Good morning!!!!

[sodamo]

Drew, some of the drone pics I’ve posted lately were taken by my cottage tenant. He got a DJI Spark for his birthday. Less expensive than mine but much more advanced, smaller, transportable (folds). He loves it.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Doing some more reading this morning about the mechanisms by which homes burn in the large wildfires we're seeing in the west. Turns out it's not direct impingement of sheets of flame, but rather wind blown embers that lodge in nooks and crannies. Those same nooks and crannies that tend to trap pine needles, leaves, dust, and other flammable material, and cracks or vents that lead into attics and vents. Some can be easily plugged, but especially in older homes, it's not easy. This article tells of how one man designed a home built sprinkler system he mounted under the eves that he credits for saving his house. Let's see, a one gallon spray head every eight feet, 40x70 house, that's 1650 GPH or almost 40,000 gallons per 24 hour period. So the draw back to that approach is you have to flip the pumps on as the flames approach, and there's a very good chance the fire may have already blocked your route out. So you're betting everything, the house and your life, that the system will work. That or you've a very high confidence that you have some sort of fire shelter that will withstand the storm of embers.

If you do evacuate, in my experience you may have to leave well before the fire actually arrives. So that means you need a way of remotely triggering the pumps, and a way of deciding when to do it. That implies TV cameras monitoring the compass points for fire, and a satellite internet connection powered by a huge battery bank or a generator. I read of a similar approach a gal took for the big fire in Big Sur a few years ago, except she had big tanks of fire retardant that sprayed the house and the surrounding grounds. She watched over the internet as the flames approached, and pushed a button on her cell phone to set things in motion. I contacted the company that built the system last year for a quote, and never got a response after the initial conversation. Maybe they thought my place was a lost cause? That, or all my junk visible in the satellite imagery led them to think I couldn't afford it.:shocked::laughing:

Anyway, thought provoking reading...

 

[jbrumberg]

Those drunk worms must be keeping the Worm Whisperer entertained. I can see a new novel in the making- The Secret Life of Worms.

I am still trying to convince Wifey of the utility of a basement worm farm. I buy enough worm castings to justify a new hobby..

Eric- Thanks for the melting wish. We'll see. Before we bought this place we lived/rented a small working hobby farm with the landlady. She had about a dozen pet sheep. It always seemed that the ewes dropped in February in the worst possible weather usually in freezing rain. Some of those ewes were nasty moms. Good luck.

 

[txdon]

David and Don....any quick tips for raising a puppy? Specifically not biting. It's been 12 years since our last exposure to puppydom... We must have forgotten....Holy cow ! does he have energy! Maybe that's why I don't have any?

If you can be very specific I'll ask the dog trainer. When and what is the puppy biting - you, strangers, furniture? It just may be that the puppy needs more chew toys.

 

[Eric Salop]

I have a feeling I'm going to be getting lots of practice at that in the not too distant future as fire damaged trees become obviously dead. I've only cut down a few trees following the instructions in the Stihl owner's manuals, which seemed to work OK. Got any tips or things to watch out for that a newbe should be aware of?

RNG, Wng is the expert on precision felling. I can share some of things I have been told to improve the chances of staying alive.

The key to preventing a tree falling sideways and landing on your head is to get the hinge right. Take care with it, never cut through the hinge, or make it too thin.

Before making any cuts, look up to make sure there are no dead branches above where you need to stand.

Felling trees with decaying wood is a game of Russian roulette. Leave them alone, or if you must fell them, use a rope to help control the direction of fall.

The guy that taught me said chainsaw gloves are not much use, but to always wear steel toe capped boots and chainsaw protective trousers (would you say pants?) when felling. Keep a compression field dressing in your pocket, just in case. He said many amateurs don't bother with protective clothing, of them a number will bleed to death needlessly as accidents can happen to anyone and chainsaws are not that forgiving.

Trees that are already leaning over look deceptively easy to fell, but can be killers. These need plunge cutting to relieve the tension as a standard felling cut from the back can be very dangerous - lots of videos show how not to do it, like this Barber chair. Falling a tree gone wrong! - YouTube

 

[jbrumberg]

I only had one puppy; my first dog when I was in college.

For materials like expensive audio/video cables they have this nasty tasting spray on chemical. I saw this recently on "Pittbulls & Paroles" where they addressed clothes/pants/hem biting with a "no/bad"at the actual bite episode while simultaneously offering a chew toy.

Eric- Thanks for the woodcutting information. I only cut downed wood nowadays. I am contacting a local tree service for necessary tree work around here this year. I have a lot of "widow makers" here especially around the driveway and house.

 

[sodamo]

Ted
PATIENCE
And lots of it LOL
Actually being retired and being present as opposed to being gone all day makes a big difference especially in the house breaking department.
Kekoa is first pup we did the Puppy class and AKC Good Citizen. Can’t say he is any better trained then our other dogs but i think it was good for him, especially the socialization aspect. Would recommend if available in your area. Otherwise just consistency, patience, firmness (who is boss without being overbearing), lots of praise and reward.

Forgot biting. For us that was something the Mom taught before leaving the litter. When we got a younger pup (6 weeks) that was usually a challenge. Usually a complete stop to whatever was going on and stern No, usually repeated as necessary. Kalani was the most challenging with my BIL, but I suspect he was partially at fault.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

LS, im with you on Hating Wind.

All my grandparents lived and died at home, except a grandmother who died in hospital, but lived with us her last few months. My dad cared for my mom until she passed at home. I feel that taking care of your parents to be an obligation, not a burden.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I completely agree. It's a reflection of the throw-away mentality we've nurtured. Nothing has to last an longer than the average retention time. It's going to be replaced eventually anyway, right? Why fix it? Just get a new one. [/sarcasm]

The throw away mentality came from engineered obsolescence.

I have many things i wish i could repair, but it's cheaper to replace, that's how it is built nowdays.

 

[Thomas]

RoyJackson
I expect it'll be worse tomorrow morning...after all this rain and a low of 19 (in Bethel) tonight.
………………………...
More so when you making your way to pickup in the dark.