Before chemical lawn fertilizers were a thing, they actually marketed grass seed with a percentage of Dutch clover seed. It is the small white-flowered clover that fixes nitrogen and feeds the grass as all clovers do. As weeds go, it is pretty innocuous.
My most recent destructive home improvement project was switching out the door handle from a standard one to one that locks. I bought a kit at the flea market for $7 got home and was at it for three days straight. Chiseling, hammering, even used my multi-tool. The door knob was okay but the latch on the frame wouldn't keep door shut when locked. So I went to Youtube I found out it wasn't lining up. As suggested I used toothpaste on the bottom of the thing-a-ma-jig and it was way off. So I removed the old hardware and started the demo to put on the new piece. Well, that didn't work. I just didn't understand what I was doing wrong so I read the instructions again. I had followed them correctly. On the third day I emptied the bag of the remaining items and found a piece that I thought just might work. After I dug out longer screws I tested it and by golly it worked. Now I just have to put some wood filler in to make it look pretty.
Sounds like you finally got it solved @Von Jones. I have been dreading hanging an exterior door on our entryway. The door I got must weigh a hundred pounds, and I can hardly move the thing. I am hoping one of our sons stops by to help out (or do it for me).
Re Mosquitoes: They love me. After a few miserable summers, scratching & bleeding, I did some research. Some of it was interesting. First of all, those big mosquitoes you see flying around & sitting on your wall are male mosquitoes. They don't bite because they live on nectar. Only female mosquitoes bite & they are tiny; you won't usually see them. And you won't feel them bite because they apply a topical anesthetic from their saliva. They also inject a blood thinner to prevent clotting during their meal. That anesthetic & blood thinner are what causes the swelling & itching by triggering your immune system; it's a type of allergic reaction. I first bought the "Off" spray repellent & also tried a few other repellents. They don't work because the ingredient that works (DEET) is in very small concentrations. I'd get at least 10 bites after using them. After more research, I got "Repel 100" and "Ben's" 100. They are 100% DEET. Not one bite all summer. DEET interferes wth the receptors on mosquitoes' antennae that detect Carbon Dioxide and Lactic Acid - both present in humans. That prevents mosquitoes from locating you. When first applied, DEET smells strange, but the smell goes away in a few minutes. The 100% DEET is effective fpr 10-12 hours. When I've missed a spot, that's where I get bit. Last week, I went out for a walk, then remembered I forgot to eat (not good, since I'm diabetic). I washed my hands, ate a couple of apples, then went back out. I got two bites on each hand. When I washed the DEET off, they knew where to bite. Ain't mosquitoes smart? I don't spray it on; I spray it in my hands & smear it on me. That keeps it out of my eyes & mouth.
If you stay in one place, Thermacell devices work great. If you start one, it will remove all mosquitoes within a 15-foot radius in a bout 10 minutes and it will stay mosquito-free as long as the device is running. I first discovered these when canoeing on the Yukon River. Literal hoards of the buggers all around...except where I was eating lunch. A lot of people joined me to eat lunch.
Our power washer crapped out last year and we haven't replaced it yet. We were considering renting one instead of buying a new one, since that way we don't have to figure out storage and maintenance on another gasoline engine. But then I decided to hire a power washing service instead. The young man and a helper showed up at 8:30 this morning with a professional looking rig. His power washer is mounted on a trailer and has a huge rotating sweeper. They were done with all our front yard concrete... porch, driveway, and sidewalks, by 9:30. I think it took them longer to set up than to do the actual washing. He charged $200 which I thought was fair; he did a really good job. It would have taken us the entire day to do all that, plus we'd have had to buy or rent a new machine. So one more "DIY" job that will not be DIY any longer.
We sometimes use the pressure washer on the porch and walkway. Mostly only get it out for walls. Especially the north side of the house gets mildewy, this is Florida. Scum is green not black, thank goodness.
Yeah, we have that green stuff that grows on one side of our house, too. Stupid Houston humidity. We have had a pressure washer for years but it finally died. My husband had taken it over to his mom's house to clean up her garage siding and driveway and pfffffffffffft. Decided not to buy another one at our age.
I was looking for a plans to build a raised bed, I came across this site. Yellawood Pressure Treated Pine. They have a free 137 page Ultimate Backyard Project ebook, plus other wood project plans. I printed out a free 6 page Raised Veggie Bed Plans. A quick look and it has photos, drawings, and a step by step instruction. You might want to check it out, best part it's free. https://www.yellawood.com/diy-proje...ik0d8LMfpua77P22BR4vhk1d8pPRb42EaAr_MEALw_wcB
I found a little suitcase-style pressure washer that does most of the jobs I need done. It washes the patio in the spring and the tractor when I need to clean it. I also use it on the truck once in a while. Wife's car goes through the car wash.
My next DIY is to paint a rusty metal table that was left at the flea market. It was the perfect size for my keyboard. So I got started at 3 a.m. I'm always thinking it's going to be easy but I found out differently. (1) I have to paint inside because it's cold outside. (2) I needed to conjure up a shield to paint (done). I ripped up two big cardboard boxes. And (3) I got to use my new sander gifted to me 4 years ago Yeah, power tools! So I'm all set up to prime and paint after 2 hours. Some 'little thing' huh.
Yup. Just “thinking” that a DIY is going to be easy and quick is enough to jinx the whole thing. Every single instance that I tell Yvonne that such and such is only going to take me X amount of time, its a done deal that the project is going to take two or three times the stated amount of time and money. It is like that old joke: How do make God laugh? Tell HIM what your plans are.
Just is looking for fence that may be able to cover Jakes new addition to our back yard, 'thanks tractor teeth'. Now we need more fence, which is ok since we will soon have 2 new dogs that may be able to climb over the 4' one. I was looking at fencing and the reviews weren't very good on some. One review said the fence was torn in many places and not put together good. We need at least 5' but thinking maybe 6' would be better. At our age it will be a one time thing but still more bills. Thats life! guess what,song?