Bruce's Journal

[frustratedearthmother]

Measure twice - cut once!

Been there done that.... sigh.

 

[CntryBoy777]

I for one, absolutely and most positively, have a very strong Dislike for wasps....any Kind or Color. However, I really like the dirt daubers....there are 2 different kinds here, the common black&yellow and the dark blue ones with the blue wings. They kill insects and wasps. There is a smaller wasp that I've always known as a "Guinea Wasp", it is brown with a band or 2 of creme or yellow color to it on their tail section. They are smaller than the dark red w/black tail wasps, but they attack in a swarm. It is because of these that my foot sustained the injury that ended my ability to run or walk properly. I take great pleasure in punishing them by any means possible.
As far as the hose goes Bruce, I can empathize with ya on those kinds of things.....I seem to experience that somewhat regularly too.....

 

[misfitmorgan]

If you ever get stung by those blue winged/bodied mud daubers you will understand why i hate them. About one of the worst stings ever, it does take a lot more then a normal wasp for them to sting though so there is that.

That is why all hoses on our farm are 5/8" we went thru the same thing lol.

 

[Bruce]

Sadly I didn't even think of the possibility that I had more than one size hose. I'm sure I've had this one for many, many years. I would have done a double take if they had multiple sizes. Probably would have bought nothing and come home to measure.

 

[Bruce]

To the best of my knowledge, now down to 1 woodchuck - adult.

 

[greybeard]

I for one, absolutely and most positively, have a very strong Dislike for wasps....any Kind or Color. However, I really like the dirt daubers....

I've turned on too many electric motors and found the rotor locked up because of dauber nests. Turned on the fan I have mounted in the rafters of my shop last year and thought it was going to shake itself to death because of the imbalance caused by dauber nests on a couple of the blades. Had one build a nest on the pulley of my lawn tractor and when I engaged the deck belt, it slung right off.

 

[lcertuche]

We have red wasp and mud daubers nests on our front porch and our back porch. Wasp spray just ain't cutting it!

 

[Bruce]

Got the ground wire for the electric fence run through the PVC pipe and buried under the two 12' gates.

I was trimming under the low hot wires on the north fence yesterday, came across the snapping turtle! On the WRONG side of the fence!!! Since the inside of the fence has 2x4 welded wire (to keep the chickens away from the hotwire) the only way I can think the turtle got from the pond (ASSUMING it is the same turtle, seen only twice before) is because the fence straddles one of the post holes I dug last year and hit water. The hole and the turtle shell seem to be about the same size, around 12" - 14".

They are STILL filled with water, it doesn't perk AT ALL through the clay and it keeps raining. I saw the turtle in the deep grass and it headed for the water filled hole. At one point it looked like it was trying to go back toward the pond but it's shell got trapped on the bottom of the welded wire fence. I went to get a shovel to make a taper on the edge of the hole on the inside. Saw the wife, she and DD1 came out to see the turtle. Wouldn't you know we couldn't find it. But I THINK it was still sunk down in the water. I poked around with the non working end of the shovel. What I ran the handle across seemed domed and I THINK changed position. No ledge is going to do that and the ledge is fairly flat. Of course I could be wrong about all that and the turtle went who knows where.

Sent an email to Meyer last night now that I am in the 10-18 week "mis-sexing notification" period. Trouble was clearly a boy at 3 weeks. Even more so now at 10 weeks with a comb and wattles that rival those of the laying hens. He still doesn't have much for tail feathers.
I got a reply today that said I would be credited or refunded the selling price of the pullet I should have gotten. That is what their catalog says but online it says they refund the difference between pullet and cockerel price. The catalog says the website is the "accurate" information since catalogs can change so I was expecting only the difference. Thanks Meyer!

You can't tell but the 2 birds next to him at the feeder are the Welsummers Betty and Veronica.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Well Bruce if ya need some snappers I could always send a few from the pond to ya....we have Plenty....along with some red ears....

 

[Mike CHS]

Sounds like Meyers went a step beyond. Good for them.