Lucky66

I have a 1999 Schwinn Circuit road bike with Shimano components that I want to sell. It's too nice a bike for me, since I ride rarely. It has road shocks, which I think they were only making that year; some people like them and some don't. They don't weigh much and do make your ride nice. It's 48cm - for a person 5' to 5'6". If it matters, the color is fire engine red. What do you think is a good price to list it at (USD)? I have no idea. In 1999 this model retailed $1100.

This is a two-part question:

1. Mishandling of my butternut squash vine resulted in 3 big squashes coming off their stems. They are big but still mostly green striped with a little tan color starting. Will they ripen if stashed in a cool, dark place? If not, are they good to eat?

2. If they don't ripen, can they be chopped and fed to chickens and goats? I give my friend vegetable scraps for her chickens and goats but only if I know they're ok to feed. I might have to post that as a separate question in a different category.

It breaks my heart to waste food, especially my favorite foods. It's a productive vine but 3 squash is a lot of food.

After having gone at least 15 years without jumping much, I've gotten back into it with a super jumping pony. She would never run out and is a blast to ride. I can only afford lessons every other week (on the pony and other horses too) and I try to get the most out of them. I want to be able to jump 3' courses and probably higher, but I'm worried I've come to a plateau with my confidence. I'm scared to jump over 2'9" and am most comfortable at 2'6". But I want to keep progressing. The best strategy I have now is to keep working on my skills, but much of it is mental. I trust my trainer not to set up anything I can't handle, so when she raises the height or sets up a more challenging course I believe I should feel confident tackling it. What mental strategies do you use when moving up a skill level, especially with jumps? It's so much fun once I get over the fear and enjoy riding! And I'm not a chicken in all situations - I'm not afraid to gallop in open spaces or pop over little XC jumps. When I go to shows and watch events like Power & Speed I think, I want to do that! I can only ride 3-4 days a week, so I need that to be enough to keep my skills up. I know it limits how fast I can progress.

I'm in Colorado, near Denver. I planted seeds indoors Feb. 1 and this is the first time I've tried an early season variety (Stupice). It's also the first time growing Amana Orange. I'm interested in hearing when you first harvested tomatoes of those varieties if you're in zone 5. I know what the seed packets say, but I'm curious about real experiences and how much they vary. I'm an impatient gardener :)

I have mild hypothyroidism which I've been successfully treating for 15 years with synthroid. Although I grew up eating fish, I gave it up and eat vegan 90% of the time. I wonder if my thyroid function is affected by insufficient iodine in my diet, but since nothing's changed since I stopped eating seafood I don't think so. How do you know if you're getting enough, or too much? And what are good sources? Kelp? Supplements? Iodized salt (yuk)?

Is it realistic to make petit fours I can send to family and friends? If I use a candy coating, will that make them less fragile and keep the cake fresher? I have made cake balls with white chocolate coating that may have been tasty when they arrived, or my family may have just been polite by saying so. I shipped them 3-day ground, I think. I can make any recipe vegetarian, but am most curious about how much the coating helps the little cakes stay fresh and taste good. And look nice :-)

Well, it's too late actually...I have been putting trimmings and stuff from tomato plants with late blight in the compost heap all summer. I guess I really mean, "Is my compost going to be useless?" I think it was late blight that didn't really spread to all the plants until August. I picked and ate a lot of decent tomatoes before and since anyway, but there's definitely something I wouldn't want to carry over into next year. I want to treat the next garden with compost tea and give the soil better nutrients, but I'm worried about making compost tea with this stuff. I was a bad gardener this year :-(

How do you get the right size breeches if you order online? They don't usually have the inseam in the description so I'm bound to order something too long. I see such great deals online but they're not great if I can't wear them. I am 5'2" 112#. Maybe a child or youth size?

I planted cauliflower in March. I got a row of big leafy plants, still growing, but only one actually had a head of cauliflower on it. I've cooked the head and leaves and they tasted good, but I'm still hoping heads will form on the remaining plants as it gets cooler. Has that ship sailed? Should I just pull them up and plant carrots? I am near Denver, Colorado, USA (zone 5-ish). I want to plant something in a cold frame I can eat this winter but I won't bother with more cauliflower if it takes up space and doesn't produce.

I have what looks like late blight on a speckled Roma. The neighboring plants (Brandywines, another speckled Roma, other Romas, different types of cherry tomatoes and more) are not affected (yet), although I see a little yellowing on a few leaves near the ground. I'm tempted to take out the blighted plant, even though I feel like salvaging some of the fruit that still looks good. Will that even help prevent spreading, or is it too late to do anything? I have never used fungicides, pesticides or even fertilizer in these beds before. I am kind of a novice and may be wrong about it being late blight, but that seems like the worst case scenario, and it is possible. We live in a dry area of Colorado so I thought we wouldn't get fungus. I water early mornings several times per week.

Is my whole garden doomed?

I know our landfills aren't clogged with English saddles, but I still hate throwing them away. Eventually they get to a point where they can't be used anymore, such as when the old wooden trees break. I would love to hear/read any creative uses for retired saddles. For example, I heard of a guy who made bar stools for the bar in his "man cave" out of them.

Our poor 15 month old has a cold (not flu, no fever). He's never been sick before, so I don't know how to expect him to handle it. He had an active morning: eating, playing, and being upset at the doctor's office. His nap is going on 3.5 hours. I don't want to wake him; seems like he must need the sleep because he's sick. Should he just sleep all afternoon when he's sick? Or will it be harder for him to sleep all night? He didn't sleep much last night.

This is a 2002 OTTB mare who came from a sale a couple months ago. Now she's a pet considering her next career move. She is on a weight gain and exercise program to develop muscle and has no topline. Based on these somewhat fuzzy photos I've taken so far, what do you think of her conformation (knowing she's thin and out of shape)? Sometimes she looks sickle hocked, but when she squares up she doesn't. She raced only twice and retired sound. Guess racing isn't her thing :-)

[URL=http://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x57/actringo/pe...

What is an ideal rate for a TB to go from about a body condition score of 3-4 to a 5, assuming the following conditions:

-Teeth are good; recent dental care

-Wormed with ivermectin; doesn't seem wormy

-General health good other than weight

-Not working much

-Sound, no known injuries

-7 years old

-Gets turned out in paddock with a buddy, but they don't run around much

I didn't include details about the diet because it's whole discussion in itself :-) I am curious how quickly it's safe to gain, and what expectations are reasonable. I am wary of putting on too much too soon, but it's winter so some fat would be nice. This mare isn't hot or nervous, so I don't think she's burning any calories with unauthorized activity.

I recently acquired an OTTB mare who needs to gain weight and muscle, especially behind. I am jogging her in hand, riding at a walk/trot over poles, teaching her to back, long lining, and doing whatever else I know to improve her topline and backside without burning too many calories. I know walking or jogging hills is great, but it's flat here. We have to drive to a trail for hills. What is an acceptable substitute?

I always have to schedule my run after or before riding. I thought it might be more efficient if I sometimes trotted the horse in hand for about 2 miles - then we'd both get a little cardio. She trots at a pace that is pretty fast for me to maintain for 2 miles. I realize this means running in boots. Is this crazy? A little background: the mare is an OTTB who is both out of shape and underweight. I want to work with her but not slow down the process of putting weight on her by burning too many calories.

What is your equestrian sport (dressage, barrel racing, h/j? Other?), and what do you do for fitness? For example, how much riding do you do and what other workouts do you include? Pilates, cardio, weightlifting, or nothing but miles in the saddle?

I am looking for something I can use to take my baby for walks while he's too young for jogging (he'll have to recline), but that I can use for serious running later. I was hoping to be able to buy only one vehicle to meet his needs from newborn to toddler stages.

I don't want to narrow my (tech) job search to my area, since I can both work remotely and consider relocating. I understand why a company might prefer local candidates, though. Are there any tips to getting responses from hiring managers in other areas? They will know where I am located by my contact information and recent employers on my resume.

My little (14hh) mare is 3 1/2. Over the winter I have done a lot of groundwork and have been riding her regularly for 3-4 months. She's doing great - sensitive to leg yields and other cues, turns, stops, backs. She picks up a canter nicely but not always a correct lead (that's OK). Because of her age and experience I call her green, though. Now she's ready to do some real work, and she's getting tubby. The problem is I'm pregnant, and getting to the point where I can only ride a little at a walk and trot. It's hard to find a small person (<140#) willing to ride a green horse, and I need to find creative ways to keep her fit this summer. She can longe, ground drive, & maybe do a long, flat, slow trail ride, but it doesn't make her break a sweat. We have no real hills in the area, I'm afraid. We've reached such a good point in her training I don't want to stop the momentum and try to pick up where I left off next spring. Any suggestions?