hello,Iam new to this forum thing. I have recently found my self taking care of the yards by my self so I will probably have aot of questions in the future.My first one is :I put in a flagstone rock area where grass wouldnt grow and want to put little decorative pepples in between the rocks.Does anyone know what I can put over them to seal and keep them in place, thats clear.

There's a current ad in the Lancaster Farming Mailbox classifeds for free stones, dirt, rocks, and slate I believe. Search the Mailbox Ads. This paper is for the Lancaster, PA area. Here is a link that might be useful: Lancaster Farming Newspaper

For patching in I would rule out any kind of gravel fill, but especially pea gravel as it's not a suitable paving surface under any circumstances. It doesn't pack down, squishes and scatters under foot or under tires. Other kinds of gravel would pack down so would be better, but they won't keep entirely in place under vehicular traffic. Plain concrete would be the lowest maintenance and probably cheapest long term solution. Decorative forms of hard paving would be fine but will cost more. While fake grass would look fine, I don't think it will hold up. The first time someone turned the wheel while the car is stopped is going to pull the fabric out of place. The $3K bid does not sound out of line for REPLACING a large portion of the drive. Obviously, it would be a lot cheaper just to patch in the ovals. That could even be a DIY project if someone was handy. In order to know if a price is in line, create a plan on paper with accurate measurements, showing what work is to be done. Get 3 different bids on that exact plan. You'll be able to judge where the price ball park is for your geographical area. And in the pricing process you'll probably get a feel for how easy or difficult it will be to work with a particular contractor.

re: the raccoons. My brother said one of the reasons we are seeing so many is that the pelts are worth next to nothing, mostly nothing. One guy he knows had amassed a large number of the furs. When he took them to the buyer, the buyer said he (hunter) may as well go burn them as no one is buying them anymore. Apparently the oversea markets that used to buy them are not interested in importing raccoon furs anymore, or just not permitted to do so. What I think was a groundhog recently tried burrowing under the sandstone foundation of my house. I noticed it early enough that I threw the dirt back in besides chunks of concrete and set a large concrete piece up against the hole. Nearby, there was a shallow hole in the ground. I did what I usually do with groundhog holes - I poured used kitty litter into it. I keep checking, so far no more activity in these spots.