Arthur, yep, the rating systems are abused. I've never bought or sold on eBay, but evidently, jellybeanaiko has a list of complaints there, going back at least 3 years, so Carl's bad experience doesn't seem the exception. For me, if a non-orchid vendor wasn't listed w/ the Better Business Bureau, then The Squeaky Wheel could be one way to check them out. I hate it that people trash others unfairly, via formal rating systems or otherwise - one US politician recently said he would vote against confirmation of a nominee to a federal post because 3 years ago, the nominee had written a brief comparison of a 2nd politician to a 3rd that didn't seem unkind even in spirit. It's just that the 1st guy idolizes the 2nd guy and loathes the 3rd. Your son's fish society rating system probably didn't stand a chance in this crazy world. Whitecat8

Awesome that you have a natural water source. I would do a birdbath somewhere close by my feeders if I were you. That way, you get to observe them drinking and bathing! :o)

Thanks to all who replied. prairie_love, I know what you mean about the heartbreak of losing the emotional connection with your pal of many years. That was the worst part of the initial circling behavior - I just COULDN'T offer her any comfort - when I would interrupt her I couldn't even get her to make eye contact, and she would stiffen and push me away. That's all in the past now, thanks to the meds, and she is back to her old loving, stubborn (terrier), inquisitive, busybody ways. The deafness makes for some challenges, but we've come up with a few hand signals, which of course only work if she is LOOKING at me. So she is back on a leash on walkies in the woods now, mainly because she developed the bad habit several years ago of deciding that she'd had enough thank you, and would meet us back at the car. (She would just evaporate into thin air, and we started referring to it as "Falling down a wormhole".) After realizing that she'd disappeared again, we'd backtrack, and there she'd be lying down comfortably in the shade. But what a comedy of errors looking for a DEAF dog in the woods :o( elly_nj - yep, it's one day at a time. She had a great outing yesterday, down at the doggie swimming hole in the woods retrieving sticks with a bunch of other dogs. She spent the rest of the day and evening snoozing in her fleece bed. I think from her point of view, the meds are just the greatest thing, because every morning now the first thing wthat happens is she gets a slice of hot dog contining the pill - and boy the racket she raises if I forget or try to sleep in! She's always been a champion barker and can really keep up the beat :o) cynthia - thanks for the ref to the book, I would love to peer into her head and watch the wheels/wheel go 'round! Gotta love old dogs. For all their aches and ailments, they have such a great attitude toward life, and realizing that they won't be around forever makes every day that much more precious. Susan

I am a boomer that relies on SSA and two tiny pensions to survive. I worked my entire life from age 17 on, paying into the system all along the way. I fit into that group of now retired workers that didn't really have an opportunity to contribute substantially to any retirement savings account like a 401K (instituted too late along the career path) and was not employed at a high enough salary level to be able to save much of anything anyway. My husband and I (when I was married) barely made enough to make ends meet, let alone save. In fact, we lost our home to foreclosure (the real estate crunch and a sub-par lender – bad combo) and divorced soon after. I am not alone in this situation. Other than utilities and car insurance, I have no bills. My car is paid for (nearly 20 yrs. old), no credit cards. And other than Medicare, no insurance. I simply cannot afford it. My biggest expense aside from rent is food and as a single person, that's not all that huge an expense but boy, have I ever noticed a sharp increase in my grocery bills over the last couple of years for essentially the same goods!! Right now I am looking for a new place to live – my tiny 650sf rental property of more than 6 years is about to be developed. I am finding that anything that fits my budget is barely livable – most want an income level 3 times the rent, whereas I barely can cover twice my current rent (although I have managed it successfully for the last 6 years). What's the alternative........homelessness?? For those retirees that can afford to live comfortably and securely without SSA, good for you!! But there are a lot of us out there that cannot, through no fault of our own. And Social Security alone – even with my small additional pensions – is barely a living income. Let me tell you, it is a tough row to hoe and causes me some sleepless nights and more stress than I would like to have to deal with. I have put off some major dental care I need simply because I couldn't afford it. Thankfully, a family member is coming forward to help out with that or I'd be walking around with no teeth in my mouth! I do receive some additional income from a small home business I conduct, however it is very seasonal and somewhat unreliable in its size and predictability and so cannot be used for income calculations for my housing situation. But it does just manage to keep the wolf from the door :-) As I said, I am not alone in these circumstances. I can think of any number of seniors in the same boat in my area. Please do not begrudge those of us who are forced to live in the reduced circumstance of just our SSA income, such as it is. It is not a pleasant or secure way to live out our “golden” years.