I'm not the type of carpenter who measures everything to the "nth degree" especially when building outdoor things like for the ducks. I just say to myself "more or less this is the size I want" and head out to my lumber pile and see what I can make with little to no money added to.
That said I just finished framing the house for my ducklings that will be arriving soon.
It's more or less 2' x 6 ' x 3' tall as I had planned. All I need to buy is some nails about 1.5" long to install the sides and roof.
We had a rare rainy morning today so I was unable to get any mowing done but using great care I managed to cut the wood I needed and get my frame constructed. I'll need maybe an hour to cut lumber for the sides and roof tomorrow. After that I can hammer nails in the rain and be happy, Happy, HAPPY!
I think I have enough disposable pans to keep the bairns hydrated until they're ready for a pool by which time the said pools will be on 1/2 price clearance sale!
Then I can open the yard to all ducks and later let the geese in and fence off a portion to seed for grazing and keep rotating so they have fresh greens to gobble.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
A Trying July
It's been a rough past couple of weeks without much relief in sight. My supervisor at work has had my nights off split to Tuesday and Saturday rather than my normal Tuesday & Wednesday making getting things done at home more difficult. Working around my schedule I have managed to get most of my lawn mowed though.
We've been having some afternoon & evening rain which helps the gardens grow but makes mowing a bit more of a challenge. I've only a brief window between the time the yard dries enough and it's just too damned hot to work outside.
My new ducklings are supposed to arrive in early August so I'm trying to get them a shelter & shade built of some of my scrap lumber. I rooted around the wood pile and think I should have enough for a 2' x 6' x 3' tall brooder house. All I have to do is push myself through the heat... measure, cut and nail the thing together.
The ducklings are incubator hatched and not by their moms so they lack the natural oils to protect their fuzz until they fledge and get real feathers. Ergo it is imperative that they be kept dry and don't have deep enough water to swim in so I'll need to find several pans for water not more than a couple of inches deep. I'm sure I can scare up enough so they can keep hydrated and still safe and dry.
Meanwhile Ruth & Naomi, the sugar gliders think the cucumbers from "Papa Possum's" garden are the best treats in the world! I'm sketching out a new enclosure for them large enough that they can actually jump and glide in. I'm thinking perhaps 2' x 6' x 4' tall. I'd also love to find a male glider but that's not even penciled in at present.
I'm down to a mere 5 possibly viable bearded dragon eggs of the 27 first laid... less than 20% already which is rather disappointing but this is my first attempt (and unexpected at that) at raising dragons so even if none hatch I can count it as a learning experience.
The molly fish are still spewing babies rather regularly but few survive to adulthood. I've a 5 sided tank, I think 30 gallon or so that I'm letting the water age in to move some of the mollies into and possibly purchase a few black lyre tail mollies to cross breed and see what those babes look like.
All said and done, all I can do is work as hard as I can to keep moving ahead. Any conflicts at work or elsewhere I put into God's hands. He never turned His back on me even when I turned mine to Him.
We've been having some afternoon & evening rain which helps the gardens grow but makes mowing a bit more of a challenge. I've only a brief window between the time the yard dries enough and it's just too damned hot to work outside.
My new ducklings are supposed to arrive in early August so I'm trying to get them a shelter & shade built of some of my scrap lumber. I rooted around the wood pile and think I should have enough for a 2' x 6' x 3' tall brooder house. All I have to do is push myself through the heat... measure, cut and nail the thing together.
The ducklings are incubator hatched and not by their moms so they lack the natural oils to protect their fuzz until they fledge and get real feathers. Ergo it is imperative that they be kept dry and don't have deep enough water to swim in so I'll need to find several pans for water not more than a couple of inches deep. I'm sure I can scare up enough so they can keep hydrated and still safe and dry.
Meanwhile Ruth & Naomi, the sugar gliders think the cucumbers from "Papa Possum's" garden are the best treats in the world! I'm sketching out a new enclosure for them large enough that they can actually jump and glide in. I'm thinking perhaps 2' x 6' x 4' tall. I'd also love to find a male glider but that's not even penciled in at present.
I'm down to a mere 5 possibly viable bearded dragon eggs of the 27 first laid... less than 20% already which is rather disappointing but this is my first attempt (and unexpected at that) at raising dragons so even if none hatch I can count it as a learning experience.
The molly fish are still spewing babies rather regularly but few survive to adulthood. I've a 5 sided tank, I think 30 gallon or so that I'm letting the water age in to move some of the mollies into and possibly purchase a few black lyre tail mollies to cross breed and see what those babes look like.
All said and done, all I can do is work as hard as I can to keep moving ahead. Any conflicts at work or elsewhere I put into God's hands. He never turned His back on me even when I turned mine to Him.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Ordered Baby Ducks
I've been searching all the local animal sale sites on Facebook etc or female ducks for a couple of months now to no avail. While I have found some for sale all are at least 100 miles away and $10.00 or more each duckling. So I decided to go back to the farm where I ordered my first ducklings & goslings.
This is the first time I've recommended any company here on my blog but I really have had more than 100% satisfaction from them so here goes...
Metzer Farms located in Gonzales, California. They have good prices, fast shipping and all my previous babies ordered arrived alive and well so thanks to them!
This time I ordered 10 female mixed variety ducklings as I am more concerned with getting hens than any particular variety. According to the hatchery's catalog there may be anywhere from 1 to 10 different breeds in my order "as they are composed of those breeds that hatched exceptionally well on hatch day".
There is a slight chance that the ducklings will come with paper stating which breeds I get but I doubt it... just 10 mixed ducklings. At any rate it'll be fun watching them grow and figuring out what I have. I'm hoping for more calm temperament with high egg production but it really all depends on what the hatchery has extra of.
As I mentioned before, any duckling within 100 miles are $10.00 or more. Even after shipping charges I'm getting mine shipped in from California for less that $8.00 each.
When I ordered my first ducklings I told my best friend, Gail that I planned on raising them for meat. She said I wouldn't be able to kill anything I raised from a baby. After all was said and done she was proved right! I can eat their eggs but not their legs. I had a clutch of goose eggs and one of duck eggs, both close to hatching ruined by flooding in their yard which hurt my heart. I buried the eggs (waste not, want not) to build up the soil in my back yard. Presently my 3 drakes are separated from my 2 hens so any eggs are not fertile but still good eating.
The new babes are due to ship August 1. I've already cut off a section of the yard for the wee ones and seeded it so they'll have fresh greens to graze, am building them a hut for shelter and filling in any gaps between the fence and the ground around.
This is the first time I've recommended any company here on my blog but I really have had more than 100% satisfaction from them so here goes...
Metzer Farms located in Gonzales, California. They have good prices, fast shipping and all my previous babies ordered arrived alive and well so thanks to them!
This time I ordered 10 female mixed variety ducklings as I am more concerned with getting hens than any particular variety. According to the hatchery's catalog there may be anywhere from 1 to 10 different breeds in my order "as they are composed of those breeds that hatched exceptionally well on hatch day".
There is a slight chance that the ducklings will come with paper stating which breeds I get but I doubt it... just 10 mixed ducklings. At any rate it'll be fun watching them grow and figuring out what I have. I'm hoping for more calm temperament with high egg production but it really all depends on what the hatchery has extra of.
As I mentioned before, any duckling within 100 miles are $10.00 or more. Even after shipping charges I'm getting mine shipped in from California for less that $8.00 each.
When I ordered my first ducklings I told my best friend, Gail that I planned on raising them for meat. She said I wouldn't be able to kill anything I raised from a baby. After all was said and done she was proved right! I can eat their eggs but not their legs. I had a clutch of goose eggs and one of duck eggs, both close to hatching ruined by flooding in their yard which hurt my heart. I buried the eggs (waste not, want not) to build up the soil in my back yard. Presently my 3 drakes are separated from my 2 hens so any eggs are not fertile but still good eating.
The new babes are due to ship August 1. I've already cut off a section of the yard for the wee ones and seeded it so they'll have fresh greens to graze, am building them a hut for shelter and filling in any gaps between the fence and the ground around.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Assorted Things Around The Garden
Well, there's a lot going on here at Merlin's Garden so here's a quick run down.
Of the 27 eggs Boudica, the bearded dragon laid I'm down to about a half dozen still possibly viable to hatch and produce baby dragons.
Speaking of eggs, I usually fetch in an average of one per day duck egg. I write (in pencil) the date before I put them in the fridge and always the newest in the back to insure rotation and freshness. Everybody here eats eggs! Myself, the canine kids, the lizards, sugar gliders, hedgehog, even the birds that laid them. Between us all we eat every bit including the shells.
Also speaking of eggs, I finally ordered the Hova-Bator incubator w/ auto turner, etc, most of the bells & whistles but not all as some I found extraneous & unneeded for my purposes. I bought one almost identical some 25 years ago for around $50.00 and now the price is almost three times that. Like most things, the price rarely goes down so I figured I'd best go ahead and get it now.
It's the latter part of July and I have yet to see any catalpa worms on my trees so I'm doubting I'll have any this year. Maybe they don't produce every year?
Along with my almost daily eggs I fetch in a few tomatoes, mostly the smaller varieties of cherry and/or grape... most of which I gobble before even bringing them into the house! I've been picking a few peas here and there, and freezing them until I have enough to cook up what we refer to as a "mess". I've also harvested a couple of nice cucumbers and my sunflowers are starting to "deadhead". That is, they've made all they're going to make and are starting to die down so it won't be too long before it's time to harvest the heads and uproot the stalks for composting. The peanut patch is looking pretty good but corn, gourds and okra are looking quite dismal. As was the case last year my volunteer tomatoes are far outperforming those I worked for. My dill in the front garden is going to flower/seed so I'm hoping it'll colonize as did my dill plants at my former home.
That's about all I can think of re: new/recent goings on here at the garden. Until next time, Merlin
Of the 27 eggs Boudica, the bearded dragon laid I'm down to about a half dozen still possibly viable to hatch and produce baby dragons.
Speaking of eggs, I usually fetch in an average of one per day duck egg. I write (in pencil) the date before I put them in the fridge and always the newest in the back to insure rotation and freshness. Everybody here eats eggs! Myself, the canine kids, the lizards, sugar gliders, hedgehog, even the birds that laid them. Between us all we eat every bit including the shells.
Also speaking of eggs, I finally ordered the Hova-Bator incubator w/ auto turner, etc, most of the bells & whistles but not all as some I found extraneous & unneeded for my purposes. I bought one almost identical some 25 years ago for around $50.00 and now the price is almost three times that. Like most things, the price rarely goes down so I figured I'd best go ahead and get it now.
It's the latter part of July and I have yet to see any catalpa worms on my trees so I'm doubting I'll have any this year. Maybe they don't produce every year?
Along with my almost daily eggs I fetch in a few tomatoes, mostly the smaller varieties of cherry and/or grape... most of which I gobble before even bringing them into the house! I've been picking a few peas here and there, and freezing them until I have enough to cook up what we refer to as a "mess". I've also harvested a couple of nice cucumbers and my sunflowers are starting to "deadhead". That is, they've made all they're going to make and are starting to die down so it won't be too long before it's time to harvest the heads and uproot the stalks for composting. The peanut patch is looking pretty good but corn, gourds and okra are looking quite dismal. As was the case last year my volunteer tomatoes are far outperforming those I worked for. My dill in the front garden is going to flower/seed so I'm hoping it'll colonize as did my dill plants at my former home.
That's about all I can think of re: new/recent goings on here at the garden. Until next time, Merlin
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Rupert The Hedgehog & More
I'd been negotiating to purchase a hedgehog from a young lady in Seminary, Mississippi for a couple of weeks. As my work schedule had gotten skewed this week I had yesterday, Saturday off and we agreed to meet. It had been quite some time since I'd been on a road trip of any length but was up to the task even though meeting at 4:00 PM wasn't the greatest time for me. As I've mentioned I work 10 PM to 7 AM so 4 PM is to me as 2 AM to normal human beings.
Once on the road I got a text saying she'd be way late so her parents would meet me for the sale. Yes, I did pull over and stop to read the text! After about 90 minutes of windshield time I arrived at the agreed upon site and bought Rupert. No story behind the name, they just thought he looked like a "Rupert". He came complete with a 17" x 29" x 18" high very nice cage, hide box, play wheel, food & water bowls, a sack of feed & sack of bedding. The bedding is of some shredded paper material dyed gaudy colors which I dislike so I'll use it and gradually switch to another substrate.
I had already decided to pick up my sister's 55 gallon aquarium and stand on the way back from Seminary. That almost turned into a bad idea. Only a true redneck can stuff a hedgehog & cage, 55 gallon aquarium and stand into a Honda CR-V! Ordeal #2 came unloading the cargo. What's that game where you stack all these blocks then take turn removing them until the whole thing collapses? Loading and unloading the car was not dissimilar to that!
I'm not a large man at 5' 9" and around 140 pounds but quite determined at times. Years ago my Dad, older brother and I were up at deer camp in Kilmichael, Ms. moving some junk and ridding the place of rubbish. At one point my brother said, "Look at him. Not an ounce of fat and strong as a damn ox!"
While not heavy a 48" long glass tank and stand to set it atop are quite bulky and unwieldy but God was by my side.
At any rate the tank needs a good washing and the stand needs repainting before coming inside for setup. Ever one to use things for other than intended purposes I set the tank over some grass that's growing in the cracks of my parking slab. The glass will intensify the Sun's rays to bake the grass into oblivion so I needn't spray any herbicide there. I'm still unsure what nights I'll be working or not this week but I'll move the tank every 24 hours or so as I get it cleaned up and the stand repainted. It is of wrought iron so after sanding I'll simply go with basic flat black.
I also picked up a 10 gallon tank while at my step mom's. No idea what I'll use it for presently but sure I'll come up with something quite clever.
Once on the road I got a text saying she'd be way late so her parents would meet me for the sale. Yes, I did pull over and stop to read the text! After about 90 minutes of windshield time I arrived at the agreed upon site and bought Rupert. No story behind the name, they just thought he looked like a "Rupert". He came complete with a 17" x 29" x 18" high very nice cage, hide box, play wheel, food & water bowls, a sack of feed & sack of bedding. The bedding is of some shredded paper material dyed gaudy colors which I dislike so I'll use it and gradually switch to another substrate.
I had already decided to pick up my sister's 55 gallon aquarium and stand on the way back from Seminary. That almost turned into a bad idea. Only a true redneck can stuff a hedgehog & cage, 55 gallon aquarium and stand into a Honda CR-V! Ordeal #2 came unloading the cargo. What's that game where you stack all these blocks then take turn removing them until the whole thing collapses? Loading and unloading the car was not dissimilar to that!
I'm not a large man at 5' 9" and around 140 pounds but quite determined at times. Years ago my Dad, older brother and I were up at deer camp in Kilmichael, Ms. moving some junk and ridding the place of rubbish. At one point my brother said, "Look at him. Not an ounce of fat and strong as a damn ox!"
While not heavy a 48" long glass tank and stand to set it atop are quite bulky and unwieldy but God was by my side.
At any rate the tank needs a good washing and the stand needs repainting before coming inside for setup. Ever one to use things for other than intended purposes I set the tank over some grass that's growing in the cracks of my parking slab. The glass will intensify the Sun's rays to bake the grass into oblivion so I needn't spray any herbicide there. I'm still unsure what nights I'll be working or not this week but I'll move the tank every 24 hours or so as I get it cleaned up and the stand repainted. It is of wrought iron so after sanding I'll simply go with basic flat black.
I also picked up a 10 gallon tank while at my step mom's. No idea what I'll use it for presently but sure I'll come up with something quite clever.
New Washer Delivered
I was waiting for a call from the store to tell me when my new washer could be delivered. The call came saying they were on their way! I bare;y had time to clear a path through the living room when they arrived. In about 30 minutes everything was hooked up and ready to rock & roll.
I don't know what stores do with old appliances but I just asked the guys to leave my old machine at the curb. I had a road trip Saturday and when I returned someone had picked it up to either repair or recycle... Hell, maybe their machine was worse than mine and they were upgrading!
My new is much quieter than the old. So much so I barely even notice when it's running. Hopefully it'll perform much better as well. The main thing now is I don't have to open and reclose the door to make it go into spin cycle.
I got well over 10 years' service out of my old machine. Not bad at all for one I picked up free off the curb and already had some years on it.
I don't know what stores do with old appliances but I just asked the guys to leave my old machine at the curb. I had a road trip Saturday and when I returned someone had picked it up to either repair or recycle... Hell, maybe their machine was worse than mine and they were upgrading!
My new is much quieter than the old. So much so I barely even notice when it's running. Hopefully it'll perform much better as well. The main thing now is I don't have to open and reclose the door to make it go into spin cycle.
I got well over 10 years' service out of my old machine. Not bad at all for one I picked up free off the curb and already had some years on it.
Friday, July 15, 2016
New Washer Ordered From A "New" Store
I've long shopped at one particular home improvement store mainly because it was so close. Well last week I decided it was past due time for a new washing machine so I went online and found one I liked at a decent price. Then came ordering time... They said I could not come pick it up and wanted $65 to deliver! Hey! No way in Hell am I going to pay for something I am ready, willing and able to do myself! The machine according to specs weighs 142 pounds, only about 5 more than myself. With my 2 wheel hand truck I can wrangle that sucker easily (or not so easily) by myself. Sixty five dollars to bring a 142 pound package 8 miles? Somebody fell out of the stupid tree and hit a few branches on the way down... and it wasn't me! Long story short, I told them to kiss my redneck butt!
Back to the internet searching for a washing machine I go. Lo and behold! There I see the exact same model at the exact same price at a competing store with free delivery, hookup and haul away my old piece of junk!
So what's the lesson here today, kids?
If you find what you think is a good deal don't be too hasty to grab it. Shop a bit more and see what else is out there.
By the way, the price was $299.
Back to the internet searching for a washing machine I go. Lo and behold! There I see the exact same model at the exact same price at a competing store with free delivery, hookup and haul away my old piece of junk!
So what's the lesson here today, kids?
If you find what you think is a good deal don't be too hasty to grab it. Shop a bit more and see what else is out there.
By the way, the price was $299.
New Names For The Gliders
As you may know I recently purchased 2 female sugar gliders, named Thelma & Louise. I really didn't want my girls named after the title characters in a movie about 2 sluts who at the end of the flick drive their car off the edge of a cliff. By the way, I never saw the movie. I only heard so much about the ending and my friend, Debbie told me they were sluts.
Anyway as I oft do when confronted with a dilemma I asked my best friend Gail who provided me with the names I needed. I'm a history geek and try to be as good a Christian as I can be... with mixed results!
But Gail suggested Biblical names for my wee possums. Naomi & Ruth. For the most part I still refer to them as "my wee possums" but Naomi & Ruth are their new names.
I call myself my ducks' & geese's "Quack Daddy" and Vlad & Bella (my canine kids) "Papa". I am to my lizards "Lizard Wizard or Dad" and now I am Naomi & Ruth's "Possum Papa".
Yesterday I was feeding the possums and one must have been hungry as she leapt onto the back of my hand causing me to let out a bit of a yelp and spill some vittles. No worries though as she lapped up most of the spillage. And now I know they are becoming accustomed to me they are also warming up and coming to greet me when I bring treats!
Anyway as I oft do when confronted with a dilemma I asked my best friend Gail who provided me with the names I needed. I'm a history geek and try to be as good a Christian as I can be... with mixed results!
But Gail suggested Biblical names for my wee possums. Naomi & Ruth. For the most part I still refer to them as "my wee possums" but Naomi & Ruth are their new names.
I call myself my ducks' & geese's "Quack Daddy" and Vlad & Bella (my canine kids) "Papa". I am to my lizards "Lizard Wizard or Dad" and now I am Naomi & Ruth's "Possum Papa".
Yesterday I was feeding the possums and one must have been hungry as she leapt onto the back of my hand causing me to let out a bit of a yelp and spill some vittles. No worries though as she lapped up most of the spillage. And now I know they are becoming accustomed to me they are also warming up and coming to greet me when I bring treats!
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Dragons & Rain
I forgot to mention yesterday I also made a screen top for the Bearded Dragons' tank. It's an odd sized tank, 18" x 36" x 17" deep... wider than and not as long nor as deep as a standard 55 gallon. I'm not sure if it's actually a 55 and really don't feel like doing the math to find out. All I know is it suits my needs just fine.
Perhaps I forgot to mention it yesterday as it only took about 10 minutes for this project from start to finish and I didn't lose any skin and blood as I did on the Sugar Gliders' expansion!
Of the 27 eggs Boudica, my female dragon laid I'm down to only a half dozen that still appear viable. Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that I don't have 2 score and 7 baby dragons to care for! I've upped the ratio of bugs and calcium via whole boiled eggs w/ the shells dried and crushed finely to Arminius (her mate) & Boudica's diet so she won't suffer bone deterioration should she lay another clutch.
I'll still try to get down to my stepmom's to pick up my sister's 55 for use as a brooder. I also got 2 heating pads for Winter. Regular price is $15.99 and I got them for $3.97 each, a savings of 75%!
We finally got a good rain last evening as well. I don't know when it started but it was still coming down a nice, soaking fall when I got up at 8:30 PM.
When I got home this morning most of the buckets, barrels and tubs I have under the eaves were full of fresh, clean (and free!) rainwater. I'll top off my fish tanks first then use the lion's share in the gardens as needed. It must have rained nice & slow for some time as this morning I saw many of the cracks in my parched back yard had healed. As a bonus, the ducks & geese enjoyed a brief respite from the heat and got to play in the rain.
Speaking of the Quack Pack, I may order more she ducklings (assorted varieties) from the same farm I got the originals from. They ship overnight and what the Hell? I may decide to get another she goose or 2
Perhaps I forgot to mention it yesterday as it only took about 10 minutes for this project from start to finish and I didn't lose any skin and blood as I did on the Sugar Gliders' expansion!
Of the 27 eggs Boudica, my female dragon laid I'm down to only a half dozen that still appear viable. Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that I don't have 2 score and 7 baby dragons to care for! I've upped the ratio of bugs and calcium via whole boiled eggs w/ the shells dried and crushed finely to Arminius (her mate) & Boudica's diet so she won't suffer bone deterioration should she lay another clutch.
I'll still try to get down to my stepmom's to pick up my sister's 55 for use as a brooder. I also got 2 heating pads for Winter. Regular price is $15.99 and I got them for $3.97 each, a savings of 75%!
We finally got a good rain last evening as well. I don't know when it started but it was still coming down a nice, soaking fall when I got up at 8:30 PM.
When I got home this morning most of the buckets, barrels and tubs I have under the eaves were full of fresh, clean (and free!) rainwater. I'll top off my fish tanks first then use the lion's share in the gardens as needed. It must have rained nice & slow for some time as this morning I saw many of the cracks in my parched back yard had healed. As a bonus, the ducks & geese enjoyed a brief respite from the heat and got to play in the rain.
Speaking of the Quack Pack, I may order more she ducklings (assorted varieties) from the same farm I got the originals from. They ship overnight and what the Hell? I may decide to get another she goose or 2
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Enlarging The Gliders' Housing
The cage that came with my sugar gliders was much smaller than I had anticipated... 11" x 15.5" x 14" with an 18" peak. I wanted more for my wee possums so dragged out some 1/2" welded wire and set about to increasing their space. Now the whole thing is 11" x 15.5" x 38"....
I have a reputation among family and (few) friends of sleeping through anything including tornadoes. These girls are just like me. It took me some 15 minutes or so to set the extension in place and wire it in. No sight nor sound of them. They sleep in an oven mitten that came with them. Once I got everything in place and wired up, including raising their mitt almost a foot and a half I figured I'd best check on them to see if they were still alive. They are alive and sleeping as hard as rocks just like their possum Papa! They'll be so surprised when they wake up and see their new extension and about 1/3 of a kiwi on their feed tray. I'm sure they'll have 2 tons of fun exploring and climbing on the branches I added as well.
I have a reputation among family and (few) friends of sleeping through anything including tornadoes. These girls are just like me. It took me some 15 minutes or so to set the extension in place and wire it in. No sight nor sound of them. They sleep in an oven mitten that came with them. Once I got everything in place and wired up, including raising their mitt almost a foot and a half I figured I'd best check on them to see if they were still alive. They are alive and sleeping as hard as rocks just like their possum Papa! They'll be so surprised when they wake up and see their new extension and about 1/3 of a kiwi on their feed tray. I'm sure they'll have 2 tons of fun exploring and climbing on the branches I added as well.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Glider Update
While I still keep the girls' cup of bagged glider diet full I also continue to give them what I call "real" food. . As they are nectar eaters in the wild I fill a small cup (maybe a couple of tablespoons worth) with honey or agave nectar. I'll check the price on maple syrup tomorrow.
Meanwhile to add to the the stuff I've been giving them fruit wise I bought a small sack of fresh cherries, a banana and a kiwi... all of which they are seeming to love. Some goes to the gliders and some goes to my lizards.
I can hardly wait until the catalpa worms come in season as they should make everyone happy including me as I can go catch some fish!
Meanwhile to add to the the stuff I've been giving them fruit wise I bought a small sack of fresh cherries, a banana and a kiwi... all of which they are seeming to love. Some goes to the gliders and some goes to my lizards.
I can hardly wait until the catalpa worms come in season as they should make everyone happy including me as I can go catch some fish!
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Sugar Gliders
A while back I noticed a post for 2 female sugar gliders for sale for $300 and was quite interested. Just as I was prepared to purchase the girls need came about for me to buy a new washing machine instead.
I got a text from the owner again Tuesday asking was I still interested, which I was. Long story short, we agreed upon a price of $150 and we met and I fetched the wee possums home. They are too damned cute (and cute is a word I don't often use).
I'm getting them accustomed to my smell which is as I understand an important step in the bonding process. Their previous people were more "prepared diet" people... you know, the pellets from the pet store. I'm more "home grown" diet whenever possible for me and all my critters.
Their housing, aka "cage" is a lot smaller than I anticipated so I'll be making grander accommodations ASAP.
Also their names are "Thelma & Louise" which isn't quite my style. I prefer historical names which refer to the land the critters originally came from or my ancestral land of Ireland & Wales whenever possible.
Gliders are wee possums from Australia so anyone out there have names of legendary ladies from the land down under?
I got a text from the owner again Tuesday asking was I still interested, which I was. Long story short, we agreed upon a price of $150 and we met and I fetched the wee possums home. They are too damned cute (and cute is a word I don't often use).
I'm getting them accustomed to my smell which is as I understand an important step in the bonding process. Their previous people were more "prepared diet" people... you know, the pellets from the pet store. I'm more "home grown" diet whenever possible for me and all my critters.
Their housing, aka "cage" is a lot smaller than I anticipated so I'll be making grander accommodations ASAP.
Also their names are "Thelma & Louise" which isn't quite my style. I prefer historical names which refer to the land the critters originally came from or my ancestral land of Ireland & Wales whenever possible.
Gliders are wee possums from Australia so anyone out there have names of legendary ladies from the land down under?
Monday, July 4, 2016
Independence Day
Two hundred and forty years ago today the United States of America was born.
Unlike most Americans I do say "Happy Independence Day" rather than "Happy 4th of July".
Do we call Christmas "the 25th of December"? No.
Do we call any other holiday by the date rather than the reason? Hell no.
Okay, the Mexicans have Cinco de Mayo but a Mexican I work with told me Mexicans in Mexico don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It's an American holiday created to sell beer according to him.
Anyway I still have to work tonight so won't be raising any Hell until tomorrow morning. I will, however cook a few burgers on the grill and maybe make a side of either tater salad or baked beans.
I picked up a refill on my propane tank the other day so I'll be cooking out as much as possible instead of getting the house any hotter than need be.
History Channel has been showing many programs about the Revolution as of late and history geek that I am watch as much as possible between chores in & outside.
Unlike most Americans I do say "Happy Independence Day" rather than "Happy 4th of July".
Do we call Christmas "the 25th of December"? No.
Do we call any other holiday by the date rather than the reason? Hell no.
Okay, the Mexicans have Cinco de Mayo but a Mexican I work with told me Mexicans in Mexico don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It's an American holiday created to sell beer according to him.
Anyway I still have to work tonight so won't be raising any Hell until tomorrow morning. I will, however cook a few burgers on the grill and maybe make a side of either tater salad or baked beans.
I picked up a refill on my propane tank the other day so I'll be cooking out as much as possible instead of getting the house any hotter than need be.
History Channel has been showing many programs about the Revolution as of late and history geek that I am watch as much as possible between chores in & outside.
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Heat Wave & Mini Vacation
We're still in the midst of a moderate to severe lack of rain here. I've got hoses spread all over the yard so I can water the gardens and ducks & geese as much as possible without having to disconnect and reconnect more than I have to.
Monday will be Independence Day here in the U.S.A. so most folks will be grilling, drinking, shooting off fireworks, etc... I'll be working both Sunday night/Monday morn and Monday night/Tuesday morn so my celebrating will be minimal to say the least.
As July 4 is a legal holiday, I do get paid time and a half for working that night/day. Rather than let anyone get a fat paycheck management is cutting hours that week. It's fine with me. I get holiday pay for the 4th and get a 3 day weekend running from Tuesday night through Thursday night. They'll have a couple of new part timers trying to fill my shoes Thursday night. I can hardly wait to hear how that goes!
The only downside may be the weather is forecast to be in real temperature in the triple digits, not just heat index.
Speaking of heat, I bought some weather strip tape to close the gap between my front door and the jamb the other day and installed it today. It took all of about 10 minutes and now I can't see any light shining through the gap so hopefully I've made it close to airtight.
Monday will be Independence Day here in the U.S.A. so most folks will be grilling, drinking, shooting off fireworks, etc... I'll be working both Sunday night/Monday morn and Monday night/Tuesday morn so my celebrating will be minimal to say the least.
As July 4 is a legal holiday, I do get paid time and a half for working that night/day. Rather than let anyone get a fat paycheck management is cutting hours that week. It's fine with me. I get holiday pay for the 4th and get a 3 day weekend running from Tuesday night through Thursday night. They'll have a couple of new part timers trying to fill my shoes Thursday night. I can hardly wait to hear how that goes!
The only downside may be the weather is forecast to be in real temperature in the triple digits, not just heat index.
Speaking of heat, I bought some weather strip tape to close the gap between my front door and the jamb the other day and installed it today. It took all of about 10 minutes and now I can't see any light shining through the gap so hopefully I've made it close to airtight.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
July 2, 2016
Yesterday Mom and I went to my brother's house. First time I've been in there. It needs some work but could easily become quite the cozy abode.
Today I went to "Mega Mart" for the good cheap topsoil I much prefer over the name brand stuff and got 6 sacks. Once home I transferred the good Dragon eggs (only a dozen, sadly) into the new vermiculite and cheap topsoil boxes. I also did a propane tank exchange for my gas grill, got a couple of braces for shelves to install in my storage room.
Also I picked up a 16 quart pressure canner for right at $70.00. All I need now is for my garden to produce enough veggies to fill 2 dozen each quart and pint jars.
Mrs Virginia, my across the street neighbor gave me an at least 50' hose the other day saying her landscape man had cut it while weed trimming. For about $2.00 I got a splice kit for it... Hey! A $40.00 hose for $2.00? I'll take that all day long every day!
Today I went to "Mega Mart" for the good cheap topsoil I much prefer over the name brand stuff and got 6 sacks. Once home I transferred the good Dragon eggs (only a dozen, sadly) into the new vermiculite and cheap topsoil boxes. I also did a propane tank exchange for my gas grill, got a couple of braces for shelves to install in my storage room.
Also I picked up a 16 quart pressure canner for right at $70.00. All I need now is for my garden to produce enough veggies to fill 2 dozen each quart and pint jars.
Mrs Virginia, my across the street neighbor gave me an at least 50' hose the other day saying her landscape man had cut it while weed trimming. For about $2.00 I got a splice kit for it... Hey! A $40.00 hose for $2.00? I'll take that all day long every day!
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