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Post by paulf on Mar 14, 2024 10:32:21 GMT -5
Right now preparing for a long road trip. First to return son's family dog to Iowa City after they went on a spring break to Florida (5 1/2 hours). From there a five hour trek to Minnesota to watch granddaughter and her team play for the 15U State hockey championship. Then Sunday finish the big triangle (6hours) back home.
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Post by september on Mar 14, 2024 16:14:00 GMT -5
Have fun on your road trip, paulf , ! Good luck to your granddaughter, hoping for a championship! Made a quick trip to town to the vet to pick up some Bravecto for the cats. Normally I don't start them on it until well into April, but with the snow gone and the warm dry weather, the deer ticks probably are out now. With all the deer and mice going through our property, there are more tiny ticks found on us and the cats every year. Then I stopped at one of the local greenhouse nurseries to pick up a large bag of Pro-Mix seed starter, $53.68 with tax. Ouch! I still have about a third of a bag from last year, so should not need more this year. It was fun walking through the greenhouses looking at all the tiny seedlings. There were some cool huge decorative clay pots that I might get to replace the crumbling wooden planter by my entrance. My only concern is the weight and how/where I can store them during the winter so they don't get moisture freeze cracks, since they are not glazed.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 14, 2024 18:26:39 GMT -5
Yesterday I stained the deck, after the pressure washing on Tuesday. I also sanded the handrails, as they were getting sort of rough, and that didn't take long. I still had some other things to stain, but I delayed that, as rain is supposed to start tomorrow morning...again! So I pressure washed my front porch, and the windows and siding, then the concrete on the N side of my house, which, after several years, turns almost black, probably because of the excessive rain, which takes a long time to dry. I had to stop after about 2/3 of the cleaning, as water was building up on the edge of the concrete - the soil is just too saturated, from all the rain. I'll have to wait to wash the rest. The stained deck, showing the old stain on the post, and the pressure washed rocker, showing some black spots I missed. by pepperhead212, on Flickr One thing I noticed starting out there, even sooner than usual: Daffodils blooming, 3-14 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by bestofour on Mar 24, 2024 15:51:50 GMT -5
Right now preparing for a long road trip. First to return son's family dog to Iowa City after they went on a spring break to Florida (5 1/2 hours). From there a five hour trek to Minnesota to watch granddaughter and her team play for the 15U State hockey championship. Then Sunday finish the big triangle (6hours) back home. How was the hockey tournament?
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Post by paulf on Mar 24, 2024 19:42:14 GMT -5
Granddaughter was quite disappointed. Two teams they had defeated, one 4 times the other very decisively, played for the state championship. Her team finished 4th. Third place was taken by an "A" level team playing in the "B" tournament. It will take her a few days to get over the loss.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 24, 2024 20:15:28 GMT -5
Yesterday, during that nonstop rain all day, I cleaned out the pots for the seedlings, and marked the pots again, and put them in the trays, but not filled yet. I also labeled the trays, and got everything ready for the tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. And today, once the wind died down, I went out and got the seedling mix moistened with the Bt israelensis solution, and added a little of those micorrhyzae granules, so it's all ready to fill up the pots. I'll pack the seedling pots a while before planting, since it's still quite cool out there, and that mix is cold!
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Post by bestofour on Mar 26, 2024 6:06:26 GMT -5
Granddaughter was quite disappointed. Two teams they had defeated, one 4 times the other very decisively, played for the state championship. Her team finished 4th. Third place was taken by an "A" level team playing in the "B" tournament. It will take her a few days to get over the loss. Bless her heart. I know the feeling.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 2, 2024 10:27:56 GMT -5
We woke up this morning to find that the refrigerator had died overnight. It was already very warm in the refrigerator compartment, so I figure that it stopped working shortly after we went to bed last night. ![:(](//storage.proboards.com/3247375/images/NVJWsLkJnfi619MwuIqb.png) So, DH got dressed and went to the convenience store for ice. We packed a chest cooler with things that I thought were salvageable (pickles, jellies, condiments, produce, hard cheeses, butter, eggs, etc.) and the ice. But there were a bunch of things we really didn't feel safe keeping. Many years ago I was hospitalized for food poisoning, and since then I am in the "when in doubt, throw it out" camp. Most of the stuff in the freezer compartment was still frozen, or just starting to thaw. I kept what I could cram into our big freezer and treated the rest as an overdue freezer cleaning. Except I had a big standing rib roast in there that I had frozen the last time there was a big sale. There was absolutely no way that was going to fit in the other freezer, so I took that to my in-laws. Now it is slowly thawing in their fridge. It should be ready to cook Monday or Tuesday, and we'll have a really nice family dinner. I figure we may as well get a good family memory out of this. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/3247375/images/AgR8NN4iidU1wy_OcyQm.png) The good news is that I was able to find a repairman who will come out today. Now that everything is cleaned up, I am waiting for him to get here and find out if this is a fix or replace situation. EDIT: The irony was not lost on me that the refigerator died the very next day after my first substantial harvest from the garden.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 2, 2024 16:38:41 GMT -5
Good news: The repairman was able to fix the problem (it was a busted fan). It cost ~$330 all told, which is a whole lot cheaper than a new fridge. Hopefully it stays fixed!
And if it does stay fixed, I will definitely call this company again (it's a local outfit) if anything other appliances break that DH can't/doesn't have time to fix. Knowing someone to call provides a lot of peace of mind.
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on May 4, 2024 16:51:06 GMT -5
Yesterday we put the for sale sign up at my parents rental house. It took us 6 weeks off and on to repair the damage that the last tenants did when notified that the property was going up for sale. Then there was the general wear and tear from 6 years of the same tenant. To boot the house was never really built correctly. Next is the house that they lived in since 1984. Built to much better quality control, we hired my second youngest uncle as general contractor/QA. It is stuck in the 80's design wise though. Not much to do there except finish removing the last of the furniture, rehang 2 doors that had to be removed to exit said furniture, and touch up 2 or 3 streaks where the grandkids bumped the couches into the walls.
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Post by paulf on May 4, 2024 21:09:54 GMT -5
About 3pm I decided to put half the tomato plants into the garden. At 7:30 they were 100% planted. So much for doing hall today and half tomorrow. Now the only…no, first worry is the severe weather forecast for Monday. There is always a backup batch. This old dude is stiff and sore, but the chore is done.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 6, 2024 9:40:04 GMT -5
Glad you got them all in ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/3247375/images/1O7SOWgs0dheN6ogmHMC.png) . Hope you don't get too much bad weather today!
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Post by paulf on May 6, 2024 10:28:21 GMT -5
Sounds like another squall line heading this way. Most everything is in the ground so a little more rain won't hurt unless it comes in the ice ball form.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 7, 2024 11:20:20 GMT -5
This morning I prepped that standing rib roast and started it in the sous vide for dinner this evening. The roast was in the freezer for quite a while, so I was glad to see that it didn't show any signs of freezer burn and I didn't detect any off odors. We're not smoking the roast this time, and after it's done in the sous vide, It'll be cooked all the way through but not browned at all. So, I'll put it in a hot oven just long enough to get the exterior nicely browned and then let it rest before carving. I am using the same herb rub (salt, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme), since everyone seems to like it. I'm about to go pick some green beans to serve along with it, as well as that one cucumber (if it's ready), for tonight's salad. If all goes well, it should be a very good meal with the family.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 20, 2024 14:21:22 GMT -5
I came home from taking my youngest son to school and getting groceries to see city workers cutting a hole in the street near my water meter. Uh-oh. ![???](//storage.proboards.com/3247375/images/11qV_BRY4HbBOBB4teSL.png) Turns out the problem was on the city side, between the across-the-street neighbor's water meter and the main line at the street. I had noticed water there, but thought it was runoff from the next door neighbor. They just had new sod in a few weeks ago and have been watering like mad - and their runoff runs along the curb to that same spot. What was supposed to be a 20 minute job turned into a 3 hour job when a city worker removed the wrong part, opening the water main and creating a small fountain in the street. They fixed it and the water is back on now, but now we are under a boil water notice for who knows how long. At least this water leak is not costing us money - except for some bottled water for drinking, cooking, making ice, and brushing teeth. It's a good preview of the potential inconveniences of hurricane season, I guess. ![:P](//storage.proboards.com/3247375/images/uJ3wHzVudwy0q4vAqilQ.png)
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 22, 2024 14:21:59 GMT -5
The boil water notice was just lifted. It sure is nice to not have to boil water and let it cool to wash my salad veggies. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/3247375/images/AgR8NN4iidU1wy_OcyQm.png) Oh, that reminds me: I need to go dump the old ice and let the icemaker make fresh ice.
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Post by meandtk on May 22, 2024 20:11:25 GMT -5
What did II do today?
I dealt with vertigo, and I’m ready for Vertie to go!
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on May 23, 2024 9:44:35 GMT -5
I just had a couple of friends with a trailer take my old refrigerator and a 30 year old coach and a 22 year old coach to the dump. unfortunately I found that the little plastic door that has to be at the top of my Dyson has broken off. The rest of it is built like an expensive tank and they put a 2 cent piece of plastic in a critical place that hits every time the vacuum cleaner falls over. My next one will be a Shark, half the price and works 85% as well.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 23, 2024 10:37:29 GMT -5
I must not have gotten a good Shark, because it doesn't work 85% as well as the Dyson it replaced. It was half the cost, but I miss the superior cleaning I got from the Dyson.
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Post by octave1 on May 23, 2024 20:22:59 GMT -5
The rest of it is built like an expensive tank and they put a 2 cent piece of plastic in a critical place that hits every time the vacuum cleaner falls over. I agree with you that Dyson could have done a better job and make their vacuums more durable. I wasn't particularly impressed with performance either, but it sure beats a Shark. I have one (the Shark), and if anything, it made me dislike vacuuming even more.
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on May 25, 2024 12:37:14 GMT -5
I must not have gotten a good Shark, because it doesn't work 85% as well as the Dyson it replaced. It was half the cost, but I miss the superior cleaning I got from the Dyson. My Dyson will still work with the hose detached but I can't find a replacement 2 cent piece of plastic for the top. It is also a pain to pull the wand loose and snap it back in place. I might consider paying the higher price for a replacement Dyson if it were made in the US, Canada, or the UK but it's made in Malaysia and expenses have been high lately.
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on May 25, 2024 12:43:57 GMT -5
The rest of it is built like an expensive tank and they put a 2 cent piece of plastic in a critical place that hits every time the vacuum cleaner falls over. I agree with you that Dyson could have done a better job and make their vacuums more durable. I wasn't particularly impressed with performance either, but it sure beats a Shark. I have one (the Shark), and if anything, it made me dislike vacuuming even more. A Shark that I will use beats a Dyson that is a pain and fragile to boot. Just like one of the robo vacs don't really work all of that great but they are constantly picking up dust before it sticks. With 2 large dogs constantly coming in and out the backyard that means something. This is actually the second Dyson that I have had that little plastic flap break off on. My very first Dyson back in 2004 was built like a tank and still ran at my parents house until about 2 years ago. It could probably have been resurrected but it needed deep cleaning of the filter and parts were no longer available.
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Post by octave1 on Jul 13, 2024 17:39:38 GMT -5
I spent part of the day working outside, but it's too sweltering to stay long so I was in and out. To my surprise, 2 yellow tomatoes were just about ripe--about 75-80%, and I picked them because I thought some critters may get them before I do. It's only July 13th, and I never have ripe tomatoes by this time of the year, aside from cherry varieties. I am wondering if the really hot weather we had some 2 weeks ago accelerated the ripening process?!? Anyway, here they are, 2 Orange Wellington--more yellow than orange ![::)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/eyesroll.png) ![](https://i.ibb.co/HKLM1qk/yellow-tomatoes.jpg) ![](https://i.ibb.co/cr2YhnV/yellow2.jpg)
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jul 14, 2024 12:24:18 GMT -5
I imagine the heat did accelerate the ripening. Those are pretty tomatoes, and a good useful size! ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/3247375/images/AgR8NN4iidU1wy_OcyQm.png)
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Post by octave1 on Jul 14, 2024 13:53:16 GMT -5
Orange Wellington tomato packet says 75 DTM, and I transplanted mine after Mother's Day, so after May 12th... That makes it 60 days, not 75. A big difference. On the other hand, the Sweet 100, a cherry variety, is just beginning to turn. Mmmmm....
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Post by bestofour on Jul 26, 2024 19:42:02 GMT -5
Walked out to the pear tree this afternoon. The tree was here 24 years ago when we bought this property, has never put out a person edible pear but the deer always strip it as high as they can reach. But today there were big, soft, sweet, beautiful pears on it (those which the deer hadn't eaten) so I brought them in and am trying to figure out what to do with them. It's not a whole bunch, remember the deer, but it's enough for me. Strange things happen around here ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/3247375/images/AgR8NN4iidU1wy_OcyQm.png)
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Post by paulf on Jul 26, 2024 21:44:13 GMT -5
We also have an older pear tree, fifteen years old, that given up maybe a dozen mealy, inedible pears. I like where it is and how it looks so there it stays. Even the deer pass it by.
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