Yep, I was at 'Pine Knot" the minute they opened on Sat. Feb. 25. Saw many wonderful doubles and others in the gardens in full bloom, and Dick and Judith were wonderful hosts. Bought 10 plants and would have got more but the mad rush got many of the ones I loved before my paws reached them. Aimed for a nice yellow double, but not fast enough, and settled for a very nice, though small, pink one. Got a couple of large yellow singles ,on the creamy side, one spotted and one not, a star shape basically a dark maroon with lighter edge (really ovrlapping dots but gives a reverse picotee effect), and a small flowered one with the most beautiful leaves, very finely toothed and red tinted. Also 2 nice H. foetidus varieties in 4" pots, and 3 from the bargain table, (5" in bloom at $6.00). Took lots of photos, but haven't got them downloaded from the camera yet. My wife, an artist, took about 100 shots of the garden and about 200 more of old tobacco sheds and falling-down log cabins we passed in route. Took 2 hours to get back down to Hwy 85 as we stopped so many times. George

Wow, you've given me lots to think about with so many against the 6x9 size. OK, I will hold off on this one and rethink the size more carefully. Maybe I can find one that is not quite 8x10. As for the Karastan on CL for that price I'd just buy new and pick my own pattern. On another, more fascinating note, I found another rug--also on CL for my living room. This one is a vintage (from 1950's) hand-knotted Persian rug, stunning and unique design. I've been cooresponding with the seller who said this rug has been in her family for a long time, but she hasn't the space for it and that is why she is selling it. She said she is selling for a fraction of the value at $1,200 as she wants it to go to someone who can appreciate it. She said there are no smells, stains, rips, etc. She sounds so sweet and pretty much promised the rug to me if I want to buy it, though when I called her up it sounded like there was a family emergency with her mother, there was a lot of interest in the rug and she deleted the ad (otherwise I'd post it here). I asked her if she changed her mind, but she said no, she just can't think about it right now, but will get back to me by the end of the weekend. Here are a few of her emails to me: -------------------------------------------------------- I am so happy you like my ghom hunting carpet! (esp since the photo is rather disappointing). There is no wear marks, tears, stains, repairs, smell, etc which is amazing considering its age and where it has been. As to why I am selling.... My patient husband is wearing out.... let me explain. My mother is Persian and we both have a "rug problem". Now that she must down size and my brother and sisters are not rug-crazy like I am .... guess who is getting the rugs? My mother wants me to keep some for my children but these big ones are so difficult to store for long periods if you don't have a huge home. I really do want a vacation home but my husband thinks it is to store the rugs... well, I ask, what is wrong with that!!??! :) Anyway, I am not a gallery or a dealer who can get a lot for these rugs. I have had a dealer offer to buy my rugs but they are too personal to me (I won't sell if I think someone doesn't really love the rug). In the process, would you believe, we have made several wonderful new friends that we are getting together regularly. It started off as a joke... they asked if I "wanted to visit my rugs". :) Sorry this became a long explanation. I would love to meet you and show you the rug. But please don't even consider buying it if it doesn't just make you light up when you think about.... a carpet welcomes you when you come home and it makes all the different when you love it... people poured part of themselves and their lives into knotting these carpets... enjoying them is a gentle tribute to those people. (ok... now you can see I am nuts for sure) ---------------------------------------------------------- .... No one is seeing this rug before you.... you have the kind of heart that understands these rugs. I am happy that you asked about their lives... Iran is different from India and China which almost exclusively uses children. Iran, Pakistan and Afganistan ... of course children are weaving but in Iran the Shah stopped the use and explotation of children.... in most cases - when these carpets were made and why I don't want the new ones - carpets were made by families... it was hard work but it was survival... it wasn't thought of as abuse... it was just life. My mother and I use to talk about this... she would cry when she told of the children that were used in the old palaces to make the huge silk carpets.... she has a tender heart. All great art seems to involve suffering of some kind, doesn't it? I really want people to understand something about the history of the middle east... how odd that it includes understanding the role carpets have played... they are not as westerners think. I am an unlikely affectionado.... I have a PhD in Physiology and just retired from a career in Biotech recently. I never had time for anything but work and family. On my 50th birthday, I decided that before it was too late, I wanted to do what most people do... "give back"... so I am involved in volunteer work locally and globally and feel really blessed to be so (I just got back from my third medical mission trip to India). Apologies for that digression :) I would love to meet you. And please remember, there is no obligation to buy this carpet. Carpets are very personal... they change with the light, mood, temperature, room orientation... they are alive and I still discover things in my carpets that I haven't seen before even after all these years. I really want to keep this one but it is too large for my home... in my living room it would be mostly covered... it needs a place where it can be seen and enjoyed and appreciated. I keep suggesting we buy a vacation home but my husband said "you just want a place for the carpets"... how right he is. ------------------------------------------------- This has really made me think about rugs in a whole other light as I've often wonder who exactly is making these rugs and if they are exploited, etc. I even asked the Macy's salesman and he said that Macy's has been told that no children are used to their knowledge in the making of the rugs they sell. I'm not quite sure what to make of it and DH thinks I'm nuts for even considering purchasing a 50-year-old rug. If it turns out she is still selling it I will post it here.

My husband entered my life in his long-haired Manx's twilight years. I watched her lose interest in grooming herself, and said nothing when this resulted in her having to be shaved. My husband was loathe to comb her because she protested. I finally intervened. I bought this dematting comb. (We already had a similar-looking one with longer, non-razor tines, but it was nowhere near as effective.) I kept the comb and a small pair of sharp scissors on the coffee table at all times. I started slowly, since the cat had lots of "opinions." I discovered she loved to have the side of her face scratched, and I could do so safely with the outer edges (only) of the dematting comb. I slowly acclimated her to jumping up on my lap and enjoying a good face scratch. Then I'd give her part of a comb down. If I encountered anything that would entail serious skin pulling, I'd slice through it with the scissors (completely ignoring cosmetic considerations and thinking only of her comfort). If I couldn't get through the whole thing, I'd get as much as I could and go back to scratching her face. Slowly, she began to accept more grooming from me, and I was able to keep the serious matts at bay. The trick is to give him a reason to love being combed. Even if it means he needs to be completely shaved before you get there, and even if it means ignoring some matts as you work towards the goal. We have another (short-haired) cat now and we got her as a kitten. I have convinced her that being brushed is a treat and if my husband has a cat treat in his hand and I have a brush in mine... she'll run to me!

In your area, cypress would be the very best choice. I know there once was a factory in NO for these, they were featured on TOH or some similar program. They may still be in business, and it may be worthwhile finding a source as nearby as possible, because shipping on large delicate items is most certainly a $ factor. Other good woods, considering you have extreme climate issues: south american mahogany (hard wood) spanish cedar (very soft wood) tiger wood (medium-hard, wish I could remember the other name for it) . these are all decent for rot resistance, and are paintable. True heart cypress will last forever. Cypress sapwood is no better than pine, unfortunately. It's somewhat correct about the B&B construction vs. louvers, but the other issue is that louvered shutters have a mortise and tenon frame, and those joints collect water. If the wood cannot withstand staying wet without beginning to decay, the shutters are doomed. Even B&B shutters would benefit greatly by painting the components separately before assembly so the overlap area is "waterproofed". Casey