I think it may be that you are so aware of it that you can't help but look at it much in the same manner you took the picture. It is understandable. Can it be possible that it is your concentration on it that makes it a bigger deal? Sure, it is there naked to the world, but that is a very big and powerful landscape that would draw me in so deeply that the pole and transformer would become incidental. Your photo is taken the same way your mind perceives the photo. Try to tae the photo of the entire view, with the pole front and center, but looking and focused on the broader landscape. Then try to train your brain to do the same thing. I think that trying to hide it will be much like putting a yellow suit on an 800 pound ape (I never spell gorila right, so I won't try). Awesome view, by the way. The development in the foreground is just as significant as the transformer, but you are not fixated on that. Because you are not fixated on that it is insignificant. Look past the pole, just as you do the houses.

E-bay is a good source of pre MTD Troy Bilts. At the very least a place to check current values on the used models. There out there, keep looking. A couple of years ago I bought a 1985 model for $75. Mom and pop JD dealership closing down. It actually ran. I've spent a small amount of money since then on seals, bearings, and fluids. Did all the maintenance myself. The used dozer blade and chains cost me over $200 on e-bay. I'm in it for the long term, I hope I have years of gardening and snow removal left. Get yourself a Horse model and enjoy. Parts are readily available even for the older models. REJ2.

Hi Nancybee! Thanks for asking about my progress and for your kind words! I've slowly added a few more items to my kitchen - picked up a few small vintage pieces today, as a matter of fact! I also completed painting in my dining room and den, and do need to take photos to share here. Hopefully I'll get around to that soon! I haven't posted here lately, because the last few times I've tried to log in I've been unsuccessful. Have also been extremely busy with work and when I do have some time to peruse the forums, they move painfully slowly for me. I miss you all though, and it's awfully nice to be thought of. :-)

Patios are great. We recently bought a small house that has a nice patio. It looked pretty boring at first, but we figured that if we changed the doors and brought in some plants and invest in some nice outside furniture, it wouldn't be so dull after all. Here's an interesting article on how to choose a great patio door. See how it works from there.