bigugli

Those margins area lot larger than you think. I spent 12 years in garden center wholesale to know exactly what the ratios are. Some mark ups being as high as the jewelry industry. Your $9.99 tub of fertilizer wholesaled at 1.99. Some of those trashy Xmas trinkets that everyone seems to love whsle a 0.25, double that for shipping from China and retail at $3.99. As for names. Those firms still held by a family member, with a family name, are far better run than the faceless corporation. Their name and reputation are on the line. People know who they are. Whereas a big corporation, say Maple Leaf is faceless/nameless. They don't have to face personal recrimination when people get sick from tainted product. Or a corporation like Ford or Volkswagen. No one personally had to face the music when the cars with defective gas tanks started blowing up and killing people. Who went to jail after the Bopal disaster??? All but one were released on bail immediately after conviction. As for the CRTC, they are managed and controlled by the major media outlets. Just like most regulatory and advisory bodies, membership comes from within the industry.Always have, always will. Ma and Pa kettle need not apply

The problem with sales inventory is pathetic. The flyers for each sale are set up 6 months prior to each season. Every store manager/owner knows the schedule and list. It is up to the individual owner/manager to order ahead to beef the inventory before the sale.. That is where it falls flat. Management don't want to buy in heavy inventories because 1) not enough storage space 2) extra inventory costs money, 3) if it doesn't sell, it's a loss. 4) some franchisees don't buy into the ad program. Now, some stores will only honor a raincheck for 30 days, knowing full well that no new stock will be coming in. All of it sucks, but government no longer cares about protecting the consumer, and far too many business owners don't care about their reputation, because their family name is not the one being dragged through the mire.

We went to over 50 houses. Saw lineups of 100 applicants, bidding wars. Landlords close a listing one week and relist the next for $500 more. Some of the places were pure dumps.

Finally in our new house. it will take weeks to get settled in and sort through the chaos.

Looks great. Can't wait to help you try her out.

Thanks for reminding me. Not that my body doesn't keep reminding me

I saw the title and thought.... The Mrs has been calling you names

Purple or black for the muddy waters.

The notion of social responsibility for the world around us ha long been a thing of the past. Yes lots of people, rant, beat on their chests, demand action, etc... Very few actually do anything about it. It's somebody's job to look after the problem. Yet in truth it is everybody's job and responsibility.

Looks like we won't have to sleep under the overpass.

There are some monsters around. I've caught a few 40"+ specimens here in Niagara. Peanut helped to chase one of them in at CDP. Congrats on the pig. As for the ticks... A mild winter means an abundance of the nasty critters.

At the moment, there are 50 to 100 families looking for a new home to rent. I am seeing the same faces at times.

Not a chance

Looks like we are taking our show on the road after 5 years. Don't know where. Not much available out there unless you have really deep pockets.

Most plants don't like overwatering, especially in early season. We allow our pots to dry out before watering. We also torture our plants to push growth. Forces the plant to extend out their roots in search of water/nutrients.