Am I stressed?--you betcha!

Started by Shelley, May 12, 2005, 11:13:47 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

spinnm

Just got back from a 3-day trip to scope things out.
Rental house was a little seedier than the pics.

"It will be clean, won't it?".  Realtor says, "We're hoping for that".

"Better be a big ass cooler," says I. (evaporative)
Like a sweat box.  House is block and I imagine uninsulated.

Then there was the "tank"....a pond that a lot of farmers pump the well water into and then irrigate from.  Kinda still and stagnant.  I'm thinking mosquitos.  Himself is talking West Nile just to get the realtor's attention.

But, it's huge. 5 big bedrooms that can be crammed with all kinds of boxes.  Think that all our furniture can be stuffed here....including the 50s, Ranch Oak kitchen set that I just bought from the surveyor's wife for who-knows-what-reason.

Amanda_931

Mosquito control.

Choices on "the tank" include BT--sold as "dunks" to put in the pond.  They seem to be still working here.

A fountain (solar might do if the pond was teensy) to keep the surface moving--mosquitoes like still water.

and of course the impossible one--window screen the whole silly thing ;)  Which reminds me I've got to figure out how to screen the rainwater tank(s).  ?Got one on the overflow, but not into the washer--don't think I need it there--or the tank--badly needed.

(if you've got animals--or hate removing drowned  wild critters--make sure that there is a ramp out of the pond)


spinnm

Thought of getting fish...need to check it out a little more.  Also thought of the fountain thing.....Would hate to drain it if it can be pleasant.

Have to do something, tho.  It's about 30' off the back side of the house.

What's BT Amanda?

Daddymem


Amanda_931

You're right, Daddymem--on both counts.

You could order this from those guys, but the dunks and bits are available a lot of places--I think mine came from one of the big box stores.  Looks like you go by square feet for small ponds.  Maybe not ideal for the dog water, but mine drink it.

from the same link he found--

Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis

"Bt israeliensis is highly effective against mosquito larvae and black fly larvae. Bti comes in two forms: granular (Aquabac) and solid dunks. Both can be used wherever mosquitoes breed: the periphery of ponds, lakes, flooded orchards, ditches, pastures, sewage or animal waste lagoons, roof gutters, run-off areas, and so on.
The granular Bti should be broadcast at 2.5-10lbs/acre, every 7-14 days, depending on the organic properties of the water: black, murky water needs more than clear water. 10-20lbs/acre every 7-14 days may be needed to control 3rd & 4th instar larvae in highly organic waters.

The dunks kill mosquitoes for 30 days or longer when placed in standing water outdoors. As the dunks dissolve, the Bti settles in the water where it is eaten by mosquito larvae. Dunks can be anchored with string to prevent them from being washed away. Alternate drying and wetting does not reduce their effectiveness. Use 1 dunk/100 sq. ft. of infested water."


Unfortunately there already has been some insect resistance to this, because one of the BT strains is what they are putting in GM crops--probably including soybeans.  Might not affect mosquitoes, though, and maybe not in your area.  We all had once thought that pests could not get resistance to natural organisms like BT. Sorry.


JRR

I use a plastic hand pump garden sprayer for some mosquito control.  Fill with about 30% solution of Clorox.  Do a little spraying after each rainy spell.  A few days of UV exposure and the bleach is gone ... so are the mosquitos.

glenn-k

#31
So. daddymem and Amanda, you guys are dunkin' donuts for mosquitoes ???

I tried them and this is all I caught.


Daddymem

Mmmmmm Dunkin' Donuts Mocha Latte...........

glenn-k

So Shelley, how's progress.  Hate to think you're taking it easy down there in NM. ;D


spinnm

Didn't want to bore y'all....but since you asked....

Costing me $150 bucks to get my rental house cleaned to my standards.
 
Mosquitos don't seem to be a problem.  Pond full of bullfrogs, swallows all over the place.  Local bug guy says that he can get me BTI if I need it.  Also two giant owls which seem to call the cottonwoods around the pond home.

Water in the rental is interesting.  Comes from the well into a cistern.  Doesn't seem to be a pressure tank in sight.  Cistern must be filled.  Himself was down there this week ferrying cars and motorcycles.  Talked to the owner.  "Better tell me how to do this".  Oh, I'll be by twice a week to fill the cistern.  'Scuse me, what if your schedule doesn't fit our water usage?

There are cetain words and phrases that are always used in the same fashion.  One of these phrases is "living in squalor".  I always wondered where squalor was.  Think I now know.

Let's see.  Pad for the workshop complete.  Well in.  No pump.  Temp. power pole set.  Too far from the transformer.  Ele company refuses to hook up.
Electrician needs to move.  Truck down.  arrrrggghhh.  Driveway in.  Lots of road base.  Much sand.

After walking around the pad for the workshop/garage came up with the logical location for the house.  A nice level patch that presented itself after we got a 3D notion of exactly where the shop will be.  Less dirt work.

Have to alter what we had in our minds.  Need to rotate the house a little.  Changes views and solar.
Need to move some rooms around....which delays my input to the draftswoman.

Thinking of setting up a blog when I get settled.  So my friends in far flung places can check on  our last great adventure.

And, BTW, contracted for a puppy long before we decided to move.  Be ready to be picked up about 7/15.  May just stick my head in the oven.

On a brighter note....I have real honest-to-gawd trees.  Hundreds of them.  Some 20' tall with only what comes out of the sky....about 7"/yr.   Western Soapberry.  Books say that they make a decent shade tree with water.  Will be selecting specimens to irrigate.
And, the Soaptree Yuccas were blooming yesterday.  10' spikes of creamy flowers.

Aren't you sorry that you asked? ;D

glenn-k

Not really - always interested in keeping up with your project-- and finding out how you're doing. ;D

Daddymem

Pictures?  Your description reminds me of what one might see in the movies....waiting for the local sheriff to pull up and give the out of towners a hard time  ;D

spinnm

Hey y'all.  Pretty hellish two weeks down here.  I hate movers.  My quilt rack wound up in the shipping container with the garage stuff.  How'd that happen?  All my gardening stuff got left behind.  My old neighbor has it.    Many other little examples too boring to mention.

Hot all over the SW.  Denver hitting the 90s.  Around 100 here in the daytime, 60-65 at night.  This antique house is sooo bad.  Built wrong from the start.  Doesn't even look clean when it is.  Amanda...don't worry about me getting too comfortable.  Only good thing is the evaporative cooler.  Mongo.  Mounted on the ground with the ducts in the floor.  Have to turn it off when the sun goes down.  Second great thing.  Well water is great.

First morning the tarantula on the screened porch scared me to death.  By the third day, I greeted the day and the porch with a whisk broom and a dust pan.  Amazing how quickly one gets used to things.

No mosquitos in the pond out back.  Worried for nothing.  Lots of frogs, swallows and fish.  Evidently that takes care of them.

Let's see.  We have the pair of Great Horned Owls.  Great Blue Heron, dozen or so ducks, swallows, birds I can't identify, rabbits (cotton and jack), hundreds of Gambel  Quail, coyotes and gawdknowswhatelse.  I can see the Milky Way from the front yard.  Not bad for the desert.

Shop construction going slowly.  Have to just relax.  Since we're not doing it, gives us a chance to get organized around here.  Pretty soon, just us two.  Enjoy it while we can.  Guy in Pecos wants to make "Carpe Manana" the state motto.

Went to our little border town yesterday for coffee beans ($7/kilo) and milk.  My husband's a milk snob...says it's wonderful.

Gonna use John's plans for the well house/potting shed thingie.  Trying to position that without replumbing too much.  Trying to stay at <200 sf to avoid permit.  So far a bunch of "we could" without a firm decision.  It's going to be quite visable.  The house will be beyond it so it will present itself when someone drives up.  Trying to make it attractive as well as utilitarian.

Bueno Bye!  New Mexico talk. ;D-

glenn-k

Hola, Shelly.  Mucho tiempo, no escucha. Terrible Spanish, eh ???

Nice to see you're making some progress even if not as fast as you'd like.


DavidLeBlanc

Shelly; Have a care with those ducks. Ducks are Known Lacivious Characters! ;)

Amanda_931

Oh, I thought that was only to Stephanie Plum's Cousin Vinnie (in Janet Evanovich's series).

spinnm

What did Vinnie do with that damn duck anyway? ???

Have given her up for Joanna Brady....since we're right next door to Cochise County. ;)

Amanda_931

durned if I know what Vinnie did.

I've always liked J.A. Jance's series.

spinnm

I actually thought that I'd set up a blog.  Hah!  Too much verbage with not enuf pics.

I did, however, manage to put a few pics on yahoo!

If you like, you can take a look.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sbperki/album?.dir=/22f0&.src=ph


glenn-k

Looks like progress - shops going up - thats the most important, eh Shelley. ;D


spinnm

OK, OK, OK.

Temps cooling down.  We've just caught the 3rd mouse since 5pm.  The front porch seems to be their hang-out.

I'm not a fan of cats.



spinnm

Got a few more pics.  For those of you who like the desert and steel siding.
Movin' slow down here.  Spent last weekend learning PEX for RIH.  Spent this weekend trying to find windows that were reasonable, tasteful and local.  Not an easy combo.

Take a look here:  You have to look at my dogs too.  Sorry.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sbperki/album?.dir=d8a9&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

glenn-k

Who needs a house when you have a nice shop like that, Shelly :question

jraabe

#49
Shelley:

Great to see the "homestead" photos. At least your in the desert at the right season! Every week that goes by will make you look smarter  ;). You probably have until ?May? before the heat kicks up again? (What do I know - up here in the NW the sun went away 6 wks ago.)