Hey, man, I used to live in High Point (1424 Guyer St.) and played with a band called the Night Raiders - over 40 years ago! Glad you like the Lawn-Boy 10684 - not much to dislike about it. I don't know, I go back and forth on selling the 10550 and buying the 10795. What I really want is the new Insight commercial, 22270, but with self-propel. Unfortunately it's not for sale yet. Every time I start writing the description of the 10550 to sell it, it sounds so good I tear up the paper. However, I would definitely sell it to help get the 22270 (aluminum hi-dome deck, commercial OHC 190cc Honda w/iron sleeve, greasable steel wheels) if it ever hits the market.

IMHO Flower Carpet roses have gotten a bad rap on this Forum. I may take a look at Pink Supreme for a place in my landscape.

A couple of months back, I posted here asking for information about the new Viking intelliwash dishwasher(Model VDB-450). I got a few responses from people who do not like viking at all. I said that I would report back after I get it and use for awhile. I have to say that I am very pleased, tickled actually. It is the best dishwasher I have ever used. I have been using it for a month now. It is not only very quiet, but it cleans like a dishwasher is supposed to. I know that alot of people rinse their dishes before loading, but I have never believed in that. Isn't that why I am using a dishwasher in the first place, to not have to wash them first? This dishwasher makes a rice pot shine. My ultimate test was last week when I put my two piece roaster pan in and gave it a try. It cleaned it then beautifully. I tried it again last night after roasting a chicken. It came out shining clean again. i bought the electric smooth top range also. this is the roasting pan that comes with the stove. These are really nasty to clean with a brillo pad and I am just so excited to be able to just load this in the dishwasher now. It has a blue light on the bottom that shines on the floor when its running. I like that. All of the controls are hidden. Its really just an awesome dishwasher. Was it worth the $2000? I don't know that any dishwasher is worth that much, but its the price I paid because I wanted "that" look and not to mention I wanted it to match my viking stove. I did not want the custom panels made to match my cabinets on my dishwasher. i like the stainless steel look. I just wanted to post here in case anyone else is looking at this dishwasher. I know that viking has had some bad dishwashers in the past from what I've read here. This one is a winner as far as I'm concerned. I will knock on wood though and hope that I still like it years from now.

I've decided to transform the leaf mould bin into a compost bin sooner rather than later. Instead of emptying out all of the leaves, I've started incorporating grass clippings and kitchen/garden scraps into the bin, making sure it gets a good green/brown ratio. Over time, by turning the existing brown materials in with the new green materials, it should make good compost. The negative about this is that I won't be able to use this stuff for about two years, when I could have actually collected leaf mould in one year. The positive is that compost is more nutrient rich but can also be used the same way, as a top dressing or mulch, for water retention and weed suppression, but giving those plants a boost that leaf mould may not do. I'll work green materials in for about a year (or unless we get it so full that it absolutely can't hold any more) then setup another swimming pool composter up. On appx April 2018, the plan is to collect compost from the first bin. On appx April 2019, I'll collect compost from the 2nd bin. Then, April 2020, from the first bin, and on and on. Meanwhile, I'm slowly building up a small farm, with rabbits, cows, chickens, and eventually, ducks, possibly turkeys, etc. Rabbit poop = instant garden fertilizer + worm food, for vermicomposting, to collect worm castings for the garden, and the worms themselves could feed some fish, for a future aquaponics setup. Cow, chicken, duck, and turkey poop will be composted. As of right now, it's all about slowly moving forward, to try to obtain a balance, where everything works together.