At Home In The Woods

[MotorSeven]

Yellow jacket holes don't run straight down. They go down a short bit, then run horizontal, and many have other exits. I read somewhere that a nest was over 20' from the entrance.

Here is an old thread where Sassafraspete dug one up:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/64316-opening-up-yellow-jacket-nest.html

 

[Obed]

I have installed all the Trex deck boards that we have. The hidden fasteners were too wide to fasten the ends of the boards that butted up against the outside picture frame boards so I shortened them with our Dremel.



We are two boards short so I had to stop. The two boards have been ordered.



I had to toe-nail screw the picture frame boards from underneath the porch.

 

[Obed]

I've finally started putting up shutters on the house. It took a bit longer to install the first shutter until I worked out a system. I used the FEL as a scaffold for working on the higher windows. It was just going to be extremely difficult to work on a ladder positioned on the sloping ground.

 

[MotorSeven]

The decks looking good.....did you pull that warped post yet?

FEL scaffold? You just hit the safety police's nest with a short stick:laughing: I agree, and work off my FEL manlift all the time......way safer than any ladder ever built!

 

[srs]

I've finally started putting up shutters on the house.

Obed, for what it's worth. Regarding the shutters watch down the road for bees making nests behind the shutters. Ask me how I know. I found a few 'paper' wasp nests behind my shutters and I took a garden hose and sprayed the area as best I could with a stream of water. Paper wasps apparently like to build their nests out of the weather and shutters are one place you might want to keep an eye for them. Don't want you, the wife, and especially your daughter getting hit by one of them. Place looking good, still waiting for you to start on your outbuilding project, ha!

 

[Obed]

The decks looking good.....did you pull that warped post yet?

Rick, my wife and I talked about that. We probably won't pull that post but will work around it. We will cut it off and put a 2x8 top rail over it. I don't think it will be that noticeable. Replacing the post would be more effort than I want to put into it since it is mostly a cosmetic issue.

FEL scaffold? You just hit the safety police's nest with a short stick:laughing: I agree, and work off my FEL manlift all the time......way safer than any ladder ever built!

I've heard some people talk about "real" manlifts having redundant hydraulics, etc. to keep the lift from falling in event of a major hydraulic failure. However, I'm not going to sue myself if my FEL fails while I'm on it.

Obed

 

[Obed]

Obed, you are livin' the good life now.:thumbsup: There is NUTHIN' as good as home grown peas and okra. Do you also like cornbread?

I picture is worth a 1000 words.

 

[Obed]

We've been enjoying the produce of the garden.

 

[Obed]

The scarecrow motion activated sprinkler has become mostly ineffective because the okra has grown tall and is obstructing the motion detector. We've done well this year with keeping the critters out of the garden. However, a few days ago we saw signs that something, probably a deer, chewed on one of our smaller okra plants. I immediately ordered a second scarecrow sprinkler.

 

[tony Cecil]

That all looks `tasty` and I must say we had the best luck with the garden this year......Last year good flowers, but very few potatoes, and not much of anything else......This year a banner year.....I found if I thinned the Zinnias by about forty percent that the fungus is much more easily controlled, and now that the major heat of the summer is beginning to want, I hope we have Zinnias to the frost comes.....

I`v about decided that these projects go on for the rest of our lives Tony

 

[Obed]

After 20 years of marriage, 6 months ago my wife got pregnant. This event has rocked our world. This will be our first child. What a blessing! The wife is due this coming February. The baby sealed the decision to sell the 61 acres. We are building a house and having our first baby at the same time. The wife has been so busy dealing with the house project, she's not had time to get stressed over Junior. However, Junior's arrival makes getting out of the camper a little more pressing.

Can you guys believe she is this big?

 

[ENG18LT]

What a beautiful daughter you have. Until we had Sarah I never fully understood when parents said "where did time go". Ours is going to be 11 in a month, I now find myself wondering where time has gone. Enjoy every moment you have with her!

 

[chad22]

View attachment 276790

Can you guys believe she is this big?

No. I can't believe she is that big. How old is she now? Two? Time sure does fly.

Chad

 

[weldingisfun]

Obed, once they start, they never stop growing. Cherish every moment. Our baby girl is now 43 and has given us two grandgirls and one grandboy to spoil.

 

[Obed]

No. I can't believe she is that big. How old is she now? Two? Time sure does fly.

Chad

She's 2 1/2.

 

[Obed]

I finished installing the shutters that go on the brick.

Drilling 5/16" holes in the mortar joints was pretty easy using my hammer drill and a masonry bit. I marked where the mortar joints lined up with the shutters and drilled holes through the shutters accordingly. The fasteners are plastic pins that you push by hand into the holes until the pins are snug. Overall, installing the plastic shutters on the brick was pretty easy.

I still need to install the shutters on the dining room windows that are surrounded by stone.

 

[Obed]

I have started installing the shutters on the stone. Installing each shutter requires drilling holes for 6 fasteners. I need to drill 24 holes total for the 4 dining room shutters. Unlike the brick, the stone is very uneven so the mortar joints are unevenly placed. Some of the mortar recedes deep into the joints between the stones such that the plastic pins would be too short. Thus, installing the shutter fastener pins in the mortar joints didn't seem to work very well. In consequence, I decided to drill holes directly into the stone.

I quickly wore out my two drill bits on the first hole. My wife went to the nearby True Value store and bought some carbide covered drill bits. I was able to drill three holes with one of those bits. The drill bit would get very hot so I would frequently dip it in some water to cool it off. We saw our tile installer do this when he drilled holes in the tile that he installed inside the house. He said it makes the bits last longer.

Since the new drill bit only lasted for 3 holes, we went to Lowes to see if they had a diamond tipped bit but they didn't have one. We bought from Lowes some more carbide tipped bits that were a different brand than the True Value bits. I'll try the Lowes bits to see if they last any longer that the bits we bought at True Value. If not, I guess I'll just have to burn up a bunch of bits. The bits from Lowes were about $6 per bit. If each bit lasts for 3 holes, I'll need 8 bits for $48 plus tax for 2 windows. That adds up quickly.

 

[brin]

Obed.....who said you need more than 2 screws in each shutter...? Have you thought about just screwing threw the shutters wherever the mortar joints are on the stone...and countersink the screws and then fill in with a little paint-able caulk and buy a small amount of paint that matches your shutter color and you are set...that is what I would do. No one will ever know or be able to see it...

You know ....you could just glue the shutters to the stone...check with lowes on the right adhesive....If you ever need to replace them...no problem just scrape them of and replace with new shutters in the same place....I would not buy all those bits..

 

[MotorSeven]

Look at the multi pack of concrete bits....usually 5 or so in each pack at Lowes or HD...way cheaper than buying indivdual bits:

These are about a buck each:

Shop Kobalt 5/32" Carbide Masonry Drill Bit at Lowes.com

 

[ruralruss]

She's 2 1/2.

Jeez, I have been reading this thread for more than 2 1/2 years!