Again, thanks for all your input Legacy. I didn't think about the long term use and savings in using those bags, plus as you mentioned the stability of a good potting mix. Maybe you're right. Those bags may be actually MORE cost effective in the long run. I'll have to look into them more. I have two major issues that have always plagued me in any hobbies I've had: 1) I'm super cheap and always look for the least expensive way out of a situation. 2) I tend to over-think things on many occasions. Perhaps this is one of those times. My poor wife has been very good about putting up with me in those areas. If she knew what I was thinking about, she'd tell me to bite the bullet and buy the commercially available stuff :) Al, your kind and generous offer is humbly appreciated. I will seriously consider it and let you know privately. BTW, I'm still using that bag of "Al's Succulent Mix" potting medium that you sent me several months ago. It has been working great! I repotted a few Lithops, Haworthias, and a Sansevieria leaf cutting I had propagated. All are doing great and in no fear of over-watering. Thanks again! I think I'm more inclined to go with Legacy's suggestion of the window screen instead of the felt. I'm theorizing that the "felt" used in the commercially available bags is special treated for longevity in a potentially rot-inducing environment. The stuff at the fabric store most likely is not as durable. Though there's only one way to tell for sure... Both of you have given me much food for thought. Any further comments are most welcome. Thanks again! -Brandon

I just had to say thanks for this post Leon. I had done a few air layers in the past with grape vines but never with figs. this past season I air layered about 10 off of one tree that I wanted to share with friends and they came out great. Your pictures are so clear and tell the complete story. The only thing I changed was on horizontal branches I used a water bottle cut in half lengthwise. It was easier to get the soil to stay in place. Below is pictures of one such success. I've shared your pictures with others that were interested and they also found them so clear and helpful. Once again Thanks, "gene" This airlayer was started on July 22 and cut off on Oct. 16. I let it go for 11 weeks because of it's size. My grandson holding up a very nice one. The root ball

Yard man here today and had to find something more for him to do as the leaf blower is in for it's winter servicing. So, we continued with the clean-out. Today, was a lovely antique mahogany buffet that was once in my in--law's DR. We had no room for it in ours, but thought it might make the bottom of the steps in the basement look a lot better. Our basement is semi-finished but from the top of the steps and most of the way down, it looks finished. It is a great piece for storage of things (mainly silver) used far less often, but that I'm not yet ready to part with - thinking about those 4 grandchildren (who may or may not want any of it). Well, in addition to being good for storage, it is good/bad as it's a catch-all place. It's near the door into the basement garage, and things just end up "living" on this piece of furniture. I haven't seen the top in years! Things that need to go to Goodwill, upstairs, in the trash, be returned, put somewhere other than in the basement on this buffet. We started with the top and cleaned it off. Books went upstairs (God knows how I'm going to find space for them in my already over-loaded bookshelves, but I will!), lots of stuff to Goodwill (I won't make a special trip to the paint store to return the paint roller that was the wrong size and is still unopened - someone will get it for a bargain), paper trash - you name it, it was living on this buffet. We got it all cleared off and actually DUSTED! It's really very beautiful! Now, my portable oxygen and the charger for the extra battery, is at one end plus a basket to keep extra oxygen tubing and cannula, and shoulder strap for the carrier. The cordless phone is also there, next to a wall plug I had put in many years ago. At the other end is a small pile of things to return - I'll get enough money back to make it worth my while - only 4 things. A pretty green glass bowl is in the center. If it becomes a catchall, it will go below. A picture by a Vineyard artist that my late husband and I bought at the Cincinnati Antiques Show at least 15 years ago, is now hung - it's been propped there all these years. Yikes! I know my husband is pleased. Then we went through the 3 drawers - some stuff for Goodwill, mostly trash. Now organized and I know what's in them. There are two single cabinets underneath with doors, and one double one with two doors. Went through the two single ones - didn't throw much out, but I now remember what is in them. Center one is the silver - it will stay as it is and become my daughter's problem! We spent 3 hours doing this and I also had my yardman take the HUGE, very heavy bag of clothes from the clean-out in my late husband's closet (both his and my clothes that needed to go), to Goodwill for me. Altogether a productive 4 hours and worth the money I pay him! It will be late March/early April before he does much work outside, so this is my clean-out time with him. Onward and upward!

I have two. One I've had for many years and it is broken. It is missing part of on of the veins, so it flops. But I use it all the time. The other I bought when I was at a store and it started to rain. I had to walk that day, so I bought the umbrella thinking it its larger size would keep me drier than my old one anyway. However, the newer big one catches too much wind and threatens to turn inside out. When it does catch the wind, I need to grab it with two hands, but I usually have a bag in one hand. So Keep using my old umbrella. It has been broken for at least eight years and now it actually has little holes breaking through at the vein joints. Waste not, want not. I won't get rid of it until it no longer works. In my car I have a 99 cent rain poncho and also one in my backpack.