. With your home's enviable built-in character, maybe consider a 2 or 3 bulb small canopy (term? style that is like an upside down umbrella) with a solid etched/frosted glass shade on a dimmer switch. Clear glass may make for a blinding bulb greeting guests at the door. Form follows function. Just thoughts....love the space.

New fridge came. Much drama getting water connected. Got to actually practice a lot of Spanish, though, which is cool. The previous fridge didn't have a working ice maker, and LOTS of plumbing work had been done in the house during this time. I knew better but didn't insist on flushing the line before connecting. Once the water wouldn't flow, I eventually convinced installer to flush first the line from the wall and then the length of tubing. By then it was too late! Fridge was stopped up internally. Installer was flummoxed. I cranked up the PSI from the well and kept washing the filter. Third wash worked. Kicking butt and taking names! The previous fridge had leaked for a year. Only a small ridge of Pergo was damaged at all. You have to get down on the floor to notice it n I didn't bother to clean it up after the first month, either. Whatever the original owners first installed is, sadly, long gone. New fridge is SO much easier to see things in. I hope we will have addressed most of my husband's habit of opening two gallons of milk at the same time and shoving food in the back and abandoning it. I can put four gallons on the door--key for me. (Used to be zero.) Even with that, I can fit almost all of the door stuff in the rest of the door containers. This is a bad time of the week to show how much it holds because I've cooked all the produce--and we have eaten down the fridge a lot. Still, I can stack the Rubbermaid Premeir 9 cup containers 2 deep on the edges--also important. Without a custom depth future fridge cabinet, I would hate this fridge. It is a MONSTER. But because I can do custom depth, I love it. No other place for cleaning supplies. Open.... Drama!

RL Relocation thanks for your replies, I was thinking of garden/landscape lighting too but the depth could be an issue, I do have the potential for an additional bit of space as the currently floor could be drilled into but somewhere there must be a solution without excavating too far! :) The GU10s I was meaning are LED but they are a bigger form factor as you say. The downside of lighting from the ceiling is that the top course of the wall is a different brick and I don't really want to highlight it, I don't mind it but id rather it wasn't the main attractions if you know what I mean. If I put lights far enough away from the wall and wash them down that could get past highlighting the brick potentially but I also like the dramatic use of light from below.....so its. quandary! The louver light is an interesting idea but I think you will be right in that the light won't really reach very far up the wall.Not too keen on track lighting as id like the lights to be as subtle as possible....but that has given me a thought.....I could get some small film lights with barn doors and position them on the ceiling far enough back to wash down, doesn't resolve the cool light from below issue but .I am a freelance cameraman for a living so that would fit in well :)