Auntfer, what the tag refers to is that you need to get a second almond tree, of the variety "Non Pareil" to provide the pollen to pollinate your first tree. Almonds are not self-fertile--that means that the pollen from the almond can't pollenate itself. Non Pareil is very common in California (I got a bareroot one at Home Depot in January), and blooms at a certain time different from other varieties. To get good pollination, you have to have both trees flowering at the same time. The other fruits--apples, peach, etc--are different species, and species generally can't pollenate different species (or you would get a hybrid). Just ask for a "Non Pareil" almond tree at a nursery. There's a good summary of almond varieties and pollination issues at http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/1214/12407.pdf David

This is terrible! No, Happy Holidays, Everyone! What's terrible is the Weather Service is actually predicting a chance of rain this afternoon! This after a month of only 4/100 of an inch of, what was that, hoar frost? The thermometer hasn't been above 32F for weeks now and there has been a string of nights lately in the teens - including last night. A high of 33F predicted for this afternoon and, it's gonna to rain!! Weeelll, there's a better than 50% chance of snow everyday beginning Tuesday so I think we may be finally getting out of this dry spell. I just hope that we don't have too many people dipping too deep into the punch bowl over the next few days - the roads are gonna be like glass!! Here is a Holiday quiz to occupy your odd holiday moment: Which of the following holidays DOES NOT occur in December? Boxing Day Kwanzaa St. Nicholas Day Candlemas >>>>>>>>>>>>>If you guessed Boxing Day . . . you are incorrect. Boxing Day is the first or second weekday after Christmas Day in many British Commonwealth nations. That odd name has nothing to do with fisticuffs but rather with "boxing" up offerings for the church. If you guessed Kwanzaa, maybe because it wasn't around when you were a kid . . . you are incorrect. It is actually a week long celebration that begins December 26th. It was "invented" in 1966. If you guessed St. Nicholas Day perhaps because you were being very clever and thought this might be a trick question . . . you may be very clever but you are incorrect. St. Nicholas Day is usually celebrated on December 6th or December 19th (in most Christian Orthodox countries). And yes, St. Nicholas = Santa Claus. And that only leaves Candlemas! This is the correct answer because Candlemas comes on February 2nd. There are several traditions associated with Candlemas Day: Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve Down with the rosemary, and so Down with the bays and mistletoe; Down with the holly, ivy, all, Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas Hall Also, yes it is! It is Groundhog's Day! Celebrated on February 2nd in the United States and Canada. The groundhog tradition comes from the weather lore of western Europe associated with Candlemas. Me? I've got my stash of food & goodies and if'n the ground is gonna be covered with ice and snow - I'm done with my winter walks. Maybe, I can poke my head up again by February 2nd! Steve

We went with the Triple pane apex package (ultra-u plus8). We're in MN and suffer from both weather extremes. The windows are not yet installed, they were just ordered after before the Christmas. We are actually just doing two double casements first and will live with them for a few months before purchasing more. i want to make sure I truly like our windows before committing another $20-30k for the rest of our windows and doors. Yes, it cost more doing it this way, but I'm ok to pay a bit more to ensure I'm happy.

Please tell me what other aspects that I "side-stepped"? You posted about IGU failures and I posted the warranties relative to that from Andersen and the manufacturer (Okna) that you reference in your link back to another forum. The 20 year or lifetime reference was something that you pointed out. What am I missing? Do you wish to read the entire warranty? Here it is: Vinyl Frame And Sash Members The vinyl extrusions and vinyl components used in the windows and doors are warranted to be free from defects that might result in blistering, peeling, flaking, corroding, and fading of the window or door for as long as you own your home. This war- ranty is fully transferable to the next homeowner.  Factory painted standard or custom colors are warranted for a period of ten years. Insulated Glass OKNA Windows Corp. warrants that the insulated glass units, including internal grids, will be free from obstruction between the glass, including film formation, including moisture on the internal glass surfaces caused by seal failure and including small marks, dust, and scratches. This Warranty is fully transferable to the next homeowner and covers glass imperfections as de- scribed in Federal Government Glass Specification DD-04516.  Condensation may occur on interior and exterior of windows as a natural result of humidity within the house or build- ing area and changes in outside/inside temperature. This does not indicate a manufacturing defect and would not be included in this Warranty. Hardware OKNA Windows Corp. warrants that the hardware shall remain in good operating condition, for as long as you own your home. Warranty on hardware is also fully transferable to the next homeowner.  Specified Metal hardware for coastal applications is limited to a ten year warranty. Exclusions and Limitations The following are excluded from coverage under this Warranty: A. Any damage caused by wind, hail, lightning or other acts of God, intentional acts, accidents, negligence, or exposure to harmful chemicals or pollutants. This warranty excludes damage related to harsh or corrosive cleaning products, application of paints ( non factory applied ), and uniform fading or color change due to weathering. B. Any damage or malfunction caused by improper handling or installation of the windows, or any damage to the windows or components of the windows caused by settlement or structural defects of the building in which they are installed. C. Any defect, malfunction or failure to perform, which has occurred because of unreasonable use, improper application or failure to perform reasonable or necessary mainte- nance - see section " Maintenance & Cleaning." D. Any window, which has been repaired or attempted to have been repaired or modified by any person other than an authorized representative of OKNA Windows Corp. E. OKNA Windows Corp. liability is limited solely and exclusively to repair or replace, at the discretion of OKNA Windows Corp. and under no circumstances will OKNA Windows Corp. be liable for incidental or consequential charges such as, but not limited to, labor cost for any purpose, inconvenience, damage, or injury to persons or to property or any other expense. Procedure And Conditions Of Warranty Remedy The Owner must notify the Dealer/Distributor within thirty days after the defect has first appeared. OKNA reserves the right to inspect any window or door that a warranty claim has been made. Such notification must contain the following: A � Name and Address of the Owner. B � Date of Installation. C � Description of the Defect. If a product meets requirements of this limited warranty, OKNA Windows will at its option, supply replacement parts or product. Labor or reinstallation costs are not covered by this limited warranty. Commercial Application OKNA products installed in a building operated as a multi-family dwelling or used for commercial purposes or rental properties such as schools, churches, apartment complexes, government owned structures, etc. will limit this Warranty to ten years. Product Changes OKNA Windows Corp. reserves the right to discontinue or change any of its products or the parts utilized in any of its products at its sole discretion. If any window product or component originally installed in the building is not available at the time of any claim by you under this Warranty, OKNA Windows Corp. reserves the right to substitute any other model or component as a replacement. During warranty period replacement parts will be supplied at no charge to dealer upon return of defective part. Maintenance & Cleaning A mild solution of household cleaner such as liquid dishwashing detergent may be used to clean windows. Do not use harsh abrasives. This Warranty shall be null and void if harmful solvents are used. You are referencing "pressure equalization" and I reference that in the other post that you made. What additional scientific developments do you think need to happen. Is the fenestration industry going to "UN-INVENT" the law of partial pressures? There is no development needed in "pressure equalization" just better and better sealants and gas impermeable sealants to whatever the inert gas fill is. Andersen learned a valuable lesson with this and did a fine job of warrantying items after the fact when it was discovered that their IGU were gas fill permeable but impermeable to the larger molecules of atmospheric air. There is not much science to develop here. While vacuum IGUs are interesting and exciting developments, they are several years away from reaching mass distribution and acceptance. If you think that gas permeability presents challenges, vacuum presents far more challenges. Temperature shifts do present sealing issues to IGUs but if we can make sure the windows inside pressurized airplanes and vehicles that go outside the earth's atmosphere stay together, something in Desert Valley doesn't seem that tough. In applications where windows go above a certain altitude, breather tubes are inserted for equalization if they are not made near said altitude. The are certain aspects of the window industry that are pretty tried and true and I am not sure you layman's review of their cycle testing is accurate or based in any observable fact. I have been through several factory were they life cycle test these materials and they are comprehensive to say the least. No laboratory can ever truly duplicate a real world environment but they compensate for this most times by making the extremes more extreme to simulate worst case scenarios. The engineers at Pella, Andersen, and Cardinal would probably take umbrage with your less than factually vetted review of their testing and materials developments. Do they have failure rates, surely. This is why you get a warranty. Even in those situations where materials are manufacturer robotically, there is a human hand and potential for error at any number of locations in the process.