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[Gene GeRue <genegerue AT ruralize.com>]

> I've been seeing the news about the heat and fires in the Phoenix
> area & was wondering how you are doing Gene.
> How is your never ending tomato plant doing?

Lots of heat, for sure. The fires are all well away from where we live.

I forget the exact temperature above which tomatoes do not pollinate. They 
are intelligent, know that extreme heat means low chance of reproduction. 
The tomato plants in the ferrocement raised bed will now be allowed to die. 
Those living on the ground may, also, as I am gearing down to go to Heartwood.

We are just yesterday approved for a refi on this place at five and an 
eighth percent interest. We will keep this place for continued amazing 
appreciation as long as it lasts. We bought in September 2003 for 253,000, 
discounting my real estate commission, so it would have been about 261 
otherwise. The refi appraisal came in at 520,000, a doubling of value in 
one year and ten months. We have receipts of 13,000 for improvement 
materials, don't know how much my labor contributes dollar-wise; For the 
lender and appraiser, I estimated twice as much as materials, for perhaps 
40,000 improvements' value. Doing the numbers made it obvious that it is 
wise to keep this place as long as the strong appreciation trend continues, 
even if it sits vacant and we make the payments and pay for pool and 
landscape maintenance. I know of no better investment.