Hi Rookie, I, too, have very mixed feelings on the lupines! I mentioned further up that Ive never had any luck getting them goingbut I havent given up! I got a couple small ones at the Spring Swap, and just finally got them planted in the ground yesterday. In the past Ive started them from seed a couple times, but after a while they didnt seem to be doing too well in the potspossibly because of my comings and goingsbut when I put them in the ground they did even worse, and eventually died. Id really like to have a couple, so I hope it works, and I have my fingers crossed this time! If you really like them, I think you should give them a trybut I dont think Id recommend basing a major portion of the garden on them. I was going to say that I think they might do better at higher altitudes, but apparently Nancy has some trouble too, so maybe Im wrong about that. But they are on my altitude list at 9500', and since youre even higher than she is, maybe youll have better luck with them. Youll never know if you dont try them! I do agree with Nancy that they are short lived perennials, and if you get them going youll probably either want to ensure that they reseed each year, or start some new ones in pots to set out each year. If I ever get some going enough that they produce seed, Ill probably collect seed and replant right next to the original plant(s). I way agree with Nancy on checking out the preferred menu of your local wildlife before you put too much money into any one thing! When I was making up the deer resistant list at Paulinos, I ended it with: .....trying a variety of these plants in your own backyard is the only effective way of determining which will be most useful in your area. Her idea of sitting them out in the pots first to see what happens to them is sure a good way to avoid all the work of planting themonly to have them disappear a day or two later! Im not at all surprised that you werent impressed with your landscaper! In the years I worked with different landscapers at Paulinos, there were very, very, very few that impressed me! Most of them knew very little, had a "menu" of 12-18 plants that they put in for every job they didand charged a whole lot to do it! What always amazed me was that they had (presumably) gone to school to study what they were charging the hefty fees for, yet they seemed to have learned very littleexcept maybe how to put their dozen plants onto a fancy looking sketch! If you enjoy gardening and have time to do the work (play?) involved, I very strongly recommend making your own decisions about what you want and where you want it! There is no right or wrong in gardening. If you like it, its right! If you put something in and it doesnt look like you envisioned it, you move it! Perennial gardening is a "perennial" sportand the game never ends! I definitely recommend more of a variety of the columbines, as Nancy mentioned. As a matter of fact, living where you do/will, it would be almost sacrilege if you didnt have at least one Aquilegia caerulea, Rocky Mountain Columbine! I definitely want one, but just havent gotten it done yet! And there are so many different columbines that would work for you. I like the A. chrysantha so much because of the fragrance, so its always the first one I mention. It seems to bloom longer than many of the others too. I second the suggestion for hardy salvia too! May Night is a really nice, dark purple one that blooms for a long time, and, as Nancy has said, if cut back will produce a whole second flush. If you just deadhead the dying primary blooms, itll keep producing secondary blooms that are smaller than the first, but if you cut it all the way down when the first flush starts looking ratty, itll come back and bloom as big and beautiful as the first time. That can be hard to do sometimes, of course, but the result is way worth it. The Campanulas are something else that would work well for you out there. They come in species from under a foot to the peachleaf bellflower, Campanula persicifolia, which in my yard right now, it 3' tall and in full bloom. I have some pics in the camera, and will post one when I get around to downloading them. Actually, heres a pic of just the flowers from a couple years ago, but its more than twice as big now. Heres a not-very-good pic of C. Glomerata Acaulis, Clustered Bellflower, about 18". Most of the Dianthus would do well for you out there. This ones Sweet William, D. barbatuslove the fragrance! Most of the Dianthus have a spice scent. Then theres always shasta daisies! Becky is the best tall one! Anduhhhif you decide to come down for the Fall Swap, you CAN transplant at least some of these things from my garden to yours! Weve had someone come in from the Colorado/Kansas border for one of the swaps, and HiAlt, Bonnie, has come in from Silt (thats way on the Western Slope) for, is it two or three now, Bonnie? And we always have people come up from the Springs. You can do it too! No date is set yet, but itll probably be the first week in September, or right around then. And remember, Ive been working on my perennial gardens for 5 years now! It takes a while with perennials, and I recommend you dont try to go for a "finished look" in the first year. You can always fill in bear areas with annuals until things fill inand you figure out which plants you like the bestand which the deer like the best!!! Part of the fun is exploring the different possibilities and trying new things. When are you actually moving out? Skybird

I agree that it's a large house for two people. Specific things I'd consider cutting: - This is a laundry room sized for a family. I know that my grandmother had significant trouble carrying baskets back and forth to her bedroom; I'd rather have a small area adjacent to the closet so the clothes could go straight to their storage spots. - The kitchen is large. Given that you have a large pantry, you probably don't need all this cabinet space (and pantry shelves are so much cheaper than cabinets). - Note that when your pantry door is open, it covers some of your shelves. To access those items, you'd have to enter the closet and shut the door. Since I personally would leave that door open most of the time, I'd consider a pocket door. - I like the garage entrance. I assume you'll have as few steps as possible. Do you have space for a ramp there? - Why a four car garage? It seems like serious overkill, and it hurts the appearance of the front of the house. At the very least, I'd make the most forward garage a side-entrance so you could have one driveway serving both garages. - Once you have a table in the breakfast nook, I don't see how you'll access that back door. I'd replace it with a bank of windows and go with a door in the great room. - I agree with the poster who says it'd be nice if you could access either the master bedroom or bathroom from the little vestibule. If your mobility is affected one day, you'll be glad to bypass the few steps through the bedroom. - Think twice about those double-doors. If you're ever using a walker or a wheelchair, one door is tough enough -- why force yourself to use two? And where does the light switch always end up in this scenario? Behind the door. So you'll have to enter the room, close the door, and feel around for the switch. No thanks. - If you flip-flop the entryway and the staircase, you could extend your master closet underneath those large stairs . . . it might be half-height storage, but it'd be great for holiday items or things you don't access often . . . OR, if you leave the stairs "as is", you could extend the pantry under the stairs and have extra storage there. I absolutely would not waste that space, but I suppose the question is, Where do you need the extra storage most? - You're having trouble with the bathroom. I wonder if it'd help to flip the bedroom to the front of the house and the bathroom to the back. This would take away the "everybody look at me" aspect of having your bathroom on the front wall of the house. I'd also consider a barrier-free shower. I would absolutely not go with the toilet-in-a-closet. I saw my grandmother struggle with her walker to get into public bathroom stalls, and I can only imagine how much worse it would've been, if she'd been in a wheelchair. Allow yourself plenty of space around the toilet. Also build in strong boards behind the walls NOW so you can later add handicapped grab-bars, if necessary; it'll save you ripping out your expensive tile later. I've been investigating aging-in-place concepts, and I've read that the ability to bathe oneself is the first thing many people lose, so I'm choosing to put lots of effort into the bathroom.

You are right, the info on MH Village is limited. It can only offer the info provided by the park owner or manager. For example, the park where I live is listed as age-restricted on MH Village. The actual fact is that they had intended to set aside one area of the park for retirees and have the rest all ages, but it never happened. We live in the section intended to be for retirees, and there are children living acrosss the street. MH Village still thinks it is an age-restricted park. What it does offer is a pretty comprehensive list of the manufactured home parks in your area, whether there are any vacancies, and any homes for sale in the park. And that is enough info to decide whether a phone call or visit is merited.

-doesn't look too contemporary 'cause Ming legs, bone hardware -not too fussy-not polished, inlay, etc -better price point -I got 2 dark nightstands(after years of Craigslist searching I must add)-I love them. No, not Barbara Barry for Baker Furniture..but nice enough. https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/tanah-three-drawer-dresser?color=020&quantity=1&size=S&type=REGULAR https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/tanah-nightstand?category=furniture-nightstands&color=020 shipping is the same no matters how many items you buy As for the sizes-yep, Room and Board is great with sizes, customization and all..never bought, just heard so..