I saw a Northern Shrike at the top of the tobogan hill at 4.10 pm Friday 5 Nov It was flying slowly, then hovering for a while, then took off fast to the top of a tree I did not see any of the normal winter resident Kestrals Malden Park is an old Landfill area on Malden Road in West Windsor, west of Huron Church, north of E C Row Expressway Ian Woodfield

> Hi Bill: If memory serves me correctly. the simple method to calibrate Flo-Scan is to top your tanks off, go for a ride, return and re-top the tanks. Then make the adjustments. Just a question, but why did you use a installer who had no experience with the Flo-scan unit????

But their service is top-top notch! Had an issue with a new one leaking. They ended up driving someone down from Seattle. 2-days, R&R the trans. Cleaned the bilge, etc. , Was very very impressed. Always 'Do not worry, we will take care of everything', and they did... -al-

After equalization, it is often necessary to top-off the batteries with distilled water. In fact, with hindsight, it would be wise to top them off prior to equalization. Ron Rogers

I have a '87 Marine Trader with a hard top above the sundeck. The white surface of the hard top has become chalky and I would like to repaint it. Any recommendations for preparation and/or paint would be appreciated. Now is a great time as we have the canvas and isinglass (plastic palace) removed due to the constant parade of storms here in the FL keys.

Given identical circumstances and using a vinyl laminated polyester material with a gloss finish exterior side and white interior side and an 8-year warranty, how much hotter is it going to feel under a black top as opposed to a white top. Again, the underside is white on both the black and the white. Greg

> > I had a renter apply that junk on counter tops in the house she was renting. > Water stains it terribly. Had to rip out the counter tops and replace them. > > Sent from my iPad > Jim Barrentine >

If this is a stove with a lift up top there is an enabling switch which closes when the top is fully lifted and then pushed down into its seated position. Check that this is happening because if the lid is not in the fully up and stowed position the burners will either be inop or intermittent. Seaward also has good telephone tech support.

It also is a great bottle for squirting with its twist top closure.  Of course you could use Kraft whose bottle is rectangular rather than round like Plochman's which can be an advantage on a boat but the top on the Kraft is not near as 'squirt friendly' as the Plochman's. Gary Hagstrom Iron River, Wisconsin

>From Mark Aronson - 25 May 2014, New Haven - Top of the Rock, East Rock - a couple whose names I did not get reported a Blue Grosbeak in a tree near the monument at the top of the rock.