I know it's a little late to be commenting on this post that turned up in my search for info on Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica. Although this thread didn't have anything to do with my question about Loquats, I couldn't stop reading. Scott, you did a great job on this article. I enjoyed reading it and learned a lot. I'm particularly interested in the cold frames you made with the PVC. Last year I made some out of wood for my mom and stapled plastic to it. I will not do that again. I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind. (1) What width or diameter PVC did you use? I didn't realize PVC was that flexible. What makes it hold that shape? (2) Did you just sink the ends of the PVC directly into the ground? I couldn't tell because of the blankets. I'd like to be prepared long before winter sets in this winter. Your frames are great because they look easy to construct and easy to dismantle & store when not in use. Thank you.

I've had the same thing happen several times actually. I just jump back and hold my breath for a few seconds, and then spray the cloud emitting area with a water bottle a couple of times. My "clouds" seem to come either from moldy tater tots or hardened clumps of cardboard. My takeaway? Don't add tater tots to the bin, and shred cardboard before putting them in.

Berniek is right: Much of the blame here falls upon the shoulders of the politicians (led by then-President Clinton), who forced banks to begin some rather foolish lending practices. Alan Greenspan certainly did his share to push this concept of "everyone can borrow" during his time as Fed chairman. Between creative financing, no money down offers, and other such options, the government has given people plenty of rope with which to hang themselves. We Americans haven't proven ourselves to be particularly strong in the moderation and self-discipline categories over the last 30-40 years. Also, remember the climate that existed in the 90s, when I bought my first house: Spurred on by the soaring housing prices, people were convinced that buying "as much house as you can afford" was a good move. Housing was considered an investment that couldn't fail. Yes, the experts began preaching about "the housing bubble" long before it hit, but the masses couldn't grasp how this sure-thing could ever fall. And there's always been a (faulty) basic belief that "If I couldn't afford it, the bank wouldn't lend it to me." I fully agree with those who say that Real Estate agents will push buyers to their upper limits and beyond, and banks will lend what they can -- it's all about profits for them. Yet, the home owner DOES also bear the brunt of personal responsibility. After all, who cares most about whether I can afford my mortgage -- and still buy groceries and other things I need? Clearly, it's ME! I reap the rewards or punishments of my decisions, so I should do the math and know whether I can comfortably afford a house (or anything else) before I buy it. However, we've sort of left that thinking behind in today's buy-now-pay-later society. We're constantly told that "we deserve" this or that thing. That if we're going to finance it, we deserve to have exactly what we want. That "everyone" has debt. We've got to get past that.

This is a classic and a favorite. Believed to be Navajo White walls and White Dove trim. Follow the link to see how it is used throughout this lovely home.