I see you get it - understand - Lux and Gean - that is good descriptions. But like Ingrid wrote - a garden in the state of perfection is just fleeting moment/sense/even feeling - how can a camera capture that? A camera can capture a perfect rosebush (Hoovb have captured - some of her magnificient rosebushes - the size we can only dream of over here) - but proving that perfection or garden ideals in California or elsewhere in the world for that matter are different. A camera can capture a perfect flower - a perfect rosebush - a perfect part/angle of the garden - but the quality of the picture will reflect the quality of camera equipment - lighting conditions - time of day - humidity - and filters - photo-editing - layers etc. and not least the skill and knowledge of the person using it. A camera also only captures some angles of a garden - depending how we zoom in and and out and what we choose to capture/expose. A camera will never document a feeling of having reached perfection - and the fact that my idea and ideals of what constitute perfection and overwhelming, tearful joy - will or might be very different from others ideas or ideals of what a perfect garden is for them. But I sat there - and the beauty - flowed through me and touched me deeply - and tears began to flow - what I had hoped for - I sensed - I felt - I smelled - not just saw - I am afraid we have become to visual and in a day of age where we upgrade our digital cameras/lenses and photo-editing equipment all the time - we tend to forget that a garden speaks to other senses that just our vision/Eyes - but touches our whole body and soul. These days I am working on my new ugly plot too - it may never become beautiful - I could divide it into small garden vignettes or rooms - to use for temporary garden articles - showing plant combinations - but it will be "Artificial" - "staged" and the end result - will look great on pictures depending on the factors mentioned above about what a camera is able to capture and the following photo-editing that can manipulate near every aspect of a 18 mill. pixels - 8 MB RAW photo file. I just shared this moment of my love for roses and my garden - "perfection is probably is more than in the eye of the beholder" it is a fleeting feeling and it will not last - it will be hard to maintain - and like you know it takes work and years - and such moments may not come again - as all who have a garden and grow many roses - know all too well. I just hope that you one day might get the same feeling and you will KNOW what I tried to capture - I will take pictures - but the light is harsh - and today I might spot a yellowing leaf, a weed or 2 and before I know it I will be sweaty, have dirt under my fingernails - scratches from rosethorns because I forgot to wear glowes ... and it is hot as hell .... maybe perfection was just a day or 2 ago ... Well I better go out there ... No time to help Catsrose or blog right now Jimmy ... I will however...

You have such low temps already? Yikes. My aunt said she saw pictures of Vermont on the news and they had snow! Glad you are feeling better and finishing up the garden chores, I did some cutting back and made things look a little more tidy around the courtyard garden yesterday. There is a patch of tall dried phlox and some still blooming anenome surrounding the new chaste tree. I think I'll leave them to give the tree more protection this winter. May go browse the bulbs again at Lowes today, hopefully I won't bring anything else home - those clearance racks in the garden center are killers! Now I have to remind the neighbors to save their leaves for me so I can make some shredded mulch before winter and try to get some of that down.

I have a similar solution to cindy socal. I have two different lights in my bathrooms. The pretty fixtures made for incandescent bulbs (over the mirror or sconces) are hooked up to the same vacancy sensor she shows. Ironically, I also have compact fluorescents in these, but that doesn't count for Title 24. I also have a recessed fluorescent can (26 Watt pin type) over the shower, which is on a separate switch. The reason is the sensor will not "sense" you in the shower, through the glass door. You don't want the light to cut out when you are in the shower. There is no requirement to use any fluorescent lighting in the bathroom at all, but you can only use incandescent if it is on a motion sensor. The 50% of your wattage rule is for kitchens, not bathrooms.

Yes, and love it! Husband gifted one years back, so now an outdated model, but similar to this - http://tinyurl.com/ho7xoah Mine has a blue-white light with several intensities & adjustable focus. Never attracted bugs (and there are plenty here). Actually can see in more detail than daylight & even use it during the day for shady spots. Easy to adjust the straps to fit. Sometimes wear it over a baseball cap & other times over a terry stretch headband worn like a sweatband - comfortable & lightweight either way. Already had an adjustable construction lamp mounted on a telescoping tripod that plugs in & also used a hanging mechanic's lamp like Patty for more concentrated efforts, along with lanterns & gooseneck flashlights that sit on the ground. Often gardened in the evenings into the night when that was the only time available. Now it's just to beat the heat or when the mood strikes...