Whatcha doing today?

[JamieB]

Got it! Yep, dragon fly nymph. Maybe damsel fly, but either way, it needs to go! I’ll be able to check that no others are in there when the water clears back up, I stirred it up to make sure there wasn’t any thick spot of clay, and sent this thing up where I saw and caught it in my hand.

 

[JamieB]

The nymph has been relocated. I’m soaking dirt to use as substrate in planters, I need to rinse out excess nutrients, bits of plants, seeds, etc. After it’s “cleaned” I’ll Baki it in the oven to kill anything in it, seeds, bugs, and so on. After it’s done, and cooked, I will replant my various plants, use the kitty litter over it, and have nice pots of plants for the aquariums. Those will sit soaking for a while just in case it leaches out any nitrates, and I’ll be able to test the water as needed. Now I just need to find a warm space for the spare aquarium I’m going to use. I figure about a month should work, so long as it doesn’t cause big spikes.
I’m pretty happy with the shrimp tank. I think it looks much better. I’ve got a broken underwater waterfall decoration, typically uses fine pool sand and air bubbles to make the sand circulate and look like a waterfall, but I filled it with the blue glass “stones”, and hubby even noticed and said it looks good.

 

[addy1]

We got one huge dumpster, using it to remove the construction debris and a lot of the stuff that seems to gather when you do ponds, plants, bees, etc. Anything not touched in years is history! I am in total purge mode.
Spent about 3 hours hauling stuff with my tractor around the house to the dumpster.

Today we are starting on the garage. We do need to leave enough room for the construction debris.

We had our window wall taken down and redone, dry rot from a lousy install in 09. I asked them to use nothing but pvc boards, no painting no maintenance and pvc boards on the inside, no dry wall cracking from the heat cold cycles. Those windows were heavy, he had a good crew here to take down and reinstall.

Then had them finish our deck rain install............all that debris below the stairs is now in the dumpster. We started but hubby knee went out and we had a horrible hot summer, I can't work in the heat. I will clean and stain the deck.

Removed the rotting fascia boards old gutters installed pvc boards and new gutters. Got a new basement and bdrm slider, both were from when the house was built, the bdrm one was dry rotting and bugs crawled right in darn stink bugs. Other shop door the original builder did not install the door right, it rotted, so new door installed with flashing etc.

I had a whole list for them to do. We have worked on rentals for 10 years now, told hubby we are paying to get our house back into shape. Not working for the next xx years to catch up. And some of this is beyond us like the window wall.

Next they fix our garage roof leak right on the edge but need to wait for the solar panels to be removed so March. While fixing it we will get new siding on the house and maybe a dormer put on the garage, maybe..............

Might even have them lay the new flooring in the basement I have had in boxes (vinyl) for years now.

 

[Doctor mcboy]

thanks! after i get better with a pond i will try bees they are amazing. i am going for pond plants and some goldfish this spring. i am going for low value fish right now and see how they hold up. i think the pond will be ok but i do see herons out there and there and naturally the super cute coons. i am adding rocks and structure so the fish can hide.

 

[addy1]

i get better with a pond i will try bees they are amazing.

Take a class!

When you start have at least 2 better if you start with 3 hives. If one gets in trouble, ie loss queen etc, you can use some brood eggs from the others to start a new queen.
Have extra equipment, you will need it. The first year, will be just getting the hives ready for winter, build them up, baby them, get lots of frames drawn, get the hives full of capped honey for the fall. Winter prep depends on where you live. Be aware of hive beetles, wax moths.

Have funds to put into them. Mite treatments are not cheap. Do not attempt treatment free, most that do have a lot of hive failures.

Also have a lot of room to store bee stuff, they have taken up 1/2 of our basement, a old van, under the deck area.

 

[Doctor mcboy]

Take a class!

When you start have at least 2 better if you start with 3 hives. If one gets in trouble, ie loss queen etc, you can use some brood eggs from the others to start a new queen.
Have extra equipment, you will need it. The first year, will be just getting the hives ready for winter, build them up, baby them, get lots of frames drawn, get the hives full of capped honey for the fall. Winter prep depends on where you live. Be aware of hive beetles, wax moths.

Have funds to put into them. Mite treatments are not cheap. Do not attempt treatment free, most that do have a lot of hive failures.

Also have a lot of room to store bee stuff, they have taken up 1/2 of our basement, a old van, under the deck area.

wow that is a lot.

 

[Doctor mcboy]

We got one huge dumpster, using it to remove the construction debris and a lot of the stuff that seems to gather when you do ponds, plants, bees, etc. Anything not touched in years is history! I am in total purge mode.
Spent about 3 hours hauling stuff with my tractor around the house to the dumpster. View attachment 136115

Today we are starting on the garage. We do need to leave enough room for the construction debris.

We had our window wall taken down and redone, dry rot from a lousy install in 09. I asked them to use nothing but pvc boards, no painting no maintenance and pvc boards on the inside, no dry wall cracking from the heat cold cycles. Those windows were heavy, he had a good crew here to take down and reinstall.View attachment 136110View attachment 136111

View attachment 136114

Then had them finish our deck rain install............all that debris below the stairs is now in the dumpster. We started but hubby knee went out and we had a horrible hot summer, I can't work in the heat. I will clean and stain the deck.View attachment 136113View attachment 136112

Removed the rotting fascia boards old gutters installed pvc boards and new gutters. Got a new basement and bdrm slider, both were from when the house was built, the bdrm one was dry rotting and bugs crawled right in darn stink bugs. Other shop door the original builder did not install the door right, it rotted, so new door installed with flashing etc.

I had a whole list for them to do. We have worked on rentals for 10 years now, told hubby we are paying to get our house back into shape. Not working for the next xx years to catch up. And some of this is beyond us like the window wall.

Next they fix our garage roof leak right on the edge but need to wait for the solar panels to be removed so March. While fixing it we will get new siding on the house and maybe a dormer put on the garage, maybe..............

Might even have them lay the new flooring in the basement I have had in boxes (vinyl) for years now.

 

[Doctor mcboy]

groovy place

 

[addy1]

groovy place

We like it! Love watching all the critters that visit.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

We got one huge dumpster, using it to remove the construction debris and a lot of the stuff that seems to gather when you do ponds, plants, bees, etc. Anything not touched in years is history! I am in total purge mode.
Spent about 3 hours hauling stuff with my tractor around the house to the dumpster. View attachment 136115

Today we are starting on the garage. We do need to leave enough room for the construction debris.

We had our window wall taken down and redone, dry rot from a lousy install in 09. I asked them to use nothing but pvc boards, no painting no maintenance and pvc boards on the inside, no dry wall cracking from the heat cold cycles. Those windows were heavy, he had a good crew here to take down and reinstall.View attachment 136110View attachment 136111

View attachment 136114

Then had them finish our deck rain install............all that debris below the stairs is now in the dumpster. We started but hubby knee went out and we had a horrible hot summer, I can't work in the heat. I will clean and stain the deck.View attachment 136113View attachment 136112

Removed the rotting fascia boards old gutters installed pvc boards and new gutters. Got a new basement and bdrm slider, both were from when the house was built, the bdrm one was dry rotting and bugs crawled right in darn stink bugs. Other shop door the original builder did not install the door right, it rotted, so new door installed with flashing etc.

I had a whole list for them to do. We have worked on rentals for 10 years now, told hubby we are paying to get our house back into shape. Not working for the next xx years to catch up. And some of this is beyond us like the window wall.

Next they fix our garage roof leak right on the edge but need to wait for the solar panels to be removed so March. While fixing it we will get new siding on the house and maybe a dormer put on the garage, maybe..............

Might even have them lay the new flooring in the basement I have had in boxes (vinyl) for years now.

Beautiful window wall. Your ceiling looks a lot like mine!!

 

[Mike in Vermont]

The house is looking real nice, addy!

 

[mrsclem]

Looks like you got some great contractors! We are watching the house across the street being completely redone. Owner was a hoarder and the house was packed floor to ceiling. New roof & windows done, siding going up today.

 

[addy1]

Beautiful window wall. Your ceiling looks a lot like mine!!

tongue and groove siding, it aged nicely!

 

[addy1]

Looks like you got some great contractors! We are watching the house across the street being completely redone. Owner was a hoarder and the house was packed floor to ceiling. New roof & windows done, siding going up today.

The realtor that sold our Baltimore place works with him all of the time helping owners fix up houses for sale, also fixing foreclosures to be sold. She recommended him to help fix some issues on our pasadena rental (last rental we own!) he did a great job and not bad in price. We hired him, I gave him a list and said get it done. Right now no clue on what is going to cost us, but not worried, based on the charge for Pasadena it won't be horrible. And it all had to be done. Hubby is a bit nervous .......................... His crew is capable of doing everything. Roofers, windows, electric, plumbing etc. Skilled and quick. They have been here about a week total.

She is working on a place that was a foreclosure right now loaded with stuff.

 

[JamieB]

Oh my, Addy, that wall of windows and the wood are beautiful. Out here that would kill our electric and propane bills, but I drool over it anyway. Maybe I’ll be able to post nice pics of our place in a year or two, it’s all a work in super slow progress.
On a good note, my sister happened to deliver the liner late last night. It’s a high end pool liner, an much lighter than out other ones we were using, I’m glad I have the heavy one to be under it.