I have found nothing more effective in foiling squirrels, both the gray and ground (chipmunk) type, than "chicken" wire. I keep a roll on hand at all times, as I have to protect everything I plant, bulbs, perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees, including potted ones. For bulbs, I cover the entire planting area and leave it in place until the soil settles, which is often past the first bloom cycle. Once the soil becomes somewhat compacted, the dumb rodents seem to lose interest. I once tried to eliminate them, by trapping and relocating them to a park several miles away, but after a few years I found that to be a losing effort, as all of the nearby property owners removed most or all of their trees and I have the only designated woodland wildlife sanctuary for miles around. The trees bear many squirrel nests and chipmunk burrows are numerous. Maybe I'm a bit "squirrely" for trying to garden among all of the wildlife? Rb

Hey there. I'm sorry about Tiny. We get as attached to our finny pets as we do the furry ones. I've shed a few tears myself at times.I remember being so surprised that some fish had real personalities. Test kits are important. We can sometimes get away without using them but sooner or later it can catch up with us. I'll give you a very brief explanation for someone without a daily familiarity with chemistry. The reason I asked about rain is that a heavy rainfall can cause a PH crash which can kill fish rapidly. That is a drop in the acid /alkaline levels in the water which is on a 1-10 scale. Below 7 (approximately) is acid, above is alkaline. There can be other causes but the rain is a fairly common one. The reading in the PH test should be around or above 7.8. Higher is ok, lower is not particularly good for Koi. The important thing is to prevent rapid, wide swings in the numbers. A temporary prevention with a heavy rain is to slowly add a box of ordinary Bicarbonate of soda to stabilize the water. Some ponders add the bicarb before the rain. There are other ways to stabilize PH. Bicarb is for an emergency. The KH test tells you about the resistance of the water to a change in the PH. If your KH is good according to the test, then it is less likely for the PH to change rapidly. If there has been a PH crash it should be corrected before correcting the KH (aka hardness). Ammonia is a killer. It shows up when there is a lot of fish poop, mulm or debris on the bottom, too much fish food or the filters need cleaning or any combination. Ammonia drives out oxygen and can cause great discomfort and even death for the fish. 10 to 20% water changes, addition of oxygen through bubblers and splashing of the waterfall helps. I use a combination of Activated charcoal and Ammocarb in a cloth bag in the waterfall tank to absorb ammonia and other toxins, odors and stains in the water. The nitrite and nitrate tests indicate too many nutrients in the water. If the level is high, the Ammonia levels will soon rise. Water changes, reduced feeding, elimination of mulm and debris and clean filters all help. The string algae in the water can be removed with a brush like a toilet bowl brush. If there is a lot, pour hydrogen peroxide directly on the algae to kill it. For your pond a pint bottle is about the right size. A quarter cup won't do much of anything. It won't hurt the fish but don't pour it directly on them. Treatment can be repeated in 24 hours although peroxide loses its effectiveness in a few minutes as the water dilutes it. There are different kind of test kits. The liquid/ test tube types are best. The dip sticks are tempting but not always accurate. A test kit will cost about $30.00 and covers the five tests above. It is usually good for a year. A test for oxygen is available but not often used. The affects of low levels is too readily apparent. I hope this isn't too daunting. It usually takes about five or ten minutes to do the tests. Water changes are a good practice. Tap water is different everywhere and you probably shouldn't add it directly. I spray it or add it very, very slowly to moving water to avoid the stuff they use as purifiers. The chemical suggested is usually a good bet to reduce those although I don't generally like to add chemicals off the store shelf,. Keep us posted.

I wouldn't do it... By the time you pay to have them cut, the cost difference would be much smaller than the materials cost, and you'd always know you settled. Plus, if the cuts are anything less than PERFECT you'll be able to see it easily, meaning you need a *really good* tile guy with a *brand new* blade and a high quality tile saw. Again, costing more than most other 'merely good' tile guys who could do a nice job on a simple backsplash without a lot of unnecessary cuts. I'd try to either feel the love for the Adex 2x8 (a really nice tile, by the way) or figure out the total dollar cost difference for the WZ (my personal favorite tile, bar none, and the ONE place in my kitchen remodel where I refused to scrimp) and learn to live with it. One thing I know about the WZ -- If you can scrape up the money (and I know, not everyone can) -- it's one decision you will never regret, and will find joy in every day.

I'm not sure if I agree that 3-drawer stacks are more useful than 4-drawer stacks. Mine are all 4-drawer with the bottom drawer being taller. Top drawer is the smallest. The middle two drawers are a bit deeper than the top drawer. The only thing I own that I want to put in a drawer that doesn't fit in one of the deeper bottom drawers is my food processor with the lid on it. It's about a half-inch too tall. Not a problem as I don't use it more than once or twice a week and have another good place for it. I find my 4-drawer stacks super-useful. I would need a lot more storage in my kitchen if I only had 3-drawer stacks. At least one more drawer stack. I'm too lazy to take photos but here's a list to give you some ideas of what can fit well in drawers. Items in the shallow top drawers: Next to sink: washcloths, hand towels, dish towels In baking center: spices, extracts, measuring spoons, cups, whisks, rubber scrapers, and assorted other little gadgets used while baking. Across from DW: eating utensils, serving utensils, chop sticks, soup spoons, iced tea spoons, spreading knives Next to range: pot holders, trivets, cleaner/polish for glass-top cooktop and the little scrubber that comes with it, tongs, and a couple other little gadgets In prep center: lots of different gadgets used during prep like garlic press, can opener, measuring cups/spoons, graters, and more (can't think of them all off-hand); and knives In the 2nd and 3rd drawers (I won't detail placement this time, just randomly listing): plates, cereal/soup bowls, baking gadgets (cookie press, rosette thingie, rolling pin, sifter, 2- and 4-cup measuring cups, digital scale, meat pounder, potato masher, attachments for KA mixer, tortilla warmer, cooling racks, foil, plastic wrap, wax paper, parchment paper, plastic bags, hand mixer, stick blender, stove-top utensils, pie plates, bread pans, seasonings, oils and vinegars (laying down), and more Deeper bottom drawers: glasses, mixing bowls, serving bowls, colanders/strainers, tupperware, casseroles (stacked). Hope this gives you some ideas on what you can put in drawers.