Peggy, What you saw, was just 'parts' of the front yard... and the 'Garden of Eden' [my mom's personal garden] She's the one that is really into garden art... That rock you see in with the Hawaiian Ti's, that my mom bought for 9 bucks... I want to learn hypertufa so i can make my own rocks. [she wants more]. The rabbit in there as well, is my moms... she wasn't happy with it being in with the confederate jasmine... What I didn't show, was the 4 foot eucalyptus tree I got this weekend... It will go over to where the other one is.... And, I finally got my 'mail order' in about an hour before I left for work. So, tomorrow before I leave for work, I'm going to have to plant the 4 brugs i got, 3 will go into nice sized pots on in the ground... I can tell you, that whatever you want to send, I can take! lol... My mom is 100% happy with the plants I received at your place Peggy, this weekend, I'm going to work on making lists so she can print out the 'care' sheets for them, along with the plants i got in the mail today... She doesn't want me to change a think in that corner with the Ti's and bromiliads... she thinks its perfect, but i've been thinking... [i know, dangerous right? lol] but there is mother in law tongue that i've been battling with removing for 5 years now. i like the plant, its just too darn invasive for my taste! it pops up everywhere i don't want it to be! So, i was wondering if i put like a 6-8 piece ofpvc pipe with a cap on the bottom full of very very small 'holes' for drainage if i could 'contain' some MiL tongue... and maybe put it a little bit behind but between the very middle of the Hawaiian Ti's... hmmm, thinking can be dangerous! lol! Blessed Be, Carrie Ann

When Sheltie's were really popular they suffered from questionable breeding. I would suspect that one of the parents is very timid. Purebred means you can check their lineage and have some idea what they look like. Saying that, my middle sheltie, was just like her mother. I knew it was questionable breeding but my son was determined to get another dog. He went along and viola we had a puppy! Her mother was very timid and her dad was a goofball. HA! So I knew we could have a shy dog. She was very shy/timid. She was also one of the smartest dogs I've had. But she was my dog and only really minded me, and did not like going with anyone else. You need to make him look forward to going outside. Buy a harness so you are not choking him while he struggles when he's out. Then I would get some kind of food that he will just drool over, such as rotisserie chicken. Shelties aren't nose driven (i.e. hounds) so it takes something really good to keep their attention. My shy sheltie was a very picky eater. She hated dog treats and was very picky about what human food she would eat. So before feeding I would put both dogs on a leash to go outside. The idea is you want them hungry. Before going outside I would make a big deal about going out to have a cookie, bite, whatever you want to call it. Then take them out and take turns feeding each one a nibble (very small bites) of food. Start with the other dog. You want to keep his mind on the fact that the other dog might get more than him. Plan on feeding them quite a bit. Each time you feed say your "word". Example: Lassie, do you want a cookie?!! Be upbeat and when they are done, pet them, telling them "what a good dog" and bring them back in the house. You want him to associate "the word" with the food and actually look forward to going outside. Don't try to make him do other things. Just do this one simple exercise then return to the house. Depending on how he is doing, you can probably take just him out around the fourth day. Once you have at least a week, maybe more, depending on how he's acting, then put something else in the mix. Just have him at the state where he wants to go outside and eat his "cookie" before you add anything else. You should find that shelties can easily pick up tricks in a few days with very little effort on your part. Just be consistent and use the same hand motion and word for each trick/command. Start with the "cookie" then feed a few bites and then walk him around. Use the "cookie" as enticement. You're trying to keep his mind focused on you. Don't let him pull at the leash. STOP and make him sit. Use your "cookie" to get his attention. Each time he pulls stop and go back through the sit routine. The goal is to make him like going outside. So use the harness to take him out to do his business. But don't mix the two together at first. So for now just harness put on a leash and stand out with him kind of doing what you've been doing. Eventually when you get to the walk, stop, treat session, then you can throw in going to the potty. Hopefully, he will be less stressed by then and it will get easier for the dog and you. If he does happen to go, I would definitely praise the dog. You'll always have a timid dog, but he if you can get him to look to you it will help with his fears and help with your problems. By keeping him on a leash when he's "doing his business" you can keep him from running off at every little sound he hears. The goal is to eventually change the running behaviour so you won't have to leash. With the weather being what it is, I feel for your predicament. Saying that, my first sheltie was a prima dona. She didn't like getting her feet dirty. She didn't like the rain. So it was always a problem to get her to go outside when the weather was nasty.

A perculation test will be required before you are issued a building permit. Depending on the test results, you will have to have a specific type of septic system, ranging from simple to complex. I would always make an offer on land subject to successful perc test. You should also talk to some of the local well drillers in your area to get a sense of well depth for sustained water supply, plus what sort of treatment will be needed for domestic water. Your friend's son with his Masters of Architecture degree is worth talking to, but it's unlikely he may have the experience necessary to successfully design and complete the construction documents for a residence, particularly if budget and longevity are important. If he is working for a successful and experienced architectural firm they may have the in-house experience to back him up. Good luck on your project.

I would use SW Spalding Gray or a lighter color down. It depends on your neighborhood. My neighborhood has very similar home styles of the same year and is lately going lighter. In the last few months some have even gone an off white. They all look very fresh and clean. Anyway, this chit should work whether you choose one of the lighter shades or darker. Chit samples below do not really look like the color "on" but here it is. They change greatly according to the time of day and go from a warm taupe to taupe beige-y to a warm mottled vintage gray. The Heron Plume is much much lighter in real life and would be a great trim color. This color for the door. Don't be afraid to go a bit brighter than you normally would as that area is in shadow. This door painted the periwinkle above. Could you please post a closeup of the window area in front? And, also a sample of what your new roof color will be?