You guys demonstrate my theory that cottonmouths are "passive-aggressive." Dangerous in that they don't move out of the path, often, and people who are not alert can step on them. Tales of them chasing people are usually highly exaggerated. This isn't to say it can't happen. Just that it's not a common behavior. My best cottonmouth story involved canoeing by myself on Rock Springs Run. I was in an area we call the Flats. Very shallow water, with a lot of grassy vegetation. Makes for slow canoeing as you try to glide through without digging up the bottom. I spotted a cottonmouth in the water, about 2 1/2 feet long, and close to the shore. It had a dead fish in its mouth. I don't think it killed the fish, but I can't be sure of that. But the fish looked REAL dead. It was a panfish of some type (bluegill, shellcracker, one of those) and quite wide, and this snake was trying its best to figure out how to swallow it. The snake worked its mouth slowly around the body of the fish, which was way, WAY too wide for it to swallow, and even tried to force it down sideways. The fish was probably ten inches long and no way was that snake going to get it down sideways. I let the canoe drift over fairly close, as I was enjoying the show. The snake finally began working its way towards the head of the fish, where it would have had the best chance to get it down, but suddenly noticed me or my canoe slowly nearing. If snakes could change expression, this one's eyes would have bugged out and his mouth would have dropped open. If they could talk, he would have been yelling "Holy Sheepdip! Where'd THAT come from??" He did a backflip away from the fish and took off for the weeds like a streak! It was so funny looking, I almost fell out of my canoe laughing at him. I always wondered if he came back later to finish working on the fish. But I didn't wonder about who was more scared by our encounter. He definitely was! Still...I am very careful on the river or in places where cottonmouths might lurk. They normally don't care if you approach them. I admire them, but I don't want to step on one or come face to face with one at any closer range than what I just described. I'm not NEARLY as brave as Wayne! Marcia

Such a hot dry summer here in Austin. I live on a creek that has dried up for the first time since we moved here 10 years ago. It's not so much my beautiful St. Augustine and annuals I'm worried about, but my trees are looking very bad. I've already lost a couple of young pecan trees. We have a huge elm tree that is shedding a lot of leaves now. I just don't know if I can water enough to keep them alive. Evidently I made some good choices in perennials because they are doing fairly good. The bed is heavily mulched and every well established. I have hardy hibiscus that are really showing off this summer. I have put off any kind of summer pruning or thinning. Anything to give them a little more shade. We havenÂt mowed in 3 weeks, IÂm kinda afraid to, it might cut all the green off the top and leave us with hay. I have noticed that people who mow their yards weekly are having a harder time keeping them green. I really donÂt want to start all over on lawn grass. If I do I will replace it with something more drought resistant. Although I do love that beautiful St. Augustine. I have double potted all of my hanging baskets and still had to set them on the ground in shade to keep from watering them every day, cause frankly folks it's just to dang hot out there for me. I also started bringing plants back in the house to save them. It's just so sad to have to decide on who lives and who dies. They say we are supposed to have a wet fall. If not, I think we are going to lose a lot of trees around here.

Hi akchicago! I totally agree with everyone that I don't want to use this particular designer (or both as I was assigned to a team) for my project as it's obvious she has no excitement about it or interest in it. I'd like to first speak with the owner about being reassigned to a new team who would love to take on the job. The reason I say this, is because as a hairstylist, I'm typically the one in the salon that is given the disgruntled client (from other hairstylists), or color/haircut corrections. I absolutely love the challenge. I understand when clients don't receive the service they deserve, I am very good with empathizing, and it's so fulfilling to me to go above and beyond to get the job done and make the client happy. It really makes me feel good to put a smile on that client's face and for them to LOVE their hair! I'd like to give the owner the chance to perhaps approach my situation in the same way. As far as the cabinet maker, I'm sticking with him. He did my sister's kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room cabinets, as well as two of her friend's homes. The workmanship and service was absolutely excellent in all of them. They're all beyond pleased. The price is excellent, he's a smaller company. I'm going with the same style cabinetry as my sister, in a different color. My sister did tell me that the cabinet maker prefers a French country style, and the ideas he drew up for her (from a design perspective) weren't her style at all. She and I have the same style. I totally understand what you're saying though!! And I really appreciate your concern :) I'm not of the same mindset that if the cabinet maker can't come up with a good design, he's not a good cabinet maker. I had a contractor finish my basement. He drew up a design for it. It was awful! I actually ended up designing it myself (that's the one space that worked out for me when going it alone haha!) and it turned out amazing. His workmanship was excellent, his design skills...not so much :) Besides just layout, I have a door pantry I wanted to turn into a Butler's pantry, if it would even look right. I'd like a designer to do that so it flows with the rest of my space :) I did try to do a drawing and post it on here quite awhile ago. Obviously I don't know what I'm doing because I guess I drew two elevations on the same picture. Half the kitchen was as if you're looking down on it, and the other part was looking at it head on. No one could understand it haha! :) The drawing thing is not my forte lol ;)

I don't get the no uppers thing. If there's a wall there, I want uppers. Chest to eye level is great storage, right where you want it. Some prefer open shelves, hooks, etc., but the only thing that isn't perfect about my kitchen (entirely made with advice and consent of GW) is not enough uppers (much territory taken by windows, ovens, hood). Don't get me wrong! I wouldn't remove windows or any of the rest, but if I had more wall, I'd want more uppers! The things that I think make my kitchen as close to perfect as possible include wide, but not too wide, aisles, 42-48". More than 54", which I've had in the past, is awful. Well above 40" gives people room to pass while carrying stuff. Also, good natural light and excellent, well positioned artificial light, including color adjusted to sunshiny, indirect light, which can be used to add to daylight without outshining it. Next is layout. I used what I call "the spiral" to organize work zones and storage. It's a conceptual spiral, not a physical one. The center of the spiral is the classic work triangle: fridge/staples > sink/prep > stove > clean up and fridge. One thing I dislike about larger kitchens is that they remove cleanup to a whole different section. That's fine if you have a scullery maid, but I prefer having the cleanup within a few steps of prep and cooking. I also want the spices and the most used staples at point of use, rather than in the pantry, and the same for all bowls, tools, pans and utensils that are used more than once per year. All should be within the core. Dishes, not so much. I do have kitchen dishes, in some of those uppers, in the core, because there's room, but most of them are closer to the dining room. I did that very much on purpose. I get it when people want the dishes by the dishwasher, but when the eating area isn't also next to the dishwasher, you're going to have to carry them sometime, either when you're unloading the DW or when you're setting the table. I prefer the dishes near the table. It's also a lot easier if you need an extra glass or fork not to have to go all the way into the kitchen for it. Which leads to another point: Part of perfect kitchen, which I don't have, would be a bright breakfast room that was out of the kitchen proper, but still part of the kitchen's purview. Not an "eat-in" area, but a separate room, maybe with a pass through. Dish storage, snack/coffee station, etc., could easily be dislocated to there. On the spiral plan, this would be the outside leg. Anyway, the next part of the spiral, after the core, are the secondary function zones. These can be a baking area, wall ovens, snack/coffee/bar, pantry. All the things you want close to the kitchen but not in the middle of where you're working. Again, things used most often towards the core, and less often farther away. After that, come the true storage areas. Dishes and service ware, bulk storage, picnic supplies, barbecue supplies, etc. Things that are kitcheny, but don't need to be in the work area. In my kitchen, the baking area is between the stove and the oven, so the core is an L and the next part turns it into a U. The prep sink can be accessed from the oven side of the island, for baking, and the prep side of the island can be additional baking room, too. I often put cooking racks on my glass cooktop, as well. All of this takes place away from the cleanup, but is only about four strides away. The "umlaut" to the U shape is the pantry, with less immediate storage through several doorways beyond. Within the core, knives, cutters, tools, prep bowls, mixing bowls, colanders and graters are in the prep area. Wraps face the fridge and containers are on the fridge wall. Small appliances are under the ovens and MW (next to the fridge). Towels are in the corner with the containers. The most used oils, wines, flour for sauces, and spice and herb blends are by the stove. The full spice rack is a few steps farther in the baking area. All the baking pans, bowls and tools, as well as baking staples, are in the baking area. All the pots are under the cooktop except for big specialty pots which are in high cabinets (i.e., remote storage, even though it's up rather than out). For me, that's what makes it an ideal kitchen. Everything in the optimum place so I don't have to hike back and forth to cook. I'm fond of nature hikes, not interfering ones. :) Oh, and given the wide aisles and carefully laid out zones, six cooks are as comfortable cooking here as one. Good luck with your house! Keep in mind that limitations are sometimes the sources of inspiration, so don't despair if other considerations give some to you. You're wise to have the kitchen well designed as the basis for the house, but don't let perfection be the enemy of greatness. :)