Good morning ballast tampers and spike pounder's,
Hi Flo & Francine, how is everything here at the dinner? Things seem to be a bit quiet during the summer time. I'll have a couple of eggs scrambeled and cooked fairly welld, some Itialian sausage slices, an English Muffen and some coffee and creme, oh it on the counter here. Thanks
Lets see what WW has to say:
Clear at 87.6 °F- Feels Like 87 °F
Winds are from the West at 6.8 mph and keeping things cool and comfortable.
Humidity is at ?
Barometer ?
Good morning, we have 60 and sunny. Very light breeze, it is a beautiful day. The smoke has not made it here yet. half way? I thought you were almost done! I guess I will have to read a little more carefully!
There is a fairly large fire burning to the East and Northh of me by about 25 miles. Willow Fire now 5,702 Acres, is 70 percent contained. It sure smelled smoky at my place last night, guess the wind was blowing just right.
Good afternoon. It's 86 and mostly sunny, with a good chance of yellowjackets.
I was weedeating earlier, and unfortunately discovered a nest of them. I'm loaded up on the anti-swelling stuff, but still swollen, and painful. The weedeater is still laying where I dropped it, the little SOBs chased me all the way around the house. I'll go back after dark, and retrieve the tool. Funny thing, I've been watching that area all day, and still haven't seen the first bug flying around there. You don't suppose I gave them all rabies, and they died?
Fortunately I have never had a run-in with them but it doesn't sound fun. I think I would raised the weed eater up with the string wirling around as fast as it would go and tried to nail as many of the suckers as possibly!
How about pouring some Bleach down their nest or Amonia? I have a fairly large Red ant nest on my driveway, it's the usual round ring of dirt from the nest, fortunately down near the road about 350' away. I might try some Bleach on them to see what affect the chlorine gas has on them unless someone else knows of a better trick?
As far as the Hornets, go, when I was back handling my Late Aunts Estate in Mass. I saw what is probably the largest Hornets around, they were about ten times larger than the Hornets/Yellow Jackets I've seen in Calif. The overall length of these bee's was probably about 2.25" to 2.5", I didn't actually measure the one I nailed with a board but the sucker was hugh. The only other large Wasps I have here in Calif are Tarantula Hawks, a fairly large Bluish Black Wasp with bright Orange wings. They seem fairly friendly and only pray on the large Spiders.
The nest is at the inner end of a vent for my fuel oil tank. It is too long for the spray stuff to reach, and I don't think it would be smart to use a flamethrower in there...
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Guess we'll get the coffee started today. Starting off at 51 degrees with a lot of smoke in the valley from forest fires.
Couldn't get to my computer over the weekend because of all of the construction tools and materials in the room. Completed the last of the flooring in the first flooring project. Still have tile to be put down in the foyer and master bathroom and new flooring in the master bedroom. Got all of the old trim removed and all of the new trim and baseboards installed over the weekend. The project is over half way done.
That sure sounds like you've been very busy Chet, removing the old molding and replacing it with new isn't an easy task. Un doubtedly your wore Knee pads for that as well laying the new floor tile. I have some and they come in handy if your inclined to get down on the floor looking for a RR part you've dropped as I have done quite often through the years. That's why I made myself a work shelf to straddle the open main old desk drawer as well as the smaller one to the Right of it. It's 12.25" x 32" with edges on both side and the back that are 1" above the work surface and a front board that is 1/4" high to prevent things from rolling off. This seems to be the answer to a convenient work space although it's cluttered to with some small box kit box tops which are holding various things to try and keep some organization.
I hope everyone has a good day!