Trees And Other Things

Discussion in 'Personal Diaries' started by Nancy Hart, Jun 21, 2018.

  1. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    An easier way is to just look around and see if you are in the Himalayas or the Mediterranean. ;)

    Actually, I'm glad you posted that. I was gonna do the same thing, just so folks know that none of us living outside of those regions have cedars growing anywhere near us. I will say that the junipers growing around me look and smell just like cedar when you cut them up. And they are great for kindling, because they contain what seem to be similar oils.
     
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  2. Mary Stetler

    Mary Stetler Veteran Member
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    I have seldom needed deminished value as I drive a car until it dies and has to be drug off by it's hind legs.
     
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  3. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I think I've bought some of your cast-offs ;)
     
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  4. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Supreme Member
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    I have kept the kudzu out of the Leyland cyprus trees along my property line, except where the vines originate on the neighbor's property. But getting rid of English ivy, once it gets started, is really hard. It grows up the trunks of the trees. This goes all the way to the top of this 60+ foot tree. You can't spray it on the trunk 'cause it might kill the tree.

    upload_2022-8-16_12-37-57.png

    "Viewpoints vary on the wisdom of letting English ivy climb a tree. Ivy growing on the trunk won't kill a tree in and of itself; it's not a parasitic plant, but uses the trunk for support. The ivy embeds in the tree's bark, which is non-living tissue, and doesn't invade the tree's vascular system. Arborists, however, dislike ivy on a tree's trunk. Experts say trees are more likely to have diseases and insect problems because the ivy reduces exposure to sunlight and can harbor bugs. "

    "If English ivy stems are cut off at the tree's base, the ivy on the trunk dies."

    The last sentence is misleading. As if one can just go "snip, snip and done." You have to dig the vines out of the trunk with a knife and then try to snip them. I'd have to go onto state property and do the digging and snipping. The cops cruise through that parking lot regularly. It might be hard to explain what I'm doing. There is a donut rest stop in the back corner. It's marked with yellow cross hatch lines.

    upload_2022-8-16_14-24-21.png

    As soon as one of these trees falls on the parking lot, they will take them all out.
     
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    Last edited: Aug 16, 2022
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  5. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Supreme Member
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    E-mail at 2pm: .The Ranger is ready.

    The body shop managed to squeeze an extra $4400 out of the insurance company. I only had to pay the $500 deductible. And a couple hundred to the car rental place for insurance, which I probably didn't need to agree to, but didn't want to fight about. I think I lucked out in choosing this body shop. The other place sounded as if it was more than willing to take No for an answer.

    They did a great job, in my opinion. You can't tell it's ever been repaired.

    Now everything is back to normal. o_O (Jinx!)
     
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    Last edited: Aug 16, 2022
  6. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I went back & looked but could not find the original amount. Isn't that more than double the original estimate?

    Damn. Great body shop!!! And good insurance.

    Good for you!
     
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  7. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Supreme Member
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    Yes, the original estimate was $3209 including the deductible. There are 2 pages of stuff they did. The ins. company is Farm Bureau. They managed to get them to pay the new hourly rates for labor. I guess all this is good for the economy. :p
     
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  8. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Gimme a minute to buy some mutual funds, then go drive around some more ;)

    Seriously, I'm happy this went so well.
     
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  9. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Supreme Member
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    New phone is on the way via FedEx. :) Should be in the AT&T store by Tuesday (8/23/22). It will be interesting to see what happens with the trade-in-your-old-Samsung-phone deal advertised on TV. I was going to order one anyway. This just finally got me off the couch.

    It took 2 years for the front lawn to recover from the chinch bug attack. I didn't think it ever would. That grass probably has deep roots. It was there when I bought the house. This year they attacked the back yard. I would say they got about 40% of the grass. I sprigged the whole back yard since I moved here. It may not recover at all.
     
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  10. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I switched to an Apple product when they ran the same deal. They advertised $300 for my Motorola that cost me $200 and had stopped working after x years. When the dust settled, the credit was $350. Of course, they offer those deals when you buy a model that's about ready to be discontinued, but it's still a new phone to me.

    What does "sprigged" mean?
     
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  11. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Supreme Member
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    Wow. You got a good deal. This new phone is the 3rd update of an older model, and just came out. That's why I'm skeptical. But I'll take whatever they give. My old Samsung phone is worth about $100. It works fine but the battery doesn't hold a charge as long after 3 years, and you can't replace the battery.

    This. Versus sodding or seeding. I didn't buy any plugs. Just took them from the front yard. Works well with grass that has runners.

    upload_2022-8-21_15-34-36.png
     
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  12. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    My phone's battery was swelling & making the case bulge. I took it in to a Mr. Fix It to have it replaced. The guy took out the old battery and then discovered that the connector on the new battery he ordered was broken so he could not use it. I had him put the old battery back in while waiting for a second replacement to be ordered, and my phone would not power up after that (not his fault.) You can replace the battery (pry off the back and get the special glue to put it back together), but I'd have a shop do it.

    Regarding that yard work...that's a lot of yard work.
     
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  13. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Supreme Member
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    I didn't do it all at once. A few days a year, over the (maybe 10?) years. Just stick a plug wherever you see a gap in the weeds and spray a little water on it. If you're lucky it rains. :rolleyes:
     
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  14. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    We have an on-going battle with cinch bugs and grubs in our lawn. When I have a "dead zone," I buy a few pieces of sod and use a hatchet to cut them into plugs. For some reason the plugs seem to work better than sod.

    Oh and in addition to the bugs, we have armadillos that will dig holes in the lawn because they love to eat the grubs.
     
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  15. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Supreme Member
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    The armadillos showed up here a few years ago. Few in town so far. Mostly road kill.

    I found one that got stuck in the fence and died. Put him in the cart and brought him to the house. I don't know why. I guess because I couldn't stop looking at it, it was so strange. Forgot what I did with it. :confused:

    upload_2022-8-21_19-17-21.png

    Do they live in holes, or just dig holes to get grubs? I suspect this hole by the cabin is from an armadillo.

    upload_2022-8-21_19-20-1.png

    Armadillo digging a hole. :):p:rolleyes: Too rocky here.

     
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    Last edited: Aug 21, 2022
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