Good morning!!!!

[wngsprd]

Carpenter/wood bee report. 1 trap has 3 bees in it. Another has 2 wasp in it. The other 2 have not caught anything yet.

I didn't built any traps yet, but did catch 20 with the butterfly net...my son got about 8. I killed over 200 last year that way, but they still keep coming.

 

[ronjhall]

Drinking first cup of coffee. 47° with clear skies this morning. Heading to 64° with rain in afternoon. Yesterday project at neighbors went well until it rained. Got tractor stuck twice. Thank goodness for the FEL. Or it would still be stuck in all that muck. Maybe able to go back and work on it by Friday when the clay and compost dries out some. Not going to clean tractor up until project is complete. My cloths had to be washed off outside with garden hose. I am amazed how the soil changes in a little over 500'. I have no clay on my property. Theirs is all clay. No plans for today. Something will show up.

Prayers for all in need.

Good Morning All.

 

[ronjhall]

I didn't built any traps yet, but did catch 20 with the butterfly net...my son got about 8. I killed over 200 last year that way, but they still keep coming.

I did use the Brakeleen on a few last week. Having more success with that than the traps. Since I put the traps up I have only seen 1 or 2 a day. I did see a few yesterday at my neighbors. They think they are Bumble Bees.

 

[Eric Salop]

Good morning. Almost a week now without any rain, the sun keeps on shining and grass growth is slowing as the top few inches are drying out fast.

Yesterday I thought I ought to cut the top growth down a grass track that hasn't been grazed due to badgers wreking the fence line by their digging and mounding. I knew I could only get half way down the track or the tractor would get lost down their earthworks, what I hadn't expected though was for my topper to find the barbed wire from the fence. By the time I heard the rattling and hit the pto stop, the wire had coiled itself good and proper around one of the cutter bars and drive shaft. Spent the rest of the morning underneath cutting it out. After that trudging around a field with a knapsack didn't seem so bad.

RNG, I have a water trap filter, just have to make some space in a shed before I can try spraying that epoxy. It turns out I bought a marine grade, which it seems is more difficult for novices like me to use. I remember when you were doing lots of spraying in your plastic tent at night. Don't think my wife would be too impressed if I tried that in her greenhouse - although she did say something about the glass needing some shading...

Drew, doubt if nowadays it would be considered acceptable to use children as "volunteers", although in the 60's our school would close for a week for potato picking, which was not until October.

 

[Buppies]

The wood boring bee has a horn on his head for drilling. If you find an active hole fill with chewing gum seems to spell their demise

 

[Thomas]

45F clear sky upper 70's for high.

Plans for today... Couple good hours trimming around tress ditch before the blackflies come looking for me,replace pine bench broken wooden bench w/thicker piece,than take the day as it comes.

Must have had four legged visitor over night I see my chair just inside the shed door move to one side.

Enjoy the day all.

 

[Looking4new]

32 and going to a high of 72. Wind SW 9 mph. Sunny. The humidity will be about 83%, I can do without that.

Pretty much everything closed today, (Victoria Day) so I might get some stuff done around here. Move some topsoil and rake it out. Plant some flowers over a grave and do some research about moving the battery in the Journey from inside the left front fender (in front of the wheel) to the storage spot in the left side footwell under the floor in the 2nd row seating area. I need to find a battery (12 volt) that is about 12" long x 8" wide and 8" deep. I don't care if it is a AGM or not as long as it fits. I think I will look at Optima, first.

I also need to find the block heater cord for it. It came from Chrysler with a block heater installed, so there will be one shoe horned in there somewhere.

I found a welder for the Jeep, but his Dad says, "good luck with finding him sober". I don't care if he is sober or dead drunk as long as he can weld. Which is something I cannot do.

Happy Victoria Day all that celebrate it and the rest of you that don't, have a good day

 

[ronjhall]

The wood boring bee has a horn on his head for drilling. If you find an active hole fill with chewing gum seems to spell their demise

I do not chew gum anymore.
When I find a hole I put a dab of TangleFoot Bird in the hole. First bee to land on it is stuck. No more bees can get in hole. Bees never come back to hole. Does not seem to be available anymore. Bird X is a similar product.

 

[Bird]

One shucks corn and shells peas. Got it!

I didn't see your question until this morning, but that's the same terminology we use in Texas and Oklahoma as well. 64 degrees this morning going for 81. Looks like another warm, sunny day.

 

[wngsprd]

66 going to 82, maybe rain, no more yesterday although we watched one thunderstorm pass by to the northwest.

Ground still too spongy to mow or till plots, so went around and used the loppers to cut vines growing up the cedars...honeysuckle, wild grape and greenbrier...flushed a pair of bobwhites under one cedar by accident. Had a thrasher fussing at me under a different cedar for getting to close to its nest.

Wildlife quite active...we have seen baby chipmunks for the first time. Fox was in the driveway eating sunflower seeds this morning when I got up. Corn snake was on the stepping stone by the porch step when I came in last night after gathering the suet feeders (to keep the raccoons from getting them)...Coco was growling at it to alert me...she is not a Whipper, but at least growls. I just stepped around it and called Coco in...wasn't out there this morning...guess it moved on...or is it in the flower bed waiting for us???

 

[txdon]

Good morning! 74˚ cloudy. Had .6" of rain yesterday. The grass is taking off. I will have to mow after taking the TV in.

Kyle here is a spaghetti sauce recipe.

Coming soon
edit

I alway plant basil when planting tomatoes to add to all tomato sauce recipes, it really compliment the flavors.

Edit my wife says she has the best spaghetti sauce recipe so I’ll post it later.

 

[wngsprd]

I do not chew gum anymore.
When I find a hole I put a dab of TangleFoot Bird in the hole. First bee to land on it is stuck. No more bees can get in hole. Bees never come back to hole. Does not seem to be available anymore. Bird X is a similar product.

The Bird-X seems expensive...is it better than just using cheap caulk to fill in the hole?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

We are in the middle of a heavy thunderstorm. It is beautiful. We haven't had rain since May 4th...16 days....and just like Morton Salt...when it rains, it pours.

We were glad to finally see the sun.
Finally got time to mow a little late last night. Put deck all the way up. Grass still wet, kept clogging under the deck. Looks like crap where i mowed.
Boys will mow today. They have never cleaned under the mower deck, will have to show them that tonight.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Good morning to all! Low of 46, going up to high of 76. The humidity has been averaging between 5-6% for the past 2 weeks...very, very, dry. This morning it is up to 64%. The chance of rain / storms is now forecast at 60%. I sure hope we get some rain. There is a likelyhood of severe storms w/ hail....I sure hope we don't get any of those !! Cloudy right now, maybe a sign of good things coming.

Finally started weed eating yesterday. Wacker would keep stalling every 3-4 minutes, especially under load. It's been used and abused for 4 years, decided to just go get a new one and avoid the unnecessary frustrations. Got a Cub Cadet 25cc 4 cycle w/ brush cutter attachment. Works like a dream. Need to go finish up this morning before the rain (very wishful thinking).

Knee doing better, swelled a little and had minor pain after PT last Friday. Swelling finally down this morning, still a little tender. Both the Doc and the PT therapist said to do anything that I feel comfortable doing. Seems easier to do yard work and such than it is to do PT! Every time I go to PT, the knee swells and gets really irritated.

Hope everyone has a great start to the week. Prayers sent out, hope everyone continues to heal.

 

[CWB Wyo]

The low was 36* this morning, yesterday was nice in the morning with showers in the afternoon. Today will be about the same with the high in the low 70's.

I thought I was done with the fence but found one more spot that needs fixed. I will have to cut the tree up that fell on it and pack everything about 70 yds to fix it. It's on steep hill side and I can't drive anything up to it. I will have to replace all three poles that are 16 ft long. Did I say I hate ring shank nails that are 6-8 inches long. They are a pain to pull out of the bucks.

Hope everyone has a good start to the week.
CWB.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Good Morning!!!! 53F @ 6:45AM. Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Eric, I do most of my painting outside under a covered porch, no sides. I try to pick calm days where the temperature is in range for what the manufacturer calls for on the paint. I do get nits and bugs in the paint, but as it's mostly basecoat/clearcoat, I color sand and buff and you can hardly tell.

BMW motorcycle sold on eBay for a lot less than it was worth yesterday, yet another testament to how quickly and how far the value of luxury vehicles falls after purchase. Nevermore crieth the raven. The buyer is Canadian, and I hope that doesn't mean trouble. But then after he has it picked up, it's not my problem anymore.

Got in another three hours of mowing yesterday, all very steep, with lots of trees to dodge. Only one scary moment, the first of this year and I hope the last. More mowing after breakfast.

Hope everyone's week gets off to a great start!

 

[jbrumberg]

Good Morning Everyone-

The day started 48F, clear, and wet. Hopefully it will get to the mid70F's and dry today. A lot of little projects to do prior to tilling the garden later this week.

Drew- Thanks for sharing the snake pictures. I like snakes. I get about 4 of the species in that link you referenced.

Buppies- Please take care of your leg.

Thomas- I too am scheduling around the blackflies. It seems that they "peak" for the season the day that I till the garden and become a "Mr. Potato Head" from their feasting.

L4N- Happy Victoria's Day. You are probably better off if the welder is his normal drunk self for the welding job. He'd be too shaky sober.

"... Ground still too spongy"- wnsprd Only in my garden and historic wet areas now. I hope that your property dries up soon.

Don- I am finding that I can get away with 1 teaspoon of E.V. olive oil instead of 1 tablespoon in most of the recipes that I have "converted" so far. I am shaving significant calories from most recipes. The changes that I have made in diet and lifestyle appear to be working.... The real test of a diet is having to make new belt holes for a narrower "girth." I am now at that point (22#'s in 5 months). Basil and tomatoes are "constants" in our garden.

Ted- When I read about your progress in PT and am now reading how PT is irritating your poor knee, I start believing that PT is pulling your "exercises" from their primary training manual written by the Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition. Good luck. Good Luck June 1st too.

 

[rswyan]

Stuart Hughes The Aquavista Dinosaur Gold edition - Stuart Hughes

RS, here's a little inspiration for you. ...

LOL ... yeah ... unfortunately no inspiration there for me I'm afraid.

Now Charlie Mueller talking on getting rare catfish to breed ... that would be inspiring (... and it was ... :thumbsup

 

[rswyan]

64F and sunny here at the house, although WB says it's mostly cloudy.

Got all the wood for the tank racks moved up to the garage yesterday from the basement. A little sanding left to do and can then start painting. A little more cleanup done in the basement and a lot done in the garage.

Started working on turning the big compost pile. Looks like I will have to drain the gas out of the Simplicity and probably pull the carb to get it going again. 25 Hours until the next service on the Kubota. Grass just keeps on growing.

 

[PJSprog]

64°F and light rain this morning, going up to 83° today. Looks like we're in for some hit-or-miss rain much of the day today.

We were part of that giant Windstream outage here at work on Friday. Our internet, email, and phones were down until about 2:30pm. Got a whole lot of nothing done most of the day. About 45 minutes after everything came back online, our IT person announced that the system needed to be shut down again. At that point, I shut everything off and went home early. Frustrating. Technology can be wonderful ... when it works. However, events like this aren't doing any good selling me on the "benefits" of cloud computing and service bundling.

Our favorite electrician was at the house bright and early Saturday morning to finish the wiring going to the barn. He spent most of his time up on a ladder working on removing the old mercury vapor dusk-to-dawn yard light (which was quite securely rusted in place), and replacing it with the new LED light. I got a 10K lumen one from Rural King, and I have to say, it definitely lights up the yard. Everything from the well house to the barn is bathed in light once again. He also wired in a switch in the well house so we can turn it off if we want. I helped him finish the overhead wire for the barn power as well. It's been several years since we've had power in the barn. The Wife's grandmother had a plumber come in to do some work, and his backhoe caught the line on his way into the yard. She told him, "Oh, that's OK. Don't worry about it." So, he didn't. (We also had to pay Helitech to seal the basement wall he cracked.) Anyway, it's good to have power out there again. No more running two 100' extension cords from the well house when I need power.



Next, I need to repair the broken water line that runs under the garden to the spigot out by the barn, so The Wife doesn't have to run a hose along the fence to get water to the chickens.

Went to a visitation and memorial service yesterday for an old friend who died recently. Wife took it hard, as he had been like a second brother to her growing up. He was always a good guy. Worked as an EMT, was a Master Diver and instructor, and volunteered with a local underwater rescue/recovery team. 51 is too young.