Showing posts with label Odds and Ends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Odds and Ends. Show all posts

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Odds And Ends


Random Stuff:

1.  Planted a Sourwood tree in the front yard (I have 2 in the back) .  The spot I wanted to plant it in was where a dead Beech tree was removed last Fall, and the spot was dense with old roots, so I planted it near the driveway.  

Plant of the week: Sourwood — a sour tree makes sweet honey | Experts ...

Which is probably a better spot anyway.  As I am rather inept at backing the car into the garage, I have to back it down the driveway.  I used to have 2 Golden Rain trees on either side next to the street as reference points.

Southern Lagniappe: The Glorious Golden Raintree

But one died and the other blew over in a storm.  They aren't strong trees.  Well, OK, my car has a backup camera but it gives no depth perception.  So a new tree will help.

2.  Bought a new keyboard specifically designed for a Mac.  Most previous ones were Mac/Windows compatible.  This one has keys I'm not familiar with (in the sense they are named rather than symboled).    I don't immediately know the difference between "control, option, command" keys.  So, of course, the delete and backspace keys are only symbol.  

And if there is a "sleep" key, I have yet to find it.  Which matters.  The "sleep" function on the Mac screen menu sometimes takes a dozen tries.  The sleep button on my old keyboard seldom needed 3 tries.

The key touch feels great.  The ad said "backlit" which seemed great, but it isn't really.  Its more "reflective".  But that helps some...  It's Yivandi.

BTW, if you put one side of the keyboard "just" on your mousepad, the mousepad doesn't move around.  ðŸ˜€

3.  Walmart has small chrysanthemums on sale for $1.24.  I planted 4 of them into larger pots hoping for a good Halloween display on the front step by then.  A carved pumpkin would be more impressive though.  I have a good cat design I downloaded from a free site.  The question is whether I have the carving skills.  

I do have a really thin tomato slicer, and I am used to preparing a lot of veggies for dinner.  So I probably won't lose any fingers.


4.  Bought a non-slip cat food mat.  Marley really pushes his bowl around.  And if his bowl touches another cat's bowl, he considers both "his".

5.  Bought a new front door welcome mat.  I always like those fuzzy ones with cat images and that say "wipe your paws",  but they don't weather well.  This one is rubber (and says the same thing), so it should last longer...  Can't manage an image of it from Amazon...  

6.  Laz chased an intruder cat from the yard.  He ran at it weirdly. Legs spread out.  He looked like a flying squirrel at grass level...  Cats are funny about attacks sometimes.  LC used to bounce at intruders.   Marley used to do a bunny hop and a leap at the end.   I suppose that anything weird is scary to an intruder.






Thursday, September 3, 2020

MANY ODD THINGS

Sometimes, a few days are just odd stuff:

1.  Got a first cucumber.  Mmm, good!
2.  First tomato fruit on the vine.  I planted late because I kept waiting for the rain to stop.  It hasn't yet.
3.  The flat Italian beans are finally coming in.  I have some every day.
4.  Watched a hornet catch some bug and eat it.  I made sure not to bother it.
5.  Found a dead possum in the backyard.  I put it in the drainage easement (wearing heavy rubber gloves).  There, it will decay fast and produce no smell as the water carries everything away. 
6.  Finally figured out the new car "Auto Stop&Start".  The description from the dealer was useless.  Finally looked it up in the manual.  Obvious.  Could have saved 3 months of annoyance.
7.  Figured out the cruise control, too.  The buttons to push made sense after looking at the manual, but icons are never clear UNTIL you see what the designer meant by it. 
8.  Have to call the bank.  They ordered checks for me at "no charge" and charged me.  I called in August and they agreed to issue a credit.  And they ordered new checks because there was an error in my name.  The new checks arrived perfectly, and the statement showed the credit.  But then they charged me for the new checks.  So, another call to fix that.
9.  I called a tech support place for help in getting my AOL email to my Apple email (much easier to use).  It cost #9.95 but "OK, they fixed it".  But the credit card statement had another 6 charges of $0.10 each for a bunch of "charities.  I issued a complaint to my credit card company.  They probably wondered why I bothered about 6 $0.10 charges.  Well, the charges would have continued.  And the credit card company had to do all the work resolving the issue. 
10.  My new Subaru came with an oddly small towing hitch.  1.25" coupler bar.  I ordered larger parts to adapt from Amazon.  Then realized it didn't matter.  The towing capacity is only that of the weakest part.  Amazon let me return them for free.  I love Amazon!
11.  Black-eyed Susans are taking over spots in my yard.  It started with a volunteer  10 years ago.  They have been finding places they like better ever since.  And since they bloom all Summer, I'm spreading them to let them find more places they like..
12.  Same with purple coneflowers.  They don't spread as quickly, but they do spread.  A yardful of yellow Black-Eyed-Susans and Purple Coneflowers wouldn't be the worst thing (and I have other perrenials.
13.  The Washington National baseball team is driving me crazy.  They won The World Series last year, but can't win a game this year.  They are the 2nd worst team.  They either win by like 12-2 or lose 5-4. 
14.  The basement heat pump has a tube to the laundry tub for pumping out collected water.  Heat pumps are also de-humidifiers.  Various things can go wrong.  The collection reservoir can get blocked with algae, the pan in the inside can get tilted over time and spill into the bottom (caused water to seep out at floor level.  I got overflow 2 weeks ago.  I cleared the tube with stiff wire, added a bit of bleach to the reservoir,  and laid down old towels to absorb the floor seepage.  It worked.
15.  If the rain doesn't stop for a few days, I am going to go quite mad.  The oil squishes everywhere I walk.  The grass lawn loves it!  And do the weeds everywhere.  And the Asian Tiger Mosquitos!!! 
16.  I really have to solve the chair problem.  The old one has a back to short to support my head, te new one doesn't allow me to cross my feet so the cats have "The Lap".  A big recliner I bought falls forward so much I slide off it.  I need to turn the big one over and limit its forward movement.  It's a great chair otherwise. 

There is more, but I have to stop somewhere...

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Random Thoughts

"EVIL":

1.  Moles and Voles are evil.
2.  Weeds are evil (poison ivy, english ivy, wild grapes, wild blackberries, invasive perennial flowers, mock strawberries, bindweed, thistles, those large plants with purple berries that stain your fingers [obviously I forget the name], and the horrid invasive vine that a previous neighbor planted and I can't find the name of either).
3.  Groundhogs are evil.
5.  Deer are evil too, but at least they are afraid to jump the backyard fence.  They just eat my front yard plants.
6.  The neighbor in the ugly McMansion across the street who mows his lawn a 7 am when I am trying to sleep is evil (even if he is a really cool guy otherwise).
7.  Both next-door neighbors are evil.  One set has a fallen over tree in the front yard and it has been sitting there for 3 years.  The other set tried to burn dry dead branches right under small dry trees and next to my wood fence.  And they didn't even have a garden hose in case things went bad (I told them to stop or I would call the fire department).  And I caught the husband using a weed whacker around my trees and shrubs 10' on my side of the property line.  "Death by weed-whacker" is an actual problem.
8.  The neighbor across the street and next to the McMansion is evil.  He and his girlfriend used to have screaming arguments at 3 am on weekends.  They moved out some years ago, but now they are back!  Who moves back to a rental place?
9.  Ryobi Tools - Its a string trimmer that won't handle grass or vines.  So I bought a replacement head with serrated plastic blades,  But I can't find the right size bolt to fit the drive shaft.  I've emailed Ryobi twice about the exact size and thread per inch, but they haven't responded.  They promised 48 hours.  Its been 5 days. As far as I can tell, it is either a 9/32nds or a 7mm reverse-threaded bolt and no one locally sells either.
10.  Neighbors 4 houses away who think that everyone within 1/2 mile wants to hear their outdoors music.

"GOOD":

1.  I have a Fall garden.  Beans, cukes, tomatoes, corn, squash, coles (brocolli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kohlrabi), carrots, beets, radishes, and flat italian pole beans.
2.  Dug up some black-eyed susans in the garden paths and moved them to the meadow bed.  If they survive, great, but they had to be removed from the paths anyway.
3.  This one is a bit odd.  I plant my tomatoes through a red plastic cover.  The red cover supposedly reflects sunlight that tomatoes absorb best AND deters insects.  But it is hard to water the plants.  So years ago, I bought some plastic tubes that attach to large soda bottles.  You cut the bottoms off the bottles, sick them in the soil and you fill them with water from the hose and it slowly drips into the root zone.  Got them cleaned and installed yesterday.  Some drained quickly, others didn't.  But all drained eventually.  I'll watch the leaves to make sure they aren't wilting.  A lot faster to water the tomatoes deeply that way.
4.  The cheap electric mower is great for trim work, but only lasts 10 minutes.  Still, its quiet, and light.
5.  The cheap small electric tiller works great.  If you cut the weeds down first and till shallowly at first pass.  Otherwise, the tines get roots wrapped around them and it takes work to unwrap them.  But it is great in close situations and shallow tilling.

"ODDS":

1.  My new Subaru Forester is too fancy.  I don't understand half of the displays.  Better sit down and study the manual.  I thought it was tricky, but one of the things I noticed in the old 2005 Toyota Highlander manual as I was cleaning it out was how many post-it notes I had to things that confused me then.  So I guess I'll learn about these things on the Forester.  I especially need to learn how to NOT have the Forester shut off when stopped at traffic lights.
2.  The deck gets too hot for the cats' tender paws.  The composite deck material gets to 120F.  So I bought 3 12'x2' strips of outdoor carpet.  Turns out the Home Depot store guy gave me "a couple extra inches" on each strip.  None of which are exactly the same width.  So I have to do some extra cutting.
3.  Related to the above, I think I will get a cover over half the deck.  I would get a retractable Sunsetter awning, but my deck-to-roof distance is too low.  I would cover the whole deck, but I have smoker/griller on one end and that needs free "up-space" for the heat and smoke.

That's almost enough, but I came across a funny thing all writers will understand...

STEPS FOR CURING WRITER'S BLOCK:

1.   

LOL!


Thursday, September 13, 2018

Odds and Ends

1.  I had to dispatch another groundhog a few days ago.  I've gotten in the habit of finding their burrows, stuffing the carcass into the opening, and covering the opening with the dirt from around the burrow.  Well, this last one made a weird entrance that was just under soil level.  I covered the carass and tamped down the soil.  I do that because I figure new varmints MUST sometimes intersect old burrows and the existence of a dead groundhog ought to discourage the new ones.

I noticed some movement around the burrow the next day, and realized there were 3 vultures standing on my toolshed!  I went out (and they flew away) and discovered just a slight exposure of the groundhog from pecking at the soil. 

I've seen nature shows that state that vultures find dead food only by sight.  They are wrong.  The burrow was not visible at all due to thick overhanging overgrowth.  They can smell as well as see.  After I covered the carcass with 4" more dirt, they came back the next day.  So then I covered it with heavy boards.  They haven't been back.

2.  I lost power today.  No storm, no lightning, it just went off for an hour.  That was a surprise.  The bigger surprise was that my computer went off.  I have a backup battery for it, but it didn't activate.  I did some chores by dim daylight (cleaned litterboxes, collected trash, prepared veggies and chicken for dinner, and listened to a battery backed-up radio.  I have buried electrical cables here, so outages are rare.  Which means I forget how much I depend on electricity.

I had to laugh at myself when I tried to open the garage door (electric opener), walked into rooms and flipped light switches, etc.  I've read that leaving too many electrical things on after a power failure can throw circuit breakers when the power returns from sudden demand, so I went around and turned off everything I could expect for a couple lights to let me know when the power returned.

3.  It has been raining for so long that my tomatoes and beans are dying.  I picked all the ripe tomatoes and most are cracked open from all the water and fungal diseases are rampant.  Fortunately, I have 3 tomato plants that are under the rainshadow of the overhanging roof.  I means that in dry times, I have to water them more, but in rain, they do better.  And they are all looking healthy and loaded with fruits.

4.  The mosquitos are breeding like crazy.  The ground is so wet, the larvae are surviving in places one would never expect.  Even when I drain planting pot saucers carefully each day, there is enough moisture left (and new rain) to keep them alive.  I even found some growing in a slight depression in a tree branch (I drilled a hole through the depression on advice from a garden site).

5.  The constant rain is depressing.  I stepped out on the deck yesterday just as the sun broke through briefly (must have been the one hole in the clouds for hundreds of square miles) and got a bit silly.  I pretended I was burned by the strange light in the sky.  As if I was Gollum tied with an Elven rope).  But seriously, everytime it isn't actually raining, I let the Mews out so they don't go stir-crazy.  They have been stuck inside so much for weeks, I'm cleaning the litterboxes 2 and even 3 times a day.  Which tells me how much of their "business" they do outside...

6.  I may have gotten the mower running again, but it isn't a happy engine.  I mentioned fishing some debris out of the gas tank.  It makes funny noises when it does start, so I suspect some debris has been sucked into the fuel tube.  I've looked, but the fuel line is cleverly hidden from DIYers like me.  I can't even figure out how to get at it.  I've lived here 30 years.  The first mower lasted 10 years.  This one is 20 years old.  It might be a good time to just buy a new one.  New ones cut better and more levelly and use less gas.  I might buy a "zero-turn mower".  And maybe I just want a new one.

7.  Speaking of "new ones", my Toyota Highlander is 13 years old.  Things are starting to go wrong.  It only has 28,500 miles on it (I don't drive much).  But age matters too.  Last year, I brought it in for regular maintenance.  They did the work, but suggested I replace the timing belt, all engine belts, and the waterpump.  IIRC, they suggested a cost of about $1,000.

I declined at the time, but they planted a seed of concern in my mind.  Now I worry about the timing belt breaking.  That means the car just STOPS and there isn't anything you can do about it.  You can only have it towed somewhere to have a lot of work done.

Well, I've been thinking it was time to replace the car.  I've been hoping to wait for a decent electric vehicle that could tow a small utility trailer (or even a fuel cell vehicle), but I don't think I can wait much longer.  

Because I called the dealer and asked about the cost of the timing belt and the other work.  Over $2,300!  I'll call a non-dealer repair shop and get an estimate, but it probably won't be much different.

Which leaves me in a slight dilemma.  I don't want a new car with all sorts of internet connections built in (privacy concerns plus I just wouldn't use them - but tell me why I might want them) and I don't like to buy used cars (someone traded it in for a reason). 

I am considering a new Toyota Highlander (for familiarity) or a Subaru Forester.  Both have top Consumer Reports ratings and I am used to SUVs.  Since I drive so little, gas mileage isn't a concern.  I also have some idea of buying a renovated car from my younger days plus a small electric-only vehicle for local errands. 

Oddly enough, a renovated Pontiac Bonneville Convertible or Eagle Vision (my 2 favorite cars I've owned) and a small electric wouldn't cost much more than a new Highlander (and there is a shop in town that specializes in services old cars). 

8.  I mentioned the house is 30 years old.  It needs work.  I redid the roof and siding a few years ago, but the inside is OLD.  30 year old cheap carpeting is literally something to sneeze at.  I'm almost afraid to vacuum it lest it just falls apart.  I'm fine with most of the house.  I don't need any walls removed, kitchen renovations, etc.  But my furniture is like that of a college grad in his first apartment with old hand-me-down mismatched stuff from the parents and leftovers from previous roommates.  I have windows that can't be opened, and plaster-patches left over from electric work 3 years ago.  It is bwyond DIY work for me.  I need to change all that and get a general contractor in here. 

9.  Time for a new Will, too.  What I arranged in the 90s doesn't match what I need today.  Different family needs, different charities, and my assets have changed too (the stock market I poured savings into in 2009 has been very very good to me). 

10.  The house is a mess.  I used to clean weekly before Dad moved here in 2012, I cleaned more often when he was here (to avoid listening to his beloved Fox News), but I've been lax since he left.  There may be some cobwebs in the tall corner of the staircase from his time here.  I need to spend some time catching up. 

11.  I have 2 toolsheds.  I built one 25 years ago.  The other was built by a professional 10 years ago.  Mine leaks.  If it ever stops raining before Winter, I will replace it.  Properly, this time.

Enough for now.






Looking Up

 While I was outside with The Mews, I laid back and looked up.  I thought the tree branches and the clouds were kind of nice. Nothing import...