Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[farmgirl19]

FG- 2 years ago I remember there were lots of people who were dregging their tanks and ponds because they had the opportunity........they were bone dry. I had just got my tractor and there were no pastures to shred and very little else to do with my new toy....erh I mean machine, so I had a place that I always wanted a pond, so wha-laa.......playtime.....I mean time to go to work. So that kept me occupied for a while and improved my FEL and Box Blade skills. I just don't want to go thru a drought like that anytime soon and I'm ready for this one to break.

Maybe we could work together......at the same time(not the same place) you do that dance that you do for rain, and I'll do my Indian Rain Dance and hopefully we'll break this drought once and for all.

I have to warn you though, the last time that I did that dance there was major flooding. My Great-grandmother never taught me the dance to turn it off.

Charlie

Native; I don't wish floods or other bad things on folks, but I don't think one could flood me out. House and barn are on a hill, and tank is the lowest point on the property. It could take a week's worth of heavy runoff, and probably only then, begin to fill. Let me know when we are dancing, this weekend, and I'm in! I look for an excuse to dance, so rain dancing is as good as any. Beats the heck out of the, "I'm washing the dishes" dance! Maybe I should go dig in the closet for my spike heeled dancing shoes, so that I can get really serious!

 

[jinman]

How dry is it? This afternoon I was setting sprinklers in my yard. I use impulse sprinklers that come with different sizes of nozzles. Anyhow, I set out one sprinkler and turned on the water. It worked great for about 10 seconds and then started dribbling. I quickly checked the hose and saw no kinks. So, I turned off the water and went to inspect the sprinkler, expecting to find dirt or trash in the nozzle. Wow! Was I ever shocked when I looked at the nozzle and saw a tail sticking out of the nozzle about 1/2" with an unmistakeable barb and venom sack on the end. It was a big ol' scorpion tail. I carefully checked the tail and it didn't move, so I removed the nozzle and the whole scorpion that had gone to stinger heaven. All I can figure is it must have crawled into the sprinkler's hose end when it was off the hose to find some water. He found water alright, lots and lots of water.

In the last month, we have probably found a dozen scorpions in the house. Some are dead, but most are quite lively. So far, nobody has discovered them the unfortunate way. I guess that's just part of living in this area. We keep our eyes open and rarely walk around without slippers or at least socks on.

 

[farmgirl19]

I see a scorpion on occasion. Luckily, not much more often than that. I am the barefoot girl, so if I am not working equipment, or at my job, I am usually barefoot, except in really cold weather. A dozen scorpions in the house would be a bit much for me, for the entire summer. I usually find one in the house each year, and several out on the firewood, if I move it, or am hauling from the pasture to the house to stack. Since that is a cooler weather chore, I try not to play with them too much. For some reason, scorpions give me the creeps. I am not snake phobic, but scorpions are another story. :shocked:

 

[jinman]

It's funny about my place, but we hardly ever see a snake. Just up the road about 1/2 mile, my wife saw a big 5' fat rattler laying in the road last week. I've only seen two little 18" rattlers in the 22 years I've owned this place. I've never seen a copperhead, but my neighbors on each side say they have seen them. I think maybe the woods around my house and trees in my yard attract scorpions. We don't leave outside lights on close to the house to keep down the bugs and crickets that scorpions feed on. Still, maybe they are attracted to my cedar siding or something. I see plenty of scorpions outside, but our normal number is one per week during the summer. For some reason, we've had many more in the last month than ever before, that's after spraying too. I have some sticky traps that work good, but I didn't think about them until just now. Maybe I need to set them where we've seen the most scorpions. My neighbor was seeing a lot of them in their house which is build right on a rock shelf in the woods. She got a blacklight and turned it on one night and the ceiling was crawling with them. I think I would have just burned the place down and started over. That would surely creep me out.

 

[farmgirl19]

OK, I don't consider myself a wimp, but if I saw my ceiling crawling with scorpions, I'd be looking to move, maybe even out of state! Now, I'm probably going to have nightmares about the darn things. :bawling:

Edit; jinman, I have cedar on the outside of my house, as well. I don't think that is the entire problem.

 

[pacerron]

. We don't leave outside lights on close to the house to keep down the bugs and crickets that scorpions feed on. Still, maybe they are attracted to my cedar siding or something. I see plenty of scorpions outside, but our normal number is one per week during the summer. For some reason, we've had many more in the last month than ever before, that's after spraying too.

By spraying, do you mean spraying all around the exterior of your house where the siding meets the foundation?

 

[bindian]

Awesome idea Ron.

On another note, we got two tenths of an inch today. Forecast is looking for that future storm Ingrid could come into the western gulf and hose us down good. That would overflow both ponds and I am fine with that.
hugs, Brandi

 

[farmgirl19]

I'll call to the little hurricane, to come play in my backyard! Should get the rest of you wet in the process!

 

[Bird]

I think I was about 6 years old one summer when a scorpion got in bed with me. When I was first stung, I thought there must be a bee in the room, so I pulled the sheet up over my head. Then I got stung on one hand and I figured that hand was outside the covers, so I made sure I had my hands under there. And on the third sting, I realized something was under the covers with me, so I came out of bed yelling. When my parents came in the room and turned on a light, there was a scorpion on my pillow.

Now I figure any time I see a scorpion in the house is going to be time for some drastic measures. The first or second night we were in a new house on the north side of Carrollton in 1972, I killed one scorpion on the wall and one on the floor. And I had a professional exterminator there the next day.

 

[jinman]

By spraying, do you mean spraying all around the exterior of your house where the siding meets the foundation?

Yes, and two feet out from the foundation. We also spray around all doors and windows and inside around walls. I'm not certain, but I think the darn scorpions could be coming into the walls from around the fireplace.

EDIT: Yep, we had a professional extinguisher on contract for a year and didn't notice any appreciable difference in the quantity of scorpions. He's the one who gave me a handful of sticky-traps.