I was more inquiring about Tiff419 vs TiffSport and sodding vs sprigging for the best quality lawn. I've heard that sprigging might a more level surface and eliminate the need to use sand later. I have experience with sod and seeded lawns, but none with sprigs. I am very familiar with the Bermuda Bible. You could say I follow it "religiously". ;) I really misspoke when I said I could water as much as I want. I was referring to the water restrictions you have to abide by if you are on city water (not to mention the cities ridiculous water rates). When they are in stage 2 you can't water as much as the turf requires. As a side note, ground water in Texas is the property of the landowner so T Boone can kiss my ass! Haha. I do go to Sparkmans on occasion. I've actually found the local John Deer irrigation supply to have better fertilizer though. Fortunately, I have the best landscapers in town. They do an amazing job raking and leveling. I would be afraid to see what Sparkman's would charge to do sod. I'm not really interested in the Turffalo or Tech Turf, although I have seen it and it's not bad. Just not the look I'm going for. I really enjoy caring for my lawn. I'm a workaholic, and the time I spend tending to my lawn is my time to unwind. I find it to be very relaxing and rewarding. If the neighbors get a little jealous, well, that's just an added bonus! I think you can tell a lot about a man by looking at his lawn. I've worked very hard for what I have and I like to come home after a long days work and see a nice, green, well manicured lawn. Something tells me I'm not the only one here that feels that way. :) I've lived here my whole life and it's always been considered west Texas as far as I know. Your guess is as good as mine as to why.

Fri. September 8th I will have a casual meal and a glass of wine (or two) ready for Friday weary travelers. I have nothing planned for this night as I am not sure who and when people are arriving. Sat. 9th We will be leaving my home at 8:30 am to pickup the 9:00 am arrivals and continue to Polly Hill for our 10:00am Workshop. Please note that I will need one of our group to be a driver. 10:00am to 12:00pm ($24.00) is our workshop if the weather allows we will be doing a picnic lunch at Polly Hill. The lunch will come from the only place in the area it is a catering business and either Friday night you can look at the menu or Sat. prior to the workshop ($10-$12.00??). After a quick lunch at the Polly Hill picnic table there are three nurseries in the area and we will probably have one hour to kill at a nursery at one nursery there is a gentleman who I would consider a rare plant fantatic/collector who is new to the island I have told him about you all and he will let me know if he can talk to us about rare plant collecting and how he moved his collection. Of course there will be time to poke around and make some purchaseshmmm (too many $$). Sadly it is fall and all of the nurseries have relative slim pickens. Back to Polly Hill for our private tour I have told them how brilliant you all are. My guestamate is we will be leaving PH around 3:30 I would like to stop at another nursery, a daylily farm for another talk on not only daylilies but solar power, a glass place where we can watch visiting and local craftsmen blow and see some of the most amazing pieces I have ever seen. I am suggesting this only after having run in the other day to see if they could repair something of mine glass and crafts usually arent my thing but the pieces they had on display were like nothing I have ever seen before and of course with a price to match $33,000.00. There are also a few art galleries as well as Chilmark chocolates that (hard to believe I know) is even better than Ben & Bills. ( All of those suggestions are free unless you choose to purchase) These are a few things available to us on the way to Menemsha a small fishing village where if the weather permits I would like to do what is called "backdoor" which is going to the restaurant/fish markets backdoor and ordering dinner to go (which is usually a cracked lobster and fixings) (I dont recall the cost but I am guessing $20.00-$30.00?) But I am sure they have something for the non fish lover but to be honest I dont know what so you may want to order two sandwiches at lunch. We will then walk over to the beach plunk our tired fannies down and watch to sunset as we eat our lobster. Please keep in mind if you like wine, beer, what ever with your meal these are dry towns and you will need to have brought that with you in the am. Also keep in mind it will be chilly so bring many more layers than you think you should. It will be much better to have a pile of sweaters and jackets in to trunk of the car than shivering unhappy people far from the warmth of my home. Now if as they are forecasting it will be raining and miserable I will have a plan B which will include dinner at a restaurant unless the majority of us would rather pitch in to buy and prepare a meal at my house. I dont know how to keep everyone comfortable with the decisions other than majority rule so please come prepared to spend twice as much as you thought you would. After the sunsets I thought we would head back to down town Edgartown for ice cream, wine what ever and of course at this point some or all could just go back and collapse. Sunday September 10th Wake up and bike, walk, ride to a private garden designed by Christine Horiunchi a Cape Landscape architect who has won awards for this design. With coffee in hand lets talk about design and plants, what she chose, what you would have chosen. Continue down the road to a grass airport where we will stop for more coffee and breakfast while watching vintage planes take off and land. We will also be viewing one of the last great stretches of Sand plain with rare native wildflowers. For those who need to catch a noon boat that should have you on the road by 1:30pm it would be time to say goodbye. For those that can stay a bit longer we have other choices, When picking the brain of people from Polly Hill for what else to include in this weekend they all suggested we drive down the beach to chappy and visit the My Toi gardens, or head back to down town Edgartown to do a walking tour of town and check out village gardens as well as another nursery visit, or maybe? My feeling is that the late group probably wont want to depart any later than a 3:00pm boat which would have you on the road by 4:30pm. A number of things that we will be doing are dependant on weather so we may be making adjustments to any and all that I have suggested. Please if something is important to you speak up I would want to know that and will try my best. I look forward to meeting you all and dont hesitate to write or call. Let me know at your earliest when you expect to be arriving. kt

Howdy all. Snapped a few random photos of the pepper garden today. Enjoy the pics. Chocolate Bhuts Chocolate Bhuts Aji Lemon almost as tall as the Oak trees Chile De Arbol Peruvian Serlano Mixed Pepper bed had a 20 pound piece of tree deadfall in the front right side this morning. Glad the peppers took the brunt of the hit and not my head. Tabasco Maui Purple in between some De Arbols De Arbol De Arbol A Yellow Jacket sucking on some Maui Purple Maui Purple and De Arbol Baby Scotch Bonnet Some pimply Chocolate Bhuts Arghh! Bells! Who planted those here in my hot pepper garden??? Some Pickens!!! Peruvian Serlano's, Arbol chiles, green Aji's, green Carribean Reds, a pimply green Bhut in the middle. Hope ya enjoyed. Jim

Hi, Mom of 3! I've got some suggestions, based on my experiences. First, your DH needs to get a set schedule with her, of one weekend per month, as the CO says. It either needs to be set dates or two weeks notice or something. If she refuses to agree to any particular schedule and wants to reserve the right to call at the last minute demanding to see her son, you're going to have to find the money to see an attorney and see what can be done about this. I know exactly what that is like; we've been through that exact thing, and BM will use this to torment you. You will find yourself unable to make plans for any weekend because you'll never know if BM will call to announce that she hasn't "gotten to" see her son and now wants to do so immediately. SS may need to see his mother - but he also needs stability and structure, and he should be able to make plans without knowing that they are always subject to last minute change due to his mother's whims. Secondly, your husband needs to stop talking to BM. Again, I know exactly what this is like. BM will use DH's attempts at co-parenting and maintaining a civil relationship to insinuate herself into your lives, to wreak havoc, to cause stress, to get attention - DH needs to just stop it. Obviously they must talk about SS - but he is all that they need to talk about, and if the conversation veers off of that topic into how much money you now have for gas, why the CO was unfair, how the CS is too much money and she's broke, how mean her new BF is, what's wrong with you, what's wrong with DH, what's wrong with the world, or anything else - DH needs to simply say "I've got to go now" and hang up. He does not need to justify, explain, excuse, elaborate or any other such thing to her anymore. He only needs to be civil and calm while discussing SS, and that's it. The longer any conversation lasts, the more BM will try to draw DH into an argument or dispute. Co-parenting does not mean that BM gets to rant and rave at you or DH at will and you are obligated to listen to her, or worse yet, respond. Third, I'd have a budget that does not include any CS that she is supposed to pay. If she actually sends some, that's a nice bonus - but I wouldn't be counting on it. Lastly, if she pulls some stupidity and does not return SS on time, call the police and file for an emergency hearing immediately. Don't let it go "this one time" - because it will happen again if you allow it too. You can make it through this. Your DH is now custodial parent. You now have a CO saying that she gets one weekend a month and pays CS. The status quo has changed and DH does not have to "work with her", or bend over backwards to accommodate her. He has to follow the CO, no more, no less.