I had the oddest experience today. Something that hasn't happened to me since I was about 11. Those many years ago, we kids were playing outside and realized that it was raining in our yard, but NOT across the street!
Well, it finally happened again! I was watching the rain suddenly pouring down in the front yard, so I went to the back to watch the rain gauge fill up. Nothing! It WASN"T raining in the back yard. Not a drop.
Convinced I was just not seeing it, I went out on the deck. Dry! I even went out in the yard because sometimes the trees absorb a lot of rain at first. Nothing! It was several minutes before rain finally started falling in the back.
Talk about being on the edge of a cloud!!! Has this ever happened to you?
Friday, August 12, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Forced Shopping
This is NOT an advertisement for Walmart, though it may seem like one. It's just that I had a massive shopping trip (for a reason).
For a week, there has been utility digging in the neighborhood. A large sign said the electricity would be off Aug 1 from 8 am to 1 pm. So I planned for it. I had left my car for a battery problem at the dealership last week and the Walmart is right across the street. I spent the scheduled service hour wandering through the store and found a number of things I could use, plus some things I didn't know Walmart carried (they have expanded their food area). I didn't want to buy anything then because I would have had to haul it all back to the car dealership.
But I planned yesterday carefully. The power was to go off at 8 am (and the temperature was forecast for the upper 90s). And I know that scheduled outages get extended sometimes. So I got up at 6 am and cranked the A/C down to 65, showered, got dressed, made breakfast. I took the car out of the garage (electric door). At 7:45, I checked the computer, shut it down, and turned off the backup battery, and unplugged the emergency outage lights.
The power went off at 8:15. As planned, I went outside to do some garden weeding and random yardwork in the "cool" of the morning (it was already 85). I came inside at 10 am and the house temp was up to 70 already and no air circulation. So I went on my planned shopping expedition.
First, to places that sold stuff Walmart doesn't (or has but is junk). I started at the Home Depot (Big Box DIY store). I have had several burst hoses lately (they are all getting old) so I wanted commercial-grade, and I needed a couple good new hose sprayers too. Plus I am trying to design a stand for attaching a nozzle to so that I don't have to stand around holding a nozzle all day when I water the gardens. I needed to just see what basic stuff I might use.
Got to the Home Depot and found 2 nice hose nozzles. Damn, I forgot to pace off the lengths of hoses I wanted to replace. I'll have to get those later. And I forgot to get 2 more quick-connect male connections. Later on those too. Any shopping list is guaranteed to be incomplete.
From there, I went to PetsMart. Petco has the higher-quality stuff, but where they both have the same product, PetsMart is cheaper. I wanted a 3rd cat carrier (3 cats - 3 carriers) and a collar for Iza (she lost another one). I found a nice new red collar for Iza (this one is even reflective). It was hard deciding on a new carrier (trying to judge the size from memory of the other ones at home). I already have a small one (fine for Ayla at 7 pounds) and a larger one (fine for Iza at 12 pounds). But I decided that Marley is probably going to get near 16 pounds at the rate he is growing, so I got an even larger one. AND it has a TOP opening door! It has a front one too. I never saw that before! I decided to pass on the customized pad at $12; I have lots of old towels.
To my surprise, PetsMart is now carrying Eukanuba kibble. I hadn't seen it there before. Cheaper than Petco by $3! Grabbed a bag. I have some already, but it will last.
So then it was on to Walmart. Some of their own brand stuff is well-rated by Consumer Reports magazine, and I go there for those anyway. But when they sell the same brand name product at 75% of the regular price as other places, I'd be a fool not to shop there.
I bought/guesstimate savings:
Kleenex 3 packs/25%
Tidy-Cat litter/40%
Toilet paper/30%
A single outstanding car mat/(not found elsewhere)
Low sodium V8 juice/33%
Tea (regular and decaffinated)/50%
Narrow spatula (sharp-edged and heat resistant/it was only 88 cents!
A pill splitter (for vitamins and cat pills)10%
Sodas/10%
Spices/20%
Nestle's Quick (no sugar added)/20%
Candy (I have a weakness for Hershey Hugs and Dove Raspberry Dark Chocolate)/20%
A hand-held fertilizer dispenser (for where the yard-type one can't go)/not found elsewhere
Pajama shorts/ impulse purchase
Thick work socks (my gardening shoes are just a little large)/just seemed a good deal
Picture of the loot...
And the new cat carrier. I hope whoever thought of putting a door ON THE TOP got a HUGE bonus for that idea!
Oh, about that car mat... I have had this flimsy car mat from the previous car and it keeps sagging and folding under the pedals. I have to straighten it out every time I drive. I was going to rubber-cement it to a piece of old chairmat to stiffen it. Partly because auto places only sell mats in 4-packs (2 front, 2 back) for about $30. This single one is all I need, it is thick and ribbed and it cost about $5!
Usually, I just go to Walmart for a few specific things. I'm usually there for the kitty litter (they sell the 35# bucket for less than the pet stores sell the 27# bucket) and the V8 juice. But when they sell brand name stuff at half-price, I gotta shop there...
I'll give an interesting example of how bulk changes prices. When I moved here 25 years ago, one of the first things I bought from a local hardware store was a benchtop table saw. 3 months later, the first Big Box DIY store opened and they had the exact model for half the price and it wasn't even "on sale". Just their regular price. I felt robbed!
Another thing... I had been looking on the net for a wall "clock" that gave date/day/time digitally in big letters. Couldn't find one. Walmart had one. And it gives the outside temperature, indoor temperature and indoor humidity. AND keeps the clock accurate by radio signal. For $20!
Another thing... I had been wanting a "touch-on" bedside lamp for years. I found one at Home Depot for $40. It broke in months. They didn't sell it anymore. Walmart had one, one time. Two per box actually. For $20. Working fine after several years.
But anyway, it was a great day shopping. It's not something I do often, so it was great fun! But it worked out perfectly. When I got home, the power was back on, and one clock I have counts the time from power-on. It was only 15 minutes. I pretty much timed it perfectly.
For a week, there has been utility digging in the neighborhood. A large sign said the electricity would be off Aug 1 from 8 am to 1 pm. So I planned for it. I had left my car for a battery problem at the dealership last week and the Walmart is right across the street. I spent the scheduled service hour wandering through the store and found a number of things I could use, plus some things I didn't know Walmart carried (they have expanded their food area). I didn't want to buy anything then because I would have had to haul it all back to the car dealership.
But I planned yesterday carefully. The power was to go off at 8 am (and the temperature was forecast for the upper 90s). And I know that scheduled outages get extended sometimes. So I got up at 6 am and cranked the A/C down to 65, showered, got dressed, made breakfast. I took the car out of the garage (electric door). At 7:45, I checked the computer, shut it down, and turned off the backup battery, and unplugged the emergency outage lights.
The power went off at 8:15. As planned, I went outside to do some garden weeding and random yardwork in the "cool" of the morning (it was already 85). I came inside at 10 am and the house temp was up to 70 already and no air circulation. So I went on my planned shopping expedition.
First, to places that sold stuff Walmart doesn't (or has but is junk). I started at the Home Depot (Big Box DIY store). I have had several burst hoses lately (they are all getting old) so I wanted commercial-grade, and I needed a couple good new hose sprayers too. Plus I am trying to design a stand for attaching a nozzle to so that I don't have to stand around holding a nozzle all day when I water the gardens. I needed to just see what basic stuff I might use.
Got to the Home Depot and found 2 nice hose nozzles. Damn, I forgot to pace off the lengths of hoses I wanted to replace. I'll have to get those later. And I forgot to get 2 more quick-connect male connections. Later on those too. Any shopping list is guaranteed to be incomplete.
From there, I went to PetsMart. Petco has the higher-quality stuff, but where they both have the same product, PetsMart is cheaper. I wanted a 3rd cat carrier (3 cats - 3 carriers) and a collar for Iza (she lost another one). I found a nice new red collar for Iza (this one is even reflective). It was hard deciding on a new carrier (trying to judge the size from memory of the other ones at home). I already have a small one (fine for Ayla at 7 pounds) and a larger one (fine for Iza at 12 pounds). But I decided that Marley is probably going to get near 16 pounds at the rate he is growing, so I got an even larger one. AND it has a TOP opening door! It has a front one too. I never saw that before! I decided to pass on the customized pad at $12; I have lots of old towels.
To my surprise, PetsMart is now carrying Eukanuba kibble. I hadn't seen it there before. Cheaper than Petco by $3! Grabbed a bag. I have some already, but it will last.
So then it was on to Walmart. Some of their own brand stuff is well-rated by Consumer Reports magazine, and I go there for those anyway. But when they sell the same brand name product at 75% of the regular price as other places, I'd be a fool not to shop there.
I bought/guesstimate savings:
Kleenex 3 packs/25%
Tidy-Cat litter/40%
Toilet paper/30%
A single outstanding car mat/(not found elsewhere)
Low sodium V8 juice/33%
Tea (regular and decaffinated)/50%
Narrow spatula (sharp-edged and heat resistant/it was only 88 cents!
A pill splitter (for vitamins and cat pills)10%
Sodas/10%
Spices/20%
Nestle's Quick (no sugar added)/20%
Candy (I have a weakness for Hershey Hugs and Dove Raspberry Dark Chocolate)/20%
A hand-held fertilizer dispenser (for where the yard-type one can't go)/not found elsewhere
Pajama shorts/ impulse purchase
Thick work socks (my gardening shoes are just a little large)/just seemed a good deal
Picture of the loot...
Oh, about that car mat... I have had this flimsy car mat from the previous car and it keeps sagging and folding under the pedals. I have to straighten it out every time I drive. I was going to rubber-cement it to a piece of old chairmat to stiffen it. Partly because auto places only sell mats in 4-packs (2 front, 2 back) for about $30. This single one is all I need, it is thick and ribbed and it cost about $5!
Usually, I just go to Walmart for a few specific things. I'm usually there for the kitty litter (they sell the 35# bucket for less than the pet stores sell the 27# bucket) and the V8 juice. But when they sell brand name stuff at half-price, I gotta shop there...
I'll give an interesting example of how bulk changes prices. When I moved here 25 years ago, one of the first things I bought from a local hardware store was a benchtop table saw. 3 months later, the first Big Box DIY store opened and they had the exact model for half the price and it wasn't even "on sale". Just their regular price. I felt robbed!
Another thing... I had been looking on the net for a wall "clock" that gave date/day/time digitally in big letters. Couldn't find one. Walmart had one. And it gives the outside temperature, indoor temperature and indoor humidity. AND keeps the clock accurate by radio signal. For $20!
Another thing... I had been wanting a "touch-on" bedside lamp for years. I found one at Home Depot for $40. It broke in months. They didn't sell it anymore. Walmart had one, one time. Two per box actually. For $20. Working fine after several years.
But anyway, it was a great day shopping. It's not something I do often, so it was great fun! But it worked out perfectly. When I got home, the power was back on, and one clock I have counts the time from power-on. It was only 15 minutes. I pretty much timed it perfectly.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
New Cat Tree
We have a new cat tree in the house. Actually, I assembled it several weeks ago, but with one thing and another (mostly Ayla's surprise medical problems), there wasn't wasn't a good time for the cats to post it on their own blog. So I held off posting about it here until they could.
Here it is each step of the way:
Here it is each step of the way:
Monday, August 1, 2011
Weeding The Flowerbed
Between getting into a daytime sleep-cycle, the brutal heat of a couple weeks ago (but not much better now), and Ayla having medical complications all last week, the weeds took over! It sure doesn't take them long to grow and for me to get behind...
This is where I planted annuals this year. I had a large area where some evil runner grass had taken over last Fall. I dug it out carefully, but some came back this Spring.
I lifted the perennials out and searched through their roots for runners, then moved them elsewhere mostly to make larger patches of their same kind. My columbine patch is now double in size, for example.
Then I dug the runner grass out again using a spading fork to loosen the soil so that I could follow all the runners several inches underground and slide them out carefully . That worked very well. There is almost none left.
But all that digging brought a lot of other weed seeds to the surface and the planted annual bed exploded with them. As you can see here...
Here's a closeup of one part for reference.
This is the same spot after I spent over an hour of weeding. Remarkably better.
After the 1st effort I had plenty left to do...
And here is that same section after today's work!
An overview of the entire weeded area!
But that is just the annual area. As you can see, I have a few more days of work waiting for me. This spot won't be TOO bad. Most of that is actually non-weedy perennials that have already bloomed for the year and weeds in the garden path that will come up from the pea gravel easily.
This area will be harder. There are several kinds of weeds with thin roots that break off easily. That means digging.
This will be difficult, too. The close growing dianthus makes it hard to get at the wiregrass and mock strawberry embedded among them.
At least those areas are shaded after 4 pm. But did I mentioned my area is infested with Asian Tiger Mosquitoes? Deet works well enough on my arms and neck, but they still swarm around my face looking for a place to land!
And then I spent over an hour hand watering the weeded area and some parts that were most desperate. I'll water the rest of the flower and garden later when the shade arrives.
Well, I'll have more pictures when I make more progress...
This is where I planted annuals this year. I had a large area where some evil runner grass had taken over last Fall. I dug it out carefully, but some came back this Spring.
I lifted the perennials out and searched through their roots for runners, then moved them elsewhere mostly to make larger patches of their same kind. My columbine patch is now double in size, for example.
Then I dug the runner grass out again using a spading fork to loosen the soil so that I could follow all the runners several inches underground and slide them out carefully . That worked very well. There is almost none left.
But all that digging brought a lot of other weed seeds to the surface and the planted annual bed exploded with them. As you can see here...
And then I spent over an hour hand watering the weeded area and some parts that were most desperate. I'll water the rest of the flower and garden later when the shade arrives.
Well, I'll have more pictures when I make more progress...
Friday, July 29, 2011
Its Been A Hard Week
Well, I should summarize the week...
Sunday - Ayla suddenly started extruding pus from her vulva. I spent the afternoon and night keeping her as clean as I could.
Monday - Brought Ayla to my regular vet first thing in the morning. He did some tests to eliminate urinary infections, then did x-rays to search for a reproductive tract problem. He scheduled surgery for Tuesday.
Tuesday - Ayla was opened for exploratory surgery first thing in the morning. At noon, the vet called to say that he had found the spayed uterus remnant was infected, which led him to discover her left ovary was intact. He removed both. Considering that the breeder's vet had done both a first and a followup spay operation, he was quite surprised! I was very angry towards the breeder's vet.
Ayla (and I) have gone through frequent and lengthy heat cycles for 3 years. Most times lasting for 10 days separated by 2 weeks of calm. Occasionally, there was a whole month between heat episodes. The news that my vet had found the cause was a matter of extreme joy. I was thrilled. The $800 was well worth all the trouble.
Tuesday night I picked Ayla up to give her the antibiotic, and I discovered she was dripping with red stuff all over the incision. I assumed it was blood and brought her to an emergency pet hospital. I was there for 2 hours. The ER vet put a pressure bandage on her, did some tests, and decided she should see my regular vet in the morning.
Wednesday - My vet was upset and distressed that I had had to go through all the ER stuff. He explained that scar tissue is difficult to seal and that sometimes there is seepage. But he apologized for not having advised my of that, and I am OK with the apology. It DID cost me $1,000 at the ER hospital to learn that Ayla COULD have just lain on a thick towel all night. The ER vet COULD have told me that, but he is running a business and I DID request service. It was still pretty shoddy, though.
Anyway, my vet kept her for observation and examination all day at no charge.
Thursday - Brought Ayla back to my vet for further observation. He found the incision healing, not seeping, and he removed the IV catheter. No charge, more apology, and lots of discussion. And he gave me his home phone number in case of night time problems.
I hate the cone she has to wear, so I went out and bought an inflatable collar (XS dog collar, if you want to find one for a small cat, S for a regular size cat). Ayla doesn't mind the inflatable collar, it even seems to make a decent pillow!
Friday - Ayla is alert and walking around, eating, and drinking. She seems fine now, healing well with no "sera" seepage.
I spent the morning giving her lots of attention and scritching the itchy incision area that she can't get at with the inflatable collar. She enjoyed that a LOT!
In the afternoon, I unwound by watering the veggie and flower gardens. I have a nice system. Stab a spading fork with a "D" handle in the ground, fit a hose nozzle in the handle (most will fit one way or another), and turn the water on for 5 full minutes at each spot. Move the spade and repeat. All afternoon! Sit in a chair in the shade and drink a beer while listening to classical music on a little boom box. Very relaxing and theraputive.
It was 100+ outside, but I was sitting in the shade and there was a slight breeze. There was water spraying, birds around, etc. I NEEDED that!
Speaking of the gardens, the reason I was watering was because we are so dry here in MD. There have been rains, but brief and hard and not much for several weeks. How dry has it been? The hosta bed still has dry crunchy leaves from last Fall. They won't decompose! Too dry.
More bad news! A sign at the entrance to my neighborhood advises that electricity will be turned off for 5 hours August 1st! Oh joy... The forecast for that day is over 100 again. I see that Verizon is digging up the neighborhood for some reason, so that must be the cause.
More bad news! Have you ever used a garden hose and forgotten to turn the water off? And the hose burst? And not gone out there for 2 days? That happened to me Tuesday. I don't know exactly when the hose burst. If I am lucky, it burst just before I went out and noticed. If I am unlucky, it happened shortly after I went inside and it spewed water for 2 days. And, of course, the water was not even spewing near any of my plants... I will find out on the next quarterly bill.
More bad news! Because of Ayla's apparently finally successful spay Tuesday, I contacted a radio vet show (The Animal House). I had been a guest in June of last year discussing unsuccessfully "Twice-Spayed Ayla, and they asked for followup. So I was scheduled for a taping Wed afternoon. Well, Wed morning I had been up all night and morning, so I had to call to cancel (because I needed to collapse in bed). They didn't want to reschedule for the next week, so they are just going to read the email I sent them. I sure wish I could have been on-air to talk to them. That would have been thrilling! I guess I missed my 15 minutes of fame...
It will be broadcast in August and I will give details for that later.
I think it is finally safe to have "too much to drink tonight"! And I plan to. I just haven't decided whether it will be my favorite cheap wine (Twisted vine Zinfandel) or my own Sling recipe (1/2 oz gin, 1/2 oz pomegranate liquer, a shot of real pomegranate juice, fill up the glass with ginger ale over ice, and drink through straw).
I HAVE had worse weeks, but not often, and this one ranks way up on the list. My baby sister died last Summer, Mom died last Fall, Skeeter died in Dec 2008, LC died in Jan 2010, I failed out of college in 1975 (I returned and graduated in 1993), and I got fired from a job because I couldn't roll tires off a truck fast enough. All considered, I think this week places 5th. Maybe 6th because I think at least Ayla IS finally spayed and that's good.
Sunday - Ayla suddenly started extruding pus from her vulva. I spent the afternoon and night keeping her as clean as I could.
Monday - Brought Ayla to my regular vet first thing in the morning. He did some tests to eliminate urinary infections, then did x-rays to search for a reproductive tract problem. He scheduled surgery for Tuesday.
Tuesday - Ayla was opened for exploratory surgery first thing in the morning. At noon, the vet called to say that he had found the spayed uterus remnant was infected, which led him to discover her left ovary was intact. He removed both. Considering that the breeder's vet had done both a first and a followup spay operation, he was quite surprised! I was very angry towards the breeder's vet.
Ayla (and I) have gone through frequent and lengthy heat cycles for 3 years. Most times lasting for 10 days separated by 2 weeks of calm. Occasionally, there was a whole month between heat episodes. The news that my vet had found the cause was a matter of extreme joy. I was thrilled. The $800 was well worth all the trouble.
Tuesday night I picked Ayla up to give her the antibiotic, and I discovered she was dripping with red stuff all over the incision. I assumed it was blood and brought her to an emergency pet hospital. I was there for 2 hours. The ER vet put a pressure bandage on her, did some tests, and decided she should see my regular vet in the morning.
Wednesday - My vet was upset and distressed that I had had to go through all the ER stuff. He explained that scar tissue is difficult to seal and that sometimes there is seepage. But he apologized for not having advised my of that, and I am OK with the apology. It DID cost me $1,000 at the ER hospital to learn that Ayla COULD have just lain on a thick towel all night. The ER vet COULD have told me that, but he is running a business and I DID request service. It was still pretty shoddy, though.
Anyway, my vet kept her for observation and examination all day at no charge.
Thursday - Brought Ayla back to my vet for further observation. He found the incision healing, not seeping, and he removed the IV catheter. No charge, more apology, and lots of discussion. And he gave me his home phone number in case of night time problems.
I hate the cone she has to wear, so I went out and bought an inflatable collar (XS dog collar, if you want to find one for a small cat, S for a regular size cat). Ayla doesn't mind the inflatable collar, it even seems to make a decent pillow!
Friday - Ayla is alert and walking around, eating, and drinking. She seems fine now, healing well with no "sera" seepage.
I spent the morning giving her lots of attention and scritching the itchy incision area that she can't get at with the inflatable collar. She enjoyed that a LOT!
In the afternoon, I unwound by watering the veggie and flower gardens. I have a nice system. Stab a spading fork with a "D" handle in the ground, fit a hose nozzle in the handle (most will fit one way or another), and turn the water on for 5 full minutes at each spot. Move the spade and repeat. All afternoon! Sit in a chair in the shade and drink a beer while listening to classical music on a little boom box. Very relaxing and theraputive.
It was 100+ outside, but I was sitting in the shade and there was a slight breeze. There was water spraying, birds around, etc. I NEEDED that!
Speaking of the gardens, the reason I was watering was because we are so dry here in MD. There have been rains, but brief and hard and not much for several weeks. How dry has it been? The hosta bed still has dry crunchy leaves from last Fall. They won't decompose! Too dry.
More bad news! A sign at the entrance to my neighborhood advises that electricity will be turned off for 5 hours August 1st! Oh joy... The forecast for that day is over 100 again. I see that Verizon is digging up the neighborhood for some reason, so that must be the cause.
More bad news! Have you ever used a garden hose and forgotten to turn the water off? And the hose burst? And not gone out there for 2 days? That happened to me Tuesday. I don't know exactly when the hose burst. If I am lucky, it burst just before I went out and noticed. If I am unlucky, it happened shortly after I went inside and it spewed water for 2 days. And, of course, the water was not even spewing near any of my plants... I will find out on the next quarterly bill.
More bad news! Because of Ayla's apparently finally successful spay Tuesday, I contacted a radio vet show (The Animal House). I had been a guest in June of last year discussing unsuccessfully "Twice-Spayed Ayla, and they asked for followup. So I was scheduled for a taping Wed afternoon. Well, Wed morning I had been up all night and morning, so I had to call to cancel (because I needed to collapse in bed). They didn't want to reschedule for the next week, so they are just going to read the email I sent them. I sure wish I could have been on-air to talk to them. That would have been thrilling! I guess I missed my 15 minutes of fame...
It will be broadcast in August and I will give details for that later.
I think it is finally safe to have "too much to drink tonight"! And I plan to. I just haven't decided whether it will be my favorite cheap wine (Twisted vine Zinfandel) or my own Sling recipe (1/2 oz gin, 1/2 oz pomegranate liquer, a shot of real pomegranate juice, fill up the glass with ginger ale over ice, and drink through straw).
I HAVE had worse weeks, but not often, and this one ranks way up on the list. My baby sister died last Summer, Mom died last Fall, Skeeter died in Dec 2008, LC died in Jan 2010, I failed out of college in 1975 (I returned and graduated in 1993), and I got fired from a job because I couldn't roll tires off a truck fast enough. All considered, I think this week places 5th. Maybe 6th because I think at least Ayla IS finally spayed and that's good.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Door Visitors
I had a strange visitor today. Someone selling garbage collection service. She asked how many bags of garbage I had per mnth. I said "one" She looked at me oddly and repeated the questin, emphasizing "month". I laughed and said "really, one per month". I don't think she believed me...
SO I asked if they would pick up one bag per month for $5. That's what it costs me at the landfill. She said weekly pickup was $42/month. I laughed.
Then she said they could do bulk pickup for $30 per ton. I pointed to my hauling trailer at the street. She said I was very weird and left. "Yes, yes I am" (a la Phineas and Ferb). And I love it...
LOL!
SO I asked if they would pick up one bag per month for $5. That's what it costs me at the landfill. She said weekly pickup was $42/month. I laughed.
Then she said they could do bulk pickup for $30 per ton. I pointed to my hauling trailer at the street. She said I was very weird and left. "Yes, yes I am" (a la Phineas and Ferb). And I love it...
LOL!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Planning To Move
I would like to move. For many reasons. As I mentioned last time, it is getting hard to garden here, and that is a major hobby these days. But the neighborhood is going downhill (crazy drunk neighbors and gang fights becoming more common).
Parts of the yard have always been a problem. I live at the bottom of a long sloping neighborhood, the front yard has standing water for days after heavy rains. I'm across the street from a swamp (something no one pointed out when I bought the property) and the mosquitos are fierce. When the Asian Tiger mosquitoes moved into the area, it got worse. I get bitten just going out to get my mail! Some of the very old huge trees near the house are looking weaker, and I don't want to be here when one finally falls on it (and it would cost a fortune to have them removed). The house is 25 years old and will need serious maintenance in the next 10 years (roof, driveway, fence, deck).
I'm 61 years old and need to plan for my older years and I am getting tired of stairs. I want a flat house! Nothing big. Basically, a ranch house with an attached garage and a workshop. I have been finding some decent houseplans.
And, I have to admit, I did a lot of DIY stuff when I moved in here that I wasn't experienced at (and before I had decent equipment). I want to just escape all that and start fresh (I'll limit my future DIY to furniture and birdfeeders)! I chose this place because it HAD mature trees. I'll choose the next place because it DOESN'T. I'll hope to cover a new open roof with solar panels and put in a geothermal heat pump. A system that just blows in 50 degree air from the cool underground all Summer sounds very good to me.
I would LOVE to start landscaping again from scratch. I did everything piecemeal, and it never did quite come together. Its not UGLY, but a fresh start would be nice. I could stay and try to fix everything the way I want it, but some parts (like the shady neighbor trees) can't be fixed.
But the idea of moving is daunting! I have SO MUCH stuff accumulated. And the idea of moving all my heavy woodworking equipment seems difficult and expensive. Cabinet saw, floor drill press, joiner, planer, radial arm saw. Same with the yard equipment: Riding mower, push mower, chipper, tiller, snowblower, large slow-smoker; stuff a yard person accumulates in 25 years...
Then there is all the inside stuff. The major furniture is simple to move, and I don't have that much of it. No sofas, big chairs, beds, etc. A waterbed folds up into small parts. Its all the small stuff... I guess I could have several yard sales. But I have so many small things difficult to pack up.
The last time I moved, I was renting. I had to pack up a dozen boxes of books, kitchen plates and cookware, a few standard pieces of furniture, a few boxes of hand tools, and a simple bedroom. I have 10 times as much stuff now, at least! And I want to keep most of it. It's scary, but I am making plans...
Parts of the yard have always been a problem. I live at the bottom of a long sloping neighborhood, the front yard has standing water for days after heavy rains. I'm across the street from a swamp (something no one pointed out when I bought the property) and the mosquitos are fierce. When the Asian Tiger mosquitoes moved into the area, it got worse. I get bitten just going out to get my mail! Some of the very old huge trees near the house are looking weaker, and I don't want to be here when one finally falls on it (and it would cost a fortune to have them removed). The house is 25 years old and will need serious maintenance in the next 10 years (roof, driveway, fence, deck).
I'm 61 years old and need to plan for my older years and I am getting tired of stairs. I want a flat house! Nothing big. Basically, a ranch house with an attached garage and a workshop. I have been finding some decent houseplans.
And, I have to admit, I did a lot of DIY stuff when I moved in here that I wasn't experienced at (and before I had decent equipment). I want to just escape all that and start fresh (I'll limit my future DIY to furniture and birdfeeders)! I chose this place because it HAD mature trees. I'll choose the next place because it DOESN'T. I'll hope to cover a new open roof with solar panels and put in a geothermal heat pump. A system that just blows in 50 degree air from the cool underground all Summer sounds very good to me.
I would LOVE to start landscaping again from scratch. I did everything piecemeal, and it never did quite come together. Its not UGLY, but a fresh start would be nice. I could stay and try to fix everything the way I want it, but some parts (like the shady neighbor trees) can't be fixed.
But the idea of moving is daunting! I have SO MUCH stuff accumulated. And the idea of moving all my heavy woodworking equipment seems difficult and expensive. Cabinet saw, floor drill press, joiner, planer, radial arm saw. Same with the yard equipment: Riding mower, push mower, chipper, tiller, snowblower, large slow-smoker; stuff a yard person accumulates in 25 years...
Then there is all the inside stuff. The major furniture is simple to move, and I don't have that much of it. No sofas, big chairs, beds, etc. A waterbed folds up into small parts. Its all the small stuff... I guess I could have several yard sales. But I have so many small things difficult to pack up.
The last time I moved, I was renting. I had to pack up a dozen boxes of books, kitchen plates and cookware, a few standard pieces of furniture, a few boxes of hand tools, and a simple bedroom. I have 10 times as much stuff now, at least! And I want to keep most of it. It's scary, but I am making plans...
Monday, July 25, 2011
Aquarium, Finished
Having finally gotten the plant light stand finished, I went after the aquarium again. I tried sealing the leak in the old one twice, and failed. Evidently, a structural failure in the glass just resists sealing.
So I bought a replacement 30 gallon high tank and got it in place. It took a lot of pitchers of water to pill it 1/2 way. I added all the plastic plants in. I set a 12" long bubble aerator in place. Oddly, it works better than it used to. Bubbles all along the length instead on just in 2 spots. I have no idea why, but I'm glad of it.
It was also good to get the several stylers of fake plants arranged into groups. It looks a lot more natural now. "Natural" being a relative term in such an artificial environment. But I do what I can.
It is not a really fancy aquarium. I have 8 tiger barbs, a few old serpa tetra, a couple of some rasbora that got added to a bag once by a really incompetent Wal Mart employee, and one really old plecostomus plecostomus (hypostomus plecostomus?). That guy (gal?) is 8" long and my favorite indidual fish. I think it is about 10 years old. Possibly 15. I didn't record the date.
It is SO LARGE I can't get it in a net. To get it out of the old tank, I had to use a sieve. To get it out of the temp tank, I had to put a pitcher in the water and encourage it to "hide" in there while I covered the opening with a net. Fish are very strong. I grabbed the pleco once and, at 8 ounces, it was like handling an angry cat! And it had spines! Not easy to handle.
So it was a relief to discover I could offer it a lace to hide in a pitcher and then cover the pitcher up with a net and slide it into the new tank!!!
You know where the pleco likes to hide? Along the back of a piece of petrified wood! You know where that petrified wood came from? My dad brought it home one day in (guessing) 1957! I've had that ever since and it is precious to me. Cuz Dad gave it to me and I know about fossilized trees.
Hurray for the Pleco! And hurray for the new fish tank! I'm so glad it is finally up and running again.
So I bought a replacement 30 gallon high tank and got it in place. It took a lot of pitchers of water to pill it 1/2 way. I added all the plastic plants in. I set a 12" long bubble aerator in place. Oddly, it works better than it used to. Bubbles all along the length instead on just in 2 spots. I have no idea why, but I'm glad of it.
It was also good to get the several stylers of fake plants arranged into groups. It looks a lot more natural now. "Natural" being a relative term in such an artificial environment. But I do what I can.
It is not a really fancy aquarium. I have 8 tiger barbs, a few old serpa tetra, a couple of some rasbora that got added to a bag once by a really incompetent Wal Mart employee, and one really old plecostomus plecostomus (hypostomus plecostomus?). That guy (gal?) is 8" long and my favorite indidual fish. I think it is about 10 years old. Possibly 15. I didn't record the date.
So it was a relief to discover I could offer it a lace to hide in a pitcher and then cover the pitcher up with a net and slide it into the new tank!!!
You know where the pleco likes to hide? Along the back of a piece of petrified wood! You know where that petrified wood came from? My dad brought it home one day in (guessing) 1957! I've had that ever since and it is precious to me. Cuz Dad gave it to me and I know about fossilized trees.
Hurray for the Pleco! And hurray for the new fish tank! I'm so glad it is finally up and running again.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
The Aquarium
I mentioned weeks ago I had a problem with the fresh water "30 gallon high" aquarium. It popped a fracture in the glass and leaked slowly. I spend a long afternoon dragging stuff out of a deep closet to finally get at an old "20 gallon long aquarium" (same base size as 30 gal high). I successfully moved all the fish to the 20 gallon long sitting on the floor (so I could siphon the water down).
I emptied the 30 gallon high of water, took out the plastic plants, and scooped out the gravel, and let it dry for days. Then I bought a silicon aquarium sealer and applied it. I let it dry for several days. When I refilled it, it leaked again.
I drained it, let it dry, dried it mechanically with paper towels and left the vaccuum cleaner exhaust blowing on it for hours, waited a few days, and re-sealed it. It leaked again. So I gave up and bought a new 30 gal high aquarium. A 30 gallon high glass aquarium is not light. I struggled to get it into the car from Petco (they had the vastly better price for the same aquarium).
I spent an hour removing all the plants from the old aquarium and scooping the gravel out. Square food containers do a wonderful job of that! It took some lifting to get the old leaking aquarium off the stand and onto a chair. Then the new one in place. I spent several minutes making sure the new aquarium was positioned properly on the stand. That was after removing the background sheet from the old one and attaching it to the new tank. It's just a colored sheet, but it gives a sense of depth to the tank.
So I filled up the new tank slowly, watching for any leaks at each rise in water level. I didn't see any. Sand first with square food container. Then water, 2 qts at a time. Man that is tedious. A 2 qt pitcher takes 30 fills to get 1/2 way up!
But at least I could put the plastic plants back in at that point. At least it looked better this time than the last. I grouped the several styles better. But having arranged the plants in the gravel, I couldn't just randomly pour new water in from a pitcher. Water-force too strong that way. So I filled up a 5 gallon bucket on the top and siphoned the water in slowly. I filled the upper bucket continuously until it neared the top.
I had an 12" long air bubbler working on the bottom to recirculate the water while the chlorine got evaporated out. I remembered I had some powder that claimed to eliminate chlorine, chloromate/chloromine, and ammonia immediately, so I added some of that. But I will still wait til tomorrow to add the fish back. The old an new aquaria are both at room temperature right now so the fish won't suffer any temperature shock. But room temp is too low for them in the long term. As soon as the fish are transferred back to the new aquarium, I will raise the temp 1 degree per day to get the tank temp up to 76 where I think they do best. I know, some people say 78 degrees, but they live longer at slightly cooler temps.
It will be great to have the fishtank working again.
But I have to tell you something that made me laugh about getting the new tank home.
I found the fine print of the guarantee on a small sticker inside the tank, facing away from view...
1. They specified that the 5 year warranty only applied to their tanks on their own brand of stands. What are the odds of that? My aquarium stand is 50 years old and as solid as rock. No new company builds them that solid anymore. But it invalidates the warranty.
2. They also demand that "the aquarium has not been lifted by the frame"... Um, do you know any other way to transport one from store to stand other than handling the frame? At some point, don't you HAVE to lift an aquarium onto a stand? But there goes the warranty. Who writes these things?
Idiots... LOL!
I emptied the 30 gallon high of water, took out the plastic plants, and scooped out the gravel, and let it dry for days. Then I bought a silicon aquarium sealer and applied it. I let it dry for several days. When I refilled it, it leaked again.
I drained it, let it dry, dried it mechanically with paper towels and left the vaccuum cleaner exhaust blowing on it for hours, waited a few days, and re-sealed it. It leaked again. So I gave up and bought a new 30 gal high aquarium. A 30 gallon high glass aquarium is not light. I struggled to get it into the car from Petco (they had the vastly better price for the same aquarium).
I spent an hour removing all the plants from the old aquarium and scooping the gravel out. Square food containers do a wonderful job of that! It took some lifting to get the old leaking aquarium off the stand and onto a chair. Then the new one in place. I spent several minutes making sure the new aquarium was positioned properly on the stand. That was after removing the background sheet from the old one and attaching it to the new tank. It's just a colored sheet, but it gives a sense of depth to the tank.
So I filled up the new tank slowly, watching for any leaks at each rise in water level. I didn't see any. Sand first with square food container. Then water, 2 qts at a time. Man that is tedious. A 2 qt pitcher takes 30 fills to get 1/2 way up!
But at least I could put the plastic plants back in at that point. At least it looked better this time than the last. I grouped the several styles better. But having arranged the plants in the gravel, I couldn't just randomly pour new water in from a pitcher. Water-force too strong that way. So I filled up a 5 gallon bucket on the top and siphoned the water in slowly. I filled the upper bucket continuously until it neared the top.
I had an 12" long air bubbler working on the bottom to recirculate the water while the chlorine got evaporated out. I remembered I had some powder that claimed to eliminate chlorine, chloromate/chloromine, and ammonia immediately, so I added some of that. But I will still wait til tomorrow to add the fish back. The old an new aquaria are both at room temperature right now so the fish won't suffer any temperature shock. But room temp is too low for them in the long term. As soon as the fish are transferred back to the new aquarium, I will raise the temp 1 degree per day to get the tank temp up to 76 where I think they do best. I know, some people say 78 degrees, but they live longer at slightly cooler temps.
It will be great to have the fishtank working again.
But I have to tell you something that made me laugh about getting the new tank home.
I found the fine print of the guarantee on a small sticker inside the tank, facing away from view...
1. They specified that the 5 year warranty only applied to their tanks on their own brand of stands. What are the odds of that? My aquarium stand is 50 years old and as solid as rock. No new company builds them that solid anymore. But it invalidates the warranty.
2. They also demand that "the aquarium has not been lifted by the frame"... Um, do you know any other way to transport one from store to stand other than handling the frame? At some point, don't you HAVE to lift an aquarium onto a stand? But there goes the warranty. Who writes these things?
Idiots... LOL!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Garden Harvest Starts
I finally got some garden harvest a few days ago, Not much. 1 zucchini an 1 small tomato. But they were good steamed together with some red onion!
I HAVE started getting italian flat pole beans and a few small cucumbers, but I forgot to take pictures (I had dinner on my mind). My first main season heirloom tomatoes are getting large enough to start developing color soon. The corn is sad again. I JUST don't get enough sunlight for them. They are tasseling at 3' high with 4" ears. The celery is actually growing. I've never successfully grown celery before.
The flowerbed is doing OK. I've kept the weeds clear better than usual, and the annuals are finally flowering. They are in one large patch where I had some runner grass invade. I kept digging it out and got rid of most, but I decided to just plant annual flowers there this year and dig it all up in Fall to get and the last of the runners. I basically just used up all my annual seed packets, so there are marigolds, carnations, salvia, forget-me-not and wave petunias in small groups. It will do for one year.
I need more sunlight. Over the 25 years here, the neighbors' trees have grown huge and I get 6 hours sun at best. I'm amazed I can still grow decent tomatoes (and they are getting leggier each year).
The flowerbed is doing OK. I've kept the weeds clear better than usual, and the annuals are finally flowering. They are in one large patch where I had some runner grass invade. I kept digging it out and got rid of most, but I decided to just plant annual flowers there this year and dig it all up in Fall to get and the last of the runners. I basically just used up all my annual seed packets, so there are marigolds, carnations, salvia, forget-me-not and wave petunias in small groups. It will do for one year.
I need more sunlight. Over the 25 years here, the neighbors' trees have grown huge and I get 6 hours sun at best. I'm amazed I can still grow decent tomatoes (and they are getting leggier each year).
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Kitty Litter and Trash Bags
I think I set a new personal record. 18 buckets of kitty litter, 5 bags of trash (and they didn't smell a bit), and various non-recyclable stuff. And a 30 gallon aquarium that refused to be re-sealed. Old tape drives, a single CD player that was broken, Old fluorescent bulbs... Took 6 months. About 300 pounds, $5 flat rate because it all fit in the SUV.
See those small trash bags? Each is a whole month here. I recycle or compost EVERYTHING possible. Some stuff ISN'T possible. I wish I could have NO trash bags. But I do my best.
But it was a good day at the landfill. I resent leaving the litter buckets, but I ran out of space to store them and I can't find a use. I have used all I can as growing containers.
Any suggestions?
But it was a good day at the landfill. I resent leaving the litter buckets, but I ran out of space to store them and I can't find a use. I have used all I can as growing containers.
Any suggestions?
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Weird Neighbors
I had the strangest experience with some neighbors last night! Basically, my side of the street are homeowners, the other side are renters. The house across the street was rented by some nice quiet guy for 5 years. Last year, two couples rented it. They have been nutso from day one.
Right off the bat, there was a screamng late night fight between a guy and gal involving the guy trying to drive away and the gal standing in front of the car pounding on the hood. Good start. They generally sit outside on the side steps smoking, so I guess they are forbidden from smoking in the house. They also seem to love having screaming yelling arguements.
Did I mention they also love to work on cars with outstandingly loud bass stereos? At night and early morning? Yes. Yes they do.
They went at it again last night. Screaming hateful arguements. It penetrates my double glass windows and is louder than my radio plays. I lost it.
I went out and yelled at them to keep the noise down or I would call the police. I knew that was an empty threat. The police have better things to do than worry about domestic noise complaints. But one of the guys threatened to come over an beat me. THAT was interesting!!! But I was more worried about the threat to the woman there, so I went inside and got my cordless phone, flashlight, and camera and came back out to sit quietly on the front steps putting my flashlight on them. They especially didn't like THAT, but quite frankly, I didn't care!
There ARE times I am willing to sit in quiet evidence. I expected violence. I told them they were better than most "reality TV shows and I had 911 on speed-dial". THAT got some attention.
The guy got mad and said he could destroy a car. He got in his and peeled into the street, then into the driveway. I thought he was going to ram the car there, but he changed his mind and peeled off down the street out of the area.
The woman went and knocked on the neighbor's door. Several times over many minutes. With no reply. I know that that neighbor and they seem close in some way. But with no reply, I went to the street and again asked her if she needed any help. I was prepared to call the police, but she said NO!
Here is where it gets strange....
I ended up talking to her for an hour. She is the mother of the guy she had the screaming arguement with. And the (she says) ex-wife of the neighbor who refused to answer the door she was pounding on. I regretted getting involved immediately, but she had ahold of my wrist and wasn't letting go.
And she was drunk as hell! I suspect they all were. I drink a bit myself (I do like wine with dinner), but good lord, nothing like THAT! On my worst day, I was better off then them on their best day. You know what I mean? As far as I can tell, they are all permanently drunk. Or high (there were "druggie" accusations flying). It seems that it takes all 4 (5?) of them to manage to work enough to pay the rent on a 1 bedroom ranch house that I think goes for $500 a month..
But as I said, I talked to her for an hour (wrist freed). Such a sad story poured out. Bad marriage, cheating, divorce, hateful (and hated?) children. She had a cat she loved SO much, but lost it (I can't IMAGINE why it left, ahem). Ex living next door...
I pointed to the house next to mine ) on the "owner" side of the street) and mentioned that the guy there had an affair with HIS neighbor and that when it was revealed, she killed herself and he has become an absentee owner. She didn't even blink.
I think I need to move.
I can hardly conceive such a life. And I didn't USED to live in the wrong part of town, but I've been here 25 years and things have been changing. There was the first gang war here 2 months ago 2 houses away. A dozen kids with baseball bats going at each other and several police cars. Adults screaming at the police who were trying to stop the fights. Several cars (2 abreast sometimes) screaming down our dead end street to try to escape the police. I sure never saw THAT before! I guess I didn't notice what was going on. My current home is no longer my sanctuary.
Right off the bat, there was a screamng late night fight between a guy and gal involving the guy trying to drive away and the gal standing in front of the car pounding on the hood. Good start. They generally sit outside on the side steps smoking, so I guess they are forbidden from smoking in the house. They also seem to love having screaming yelling arguements.
Did I mention they also love to work on cars with outstandingly loud bass stereos? At night and early morning? Yes. Yes they do.
They went at it again last night. Screaming hateful arguements. It penetrates my double glass windows and is louder than my radio plays. I lost it.
I went out and yelled at them to keep the noise down or I would call the police. I knew that was an empty threat. The police have better things to do than worry about domestic noise complaints. But one of the guys threatened to come over an beat me. THAT was interesting!!! But I was more worried about the threat to the woman there, so I went inside and got my cordless phone, flashlight, and camera and came back out to sit quietly on the front steps putting my flashlight on them. They especially didn't like THAT, but quite frankly, I didn't care!
There ARE times I am willing to sit in quiet evidence. I expected violence. I told them they were better than most "reality TV shows and I had 911 on speed-dial". THAT got some attention.
The guy got mad and said he could destroy a car. He got in his and peeled into the street, then into the driveway. I thought he was going to ram the car there, but he changed his mind and peeled off down the street out of the area.
The woman went and knocked on the neighbor's door. Several times over many minutes. With no reply. I know that that neighbor and they seem close in some way. But with no reply, I went to the street and again asked her if she needed any help. I was prepared to call the police, but she said NO!
Here is where it gets strange....
I ended up talking to her for an hour. She is the mother of the guy she had the screaming arguement with. And the (she says) ex-wife of the neighbor who refused to answer the door she was pounding on. I regretted getting involved immediately, but she had ahold of my wrist and wasn't letting go.
And she was drunk as hell! I suspect they all were. I drink a bit myself (I do like wine with dinner), but good lord, nothing like THAT! On my worst day, I was better off then them on their best day. You know what I mean? As far as I can tell, they are all permanently drunk. Or high (there were "druggie" accusations flying). It seems that it takes all 4 (5?) of them to manage to work enough to pay the rent on a 1 bedroom ranch house that I think goes for $500 a month..
But as I said, I talked to her for an hour (wrist freed). Such a sad story poured out. Bad marriage, cheating, divorce, hateful (and hated?) children. She had a cat she loved SO much, but lost it (I can't IMAGINE why it left, ahem). Ex living next door...
I pointed to the house next to mine ) on the "owner" side of the street) and mentioned that the guy there had an affair with HIS neighbor and that when it was revealed, she killed herself and he has become an absentee owner. She didn't even blink.
I think I need to move.
I can hardly conceive such a life. And I didn't USED to live in the wrong part of town, but I've been here 25 years and things have been changing. There was the first gang war here 2 months ago 2 houses away. A dozen kids with baseball bats going at each other and several police cars. Adults screaming at the police who were trying to stop the fights. Several cars (2 abreast sometimes) screaming down our dead end street to try to escape the police. I sure never saw THAT before! I guess I didn't notice what was going on. My current home is no longer my sanctuary.
Groundhogs, and a Rant
I have a long-standing relationship with groundhogs. Most people have never seen one. I've seen too many.
I may have mentioned some of this before, but it started when my Dad was teaching my younger brother and I how to hunt. We had been to "marksman classes" at a local shooting range and shown that we could handle guns safely and hit a target with some skill. Visiting my paternal grandparents in NH when I was 13 (14?) Dad brought us to a field where groundhogs lived. We sat around for a few hours waiting to see one to shoot at.
This was before I was old enough to stop killing animals for sport. We saw none. But just before we left, Dad whistled in a way he had learned to attract attention from groundhogs. And one stood up a long way away. I aimed carefully and shot my .22 rifle. It dropped. Dad said I missed it, But I insisted we go find out. I WAS a good shot. But Dad never thought I could do anything well, s he laughed and said I missed it.
To his complete surprise, I nailed the groundhog right between the eyes. To my comfort these days, it probably never knew what happened. But I remember it mostly because Dad never even said "good shot". I expect he assumed it was luck. And besides, he thought I would miss it, so he SHOULDN'T be wrong. Had to be luck, then. No children were ever "competent" in Dad's eyes. He always made it quite clear.
A sad metaphor for our relationship the rest of our lives. His message to me was always "you are not as good at anything as I am". I could defend his attitude as challenging me to be as good at everything as I could possibly be. But I won't. He was just a mean son of a bitch!
Golf was another problem. He made me play it. At 5'6", I am not a natural golfer. I lettered in golf twice and soccer once in high school through sheer force of will (barely). Soccer was more natural for me, but I got no support for that. I was good enough at golf. But I didn't have the same swing as Dad and he was always on me about it. He had a classic swing, and I had a baseball bat-grip swing. It worked for me. In high school, I broke 90 often. Not impressive, but good enough for the last slot on the team. Dad kept messing with my swing. When I went to college, I got down to 85.
Now, I have to say, Dad was a really good golfer. When I was young and only caddying, I admired the way his tee drives started out low and rose to land straight down the fairway. He had a handicap of "0" at one point. He what what he was doing! But I couldn't do that with my proper swing on the best day. So I developed my own.
It worked for me. A good swing is whatever works for you. I once got an "eagle" on the hardest hole on the army base course. And Dad started messing with my swing again. I should have ignored him, but, hey, he was my DAD!
I started driving up to NH to participate in the Member/Guest tourneys in the early 1980s. It had a quota system. Something about every score below your handicap per hole, you gained a point. We lost every year. Dad had me using nothing but 5 irons on every shot through some idea he had. It was horrible! His game was about consistency; mine was "go for broke".
It ended when I was facing a pond out in the fairway and pulled out my 4 iron. Dad said to use the driver because I couldn't possibly reach the edge of the pond. I stayed with the 4 iron. And landed in the pond on the fly. He gaped. The pond was 250 yards away. When I hit the ball right, it is awesome, and I knew that.
From that moment on, I ignored everything he told me. I was pissed! And guess what? We won. He played his exact usual good game precisely meeting his quota, but I obliterated my quota by like 10 strokes.
That was the last time I played golf with him and the last time I played golf period! I was so tired of all the demanding pressurring crap that I had no interest in the game afterwards. I proved my point. I could play the game NOT his way.
End of angry rant.
I may have mentioned some of this before, but it started when my Dad was teaching my younger brother and I how to hunt. We had been to "marksman classes" at a local shooting range and shown that we could handle guns safely and hit a target with some skill. Visiting my paternal grandparents in NH when I was 13 (14?) Dad brought us to a field where groundhogs lived. We sat around for a few hours waiting to see one to shoot at.
This was before I was old enough to stop killing animals for sport. We saw none. But just before we left, Dad whistled in a way he had learned to attract attention from groundhogs. And one stood up a long way away. I aimed carefully and shot my .22 rifle. It dropped. Dad said I missed it, But I insisted we go find out. I WAS a good shot. But Dad never thought I could do anything well, s he laughed and said I missed it.
To his complete surprise, I nailed the groundhog right between the eyes. To my comfort these days, it probably never knew what happened. But I remember it mostly because Dad never even said "good shot". I expect he assumed it was luck. And besides, he thought I would miss it, so he SHOULDN'T be wrong. Had to be luck, then. No children were ever "competent" in Dad's eyes. He always made it quite clear.
A sad metaphor for our relationship the rest of our lives. His message to me was always "you are not as good at anything as I am". I could defend his attitude as challenging me to be as good at everything as I could possibly be. But I won't. He was just a mean son of a bitch!
Golf was another problem. He made me play it. At 5'6", I am not a natural golfer. I lettered in golf twice and soccer once in high school through sheer force of will (barely). Soccer was more natural for me, but I got no support for that. I was good enough at golf. But I didn't have the same swing as Dad and he was always on me about it. He had a classic swing, and I had a baseball bat-grip swing. It worked for me. In high school, I broke 90 often. Not impressive, but good enough for the last slot on the team. Dad kept messing with my swing. When I went to college, I got down to 85.
Now, I have to say, Dad was a really good golfer. When I was young and only caddying, I admired the way his tee drives started out low and rose to land straight down the fairway. He had a handicap of "0" at one point. He what what he was doing! But I couldn't do that with my proper swing on the best day. So I developed my own.
It worked for me. A good swing is whatever works for you. I once got an "eagle" on the hardest hole on the army base course. And Dad started messing with my swing again. I should have ignored him, but, hey, he was my DAD!
I started driving up to NH to participate in the Member/Guest tourneys in the early 1980s. It had a quota system. Something about every score below your handicap per hole, you gained a point. We lost every year. Dad had me using nothing but 5 irons on every shot through some idea he had. It was horrible! His game was about consistency; mine was "go for broke".
It ended when I was facing a pond out in the fairway and pulled out my 4 iron. Dad said to use the driver because I couldn't possibly reach the edge of the pond. I stayed with the 4 iron. And landed in the pond on the fly. He gaped. The pond was 250 yards away. When I hit the ball right, it is awesome, and I knew that.
From that moment on, I ignored everything he told me. I was pissed! And guess what? We won. He played his exact usual good game precisely meeting his quota, but I obliterated my quota by like 10 strokes.
That was the last time I played golf with him and the last time I played golf period! I was so tired of all the demanding pressurring crap that I had no interest in the game afterwards. I proved my point. I could play the game NOT his way.
End of angry rant.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Time is Relative
What do you do when you don't fit a 24 hour clock? I was an early bird as a child, a reluctant waker as a college student. I managed to keep a schedule that got me up at 5 a.m., home at 6 p.m. and to bed by 9 p.m. for 35 years in a successful career. But now that I am retired and have no requirements or obligations, I can't keep a 24 hour waking/sleeping schedule. I mentioned recently that I was on a 25 hour clock. I understated it. Its worse than that.
Its more like a 28 hour clock. I go to bed and can't sleep for hours, then finally sleep for 8 hours on and off. I end up in bed for 12 hours. And then I don't feel tired for at least 16 hours. That's just not normal!
I have, at times, engaged in computer games or discussion boards way too late at night. I used to think it was because I loved the games or discussion. But I am realizing that I just wasn't tired. And who can go to bed when they aren't tired? What's the point of going to bed when you aren't tired? You can't sleep. You just lay there aware and awake.
Its nice to have the cats there to scratch. They aren't keeping me awake, but they are nice to have something to give attention to while I lay in bed frustrated that I can't sleep.
So I finally get tired of layin in bed and get up at 4 p.m. one day and 8 p.m. the next and dress to get the mail and the newspaper. I check the email. I check the cat blogs. I would say "depression", but I don't feel depressed. I enjoy doing things in the yard/garden and playing with the cats. I enjoy preparing meals. I enjoy listening to political and news TV. I feel fine physically. I'm just OFF the clock and not sleeping well!
There is a reason I am writing this at 4:30 a.m. I'm fully awake and not tired. I can't blame the cats. Iza sleeps peacefully in the corner of the bed. Ayla sleeps quietly on the top of the shoe shelf or on a pillow on a chair. Marley doesn't even sleep in the room. He likes the computer chair or a platform on the kitty condo. My personal clock is just all wrong....
It is really messing things up. I am NOT going to try and then get stuck on sleeping pills. That is not a road I want to travel. Well, thanks for just letting me complain... My Mom always said that "getting old isn't for sissies" and maybe all this is normal. But all the old people in my life just got up EARLY each day. I don't know what is going on.
Its more like a 28 hour clock. I go to bed and can't sleep for hours, then finally sleep for 8 hours on and off. I end up in bed for 12 hours. And then I don't feel tired for at least 16 hours. That's just not normal!
I have, at times, engaged in computer games or discussion boards way too late at night. I used to think it was because I loved the games or discussion. But I am realizing that I just wasn't tired. And who can go to bed when they aren't tired? What's the point of going to bed when you aren't tired? You can't sleep. You just lay there aware and awake.
Its nice to have the cats there to scratch. They aren't keeping me awake, but they are nice to have something to give attention to while I lay in bed frustrated that I can't sleep.
So I finally get tired of layin in bed and get up at 4 p.m. one day and 8 p.m. the next and dress to get the mail and the newspaper. I check the email. I check the cat blogs. I would say "depression", but I don't feel depressed. I enjoy doing things in the yard/garden and playing with the cats. I enjoy preparing meals. I enjoy listening to political and news TV. I feel fine physically. I'm just OFF the clock and not sleeping well!
There is a reason I am writing this at 4:30 a.m. I'm fully awake and not tired. I can't blame the cats. Iza sleeps peacefully in the corner of the bed. Ayla sleeps quietly on the top of the shoe shelf or on a pillow on a chair. Marley doesn't even sleep in the room. He likes the computer chair or a platform on the kitty condo. My personal clock is just all wrong....
It is really messing things up. I am NOT going to try and then get stuck on sleeping pills. That is not a road I want to travel. Well, thanks for just letting me complain... My Mom always said that "getting old isn't for sissies" and maybe all this is normal. But all the old people in my life just got up EARLY each day. I don't know what is going on.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
An Idea
Hey, I'm over 60, living alone.. And it occurred to me that it would be a great idea to have some telephone or USB device that ya could just plug in and punch a button every day to say "I'm Still Alive" to some company who would visit if you didn't punch the button for 2 days..
I can't find one. Does anyone know of one?
I can't find one. Does anyone know of one?
Well, Sadly, NOT The Finale!
It seems the groundhog wars are not over. I looked out in the yard today to see TWO mid-size groundhogs at my flowers. I'M INFESTED by them! Granted, my backyard is semi-wild and rather wildlife-friendly and organic, but I didn't expect an invasion of groundhogs as a result. And being surrounded by nice suburban expanses of lawns on 3 sides and a swamp on the other, I would have guessed any problem but groundhogs. Where are they coming from???
But it does mean war. And I won't feel bad when I kill them in the future. One small family of them errantly finding a place in my yard is "touching", but waves of them is TOO MUCH! Even with a dead groundhog on their doorstep, they won't leave! How stupid are they?
I will be calling a trapper tomorrow to see what they offer, but in truth, I am a person not inclined to ask another to do what I won't do myself. My only question is legality. I'll have to call the county animal control office to see what I am allowed to do. And decide which rules I will ignore. I'll be damned if I will pay someone $200 to do what I can do for free..
If I have to kill more of them, I won't be as sorry as I was before. I'M PISSED!!! This isn't like squirrels in the attic, the groundhogs are eating my food! It is time to fill the pond and mete out watery doom.
That doesn't mean I will enjoy it. I won't. I wish they would just find a better home in an empty field somewhere. But I will be rid of them, one way or another!
But it does mean war. And I won't feel bad when I kill them in the future. One small family of them errantly finding a place in my yard is "touching", but waves of them is TOO MUCH! Even with a dead groundhog on their doorstep, they won't leave! How stupid are they?
I will be calling a trapper tomorrow to see what they offer, but in truth, I am a person not inclined to ask another to do what I won't do myself. My only question is legality. I'll have to call the county animal control office to see what I am allowed to do. And decide which rules I will ignore. I'll be damned if I will pay someone $200 to do what I can do for free..
If I have to kill more of them, I won't be as sorry as I was before. I'M PISSED!!! This isn't like squirrels in the attic, the groundhogs are eating my food! It is time to fill the pond and mete out watery doom.
That doesn't mean I will enjoy it. I won't. I wish they would just find a better home in an empty field somewhere. But I will be rid of them, one way or another!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Groundhog Wars, Finale
A tale of regret and sadness... And don't read this if you are squeamish. Groundhogs were killed.
Some of you may know that I have been fighting with a groundhog this year. It burrowed in under my shed last Fall. I saw it several times running back to the shed when I went out to the garden. I got pictures of it with my GameSpy camera a few ties.
I used to hunt. I was good enough at it to get a deer several years in a row with bow&arrow. I stopped when I had to field-dress a lactating doe I killed. Milk ran out of her. My heart wasn't in it after that. I have generally tried to live and let live. When deer ate all the leaves from the pole beans one year and some neighbors sicced a dog after my cat a week later, I built a 6' fence around the entire back yard. Prevention is better than cure.
If I see an occasional possum or raccoon on the deck or in the yard, I live with it. Just yesterday, some raccoon or snake ate all the baby robins in a nest I was watching daily. And I don't mind what the cats catch and kill the occasional bird or mouse. Nature is nature, and I can't stop it. That doesn't mean I have to participate in it. BTW, I eat meat, so I am aware of my part in killing animals for food. They are raised to be food, and I support systems that kill them as gently as possible.
But I raise some of my own vegetable food, and I am protective about it. Groundhogs are a problem here. In the past, I have trapped them and released them in unoccupied fields. I read that was illegal. So I had to resort to other means.
I had a pond and have a Have-A-Hart trap I have used before. A dip into the pond, a minute of confusion, a few bubbles, and they are dead. Short of a .22 to the head (which I cannot do in a suburban neighborhood nor safely from a few inches away because of blood-spray), it is the least-sufferring way I can thing of. They don't seem frightened, just confused, Then "blurp" and dead.
But the pond is dry from a leak I cannot find, and with all the heavy rocks on the liner, I just haven't replaced it. I regret that very much today... I very much wish I had had a pond to drop her into. It would have been very much easier on us both.
It started when I heard a noise behind the shed while I was weeding the garden. I ran over to find 3 groundhog pups in a pile. I had a garden fork in hand, and I used it to kill them. In spite of her fear, Mrs Groundhog came out of her den to yell at me. I used the garden fork to set one dead pup in the burrow hole and one in the side of the shed.
I did not enjoy it. It was far more than slapping a mosquito or stepping on a cockroach. It was almost like killing a fawn. They cried. And I cried. I did not do physically hard work, but I was sweating terribly afterwards. It was very upsetting.
I caught Mrs Groundhog in the Have-A-Hart trap after, and tried to release her outside the fence. I expected her to run straight away from the house, but she ran straight around the fence back towards her den.
I hoped she would leave for a safer den after that, but she didn't. I caught her eating my lettuce the other afternoon. So I set the trap back up, unbaited, right in her most-observed exit point. She was in it today.
I could have spread plastic sheeting and filled up the dry pond temorarily. I wish I had. But wasting that much water didn't seem good either. People are dying from lack of water in places. I finally decided to "shoot" her with arrows. A small animal ought to die quickly from that.
I held an arrow just above her and slammed down a piece of 2x4 on it as a wide hammer. It didn't even penetrate her body. All it did was break the nock off the back. It took several other tries to actually stab through her. I felt sick. But badly wounded, she could not be released to die of infection after days.
There are some things you start that you can't stop. When you injure an animal badly enough, you have to follow through and end it. My Father was good enough to teach me that. When you injure a deer fatally with an arrow, you are obligated to spend all the time needed to follow the blood trail and finish it off to stop the pain.
I was good at that. One drop of blood in ten feet of woodland leaves, I could find them. Because it was only fair. You injure it, you kill it as quickly as possible for their sake. You kill it, you claim it and end your hunting season. Even if it is found days later and the meat is wasted. Because it is the right thing to do IF you are going to hunt animals.
I am very sorry that Mrs Groundhog lived an hour after being stabbed with arrows. If I could have thought of some less inhumane way of eliminating her from my garden, I would have. I wish I had refilled the pond temporarily. And it occurs to me now that my bathtub is bigger and deeper than the trap. I could have drowned her quickly in there.
But I don't want to kill any more groundhogs. Its the shed that attracts them. So I have decided to spray herbicides all around the edges, dig up the soil after a few weeks, and install mesh wire all around it.
I don't want to have to hurt another poor wild animal for just trying to live as best it can. Life is hard enough. Tangling with humans shouldn't be part of that. I don't want to have to kill another Mrs Groundhog again.
I an feeling rather horrible tonight. I don't want to feel that way again ever...
Cavebear
Some of you may know that I have been fighting with a groundhog this year. It burrowed in under my shed last Fall. I saw it several times running back to the shed when I went out to the garden. I got pictures of it with my GameSpy camera a few ties.
I used to hunt. I was good enough at it to get a deer several years in a row with bow&arrow. I stopped when I had to field-dress a lactating doe I killed. Milk ran out of her. My heart wasn't in it after that. I have generally tried to live and let live. When deer ate all the leaves from the pole beans one year and some neighbors sicced a dog after my cat a week later, I built a 6' fence around the entire back yard. Prevention is better than cure.
If I see an occasional possum or raccoon on the deck or in the yard, I live with it. Just yesterday, some raccoon or snake ate all the baby robins in a nest I was watching daily. And I don't mind what the cats catch and kill the occasional bird or mouse. Nature is nature, and I can't stop it. That doesn't mean I have to participate in it. BTW, I eat meat, so I am aware of my part in killing animals for food. They are raised to be food, and I support systems that kill them as gently as possible.
But I raise some of my own vegetable food, and I am protective about it. Groundhogs are a problem here. In the past, I have trapped them and released them in unoccupied fields. I read that was illegal. So I had to resort to other means.
I had a pond and have a Have-A-Hart trap I have used before. A dip into the pond, a minute of confusion, a few bubbles, and they are dead. Short of a .22 to the head (which I cannot do in a suburban neighborhood nor safely from a few inches away because of blood-spray), it is the least-sufferring way I can thing of. They don't seem frightened, just confused, Then "blurp" and dead.
But the pond is dry from a leak I cannot find, and with all the heavy rocks on the liner, I just haven't replaced it. I regret that very much today... I very much wish I had had a pond to drop her into. It would have been very much easier on us both.
It started when I heard a noise behind the shed while I was weeding the garden. I ran over to find 3 groundhog pups in a pile. I had a garden fork in hand, and I used it to kill them. In spite of her fear, Mrs Groundhog came out of her den to yell at me. I used the garden fork to set one dead pup in the burrow hole and one in the side of the shed.
I did not enjoy it. It was far more than slapping a mosquito or stepping on a cockroach. It was almost like killing a fawn. They cried. And I cried. I did not do physically hard work, but I was sweating terribly afterwards. It was very upsetting.
I caught Mrs Groundhog in the Have-A-Hart trap after, and tried to release her outside the fence. I expected her to run straight away from the house, but she ran straight around the fence back towards her den.
I hoped she would leave for a safer den after that, but she didn't. I caught her eating my lettuce the other afternoon. So I set the trap back up, unbaited, right in her most-observed exit point. She was in it today.
I could have spread plastic sheeting and filled up the dry pond temorarily. I wish I had. But wasting that much water didn't seem good either. People are dying from lack of water in places. I finally decided to "shoot" her with arrows. A small animal ought to die quickly from that.
I held an arrow just above her and slammed down a piece of 2x4 on it as a wide hammer. It didn't even penetrate her body. All it did was break the nock off the back. It took several other tries to actually stab through her. I felt sick. But badly wounded, she could not be released to die of infection after days.
There are some things you start that you can't stop. When you injure an animal badly enough, you have to follow through and end it. My Father was good enough to teach me that. When you injure a deer fatally with an arrow, you are obligated to spend all the time needed to follow the blood trail and finish it off to stop the pain.
I was good at that. One drop of blood in ten feet of woodland leaves, I could find them. Because it was only fair. You injure it, you kill it as quickly as possible for their sake. You kill it, you claim it and end your hunting season. Even if it is found days later and the meat is wasted. Because it is the right thing to do IF you are going to hunt animals.
I am very sorry that Mrs Groundhog lived an hour after being stabbed with arrows. If I could have thought of some less inhumane way of eliminating her from my garden, I would have. I wish I had refilled the pond temporarily. And it occurs to me now that my bathtub is bigger and deeper than the trap. I could have drowned her quickly in there.
But I don't want to kill any more groundhogs. Its the shed that attracts them. So I have decided to spray herbicides all around the edges, dig up the soil after a few weeks, and install mesh wire all around it.
I don't want to have to hurt another poor wild animal for just trying to live as best it can. Life is hard enough. Tangling with humans shouldn't be part of that. I don't want to have to kill another Mrs Groundhog again.
I an feeling rather horrible tonight. I don't want to feel that way again ever...
Cavebear
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Gardening Day
I had a great day out yesterday! I finally got all those annuals planted. Yeah, kinda late, but better late than never, right? I had carnations, salvias, wave petunias, marigolds, forget-me-nots etc in cell packs I grew from seeds earlier. And I finally found those basil herbs I thought I had lost.
I had a large spot that needed soil improvement, so I decided to plant all the annuals there. That way I can improve the soil in the Fall after they die. I got SO used to the County providing mulch for years that it was getting hard NOT to get it the past few years. I guess it became too costly to run the loading equipment, So without mulch to dig into the soil (after aging it 2 years), the soil was rather hard.
First, I spent 2 hours digging it loose with the leverage fork. That's a great tool. A spading fork with a bar on the back for leverage. All steel! It can REALLY pull the soil up. It is the best thing to dig up all the grass weeds, too. I have that nasty grass that sends shoots underground about 12" before sending up another grass plant. I've been fighting it for several years and I think I finally have it beaten to extinction. But that's why I wanted to fill the space with annual plants this year. So I can do a final dig this next Fall after the annuals die.
And they will give great color this year. Its a good idea to always leave some space for annuals, season-long color is a good thing.
It was actually awful outside today. Not the temperature, the mosquitoes. They were there in desperate swarms. The child strength DEET works fine for a couple hours. But they were at my face and ears all the time. Thank goodness the stuff works! 2 hours out there in swarms and I only got 3 bites.
Here is the space before I started. I had some sadly planted Knautia there. An utterly unruly plant.
I moved then to an enclosed spot where they shouldn't cuse a problem. Then I double dug the whole space. It about killed me. I filled the area with annuals I grew from seeds. They dont looklike much nowm but they will grow fast. and produce good flowers.
And here is the space when I was done.
Not much to see there yet, but they will grow fast finally put in the ground and given some sun. With some regular weekly watering, they will grow gret. I should have got then planted a month ago, but that's life...
I bet they will be stars of the Garden Tour in late July! But we will have to wait to see.
I had a large spot that needed soil improvement, so I decided to plant all the annuals there. That way I can improve the soil in the Fall after they die. I got SO used to the County providing mulch for years that it was getting hard NOT to get it the past few years. I guess it became too costly to run the loading equipment, So without mulch to dig into the soil (after aging it 2 years), the soil was rather hard.
First, I spent 2 hours digging it loose with the leverage fork. That's a great tool. A spading fork with a bar on the back for leverage. All steel! It can REALLY pull the soil up. It is the best thing to dig up all the grass weeds, too. I have that nasty grass that sends shoots underground about 12" before sending up another grass plant. I've been fighting it for several years and I think I finally have it beaten to extinction. But that's why I wanted to fill the space with annual plants this year. So I can do a final dig this next Fall after the annuals die.
And they will give great color this year. Its a good idea to always leave some space for annuals, season-long color is a good thing.
It was actually awful outside today. Not the temperature, the mosquitoes. They were there in desperate swarms. The child strength DEET works fine for a couple hours. But they were at my face and ears all the time. Thank goodness the stuff works! 2 hours out there in swarms and I only got 3 bites.
Here is the space before I started. I had some sadly planted Knautia there. An utterly unruly plant.
I moved then to an enclosed spot where they shouldn't cuse a problem. Then I double dug the whole space. It about killed me. I filled the area with annuals I grew from seeds. They dont looklike much nowm but they will grow fast. and produce good flowers.
And here is the space when I was done.
I bet they will be stars of the Garden Tour in late July! But we will have to wait to see.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Plant Light Stand
I finally finished it. The final steps were awful. The 2-bulb fixtures had a metal strip that fitted into the center to hold the wires off the lights. Fitting them back in place upside down drove me NUTS!!! They just DIDN'T want to go in upside down. They wanted gravity. Or its opposite, levity... There were slightly bent spots all along the strip and it made it nearly impossible to get them set back in place.
Getting the 1st one back in took 30 DAMNED minutes! I was screaming in frustration. Then I forced myself to calm down an examine the problem carefully. There were some bent spots from removing them previously. I have a parallel pliers, and used that to re-make the edges are straight as possible. Eventually, I got the wire-holding metal strip back in place.
The 2nd one took only 15 minutes. I was getting the trick of how it fit in. Ans I did that 4 times. The last time, I had to crawl onto the bottom shelf and stare 6" away from the fixture. I can't see anything 6 inches away even WITH glasses. I'm, farsighted. I had to do it by touch.
Basically, you have to install the wire hold-up strips by squeezing them slowly along the entire length a little bit at a time. I was pleased when I finally completed that task! Here is what the stand looks like now.
You can see it better from an angle.
This shows the difference between the double 2 light fixtures and the single 4-light fixtures.
I have good storage on the top, and good storage on the shelves during the non-growing seasons, which is most of the year.
It was a longer project than I expected, but it will be great for many years to come.
You wouldn't believe how much my basement has been cramped out of place because of all this. I'll sure be glad to get it back to order. But that is for tomorrow!
But if I had it to do over again, I would have just made the whole thing 5' wide of 1/2" plywood 16" deep. It would have been SO MUCH easier. But, you go down a path and you are stuck on it sometimes.
All in all, I am happy with it, and I am pretty sure it will outlast me. Can't ask better than that, I suppose. But I'll always think I could have done it both better and easier.
Getting the 1st one back in took 30 DAMNED minutes! I was screaming in frustration. Then I forced myself to calm down an examine the problem carefully. There were some bent spots from removing them previously. I have a parallel pliers, and used that to re-make the edges are straight as possible. Eventually, I got the wire-holding metal strip back in place.
The 2nd one took only 15 minutes. I was getting the trick of how it fit in. Ans I did that 4 times. The last time, I had to crawl onto the bottom shelf and stare 6" away from the fixture. I can't see anything 6 inches away even WITH glasses. I'm, farsighted. I had to do it by touch.
Basically, you have to install the wire hold-up strips by squeezing them slowly along the entire length a little bit at a time. I was pleased when I finally completed that task! Here is what the stand looks like now.
It was a longer project than I expected, but it will be great for many years to come.
You wouldn't believe how much my basement has been cramped out of place because of all this. I'll sure be glad to get it back to order. But that is for tomorrow!
But if I had it to do over again, I would have just made the whole thing 5' wide of 1/2" plywood 16" deep. It would have been SO MUCH easier. But, you go down a path and you are stuck on it sometimes.
All in all, I am happy with it, and I am pretty sure it will outlast me. Can't ask better than that, I suppose. But I'll always think I could have done it both better and easier.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Cat Fence Enclosure Idea
Well, Ayla getting over the fence is difficult enough. Today I saw Marley descending into the yard. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell if he had tried and failed or was returning to the yard. But it makes the requirement to keep them in the yard more urgent.
I've seen systems of nets attached to fences at angles, but the cost is high per foot and I have about 450 feet of 6' high backyard fence. And I have seen where smooth hard plastic sheeting is attached to the upper 2' of fencing (which I suspect works well). But that is also expensive.
So I have been pondering other, less expensive, designs. I think I have one and want opinions on it. It seems simple enough, but I haven't seen it on any "cat containment" sites. I know I can construct it (it is uncomplicated but tedious). My concerns are first, will it work, and second, is it safe.
I would provide a sketch, but my Mac doesn't seem to have a simple drawing program that can be saved in the formats demanded by Blogger. I can't figure out how to do something so simple in Photoshop, and I can't save in the required formats from Word Art, Excel Draw, or Google Layout. And Photoshop won't open those to change the format.
But it isn't complicated. There is a 6' high alternate board wood fence. I can buy vinyl coated wire mesh fence in 2'x50' rolls. I will cut the rolls into 8' lengths and bend them 90 degrees the long way. That gives an "L". One part of the "L" gets attached to the fence, the other part makes a 1' wide "ceiling". In case I'm describing it poorly, it would look something like this:
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I could bend the wire at 45 degrees upward if that improved anything. The vinyl coated wire mesh costs only $27 for 2'x50' roll, is easy for a person to bend, but pretty stiff to a cat. I've been using the stuff as plant supports and cages for years. The vinyl couating makes it quite weatherproof. I'm thinking 8' sections because that is the distance between fence posts, plus I have a couple of 8', 4"x4" posts I can use to bend it. I can attach it with a heavy duty electric staple gun.
So, I'm looking for errors, and PLEASE don't hold back. Tell me ANYTHING you think might cause a problem in construction, in safety for the cats, or safety of wildlife. Or anything else. I spent a career as a project manager where negative ideas where often the most important contributions from the team.
So, thoughts?
I've seen systems of nets attached to fences at angles, but the cost is high per foot and I have about 450 feet of 6' high backyard fence. And I have seen where smooth hard plastic sheeting is attached to the upper 2' of fencing (which I suspect works well). But that is also expensive.
So I have been pondering other, less expensive, designs. I think I have one and want opinions on it. It seems simple enough, but I haven't seen it on any "cat containment" sites. I know I can construct it (it is uncomplicated but tedious). My concerns are first, will it work, and second, is it safe.
I would provide a sketch, but my Mac doesn't seem to have a simple drawing program that can be saved in the formats demanded by Blogger. I can't figure out how to do something so simple in Photoshop, and I can't save in the required formats from Word Art, Excel Draw, or Google Layout. And Photoshop won't open those to change the format.
But it isn't complicated. There is a 6' high alternate board wood fence. I can buy vinyl coated wire mesh fence in 2'x50' rolls. I will cut the rolls into 8' lengths and bend them 90 degrees the long way. That gives an "L". One part of the "L" gets attached to the fence, the other part makes a 1' wide "ceiling". In case I'm describing it poorly, it would look something like this:
|
|----------
|
|
|
|
I could bend the wire at 45 degrees upward if that improved anything. The vinyl coated wire mesh costs only $27 for 2'x50' roll, is easy for a person to bend, but pretty stiff to a cat. I've been using the stuff as plant supports and cages for years. The vinyl couating makes it quite weatherproof. I'm thinking 8' sections because that is the distance between fence posts, plus I have a couple of 8', 4"x4" posts I can use to bend it. I can attach it with a heavy duty electric staple gun.
So, I'm looking for errors, and PLEASE don't hold back. Tell me ANYTHING you think might cause a problem in construction, in safety for the cats, or safety of wildlife. Or anything else. I spent a career as a project manager where negative ideas where often the most important contributions from the team.
So, thoughts?
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!
I love playing board games. Last week, I stumbled across risk.com. I LOVE that game. I stayed up til dawn 3 nights last week playing it over and over. Thankfully it's free.
What I love about games is figuring out a winning strategy. Then I get bored and try something new. But I haven't gotten around the computer programs in this yet. So I need to keep trying.
The first few nights, I lost every game. The second few nights, I won a few. The last few night, I won half.
Off I go to try again... I DO enjoy it. But it would be nice to get a whole regular night's sleep!
What I love about games is figuring out a winning strategy. Then I get bored and try something new. But I haven't gotten around the computer programs in this yet. So I need to keep trying.
The first few nights, I lost every game. The second few nights, I won a few. The last few night, I won half.
Off I go to try again... I DO enjoy it. But it would be nice to get a whole regular night's sleep!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Ayla Out
I kept Ayla inside for a year. It got so difficult that I decided to experiment letting her out as long as she wanted to be out. It wasn't an easy decision. The first time, she stayed out 3 nights. But the next two times, she stayed out 2 nights. Then one night. After that, she came in the same day she was let out for several days. I consider that a good arrangement.
She stays near the fence and has no desire to wander further to the street.
But Iza complicates things. Iza and Ayla and Marley all cuddle up indoors. They eat together, They play together. Iza likes Ayla indoors.
But outdoors, Iza considers Ayla an introoder. I cannot understand this.
This afternoon, when I called Ayla inside, she came running happily. But when I opened the door for her to come inside, Iza sprang out and attacked her. As a stranger and in apparent anger. Ayla fled over the fence.
Iza does not do this with Marley when he is out.
Iza only reacts badly to Ayla when she is outside. And just as she goes outside. Something about Iza says that Ayla is an introoder when outside. It baffles me.
Iza is a bully, but only when Ayla is outside, and not when Marley is outside or Ayla is inside.
Driving me NUTS!!! What is it about Iza that she reacts badly only when Ayla is OUTSIDE? It cant be outside smells. Iza has them, Marley has them. Iza loves Marley inside and outside. But Iza hates Ayla outside.
ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She stays near the fence and has no desire to wander further to the street.
But Iza complicates things. Iza and Ayla and Marley all cuddle up indoors. They eat together, They play together. Iza likes Ayla indoors.
But outdoors, Iza considers Ayla an introoder. I cannot understand this.
This afternoon, when I called Ayla inside, she came running happily. But when I opened the door for her to come inside, Iza sprang out and attacked her. As a stranger and in apparent anger. Ayla fled over the fence.
Iza does not do this with Marley when he is out.
Iza only reacts badly to Ayla when she is outside. And just as she goes outside. Something about Iza says that Ayla is an introoder when outside. It baffles me.
Iza is a bully, but only when Ayla is outside, and not when Marley is outside or Ayla is inside.
Driving me NUTS!!! What is it about Iza that she reacts badly only when Ayla is OUTSIDE? It cant be outside smells. Iza has them, Marley has them. Iza loves Marley inside and outside. But Iza hates Ayla outside.
ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Groundhog Wars
If you are sqeamish, don't read further. I don't mean that I am showing bad pictures (there are none). But I am fighting with groundhogs that damage my garden. I mean, they destroy my food.
Today, while I was weeding the garden, I heard an odd thrashing noise nearby the fence and old toolshed where a groundhog had taken up residence. I had let Ayla out and feared she had tangled with the groundhog. She is, in some ways, stupidly fearless.The only tool I had on the way was a gardening spade. I grabbed it and ran toward the noise.
I may also be stupidly fearless.
When I got to the fence, I saw the groundhog run into the burrow under the old toolshed. I have GOT to make that space inaccessible! But I also sawsomethng else. 3 groundhog pups huddled together 20' away from the burrow.
2nd Warning: Violence ahead...
There I was with a garden spade, expecting to protect my cat from an adult groundhog. What I found was future garden-destroying varmint pups. I had the garden fork in hand. They had no flight instincts. I dispatched them as quickly as possible. I didn't like it, but I did it. Nothing needs be said further about that.
I did not enjoy it. But I thought it was necessary. Every year when a groundhog lives under the toolshed, my crops are ruined. That is my food. Last year, they ate all my cukes and most of my bean plants. I am determined to drive the adult away.
I scooped up one dead pup and put it in the entrance burrow. I moved a barrier board out of the way enough to place a second dead pup in there. If that doesn't make Mom Groundhog leave the property, I will take further measures. I am growing crops for ME, not her.
If I had a 10 acre farm and lost 100 sq ft to a groundhog, I wouldn't worry too much. But last year, I lost every cuke and bean. Between my organic safe food and the groundhogs, they are going to lose every time. I have been tolerant for years, but the tolerance has ended.
Mrs. Groundhog will die next! And I will bury mesh wire 18" deep all around the shed to prevent any new ones coming back in the future!
----------------------
When I was 14, my dad took my brother and I out to a huge field to "hunt" groundhogs. He had a whistle that made them stand up to look around for danger. Toward twilight, he whistled at them again. One stood up a long distance away.
I laid down for a careful shot. Dad laughed and said I couldn't aim that well. I pulled the trigger and the groundhog vanished. He said I scared him with the shot. I said I got him. I was insistent enough to make him walk with me to the spot.
There was the dead groundhog. I nailed him right between the eyes. He brought the dead ground hog home an made a stew of it. Trust me, it doesn't taste like chicken. He did it because he was being mean. I made him look wrong.
I hate groundhogs...
Today, while I was weeding the garden, I heard an odd thrashing noise nearby the fence and old toolshed where a groundhog had taken up residence. I had let Ayla out and feared she had tangled with the groundhog. She is, in some ways, stupidly fearless.The only tool I had on the way was a gardening spade. I grabbed it and ran toward the noise.
I may also be stupidly fearless.
When I got to the fence, I saw the groundhog run into the burrow under the old toolshed. I have GOT to make that space inaccessible! But I also sawsomethng else. 3 groundhog pups huddled together 20' away from the burrow.
2nd Warning: Violence ahead...
There I was with a garden spade, expecting to protect my cat from an adult groundhog. What I found was future garden-destroying varmint pups. I had the garden fork in hand. They had no flight instincts. I dispatched them as quickly as possible. I didn't like it, but I did it. Nothing needs be said further about that.
I did not enjoy it. But I thought it was necessary. Every year when a groundhog lives under the toolshed, my crops are ruined. That is my food. Last year, they ate all my cukes and most of my bean plants. I am determined to drive the adult away.
I scooped up one dead pup and put it in the entrance burrow. I moved a barrier board out of the way enough to place a second dead pup in there. If that doesn't make Mom Groundhog leave the property, I will take further measures. I am growing crops for ME, not her.
If I had a 10 acre farm and lost 100 sq ft to a groundhog, I wouldn't worry too much. But last year, I lost every cuke and bean. Between my organic safe food and the groundhogs, they are going to lose every time. I have been tolerant for years, but the tolerance has ended.
Mrs. Groundhog will die next! And I will bury mesh wire 18" deep all around the shed to prevent any new ones coming back in the future!
----------------------
When I was 14, my dad took my brother and I out to a huge field to "hunt" groundhogs. He had a whistle that made them stand up to look around for danger. Toward twilight, he whistled at them again. One stood up a long distance away.
I laid down for a careful shot. Dad laughed and said I couldn't aim that well. I pulled the trigger and the groundhog vanished. He said I scared him with the shot. I said I got him. I was insistent enough to make him walk with me to the spot.
There was the dead groundhog. I nailed him right between the eyes. He brought the dead ground hog home an made a stew of it. Trust me, it doesn't taste like chicken. He did it because he was being mean. I made him look wrong.
I hate groundhogs...
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Some Days Are Just Good
I love productive days! It doesn't matter much what I am productive at. Some days it is gardening, and it might be planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, or weeding large areas. Some days it is building stuff indoors. Some days it is cleaning the house. Some days it is organizing things. Some days it is as basic as cleaning out the fish tanks. Or other stuff.
It matters that I keep busy in retirement. It is easy to waste time. "Tomorrow" is fine... I don't work that way. I have less time left than I did when I was 20. I don't mean to say that bothers me all that much, I stayed busy when I was 20, too. But I don't want to sit around thinking I will do things tomorrow".
I could go into great detail (and I probably will in future posts), but lately I've weeded 500 square feet of flowerbed, planted small crops (carrots, radishes, kohlrabi, leeks, etc etc), trapped a threatening groundhog and a rabbit with a taste for cucumber seedlings, cleaned out and rehabilitated an aluminum bass boat with floors, created a new plant light stand for seedlings, destructed the old light stand, drained the hot water heater of mineral sludge, cleaned the washer/dryer/dishwasher/oven, rewired several basement outlets to code, and about finished the new plant light stand (which was a real piece of work)
And then there are the cats. I love them all dearly. At least Iza and Marley come in when called. Ayla doesn't. She likes to stay out a night first before returning. So I had the idea of letting her out as long as she wanted til she was bored and preferred the food inside. Its opposite feral adoption, in a way.
After Ayla escaped out a couple weeks ago and stayed out three nights, I have let her out regularly. She stays near the fence, just won't come back in when called. The idea is that I let her out enough so that she gets bored and decides the house is good at least at night. I don't know for sure that this will work
But she stayed out 3 nights at first, 2 nights the next 2 times, and not at night today. It MAY be that enough outside time equals more inside time. She sure loves my attention! When se comes in she crawls all over we seeking my scritches and neck rubs. So it may be that, let out enough, se will b more willing to come inside again.
I HAD TO relent. She had gotten so frantic to get outside after a year confinement that she would hide behind the drapes near the deck door, stalk behind me, etc. She just couldn't be kept inside anymore. As strong as my desire was to keep her in, her desire to get out exceeded that.
It matters that I keep busy in retirement. It is easy to waste time. "Tomorrow" is fine... I don't work that way. I have less time left than I did when I was 20. I don't mean to say that bothers me all that much, I stayed busy when I was 20, too. But I don't want to sit around thinking I will do things tomorrow".
I could go into great detail (and I probably will in future posts), but lately I've weeded 500 square feet of flowerbed, planted small crops (carrots, radishes, kohlrabi, leeks, etc etc), trapped a threatening groundhog and a rabbit with a taste for cucumber seedlings, cleaned out and rehabilitated an aluminum bass boat with floors, created a new plant light stand for seedlings, destructed the old light stand, drained the hot water heater of mineral sludge, cleaned the washer/dryer/dishwasher/oven, rewired several basement outlets to code, and about finished the new plant light stand (which was a real piece of work)
And then there are the cats. I love them all dearly. At least Iza and Marley come in when called. Ayla doesn't. She likes to stay out a night first before returning. So I had the idea of letting her out as long as she wanted til she was bored and preferred the food inside. Its opposite feral adoption, in a way.
After Ayla escaped out a couple weeks ago and stayed out three nights, I have let her out regularly. She stays near the fence, just won't come back in when called. The idea is that I let her out enough so that she gets bored and decides the house is good at least at night. I don't know for sure that this will work
But she stayed out 3 nights at first, 2 nights the next 2 times, and not at night today. It MAY be that enough outside time equals more inside time. She sure loves my attention! When se comes in she crawls all over we seeking my scritches and neck rubs. So it may be that, let out enough, se will b more willing to come inside again.
I HAD TO relent. She had gotten so frantic to get outside after a year confinement that she would hide behind the drapes near the deck door, stalk behind me, etc. She just couldn't be kept inside anymore. As strong as my desire was to keep her in, her desire to get out exceeded that.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Yard Wildlife
I bought a wildlife camera (GameSpy) in April and got some pictures, but forgot to post them as promised. Since Iza ran into the groundhog (which was caught in a live trap) recently, I remembered the GameSpy pictures.
There is more wildlife living under my toolshed than I thought! The shed is a foot above ground level, so there is lots of room underneath.
Some of the pictures don't come out very well. I need to read about the autoflash feature more carefully. This is a rabbit.
Here is the groundhog that I knew I had there, emerging from the entrance.
Here is the best picture I got of it.
Seeing a possum emerge from the same hole surprised me!
The groundhog emerged again soon after.
I'm sure they don't share the same burrow, but they do share the access hole to below the shed floor. The possum probably just sleeps in a corner under the shed. I have most of the rest of the shed access blocked by boards. But apparently the groundhog also tunneled through the compost bin. I surprised it once and it dove in there and vanished.
There is more wildlife living under my toolshed than I thought! The shed is a foot above ground level, so there is lots of room underneath.
Some of the pictures don't come out very well. I need to read about the autoflash feature more carefully. This is a rabbit.
I'm sure they don't share the same burrow, but they do share the access hole to below the shed floor. The possum probably just sleeps in a corner under the shed. I have most of the rest of the shed access blocked by boards. But apparently the groundhog also tunneled through the compost bin. I surprised it once and it dove in there and vanished.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Odd Remembrance
I was watching TV this evening, and saw a gas commercial. One part involved putting a gas nozzle in the inlet part. And I had a flashback to my first car.
My parents gave me a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville convertible for my 20th birthday (1970). It was a complete surprise! As a freshman in college, I wasn't allowed to park a car on campus (weird old rules), so there was little point in my having a car before. And I was never a "car guy". I just borrowed the family station wagon if I REALLY had to drive somewhere. Although I did get to drive the Lincoln for special dates.
But anyway, I was presented with a card with a car key in it when I turned 20. It was one of those shiny red or green duplicate keys from the hardware store. I assumed it was for the station wagon. I hemmed and hawed about what to say, because it didn't seem like much. I mean, I could use the car when I needed to already.
But then they pointed out the living room window to a different car. The Bonneville... I almost fell over. I was speechless. It was a great gift!
Here's the funny part that the commercial reminded me of...
After a week, I needed gas. I drove into a filling station (as we called them back then) and the attendant came around to fill it up (yes there used to be such people who actually filled your car with gas while you just sat in it).
He asked where the gas cap was. Think about that for a moment. He couldn't find the gas cap. I had just automatically driven to the pump on the side of the station wagon gas cap. I got out and looked. There wasn't a gas cap on either side of the car!
Don't laugh, but we actually looked under the hood for a gas cap. I'm serious. The attendant finally brought his boss out to solve the problem. He looked, laughed, and tilted the license plate down to reveal the gas cap!
It had a 26 gallon gas tank, too. Good thing, it only got 13 mpg! On the other hand, gas was only 29.9 cents per gallon then. I learned the gas tank size when I ran out of gas once and coasted downhill to a gas station and filled it up!
Who on EARTH thought to hide the gas cap behind the license plate holder? Apparently, the idea didn't catch on. On the other hand, I was always able to drive up to any side of the gas pumps available. But I'll just say that was one of the funniest/odder things that ever happened to me.
Just wanted to share a great old memory...
My parents gave me a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville convertible for my 20th birthday (1970). It was a complete surprise! As a freshman in college, I wasn't allowed to park a car on campus (weird old rules), so there was little point in my having a car before. And I was never a "car guy". I just borrowed the family station wagon if I REALLY had to drive somewhere. Although I did get to drive the Lincoln for special dates.
But anyway, I was presented with a card with a car key in it when I turned 20. It was one of those shiny red or green duplicate keys from the hardware store. I assumed it was for the station wagon. I hemmed and hawed about what to say, because it didn't seem like much. I mean, I could use the car when I needed to already.
But then they pointed out the living room window to a different car. The Bonneville... I almost fell over. I was speechless. It was a great gift!
Here's the funny part that the commercial reminded me of...
After a week, I needed gas. I drove into a filling station (as we called them back then) and the attendant came around to fill it up (yes there used to be such people who actually filled your car with gas while you just sat in it).
He asked where the gas cap was. Think about that for a moment. He couldn't find the gas cap. I had just automatically driven to the pump on the side of the station wagon gas cap. I got out and looked. There wasn't a gas cap on either side of the car!
Don't laugh, but we actually looked under the hood for a gas cap. I'm serious. The attendant finally brought his boss out to solve the problem. He looked, laughed, and tilted the license plate down to reveal the gas cap!
It had a 26 gallon gas tank, too. Good thing, it only got 13 mpg! On the other hand, gas was only 29.9 cents per gallon then. I learned the gas tank size when I ran out of gas once and coasted downhill to a gas station and filled it up!
Who on EARTH thought to hide the gas cap behind the license plate holder? Apparently, the idea didn't catch on. On the other hand, I was always able to drive up to any side of the gas pumps available. But I'll just say that was one of the funniest/odder things that ever happened to me.
Just wanted to share a great old memory...
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Seedling Light Stand, Part 3
OK, so I have the new light stand about half assembled. The 2 bulb fixtures were 1/2" longer than the shelves. I was thinking "4' light fixtures, 4' shelves with the supports on the outside, should fit". I should have checked more carefully. But it wasn't as if I was going to buy more light fixtures, so it didn't really matter. I had to attach them a little lower than planned. The fixtures have attachment holes in them, but I had to partially take them apart to get at them and drill though-holes so as not to drill the insulation off the wires inside.
The 4 bulb fixtures were easier in one way. The wires were channeled around the attachment holes. On the other hand, they were designed to hang from hooks on chain. So I needed to drill a hole through the fixture anyway. I ruined a drill bit trying to drill through what I thought was aluminum. It was steel. I should have checked with a magnet! That was a bit from my REALLY GOOD set of bits. I'll have to replace it. I partially disassembled THOSE fixtures... You may notice I keep having to do a lot of extra steps to make this project work. I was not thrilled, but having started down this path, I have to continue.
So I got out my metal step-bit and the drilling went fine. I reassembled the fixture and dropped in the bolts through the plywood. Did I mention the plywood? The rack comes with 3/8' pressboard shelves. Strong enough for shelving or plant trays, but not much to drive a screw up into from below or countersink a bolt from above to support the light fixtures. So I added 1/2" plywood below to hold the fixtures and counter-sunk the pressboard from below to cover the bolts. It works great. The resulting upper surface is nice and flat for the plant trays. Looks good too.
Here is the first 4-bulb fixture attached to the bottom of the 3rd shelf. The top shelf will be identical.
Except... You may notice a shelf support missing on the photo above (right side). That's because one was 2" too short! The box came with an information sheet asking that I call the manufacturer before returning the product to the retail store. My interpretation of that is "we make a lot of mistakes, please don't tell the store. Well, gee, it is about all constructed. It would be a lot of work to take it apart and the box it came in is all ripped apart. I emailed them about the problem.
The emailed back that a replacement shelf support is being shipped for delivery in 7 days. That's reasonable. I would have preferred a UPS overnight shipment on principle, but all my seedlings are outside now and the light stand is for next year.
Here is a photo of the plywood base I used and the fancy cover shelf. The are the same size, though the angle makes it look different.
It's been an minor adventure - more than building a box and less than building a shed. I seldom get to build anything to specifications. I end up having to craft things by trial and error. Drives me nuts. I have the genes of an engineer and the talent of an art major!
Which reminds me, I need to replace the roof on the shed. I didn't know about roofing paper 20 years ago, and now it leaks. Time to redo it right. That's on the list. The really really long list of major "to do"...
The lesson here is that I should have built the light stand as I originally intended. 3/4' plywood, 6' high and 5' shelves with the fixtures simply screwed right up into the shelf bottoms! Don't get me wrong, the new light stand will be great for decades. But the original plan would have been easier and worked as well.
Live and learn...
The 4 bulb fixtures were easier in one way. The wires were channeled around the attachment holes. On the other hand, they were designed to hang from hooks on chain. So I needed to drill a hole through the fixture anyway. I ruined a drill bit trying to drill through what I thought was aluminum. It was steel. I should have checked with a magnet! That was a bit from my REALLY GOOD set of bits. I'll have to replace it. I partially disassembled THOSE fixtures... You may notice I keep having to do a lot of extra steps to make this project work. I was not thrilled, but having started down this path, I have to continue.
So I got out my metal step-bit and the drilling went fine. I reassembled the fixture and dropped in the bolts through the plywood. Did I mention the plywood? The rack comes with 3/8' pressboard shelves. Strong enough for shelving or plant trays, but not much to drive a screw up into from below or countersink a bolt from above to support the light fixtures. So I added 1/2" plywood below to hold the fixtures and counter-sunk the pressboard from below to cover the bolts. It works great. The resulting upper surface is nice and flat for the plant trays. Looks good too.
Here is the first 4-bulb fixture attached to the bottom of the 3rd shelf. The top shelf will be identical.
The emailed back that a replacement shelf support is being shipped for delivery in 7 days. That's reasonable. I would have preferred a UPS overnight shipment on principle, but all my seedlings are outside now and the light stand is for next year.
Here is a photo of the plywood base I used and the fancy cover shelf. The are the same size, though the angle makes it look different.
Which reminds me, I need to replace the roof on the shed. I didn't know about roofing paper 20 years ago, and now it leaks. Time to redo it right. That's on the list. The really really long list of major "to do"...
The lesson here is that I should have built the light stand as I originally intended. 3/4' plywood, 6' high and 5' shelves with the fixtures simply screwed right up into the shelf bottoms! Don't get me wrong, the new light stand will be great for decades. But the original plan would have been easier and worked as well.
Live and learn...
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Seedling Light Stand, Part 2
Well, at least I have some pictures to add for the assembly! And I have to admit, the assembly IS well designed and simple to do. The upright posts have "keyholes". Think of a hole with a narrower slot below. The horizontal side pieces have mushroom heads that fit through the hole and the "stem" of the mushroom heads fits the slots below tightly. The connections are indeed "rigid". You tap them firmly in place with a hammer (gently - I used a 2x4 and a deadblow hammer). So far, so good.
This is the old plant light stand. I am taking it apart as I transfer the lights to the new one. The old shelves had a 2 bulb fixture. The new ones have TWO 2 bulb fixtures per shelf.
This is the new light shelf. There are now 2 light fixtures per shelf (4 bulbs). The fancy shelf sits on the light fixture supporting plywood
Each of the rigid steel horizontal bars have a double curve to them. A lower curve is for strength, the upper curve has a flat surface that supports the shelving (a 2'x4'x3/8" engineered material). I initially thought it was a sort of rubber/resin, but it is pressboard. The instructions said it would support 800 poubds per shelf. It also said not to stand on it. Huh? I only weigh 160 pounds. They must have loaded the shelves VERY carefully to support 800 lbs if I cant stand on it. Well, I didn't buy it for the weight capacity. Plants aren't all THAT heavy!
Next. I complete (almost) the whole shelf rack...
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