Rain Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday (8/19/21) Thursday Replaced the reed plates on the harmonica. Had a little trouble because of the tiny self-tapping screws. The sound is so much better. The B(3) is not flat and all 10 holes ring clear (even 2 draw). Soaked the old plates in vinegar for an hour. Most of the tarnish went away, but not the little specks. I don't see anything else wrong with them. Will save them to practice tuning. When these new reeds get messed up, I'll compare the amount of corrosion, and put the old ones back on to see how they sound. These two female hummingbirds in town are real characters. Not much afraid after just a few days. I bring the feeder inside at night because of roaches, and move it around the deck railing several times a day to confuse the ants. The two show up to check it out sometimes immediately and fly right by close enough to feel the wind. So many people in town have feeders I figured they wouldn't be interested in another one. The males must have already taken off for Central America.
(8/20/21) Friday The afternoon didn't go well. Intended to get in a couple hours spraying after it cooled down. About 5 pm loud thunder and dark clouds rolled in. Instead I took off driving toward the dam just to check for trees and logs in the road, and decide what could be mowed instead of sprayed. About the time I got there it started raining, but it didn't last long. On the way back took off on 3 different side routes doing the same thing. No trees/limbs down that couldn't be lifted and tossed off the road or fence. Didn't get to the far back side of the property, but from what I did see, everything I got sprayed last year was fine this year. I only need a few hours, without rain for at least a couple hours afterward. Will keep trying. Everything else that needs to be done out there can just as well be done when the weather cools off and that's what I'm going to do. Got into some new kind of bugs in the woods that were so small I couldn't see them. Stinging like fire ants, but causing welts more like mosquitoes, down near the ground. Found the missing piece of plywood for the porch ceiling and started to take the screen off. Although these hornets appear very docile I best wait until they are gone. The edge of the nest is starting to show through the crack. It could look like this up there. European Hornet nest inside a house I hope we have a cold winter this year. It's getting really unpleasant to be outside down here in the summer because of the bugs. The only up side is more lightning bugs. So I didn't accomplish anything, but beat when I got home due to the heat. Sinuses still stuffed up. Dental appt Tuesday afternoon, which should fix that.
First moldy bread, now cheese. What's going on with food recently? Expiration date: Oct 13, 2021 Never opened, but in the fridge a couple of weeks Opened When I was a kid my mother would just cut off all the mold and make us eat the rest, so that's what I did. The Mayo Clinic says it's OK to do that but trim off at least an inch. Nothing would be left. I think I figured something out. Cheese is supposed to be vacuum sealed. Looking at the original photo, which was very large, you could see a lot of air space around the cheese inside the package. Another puzzle partially solved. Something to look for next time. That was fun.
No, but ... I bought two of these "cheeses" at the same time because they were on sale. The other one didn't mold and was outside the package for at least 2 weeks. And there were some useless ends of asparagus in there at the same time which had ice crystals on them when I threw them out. Somehow that package just didn't get vacuumed properly, or had a leak. I read cheese either has to be sealed completely from air or breath a little. ------------------------ Speaking of asparagus, I did try cooking some fresh. Too much work, too much waste, and too much trouble to get it cooked just right. The tips cook faster than the stems. I can understand why it's usually overcooked. Off today to try some spraying again, before noon, for a change. This will be a new experience. Humidity is miserable already.
A humid climate has its downside, but so does the arid. We had had only one rain of .25" since mid-June. Irrigation is all that keeps this area alive. I think you are right that the failure to get all the air out was the reason for that mold. I noticed it did say on the package, "naturally aged" so at least this validates that claim.
Faye, I'll take arid any day. I was in Las Vegas once walking downtown, temperature was 107. You felt a little burning on the skin in the sun, but otherwise pleasant. If I were starting over, I believe I'd move to New Mexico. Too much lawn-mowing, too many insects, and mildew lurking around everywhere waiting to pounce, even the driveways mold here.
(8/23/21) Monday All I could do was 2 tanks (6+ gallons) of spray. Partly because that's all the water I carried with me, but mostly because I was beat after that anyway. But I did a good job. One tank around the cabin and one tank on the dam and the road leading to it. Some kudzu I missed last year sneaked across the road and got all the way to the pond, so I zapped that. Waited a while to see if I got a second wind, but I didn't. Road to the dam is covered with dog fennel. Easy to mow. Log on the road, which has been like this for 3 years. Too heavy to lift. Goes all the way up the side of the hill. You can drive around it with the tractor, just barely, but have to get awfully close to edge of the bank going into the pond. Today I had the saw with me but it wouldn't start. It started easy last week. No rain tomorrow but I have the dental appointment. Rain predicted in midday for the next 8 days straight. Maybe the forecast will change. Zapped the European hornets with heavy duty professional type insect spray left over from years ago. I think it worked. Found this in the woods. Anyone have a clue what it could be? Two sets of ends are connected by Velcro, so it makes a round thing like maybe something you put on your head? (The floor boards are 6" wide.) The word on it is POLESTAR. If it is X-rated, never mind.
A nose warmer? To wear over top of ear protectors when you are target shooting with a high powered rifle, in the winter? Or over top of earmuffs when you are sled riding? A donut slingshot pocket? A cow mask? Chicken bikini bottoms?
Polestar makes electric cars. There is a Polestar that makes cloth masks but they are just standard-looking masks. That thing is really long. I know about humidity from staying in East Texas one summer. I also remember chiggers, tarantulas, and hornets.
Nancy, maybe you could call someone to cut up the fallen tree? The dam guy? The fence guy?....the dam fence guy?
It's not very big. Just very hard heavy wood. Maybe a sourwood tree. I can do it. Just have to have the saw with me on the same day that it decides to start. Most times it is very good about starting, so I'll cut it some slack this time. There is another tree down on the fence 4 times that diameter that would require some heavy equipment, big saws, and be worth someone's effort to do for hire. Fence guy kept promising. I finally gave up on him, then got sidetracked. I posted a picture in this thread earlier. I may get back on that now that you reminded me.
I will fasten it up and stick it on my head next time I'm out there and see if would fit a person's head. It's a puzzle.
(6/24/21) Tuesday It was like pulling teeth to get this doctor to pull one tooth today. He wanted me to come back. He was confused with a previous referral about an implant that became delayed due to the first lockdown, March 2020. He worked me in. Turned out to be a 10 second job once it was numb. No fragments, no nothing, just popped out. It has 3 roots that look perfect. I don't understand how this could have caused all the trouble. Every time I bent over a little while spraying yesterday I lost my balance due to sinus congestion, ears popping, for several days. Hope that was the problem and not just a coincidence.