What's everybody doing today?

[Magpie]

Echoing everyone elses good wishes @goshengirl

Started with an early morning- 4.30 am in fact when magpies clattered at the metal pet dishes we had forgotten to put in. Fairly lifted me out of the bed, I can tell you, as Indy had a small fit at midnight it took me a minute to realise it wasn't him. Then, at 5.30, a broken tile corner slid down the roof above our bedroom and crashed 20 feet to the ground. OH had been using the ladders yesterday to paint the dormer window sides and must have broken it. No point in going back to bed then! So, early morning walk, daughter to work and grocery shop; noticed a rise on beef in Lidls- then a phone interview for agency work temping. Planning on continuing cleaning the vintage stove my OH was given and painting the house today. And hunting for a missing hen... guessing somewhere a fox is posting in the thread 'what are you having for dinner tonight?'

 

[backlash]

Woke up at 4AM, finally gave up going back to sleep at 4:30 so here I am.
I am doing as little as possible.
It's going to be around 107° today.

 

[TeeJ]

Goshen, your son is in our prayers. May angels minister to him as he recovers.

 

[ABR]

Rough night of little sleep. Stressed about my great grandmas funeral today. Worried that my family will start more drama over it. I also need to finish some homework and a paper for classes today. I just want to go back to sleep.

 

[Faez]

Feeling sassy today despite the impending heat predicted at 110. 79 degrees now so I better get my rural walk-in. The low was 75 so it looks like another day inside with AC in full force. I did enjoy the early morning before dawn on my patio scantly dressed while drinking iced coffee. I love the dawn and sunrise. Sunsets just remind me that I am one day closer to making my exit from this soiree we call homesteading.

 

[Spikedriver]

Slept in a bit, woke up at 0745. Apparently I forgot to set my alarm. My root canal went well and was relatively painless - that dentist the best I've had yet about novocaine. Only the first shot burned, then after that he would put the next one into the edge of the first one where it was already numb, and spread it around like that. I could barely open my mouth and my tongue was useless when he got done with that, but I didn't feel much pain during the procedure.

I don't drink much, but after the procedure I treated myself to three fingers of Buffalo Trace during dinner. I asked the dental assistant if a glass of bourbon would bother it. She said "Not at all. In fact, have two!" I only had one, but it was fantastic!

Today, I don't know what my plans are. I kind of want to see my daughter shoot her new bow. I can set up a target in my driveway if need be.

 

[sonya123]

I am allergic to shellfish. Folks have said "oh poor you, etc." I say, "Are you kidding? Thank God I'm not allergic to spuds."

Totally agree there! I am not allergic but don't eat it. Shrimp are groce and look like bugs to me

Hope everyone is well!
It's raining again, took puppy out in a little rain break
The house training has met a set back. He doesn't want to go out in the rain and would rather hide in the hallway and pee

Baked an apple cake yesterday evening with apples that either fell off the tree or the goats knocked down.
Only produce left today that I have to do something with is tomatoes, don't think they will stay good until market day , so will probably make some sauce

Anyone have any experience with a tow behind the ATV mower? I am thinking about buying one of those but they are expensive. We need something other than a weed eater for the pastures that are too steep, but they might be too steep for that too . You can drive the ATV up and down but not sure it will work towing a 500 pound mower

I am sick of the rain, have I mentioned that? We had to put the eggplants and citrus trees in the greenhouse yesterday so they don't get too wet ( they are in pots)
The US needs to build a water pipeline from the east coast to the west! If they can build oil pipelines they could build water one also.

 

[INresponse]

Woke up at 4AM, finally gave up going back to sleep at 4:30 so here I am.
I am doing as little as possible.
It's going to be around 107° today.

I know that feeling. I might have fell asleep at 2am and woke up at 4am. I tried for over 2 hours to get back to sleep but at 6:30 I decided to get up and sit in the recliner and watch YouTube junk.
I just cooked up some corned beef hash and cracked a few eggs on top. Gonna have that for breakfast and try to get a nap.
The monsoon season finally arrived to southern Utah Monday afternoon and we have had decent rain the last two evenings. I am guessing about 2" of rain so far and slow and steady enough, for most of it, that it soaked in really well. It is supposed to, and hopefully it will, continue for the next several days at least. We need this to continue for a few weeks at least, and hopefully for a couple months.
I haven't been posting much lately, not much to post. I cleaned up my far too messy silk screen equipment and have it about ready to start making shirts, but I am running into computer issues. The old laptop that I cut off from the internet 8 years ago has all the software for my stuff but the old printer croaked a few years back and the ex bought a replacement, which is fine but it needs software downloaded for it to work. I refuse to try to download that software on the old computer because "updating" one thing usually causes a need to update everything else and there is no way I want to attempt that mess. I can put the printer on my newer laptop but it doesn't have the CorelDraw program so I can't create on the old one and print from the new one without that program. My options? About $600 for a new CorelDraw program that is a one time purchase and mine forever, about $270 for a pay once a year program, or about $25 or $30 a month for a monthly subscription. Looks like I have to dish out $600 soon and then fight with the download process. I hate downloading software from the internet. With my luck it will get almost done, there will be a power outage that takes out our internet for a while, and when I log back in it will tell me I already downloaded the program and will have to pay again for a second try. Have I ever mentioned that I hate computers?

Breakfast was yummy, time for a nap.

 

[LadyLocust]

I know that feeling. I might have fell asleep at 2am and woke up at 4am. I tried for over 2 hours to get back to sleep but at 6:30 I decided to get up and sit in the recliner and watch YouTube junk.
I just cooked up some corned beef hash and cracked a few eggs on top. Gonna have that for breakfast and try to get a nap.
The monsoon season finally arrived to southern Utah Monday afternoon and we have had decent rain the last two evenings. I am guessing about 2" of rain so far and slow and steady enough, for most of it, that it soaked in really well. It is supposed to, and hopefully it will, continue for the next several days at least. We need this to continue for a few weeks at least, and hopefully for a couple months.
I haven't been posting much lately, not much to post. I cleaned up my far too messy silk screen equipment and have it about ready to start making shirts, but I am running into computer issues. The old laptop that I cut off from the internet 8 years ago has all the software for my stuff but the old printer croaked a few years back and the ex bought a replacement, which is fine but it needs software downloaded for it to work. I refuse to try to download that software on the old computer because "updating" one thing usually causes a need to update everything else and there is no way I want to attempt that mess. I can put the printer on my newer laptop but it doesn't have the CorelDraw program so I can't create on the old one and print from the new one without that program. My options? About $600 for a new CorelDraw program that is a one time purchase and mine forever, about $270 for a pay once a year program, or about $25 or $30 a month for a monthly subscription. Looks like I have to dish out $600 soon and then fight with the download process. I hate downloading software from the internet. With my luck it will get almost done, there will be a power outage that takes out our internet for a while, and when I log back in it will tell me I already downloaded the program and will have to pay again for a second try. Have I ever mentioned that I hate computers?

Breakfast was yummy, time for a nap.

I kinda think many of us feel like that - not to speak for others, but we're all doing what we can, we all know supplies are limited and expensive - a waiting for the other shoe to drop sorta feeling. Maybe it's just me.

@Amish Heart Continued prayers~
@goshengirl Good to hear so far, will of course keep you all in my prayers.

 

[Wingnut]

Library run today... with rain in the forecast, painting is out, lol. Gonna need more good Westerns to tide me over, they're like cheap entertainment. Wish the pool hall in town didn't open so late in the afternoon, I'd like to stop in and shoot some pool on the "quarter table" (actually costs 75 cents, lol). The hall also has around a dozen 9' tables, they cost a little more if ya want the extra room. I need to meet some other hands who enjoy shooting pool, this is a family-oriented pool hall so there's no alcohol involved, but that's okay with me... I like the game, especially 8-ball and 9-ball, while 'Cutthroat' is good for three players. Meh, sooner or later I'll hook up with some new friends, gotta get out more often and find 'em... once I start riding up in the mountains, I should meet some other local dirt bikers who'll probably wanna visit the pool hall. Today, I make this library run and stop in at a cycle shop to see about getting that recalled front tire swapped out... won't cost me anything, but I have to set up the swap.

P.S. The pool hall in Alamogordo is in a historic building in the old business district, the building was built circa 1900, lol. It's kinda cool, a friend & I went to shoot pool there a few months ago, and the interior is spacious, with high ceilings from that era. Lots of old woodwork too, as I remember. Not a bad place, but the hours are weird, and I don't want to be there too late, I like being back home once it gets dark. We also have a nearly-new bowling alley, game arcade, and theater complex at the northern end of town, right off the US54/70 bypass (or "relief route" as it is called). So there's no lack of entertainment, I just have to get through this home rehab work so I can start enjoying myself a bit more, lol.

 

[Weedygarden]

Bad news: this morning I noticed that I have a fair crop of goathead vines flourishing in the yard, mainly on the southern end of the property. Last thing on earth I want is more freakin' goatheads in my yard... the good news is that the vines are still green, so the goatheads are still on 'em. My trash bin is too full to accept any more weeds until the bin is emptied next Monday, but goathead eradication just moved into a priority slot with the home rehab. I'm gonna remove every last one of those nasty things from my yard, even though it'll be a PITA. Might take two weeks, there are heaps of 'em.

Goatheads are really bad, but from what I've noticed, if you do a good job one or two years, and then keep your eyes open for them in the future, you can get a good handle on them. I used to see them a lot in a couple dog parks, but rarely see them now. In one park, I was pulling all of them 5 years ago, and I have not seen one there this year. In another dog park, there were lots, and a few people decided to pull them. This year, I've only had to pull a couple very small ones.

Goatheads will flatten bike tires.

 

[Weedygarden]

...and, my dentist doesn't do root canals??? What the heck?

So, I have a cracked molar on the left side. The root is pretty much dead, but is causing inflammation to the nerve. Dentist says the tooth is structurally ok and can be saved with a little work. But I have to go to an oral surgeon type guy an hour away.

When I was a kid, I remember the dentist just doing this stuff right there in his office. Wonder when it became so specialized...

I think that dentists developed specialties so they can charge more money. I had a root canal done a few years ago. I don't remember exactly what it cost me, I think $1000, and then required a cap, another $1000.
I worked with a woman who had many root canals. Crazy what you could pay to keep your teeth "healthy."

 

[Weedygarden]

Part of the cleaning is that I finally found a 2 drawer file cabinet - well, actually, my MIL found it. I'm picky, wanted wood not metal. I had stacked things that needed to go in it. I had to get some of the hanging file folders which I did Sunday. This morning I began that oh so fun task of putting things in files and getting them in the drawers. Once the piles surrounding the file cabinet are contained, I will shuffle the files and make sure they are in a functional order. Right now it's pretty much files in top drawer and supplies in bottom (paper, labels, etc.) which in and of itself is helpful. So far I have 2 small metal file boxes to part with. Looking forward to getting other smaller containers out of the way. All that doesn't sound very exciting, but it sure feels better. Also, this morning, brought 3 big cardboard boxes to work so they are out of the summer kitchen.
Have a dehydrator loaded with apricots.

I'm with you on wooden file cabinet over metal, for the house. But I have seen that many people are not using them at all anymore. I wonder if people are going digital instead? I have a few 4 drawer metal file cabinets in the garage. You can often get them for free. They are a great way to store power tools and other things. If I could lock them, I would, but they are not set up to lock.

 

[Spikedriver]

I think that dentists developed specialties so they can charge more money. I had a root canal done a few years ago. I don't remember exactly what it cost me, I think $1000, and then required a cap, another $1000.
I worked with a woman who had many root canals. Crazy what you could pay to keep your teeth "healthy."

With insurance, I only had to pay $50 for my dentist to X Ray and figure out what was wrong. But then it's $1350 for the other guy to fix it, and I was on the hook for $340 of that. Oh well, gotta get it fixed, I'm not living with the pain...but the cap is still out there waiting to hit my wallet.

 

[backlash]

I am not a fan of dentists but I had to go.
The dentist was almost painless.
As normal these days he referred me to an oral surgeon to have the broken tooth removed.
Everything has a specialty person and the referring doc gets a kickback I'm sure.
I have a United Healthcare insurance plan that covered most of the cost.
Everyone on Medicare should look into them, especially vets even if you have VA coverage.
It's not available every where but it's good if you can get it.
My plan cost me zero per month and I get a $50 reduction every month on my Part B Medicare.
I have no affiliation with united healthcare and I'm not an insurance salesman. I just like their plan.
PM me if you want to know more about my coverage.

 

[Neb]

Day 2 and maybe going to day 3 of my Jeep Liberty in the shop. New exhaust and wheel bearing went smooth but Reh oil leak was due to a bad oil pan for the transmission. They still are waiting for the part. I am getting by ok with it so far.

The 3rd batch of garlic that had been drying got cleaned up. No braiding because it is hard neck.

I pulled the 4th and last batch today.

Looks like my first batch of wax beans is ready. I sampled one and was happy. I will collect them tomorrow.

Ben

 

[Wingnut]

Called around, looks like I may have to ride the thumper to Las Cruces or El Paso to swap out the recalled front tire... ugh. I'll never buy another Continental tire again, I only bought this one as a stopgap measure when the cycle shop in Sierra Vista (AZ) didn't have a Dunlop tire in stock which fit my front wheel. I was camping at the time, so I went ahead and bought this piece o' Continental "dual sport" junk, thinking that I'd just ride it till it wore down, then order a Dunlop tire from my new town of Alamogordo. Wasn't but a few short months before the recall email arrived... I haven't been riding the bike as much as I normally would, since I've been tackling the home rehab effort. Now I'm wishing I had just waited till I got here, then ordered a Dunlop... but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

The good news is that our local library now has the latest Will Tanner book, THE VIOLENT STORM, by William W. Johnstone (and J. A. Johnstone), copyright 2022. Gotta like the 'Will Tanner, U.S. Deputy Marshal' series, good ol' Will is about the closest thing to "my kind of lawman." If an outlaw or prisoner gives him a hard time, Will just shoots the wank, lol... exactly what I would do in the wilderness, or even in town. I mean seriously, what difference does it make if the outlaw or prisoner is gonna hang ANYWAY? Can't wait to read this new Will Tanner book, plus I scored a stack of other Westerns to keep me busy when I'm not thinking about home rehab, lol. I picked up some good library DVDs too, can't rely on the Roku Streaming Stick all the time.

Guess I'll call some cycle shops in L.C. and El Paso, I need to locate a shop which does business with Continental Tire so I can get this piece o' junk swapped out and start riding those trails in the mountains. The recall has held me back, even though the tire "looks okay"---better to swap it out and be done with it, no worries about the tire disintegrating on the road. Worst-case scenario, if things get to be too much of a hassle, I toss the piece o' junk tire, buy a new Dunlop and chalk it all up to bad experience. I just finished an email survey with Continental, and I gave 'em the lowest marks possible, maybe that'll light a fire under those tards so they tell me where to get the piece o' junk tire swapped. No matter what happens, I'll never buy another one of their cr@ppy tires again, I should've just waited to order my usual Dunlop. Meh, live & learn...

 

[LadyLocust]

Called around, looks like I may have to ride the thumper to Las Cruces or El Paso to swap out the recalled front tire... ugh. I'll never buy another Continental tire again, I only bought this one as a stopgap measure when the cycle shop in Sierra Vista (AZ) didn't have a Dunlop tire in stock which fit my front wheel. I was camping at the time, so I went ahead and bought this piece o' Continental "dual sport" junk, thinking that I'd just ride it till it wore down, then order a Dunlop tire from my new town of Alamogordo. Wasn't but a few short months before the recall email arrived... I haven't been riding the bike as much as I normally would, since I've been tackling the home rehab effort. Now I'm wishing I had just waited till I got here, then ordered a Dunlop... but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

The good news is that our local library now has the latest Will Tanner book, THE VIOLENT STORM, by William W. Johnstone (and J. A. Johnstone), copyright 2022. Gotta like the 'Will Tanner, U.S. Deputy Marshal' series, good ol' Will is about the closest thing to "my kind of lawman." If an outlaw or prisoner gives him a hard time, Will just shoots the wank, lol... exactly what I would do in the wilderness, or even in town. I mean seriously, what difference does it make if the outlaw or prisoner is gonna hang ANYWAY? Can't wait to read this new Will Tanner book, plus I scored a stack of other Westerns to keep me busy when I'm not thinking about home rehab, lol. I picked up some good library DVDs too, can't rely on the Roku Streaming Stick all the time.

Guess I'll call some cycle shops in L.C. and El Paso, I need to locate a shop which does business with Continental Tire so I can get this piece o' junk swapped out and start riding those trails in the mountains. The recall has held me back, even though the tire "looks okay"---better to swap it out and be done with it, no worries about the tire disintegrating on the road. Worst-case scenario, if things get to be too much of a hassle, I toss the piece o' junk tire, buy a new Dunlop and chalk it all up to bad experience. I just finished an email survey with Continental, and I gave 'em the lowest marks possible, maybe that'll light a fire under those tards so they tell me where to get the piece o' junk tire swapped. No matter what happens, I'll never buy another one of their cr@ppy tires again, I should've just waited to order my usual Dunlop. Meh, live & learn...

Have you thought of contacting Continental Tire and asking where the nearest dealership is?

 

[Grimm]

Getting the girls' workbooks scanned so I can print what I need verses buying tons of copies. I know the books say not to reproduce but I have 2 copies of each so I have one for me and one to copy for the girls. I am printing 2 copies of all of Roo's stuff. I don't want to have to deal with printing copies for Juju in 5 years. I'll just put the copies in with the textbooks at the end of the year so I have them down the road. Plus you never know when the grid maybe gone and having it done while it can be done is a blessing.

The seal on our freezer (the in house one attached to our fridge) is not sealing anymore. zEverything in there is cold but not frozen. I removed the thawed food (not much) and tossed it if it was fully thawed. I saved a pound of chicken and a pack of sausage. Mostly I keep spices and herbs in jars in that tiny freezer and the rabbits water bottles. I cleaned the inside and the seal. Still not working as when the fridge is closed the freezer door pops open. Fun! I ordered a new seal and K is going to tray to replace the bad one. We did agree to buy a small chest freezer so even if the seal replacement doesn't work to fix the issue I can use it as fridge overflow and the new freezer for the herbs and water bottles.

Getting the rabbitry paperwork in order and ready for our next breeding in the fall when the weather cools.

 

[Pearl]

Getting the girls' workbooks scanned so I can print what I need verses buying tons of copies. I know the books say not to reproduce but I have 2 copies of each so I have one for me and one to copy for the girls. I am printing 2 copies of all of Roo's stuff. I don't want to have to deal with printing copies for Juju in 5 years. I'll just put the copies in with the textbooks at the end of the year so I have them down the road. Plus you never know when the grid maybe gone and having it done while it can be done is a blessing.

The seal on our freezer (the in house one attached to our fridge) is not sealing anymore. zEverything in there is cold but not frozen. I removed the thawed food (not much) and tossed it if it was fully thawed. I saved a pound of chicken and a pack of sausage. Mostly I keep spices and herbs in jars in that tiny freezer and the rabbits water bottles. I cleaned the inside and the seal. Still not working as when the fridge is closed the freezer door pops open. Fun! I ordered a new seal and K is going to tray to replace the bad one. We did agree to buy a small chest freezer so even if the seal replacement doesn't work to fix the issue I can use it as fridge overflow and the new freezer for the herbs and water bottles.

Getting the rabbitry paperwork in order and ready for our next breeding in the fall when the weather cools.

Good to see you around!

 

[joel]

Making bean soup with pork fat & bone.
I am going to add mushroom soup stock in it for the first time.

 

[Wingnut]

Have you thought of contacting Continental Tire and asking where the nearest dealership is?

That outfit has been worse than useless, and they're about to get fired. My new plan is to go ahead and have a local shop throw a decent Dunlop tire on the front rim, then I'll ship the Continental junk back to the shop in AZ where I bought it, and hope for a refund plus reimbursement for the work involved in mounting & removing the Continental tire. Maybe the local shop can ship the junk tire to some designated location. I'm currently working with the local shop to determine costs and set up an appointment, should know by tomorrow... I'd like to put a slightly fatter tire on that front rim, but we'll see what can be safely done under recommendations from Dunlop. After checking the Dunlop website, I reckon the D606 tire is my first choice, with the TrailMax 50/50 tire second... I'd rather have the knobbies on the D606, they look more suitable for the kind of trail riding that I'll be doing on fire roads, ATV trails, single-track, etc.

As for dealing with Continental, I think the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back was when somebody told me that I'd have to pay all repair costs up front, then get reimbursed by those Continental chumps... like somehow I'm at fault for their cr@ppy product, lol. Hearing that was enough to convince me to never put another Continental tire on my bike again, it was a mistake to begin with and I only did it because my choices were limited while I was camping, and in the process of relocation. It's not like I'm impatient here, I've given these chumps EVERY chance to make things right, and they just keep f#%ng up... so it's time to drop-kick the losers. Yesiree, there's a reason why I'm normally a diehard Dunlop man, and this latest lesson will reinforce my commitment to that company. Nothing wrong with Dunlop motorcycle tires, they offer great performance... pretty soon, I'll be riding the trails and this BS will all be forgotten.

 

[Weedygarden]

Had yesterday off for Pioneer Day, a Utah state holiday celebrating when the pioneers made it here. Had a nice long list of projects to work on. Unfortunately #2 on the list did me in for the day - I was staking a small tree and after pounding in a 8' stake on a ladder, I left the sledgehammer balanced up top and headed down to see if it was sturdy enough to tie up the tree. It was so I spent 15 minutes or so getting the tree all tied up neat and purdy, then went to grab the ladder to put it away - and down comes the sledge onto my right temple. I didn't want to go to the hospital, but my beautiful wife put her foot down and insisted.

Good news: no serious damage done. Bad news: concussion, splitting headache and a very irate wife...

Ugh! I've never heard so many concussion stories as I have this year. Did they give you something for your headache?

@Wingnut & @Faez - I never knew what they were called before. I hate those things. My wife uses purslane medicinally so we usually let it grow so she can harvest it and I can never tell the difference between it and goatheads until they get bigger. The darn thorns from those things are awful, it always seems to get mixed in with our gravel and I get a couple stuck in my hand anytime I weed our gravel paths, which we have 100+ feet of...

Goatheads and purslane look different. Goatheads have flat leaves and grow pretty flat on the ground, but so does purslane. Goatheads also have yellow flowers, but so does purslane. Purslane has more of a succulent look to it. I can see how they can be confusing, but they do have a different look to them.

"Goat head vine grows from a single taproot at the center of the plant. Being an annual, if you cut off the plant from the root or pull it, that will kill the plant. A 2 person team approach is very productive. One person standing cuts the plant from the root with a shovel (it only takes one well-placed slicing chop under the center of the plant) and the second person picks them up and bags them.

Some folks say they will just spray the weeds with an herbicide, but that doesn’t kill the seeds or prevent the dying plants from ripening seed before they perish. Physically removing the plants is mandatory."

 

[TeeJ]

Ugh! I've never heard so many concussion stories as I have this year. Did they give you something for your headache?

Goatheads and purslane look different. Goatheads have flat leaves and grow pretty flat on the ground, but so does purslane. Goatheads also have yellow flowers, but so does purslane. Purslane has more of a succulent look to it. I can see how they can be confusing, but they do have a different look to them.

"Goat head vine grows from a single taproot at the center of the plant. Being an annual, if you cut off the plant from the root or pull it, that will kill the plant. A 2 person team approach is very productive. One person standing cuts the plant from the root with a shovel (it only takes one well-placed slicing chop under the center of the plant) and the second person picks them up and bags them.

Some folks say they will just spray the weeds with an herbicide, but that doesn’t kill the seeds or prevent the dying plants from ripening seed before they perish. Physically removing the plants is mandatory."

They gave me Naproxen, which is helping a bit - I still need to take "focus" breaks every 45 minutes or so. They also gave me Ondansetron for the nausea (which is horrible when driving or scrolling a computer screen) but it does nothing for me.

I can tell goathead vine and purslane apart after the plant in 3-4 days old - like you said it gets that "puffier" succulent look to it. But since I only weed each area once a week if the plant gets to be 10+ days old by the time I recognize it it'll sometimes have dropped pricklers which is horrible. Fortunately I just talked to my wife about them and she said not to let the purslane in the gravel by the street grow as she doesn't want pollution contaminated plants for medicinal use, and that's where the goatweed is the worst - so any plants growing there now get the automatic heave-ho.

Preen seems to help with keeping the seeds from germinating, and it's the strongest stuff we'll use on our property. That being said, it only works on them for about 3 months, so it's 3-4 applications a year here to keep them down!

 

[Weedygarden]

They gave me Naproxen, which is helping a bit - I still need to take "focus" breaks every 45 minutes or so. They also gave me Ondansetron for the nausea (which is horrible when driving or scrolling a computer screen) but it does nothing for me.

I can tell goat vine and purslane apart after the plant in 3-4 days old - like you said it gets that "puffier" succulent look to it. But since I only weed each area once a week if the plant gets to be 10+ days old by the time I recognize it it'll sometimes have dropped pricklers which is horrible. Fortunately I just talked to my wife about them and she said not to let the purslane in the gravel by the street grow as she doesn't want pollution contaminated plants for medicinal use, and that's where the goatweed is the worst - so any plants growing there now get the automatic heave-ho.

Preen seems to help with keeping the seeds from germinating, and it's the strongest stuff we'll use on our property. That being said, it only works on them for about 3 months, so it's 3-4 applications a year here to keep them down!

Last year there was lots of goatheads in one of the dog parks and a couple people got on it one day, pulling them. I have yet to see one in that area this year. I did see a few small plants outside the fence. I pulled them, and have not seen a sign of them since.

One time, many years ago, I was walking in a local park. The horseshoe area was full of goatheads. Friend of mine and I got busy, pulling all that we could find and filling up several trash bins. A couple years later I walked by and there was no sign of them.

Goatheads are also called puncture vine.

 

[zannej]

Peanut, we have those nasty spur thingies here too. I hate them. We also have some sort of leafy plant with tiny stinging needles, as well as bull nettle. I know of at least 3 different stinging plants we have that grow in my yard.

Amish Heart, that really sucks. I still can't fathom being charged with verbal abuse for saying someone is "lazy".

Goshengirl, I hope your son will be able to eat soon, but glad the transplant went well.

Inresponse, Have you ever tried the program GIMP? I is free. Doesn't have all of the features of some of the other programs, but it might be able to work with printing software. I've never checked it out. It's insane that Corel programming has gotten so expensive. Would it be possible for you to use the Corel from your old laptop, transfer files to your current pc, & then use some sort of cheap or free program to open & print stuff? (if GIMP doesn't allow the printing options you want)?

Spikedriver, I had to get a route canal awhile back and I still haven't gotten a cap. The tooth actually chipped so I need to get it fixed before it gets worse.

Backlash, I'll have to see if United Healthcare is available in my area.

Wingnut, sounds like Continental brand is just as crappy as Continental airlines was.

I cooked for Mom and am still feeling tired. I'm trying to figure out if I can get a legit copy of windows 10 for free (to upgrade from windows 7). Might have to buy it, but hoping to find it cheap and do the upgrade. My mom had windows 8 and it forced her to update to Windows 10 (as in, it just installed it without her asking) but now it says she doesn't have a valid version, even though she'd had a valid version of 8.

 

[Spikedriver]

I've been spending some time in my online Type 1 diabetes community today. There's so much ignorance and stupidity in the medical world concerning T1, it makes me want to put my head in an oven. If I read another story about a medical professional recommending the keto diet to cure T1, I might go blow up a doctor's office...

I made burgers for supper and I'm about to force my daughter to go for an evening walk. She doesn't know this yet. She think she's going to get to play on her phone all evening...

 

[backlash]

We never had goat heads until the county paved the road. They brought them in with the fill dirt. My brother tried to get them to stop but they are the county so they just did what the wanted.

 

[Amish Heart]

Hey Wingnut, I read all of Johnstone's "Ashes" books once upon a time. Still think of some of the stories. Fun reads.
I am tired and wiped out. Animal work and garden work. The meat chickens are outgrowing their many bins, so I cleaned them out and added two more cages. Another few weeks to go and they'll go to freezer camp. Then I won't have 4 giant bins and 3 cages to clean out every other day. The twins left this morning for band camp. Granddaughter stayed for a bit and went and got her car registered, then went to work. Don't expect to see her till 10 or so. Grandson got home at 330, said hello. Went to the upstairs family room and crashed out. Little granddaughter woke him up for dinner, he came down, made a plate, and took it up stairs. He'll be up all night long now on his phone. He knows I can't touch it or ask for it or the police will be called. No chores. Bad attitude. Trying to get husband to decide what he wants to do this Sunday for his birthday. I'd like to take him out for the day with little granddaughter, somewhere fun, and make him a special dinner or go out to one. He's been down in the dumps over all this, and really needs a fun birthday.

 

[Bacpacker]

I am not a fan of dentists but I had to go.
The dentist was almost painless.
As normal these days he referred me to an oral surgeon to have the broken tooth removed.
Everything has a specialty person and the referring doc gets a kickback I'm sure.
I have a United Healthcare insurance plan that covered most of the cost.
Everyone on Medicare should look into them, especially vets even if you have VA coverage.
It's not available every where but it's good if you can get it.
My plan cost me zero per month and I get a $50 reduction every month on my Part B Medicare.
I have no affiliation with united healthcare and I'm not an insurance salesman. I just like their plan.
PM me if you want to know more about my coverage.

Is your medicare one of the "Advantage" or part C programs?