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Fighting ants.There were hundreds coming in through kitchen door last night. Vacuumed up and sprayed vinegar and sprinkled cinnamon over threshold. Left work this morning and went to Ace. Got some Demon WP and mixed it up. Sprayed outside perimeter of house and looked for ant mounds in yard. Couldn't find any. We have never had problems with ants in the past. Might be the heat. It was right at a 100 at 10am. Probably took 70 phone calls today, it sucks to be in insurance right now. Premiums increases and reduction of coverage.
 
Didn't get as many holes dug or trench dug as I'd hoped today. The first foot wasn't too bad, then I hit hard pan. It was like chiseling through concrete. I dug maybe 10 feet of trench. It's enough to bring the conduit up to the back side of the generator building. Now I can put up the new charge controller and connect it to the battery bank. At the solar mount I used the tractor to cover the cement mound around the pole and maybe 10 feet of conduit.
 
Finally got a rear tire tiller today. It be an ol Ariens. Has a 7hp Tecumsie. Needs work as it has been rigged. Had a carburetor from who knows where meant for who knows what, throttle assembly completely messed up, and a way-too-long throttle cable snatched from a random lawnmower, and no air filter or fuel filter. Had it running in less than an hour with a carb from my front tine. Will likely replace with oem parts but it won't be cheap. Tires are shot too. Now it cranks with half a pull and runs great.
 
Peepaw from Tex said:
Fighting ants.There were hundreds coming in through kitchen door last night. Vacuumed up and sprayed vinegar and sprinkled cinnamon over threshold. Left work this morning and went to Ace. Got some Demon WP and mixed it up. Sprayed outside perimeter of house and looked for ant mounds in yard. Couldn't find any. We have never had problems with ants in the past. Might be the heat. It was right at a 100 at 10am. Probably took 70 phone calls today, it sucks to be in insurance right now. Premiums increases and reduction of coverage.
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I've been getting ants in my bed.
 
Had to go all the way to Lansing for a meeting today. So hard when I'm sitting in the truck in the parking lot fighting through a panic attack before I could go in. Ugh. Got through the day but being in a small room with a lot of loud people really took it out of me.
Stopped at home depot on the way back and picked up some more stuff I need for working on this place. I'm trying to look at all the costs as an investment that will make a good return when I list the house but it's still painful to be spending so much.
Cut grass here yesterday, going to the new house tomorrow to cut grass there too. Thankful my brother loaned me his utility trailer.
 
Heartbroken said:
Had to go all the way to Lansing for a meeting today. So hard when I'm sitting in the truck in the parking lot fighting through a panic attack before I could go in. Ugh. Got through the day but being in a small room with a lot of loud people really took it out of me.
Stopped at home depot on the way back and picked up some more stuff I need for working on this place. I'm trying to look at all the costs as an investment that will make a good return when I list the house but it's still painful to be spending so much.
Cut grass here yesterday, going to the new house tomorrow to cut grass there too. Thankful my brother loaned me his utility trailer.
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I'm thankful you have your brother, I miss mine!! Glad he helps you!!
 
Went to a talk this morning on hedgegrows/wildlife etc, now preparing for a workshop I'm facilitating on Monday night- one that I'm regretting saying I'd do!
Incredibly hot here, so feeding animals/ doing chores earlier and then studying. Dinner is meatballs in the slow cooker, prepared yesterday and will do two days, so no oven on. In the evening lifting potatoes and harvesting / foraging whatever is ready- great growth going on here at the minute- blackberries, sloes, apples, and anything else I can find!
 
Scheduling the furnace inspection and the car detailing, and then deep-cleaning the kitchen. Wheeee, fun times.

Editing to add: my records show the furnace was done in November last year, so I’ll push that to the end of the month. Also gotta tend the garden and measure the AC unit for a cover …
 
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Ben, I'm glad you're finally done with the AC duct project. Good job on that!

Peepaw, have you tried diatomaceous earth? it actually worked to get rid of ants for us.

Ifitaintbroke, Yikes. I hope they aren't fire ants in your bed.

Glad you're feeling better, snappy!

Txcatlady, glad to see you back!

I kept sleeping through my alarm so I set it for an hour later and that seemed to work. Was able to take my morning vitamins and allergy meds.
The dog is feeling much better. She climbed on me and licked my face. My two eldest cats have been climbing on me. One is currently licking my face. I think they want food. I had to take the food bowls off the floor so the dog couldn't eat them yet. She can eat dog food again but she's not supposed to eat cat food. I still have a bowl of water set up on my windowsill (she can get to it from my nightstand) for her.

I have to go back to the store, pick up more RXs that weren't ready yesterday, and get some stuff we couldn't fit in the cooler.
 
Just now got the last load of cows out of the trailer. Put out a couple mineral blocks for the cows too.
Should have the new kennel finished later today. There's a few more trees that I want to cut down in the back yard. One of the smaller trees is long and straight and will make a nice flag pole. I'll peel the bark off and put it in the barn to dry out until next spring.
Had over 400 gallons of propane delivered today. That topped of the house tank and the well house tank. Sometime in the next couple of weeks I'll order my off-road winter diesel, about 400 gallons of 50/50 stove oil and diesel mix.
 
snappy1 said:
I felt pretty good this morning, so I walked first.
Going to help friend at cafe in a few minutes.
When I get home, bread and refreeze the thawed okra.
Easy-ish day.
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Funny story about okra -

I'm an Iowan, and we don't eat okra here. I had a young married couple for coworkers who took a trip down south. When they got back, they were raving about how good "fried orca" was. Everyone was quite confused by this - who's frying Free Willy? Took a while to get that story straightened out!🤣
 
Round 1 with the kitchen is complete — by which I mean I scrubbed down every inch of stainless steel and the stove actually looks better than it did when we moved in. Found “one weird trick” that actually works — 1 c vinegar, 2 c hot water, 1 Tbsp castille soap, soak a towel in it and drape it over the stove top for half an hour. What a difference! All that baked-on gunk came off way easier than the last time I tried. I might actually be able to get it entirely clean if I repeat it a couple more times over the next couple weeks.

Still to do: fully clean the counters, cabinets, backsplash, and vent. That’ll be a project for Future Me, probably next week sometime.
 
Got the wife mad at me.

A week ago I let the wife know that this coming Sunday I‘ve signed up for a competition. Wife’s sister called wife this evening asking if we would watch their mom Sunday. Wife said yes “we” will. The wife has boxed herself in a corner and evidently it’s my fault. Wife has a bad history of committing me to things before asking me if I can. Majority of the time I’ll change or drop my plans to accommodate hers. Not this time.
 
Stomach wasn't feeling well again. Dog is feeling much better though so that is a relief. Power went out for a few hours. The thunderstorm had the dog leaping into my arms and shivering. I've never had a pet that was afraid of thunder before.

Researched how to update bios without a processor & ram. Can't be done on my new motherboard so I'll have to stick with a gen12 intel processor. Which is fine. It's still better than what I have now. Keep checking for price drops on the processor. Downloaded drivers for the new motherboard and video card for when I switch over. Also researched power backups for my computer. Need to research power supplies as well. Mine is old and should probably be replaced before it outright fails.
 
The Lazy L said:
Got the wife mad at me.

A week ago I let the wife know that this coming Sunday I‘ve signed up for a competition. Wife’s sister called wife this evening asking if we would watch their mom Sunday. Wife said yes “we” will. The wife has boxed herself in a corner and evidently it’s my fault. Wife has a bad history of committing me to things before asking me if I can. Majority of the time I’ll change or drop my plans to accommodate hers. Not this time.
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Since you told her, don't change your plans!!
 
Amish Heart said:
Went and visited my favorite cousin today. Her daughter's house, the big house, next to hers was getting a new basement put in. So they had the 100 yr old house on stilts. Dug a tunnel of sorts under the house, and was taken all the old parts out with a skid loader. Wildest thing I ever saw.
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Hubby's niece and nephew in aw did that several years ago!! Living area basement AND parking!! Nuts!! Wouldn't do it, I'll deal with what I have!!
 
I've thought about it. Our place was built in 1908, and it leans 4 inches down. A problem in my kitchen, if you spill on the counter, it will roll. One time my aunt came in for supper with her walker and sat down. We laughed so hard when her walker rolled across the floor. Mostly it's in our kitchen and dining room where it's noticeable. But it's a ton of money to have done, and a year waiting list for the guy. Someday. Maybe. Plus she had to clear out her entire basement and that would be a problem for sure for me.
 
Amish Heart said:
I've thought about it. Our place was built in 1908, and it leans 4 inches down. A problem in my kitchen, if you spill on the counter, it will roll. One time my aunt came in for supper with her walker and sat down. We laughed so hard when her walker rolled across the floor. Mostly it's in our kitchen and dining room where it's noticeable. But it's a ton of money to have done, and a year waiting list for the guy. Someday. Maybe. Plus she had to clear out her entire basement and that would be a problem for sure for me.
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I cleaned for a couple several years ago, wife had back surgery, temporary job. Their old farm house had a major lean. Fridge, furniture all had blocks under them!! The stairs to the upstairs leaned back!! Kinda crazy!!
 
Snappy: glad you are feeling better

ants in house: we get them too and I have some great ant killer , forgot what it is called but it comes in a orange box and you just set a little thing of liquid where the ants are , they come eat it and go away and die

Read that Wingnut is gone, that's too bad, I liked his posts and photos

So today we are going to drive some animals we now have extra because of the meat processor to the auction truck with a truck that is leaking break fluid still ( the new caliper must be defective and needs to be replaced again) and has an expired inspection sticker....oh and we now have a flood watch for this afternoon which is when we are taking them. Wish us luck....
 
sonya123 said:
Snappy: glad you are feeling better

ants in house: we get them too and I have some great ant killer , forgot what it is called but it comes in a orange box and you just set a little thing of liquid where the ants are , they come eat it and go away and die

Read that Wingnut is gone, that's too bad, I liked his posts and photos

So today we are going to drive some animals we now have extra because of the meat processor to the auction truck with a truck that is leaking break fluid still ( the new caliper must be defective and needs to be replaced again) and has an expired inspection sticker....oh and we now have a flood watch for this afternoon which is when we are taking them. Wish us luck....
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Good luck, let us know when you are back home!!
 
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