There was also some road work near the tree, although it is hard to believe the whole thing would go down that fast due to an existing informal parking area seeing increased activity. When I first discovered the appalling spectacle there was one small live branch coming out of the trunk, the rest of the 106' x 19'7" x 101' (1993) crown as bare as in winter. Maybe one day somebody with water mold infested mud on their tires drove beneath it, or some infested soil or aged manure was dumped near it. It was between the highway and a farm field. Whatever happened, the thing must have been there for quite awhile before being done in, and had a full canopy until it suddenly didn't. Van Pelt (1996) wrote in his sidebar on it In a species famous for rapid growth, Washington's two record trees have grown to over six feet in diameter in around 100 years

Here is a link to the actual rug: http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODr543&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1RUGRUG&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1RUGRUG I really like the look and think these types of rugs add so much texture to a room and are much more interesting than the plain sisals I've seen. I found out it's on backorder, but should still ship before Christmas. The lady I spoke with on the phone said I had 30 days to return, but I'm sure the shipping would be quite high on something that big. I guess that's a risk I'll have to take. Can anyone give an opinion on whether this looks like decent quality? It looks to be of a nice weight and thickness. The lady at West Elm said it's nothing like one of those flimsy dhurries.

twins!! congrats. I suggest looking at 'new to you' used furniture shops, a place that specializes in mid-century would be a good start. look for function, shape, style- the finish color can be changed as easy as buying cans of spray paint, or a roller & a gallon of paint. enjoy the hunt and free your imagination. my prized possession is a bamboo side board, picked off the curb for the low low price of ticking off people who had to drive around my car.

I agree about possibly locating a dining room table used because if you can find a style you like, the quality can be better than what you might otherwise get new and the price will be good because there is so much used furniture flooding the market. I wouldn't say categorically that quality will be better because people bought furniture at all quality levels - just because it's used, doesn't mean it's Ethan Allen quality :-) That said West Elm was DELIBERATELY put into the marketplace to fill a niche for young adults decorating their first or second homes or apartments who wanted something more stylish than IKEA. It tends to be trendier with an appeal to younger tastes. A lot of younger people I know furnished with West Elm instead of IKEA.