The Burneyville mesonet station often gets 3 to 6 (and occasionally as much as 10) degrees lower than our place does in winter and especially in late spring, and that's really something because our place is in a low-lying creek-hollow in the already low-lying (as you know) Red River Valley. On May 1st, I think we only went to 35 or 36 at our house, but I had all the warm-season crops covered with a frost blanket type floating row cover that gives at least 10 degrees of protection, so I was ready for anything down to 22 degrees. Living in a cold microclimate keeps you on your toes and makes you prepare for the worst when a late cold night is expected. I believe it was in 2008 that our forecast low on a night early in May was 50 degrees so, naturally, I didn't cover up anything. I went outside the next morning to 32 degrees and tomato plants that had been 3' tall and covered with fruit were frozen to the ground, as were pepper plants and even potato plants. I learned a lesson that year, and now I am careful to cover up my plants on any night I think will drop down below about 40 degrees (which wouldn't have helped on that night that we went 18 degrees lower than forecast). Most of the plants resprouted from the roots, and there were 5 or 6 tomato plants (planted on the highest point of land in the garden, right next to the gravel driveway) that only suffered freeze damage but didn't die. I think that being close to the driveway helped them stay warm from some of the heat it absorbed during the daytime. Anyhow, that's an example of how tricky the weather can be here along the Red River, so take all your forecast lows with a grain of salt the first few years until you learn if your specific location tends to have temperatures that are more or less the same as your mesonet station's, or if you're in either a much warmer or much cooler microclimate. We got colder than usual here this year at our house and I expect y'all did too over there near Durant. Some trees that normally are not damaged by the cold not only were damaged, but one is dead and one is clinging to life. Others lost flowers and leaves on one of the many late cold mornings. I almost never lose a tree here to heat or drought, but extraordinary cold gets one every now and then. Often it isn't the cold temperature itself, it is that it arrives either very early in fall when the weather has otherwise remained warm so the trees haven't had a chance to adapt to increasingly colder weather or it happens in spring after everything has warmed up and leafed out and lost its cold tolerance. Hopefully your live oak only lost leaves to a late cold spell and will put out new ones. When we first moved here from Texas, I kept trying to trick Mother Nature and grow some zone 8 plants that I loved. I could get away with it for a year or 2 or 3, but eventually Mother Nature wins and the zone 8 plant dies, so I've stopped trying to do that now. I had damage this spring on Mexican plum (native to our property and this one looks entirely dead), Mimosa (lots of freeze damage but regrowing now....and, yes, I know it is a trash tree but I grow it for the hummingbirds who love it), my 'Jane' magnolia, which has struggled since the tremendous drought of 2011 and just may not make it, and Chinaberry, another trash tree I loved in Texas and planted here for the hummingbirds and butterflies. I also may have lost an in-ground Brown Turkey fig that froze back to the ground but isn't putting out any new growth yet. It should have shown regrowth by now. The Brown Turkey fig in a large container (a black molasses cattle feed tub) spent part of the winter in the greenhouse and part of it outdoors and is fine and fully leafed out. This was a really hard winter for trees here.

http://www.ethanallen.com/product?productId=1330&categoryId=8023 This is my table except mine is one tone with the legs matching the table in an Autumn Cherry color. The wooden sides for the drop sides extend to the end of the table. My table also had the option of the middle leaf piece to make the table oval and bigger and the options of many styles of chairs to choose from and I could decide how many chairs to buy. I remember paying $1800.00 about 12 years ago with sales tax and shipping for this table, the middle insert piece that was solid wood and very sturdy and the 4 Wheatback chairs and deferred payment for 3 months at 0% after I received the table and chairs. My father felt I overspent but he was not paying for it and no one helped me ever in life so I bought what I thought would suit my needs while looking nice and I now feel I got a good deal with the quality. new country by ethan allen drop leaf dining table item# 336603 $899 A great small room solution. Wherever floor space is at a premium, a flexible drop leaf table seems to fit. Our smallest version features four fixed classic turned legs and a smooth top. Open it to seat four; close it for a party of two. more details 43" dia x 30" h dimensions with leaves down: 43"l à 28 1/4"w smooth top turned legs combination finishes feature Toast (210) table top and choice of Cotton or Charcoal finish apron and legs Here is a link that might be useful: new country by ethan allen drop leaf dining table

Anew, Just checking in today. I don't get the email notices about new posts - so surprised to see this post pop up today!! I do love WT - I have used it in 2 other houses. I read where you were thinking about SB also - I have used that one, too! My sis has SB right now. ~I~ prefer WT, but really there is very little difference between the 2 colors. I thought SB was a little more washed out than WT. I think you will be happy with WT!! It does seem to be a very popular color but for good reason - it goes with alot. Good luck with your decision - & yeah, people say it is just paint but it is a hassle when your doing it!! Smiles:)

Thanks, everyone. I like the idea of a drop leaf. It's makes sense to have the table small when it's just two of you and that you can open it up for a big crowd. I think I would have already gotten it if it was in cherry...I'm a sucker for anything cherry. This one is a bit unique in that the two legs are fixed together and slide out as one solid piece. I like that. It's in very good condition and the chairs are in good shape. But, I shall take a pass. It's not close enough to my style, no matter how great the price. Thanks again, all. Sooey