What are you doing?
- Thread starter buckytom
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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Chef Munky
Honey Badger
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- Dec 15, 2008
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I sympathize with anyone who has a gopher problem in their yard/garden. I'm a self-declared expert about how to deal with gophers, having had property in Gopher Heaven. (The soil had nary a pebble in it, sandy loam--- perfect for growing things and perfect for gophers.)
But although I'm the 'expert' ----- the gophers won, paws down! We tried everything (except lion dung) and they just kept on keeping on. Sorta funny (not really) to see your beautiful plants start to shake and disappear underground in just a couple of minutes.
It got so I would plant about 1/2 again as many veggie plants as I wanted so the gophers could take their share! But of course, that would be the year that they decided not to eat that type of veggie but all the others! $&@%#
So I would have bushels and bushels of peppers and almost no green beans. $@%@W
Booked him Dano!
He was back as expected right down to the time.I was ready.
Noticed that he filled in his hole again.Looked around and saw a freshly opened 2"hole.Waited quietly.2minutes later he stuck his head out.Saw me and ducked back in.That was fine.I had him.Got the hose stuck it in deep into the opened hole and turned the hose on full blast.
It was incredible to see that 6 small areas well away from the original location were filling up with flooding water.It looked like a huge maze.Underground tunneling system.2 of them I was standing right beside at the time.Sure enough he popped out of the last one drenched already half drowned.I WAPPED him good a few times with the hose.
My husband gave me a high five! He's in shock that I actually did that
Sons asked me if I wanted to go to an arcade and play whack a mole.
I told them no.Playing whack a gopher at home was free and more sporting.
Hopefully that's the only one.
Munky.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Booked him Dano!
He was back as expected right down to the time.I was ready.
Noticed that he filled in his hole again.Looked around and saw a freshly opened 2"hole.Waited quietly.2minutes later he stuck his head out.Saw me and ducked back in.That was fine.I had him.Got the hose stuck it in deep into the opened hole and turned the hose on full blast.
It was incredible to see that 6 small areas well away from the original location were filling up with flooding water.It looked like a huge maze.Underground tunneling system.2 of them I was standing right beside at the time.Sure enough he popped out of the last one drenched already half drowned.I WAPPED him good a few times with the hose.
My husband gave me a high five! He's in shock that I actually did that
Sons asked me if I wanted to go to an arcade and play whack a mole.
I told them no.Playing whack a gopher at home was free and more sporting.
Hopefully that's the only one.
Munky.
We know someone who needs you to kill a snake or two that is climbing up into their car.
Chef Munky
Honey Badger
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2008
- Messages
- 2,841
LOL!!!We know someone who needs you to kill a snake or two that is climbing up into their car.
I read that and was going to chime in. Didn't have the heart to freak Bake Chef out.I like Bake chef. Were best buds and stuff.
Curiosity is getting the best of me though. Have wondered how his new seat belt scarf is working out..Terrible I know...See why I didn't?
B/C don't pull over to txt. They always look for a warm spot.
Just get home fast!
bakechef
Executive Chef
I was so on edge this morning it wasn't funny. I'm not a jumpy person usually... I live in a townhouse and my other neighbor on the other side was watering his plants and trees this morning as I was leaving for work, he pulled the hose and I must have jumped 10 feet, he had no idea what had happened last night and when I told him, he had a good laugh! He knows that there is a snake in the area because he found the shed skin, but it doesn't really bother him.
I never thought I'd be this freaked out over a snake...
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I never thought I'd be this freaked out over a snake...
Sent from my IdeaTabA2109A using Discuss Cooking mobile app
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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Lol! That's too bad, BC. Snakes are so cool and very beneficial. Of course, I can't kill spiders either, they're cool too. Hope you haven't burned your car yet.
I sorted through the suitcase that's held together with duct tape and contains our snorkeling gear and travel equipment. Guess it's time to retire it. US baggage handlers are really hard on luggage, I think they purposely drag it over sandpaper and have the Samsonite gorilla stomp on it. When there's more duct tape than suitcase, it's time to go. I have a new one that I'm sure they'll put through the belt sander and gorilla for our next trip.
I sorted through the suitcase that's held together with duct tape and contains our snorkeling gear and travel equipment. Guess it's time to retire it. US baggage handlers are really hard on luggage, I think they purposely drag it over sandpaper and have the Samsonite gorilla stomp on it. When there's more duct tape than suitcase, it's time to go. I have a new one that I'm sure they'll put through the belt sander and gorilla for our next trip.
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
Send it to me, that is the kind of luggage I prefer!
I can spot my old beat up bags on the conveyor without any confusion and I'm reasonably sure that no thief would give them a second look!
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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Send it to me, that is the kind of luggage I prefer!
I can spot my old beat up bags on the conveyor without any confusion and I'm reasonably sure that no thief would give them a second look!
That's what I like too, AB, but the zipper is ripped out and the frame wire is exposed. And when I duct tape it back up, TSA has to rip it open when we go back through Customs and disturbs my duct tape. I told DH that I may try to sew it back up with dental floss, but I'm afraid even that won't be able to save it.
I knew someone who wrapped his luggage in cardboard, so it would look ratty to the baggage handlers.
bakechef
Executive Chef
I wish that I had a second set of luggage to fly with, my good stuff looks more ragged every trip.
I wouldn't mind snakes, but some of them could kill you... I'm not saying that I'd like them, but they would freak me out less. We also have spiders that are venomous, umm no! My coworker came to work limping a couple weeks ago, he went to urgent care before coming to work because his foot was very swollen, he got bitten by a brown recluse spider. I grew up in a part of the country without venomous creatures
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Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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We have rattlers up here, but I've never seen one in the wild. And brown recluses and black widows. My cleaning lady's husband was bitten by a brown recluse. Mostly I've found wolf spiders, I try to gently put them outside, where apparently the snakes eat them. Along with the usual run of the mill spiders.
On the ranch we had LOTS of rattlesnakes and kept our homemade rattler catcher handy at all times. Sitting on the slatted porch we could hear them when there was a 'mix-up' among the group. Or maybe it was sex, dunno.
When I picked bush green beans or squash on hot days I would poke a stick in the bush first just to be safe--- had too many close calls esp. when I was alone on the ranch miles and miles away from anywhere.
I guess rattlers do serve a purpose, some where, but they're just too dangerous for me to want them around. Esp. the one that came into the house on a really hot day!! Geesh!
When I picked bush green beans or squash on hot days I would poke a stick in the bush first just to be safe--- had too many close calls esp. when I was alone on the ranch miles and miles away from anywhere.
I guess rattlers do serve a purpose, some where, but they're just too dangerous for me to want them around. Esp. the one that came into the house on a really hot day!! Geesh!
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
LOL!!!
I read that and was going to chime in. Didn't have the heart to freak Bake Chef out.I like Bake chef. Were best buds and stuff.
Curiosity is getting the best of me though. Have wondered how his new seat belt scarf is working out..Terrible I know...See why I didn't?
B/C don't pull over to txt. They always look for a warm spot.
Just get home fast!
And keep those hedge cutters handy!
Chef Munky
Honey Badger
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2008
- Messages
- 2,841
We went to a restaurant that seriously meant it when they said "fresh caught" Didn't see this until afterwards.Gah!....I ordered Chicken strips!!!
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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We went to a restaurant that seriously meant it when they said "fresh caught" Didn't see this until afterwards.Gah!....I ordered Chicken strips!!!
As they say, "Tastes like chicken!" I think I'd go for picking out my own lobster....
Cheryl J
Chef Extraordinaire
bakechef, you're going to want to close your eyes on this one.
My friend's husband works at a gold mine out here in the desert, and there are a lot of rattlers out there. A couple of weeks ago, a co-worker of his got in his SUV, did the cursory snake check, and drove home. His wife got in the SUV, did several errands, got home, and went to take the groceries out of the back and there was a rattlesnake in the back of the SUV.
Much as snakes give me the heebie jeebies, I agree with others that they are useful critters - they sure do help to keep the rodent population down, and to me rodents are worse than snakes. Ewww...
My friend's husband works at a gold mine out here in the desert, and there are a lot of rattlers out there. A couple of weeks ago, a co-worker of his got in his SUV, did the cursory snake check, and drove home. His wife got in the SUV, did several errands, got home, and went to take the groceries out of the back and there was a rattlesnake in the back of the SUV.
Much as snakes give me the heebie jeebies, I agree with others that they are useful critters - they sure do help to keep the rodent population down, and to me rodents are worse than snakes. Ewww...
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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bakechef, you're going to want to close your eyes on this one.
My friend's husband works at a gold mine out here in the desert, and there are a lot of rattlers out there. A couple of weeks ago, a co-worker of his got in his SUV, did the cursory snake check, and drove home. His wife got in the SUV, did several errands, got home, and went to take the groceries out of the back and there was a rattlesnake in the back of the SUV.
Much as snakes give me the heebie jeebies, I agree with others that they are useful critters - they sure do help to keep the rodent population down, and to me rodents are worse than snakes. Ewww...
Snake in the grass, or in Bakechef's wheel well, I can handle. Rattlesnake in the trunk, probably not so much!
Ground squirrels are my nemesis here. They dig up all my seeds and gnaw off my bean plants. Apparently they like garlic, I've found a bunch of empty garlic paper where I'd planted some sprouted cloves. I used to use rat traps baited with peanut butter, and always caught a lot, but since we have a heavily wooded lot, there is always a steady supply of ground squirrels. And don't get me started on moles. Or deer. Or bunnies. Or raccoons.
So now, I just let nature do what it does. And figure I'll have to double-plant everything.
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Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
Wait, I thought you grew up in Maine? Aren't their mosquitoes the size of a B-52 bomber?
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I decided to wind down tonight by spending a bit of time here. Earlier this evening I set up part of the basement into what Himself calls my "Chick Cave". Our basement isn't finished but we do have amenities like a TV, a nice speaker set-up for the computer, and a table/desk I can sit at to play on the computer or sort through recipes and magazines. Life is Good when you're happy with simple stuff.
I've gotten quite a few things accomplished during my sorta-Sabbatical. Unfortunately, a lot of it wasn't on my original list. Yes I got about 25% of the basement "stuff" sorted out. As a bonus, part of the floor was also washed. More like rinsed. Unfortunately, the reason was a leaky hot water tank that we replaced. Thankfully, it was a slow leak. We had warning, made arrangements quickly with a quality plumber, and had the new one in place about 48 hours after the first noticeable moisture on the brick base the tank sits on. All the standing water was limited to the area immediately around the tank. No "inch of water" across the entire basement floor, thank goodness.
Looks like another couple days of basement cleaning seeing as we're supposed to have temps in the mid-to-upper 80s and humidity through Wednesday. After that it might be nice enough for even me to be out in the yard working in the gardens.
Wee bit chilly this morning, I'm under a blanket and getting ready for work
