Peter, I was raised on the peninsula and now live in the East Bay. I found this site a couple days ago, just like you. Maybe there's something in the air? I know what you mean about the clay (Bay fill). You're right. There's more to read, but it's not well-organized and or easy to search. I'm trying to keep my obsession under control, but here's my plan: 1. I'm going to Michael's to get their flimsy corrugated cardboard shipping boxes to use for mulch. I'll have to cover it with something. 2. Starbucks and local fast foods will probably be willing to give me coffee grounds. I wonder how it would look to cover the cardboard with coffee grounds? 3. Coffee grounds are high nitrogen, paper/cardboard is high carbon. Seems like I ought to be able to combine the two somehow to get a good result. I have horses and lots of manure available, too. If you use horse manure to mulch, you'll likely kill whatever you cover up . . . and next year the weeds will grow bigger than ever! As you've learned from your reading, compost isn't a mix, it's a process. The reaction of carbon to nitrogen takes time and produces heat. Hey, let me know if you have more free plywood than you need. I'm moving my horses to a private pasture with three stalled horses and a pen full of sheep. There ought to be some good compostables there. I need to build a couple things . ... Maybe we can work out a trade? Also, there's a site that tells how raising vegetables in containers is fighting hunger in the slums of Mexico. They fill 5G buckets 80% with chopped leaves and other carbons, cut a drainage hole a few inches from the bottom, put a couple of inches of soil on top, and plant their veggies. They use the household supply of "liquid gold" for nitrogen, and at the end of the season they have a crop of veggies and a bucket full of finished compost planting medium. It sounds like a good idea, but I can't find enough specifications to ensure success. Maybe you can find something on that site that will work for you since you're just renting. Search around on the journeytoforever.org site for more interesting information. Here is a link that might be useful: Container Farming - Organic Food Production in the Slums of Mexico

ronharri - with the help of an assistant, try the following - remove carb air cleaner so that you can see into carb intake throat. Using a rattlecan of carb cleaner (NOT ether), spray several shots directly into carb throat WHILE assistant is sitting in tractor seat and trying to start the engine in a normal fashion (cl/brake pedal fully depressed, PTO sw off, throttle @ 50%, no choke). If engine pops and tries to start, you have a fuel delivery problem. If engine does not try to start, you have an elect/ign or mechanical problem. Run test and report results back. We can then better advise you on next troubleshooting procedures. Good luck.

Original question from other thread: I am installing my backsplash for a second time. First one was torn out because it turned gray. My cabinets are BM Dove White and the granite is Giallo Ornamental. (I realize that this was the first mistake. We were swayed toward this granite by the salesmen!) Although I have been reading that others here have this combination, in my kitchen it clashes. We have lots of natural light. After much searching I am back to the Rixi tiles in Crema. They are lined up on my dining room table and look yellowish, but when I turn the light on above them, they turn to more of an off white. Am I in for yet another big surprise when these are installed? Also any suggestion on what I would change my undermount light bulbs to to keep the tiles cream colored? I am so frustrated that everything has turned out wrong. On a postive note, I do enjoy all the elements in my kitchen. I have all high end aplliances and I love my new window and oak floor. Have you looked through the finished kitchens for that combination? Or at least one and the other (ie Rixi Crema + White Dove or Rixi Cream + Giallo Ornamental) that granite and that color cabinet is pretty common I think so you might have a shot at finding it.

I DO think it's still a good idea. I haven't seen much nonsensical bumping (other than the idiot spamming with the toasters last night). And I do like that an older thread can be pulled back to the front for the new people to glean information that is vastly useful. Although, the search function is NOT working for me. I just searched for my posts and it only pulled up recent posts.