You are correct, pnbrown. I'll post a proper pic of just the rhubarb for you. I have no idea what variety it is because these six plants were already here when we bought the place in 2001. The previous owners where here for a decade or so and they didn't plant it either (I got to ask about all sorts because it was a private sale). No idea how old they are, but they're going strong with no care at all except a little water when it's dry. Every stalk is bright red, too, almost right to the leaf. This photo was from a couple of weeks ago, I think. What I've gathered from the neighbours is that the larger barn on the left was used for pigs. The smaller barn in the middle was converted (from what, I'm not sure) to a custom lambing barn by the people we bought the place from. We use both barns for hay and straw as we don't have lambs or pigs, just a horse and mini donkey. The shed on the right is their old chicken coup. I would LOVE to have laying hens, but there's just not enough time in the day right now with two little kids. It's my tack and grain room for now. Perhaps when the girls are older it could fulfill it's original purpose again. That's all farmland around our yard. I don't know anyone around here who DOESN'T plant in rows. :) I'm actually the oddball because I work the whole garden with manual tools, except for the initial rototilling in the spring. Most of the farm wives here, including my mother-in-law, plant in looong rows with enough spacing in between so that the rototiller can pass between when needed. I'm not fond of that option because I figure when the plants are established, the tiller will chop up their roots that have spread out. Obviously there's some fault in my theory because my mother-in-law always gets fine production. Ah, well... to each their own! So my question is this. I give my rows a lot of space. Maybe not always as much as recommended on the seed packets, but a good deal more than intensive gardeners tend to give them. When my plants are approaching maturity, you don't see a whole lot of soil. I find it hard to understand why it would be beneficial to cram them any closer together? My tomatoes probably don't need as much room as I give them, I'll admit that. When you get results like this, though, in zone 2... I'm not keen on changing my methods any time soon.

Good timing. We just got home from Harry's 61st reunion and those 79-year olds looked pretty darned good. And had a great time! Now I'm looking forward to my 50th next year in Indiana. We always have the best time and don't care that much that the guys have no hair and we don't weigh 105 anymore. We're just glad to see one another.

No one is going to tell you that they allow thier kids to come home after school and stay by themselves but that they are not mature or responsible enough to do so! I am not sure your questions are going to get you an unbiased result.

Our house (built in 1992) has bulldozed corners and the original owners has applied the baseboards with a 22.5 miter to a short pc to round the corner then another 22.5 to the next wall. It looked fine but we put in all new flooring and used the prefab rounded corners with a taller plain baseboard and I like it much better.