Sept. 5th

[Colliemom]

Morning. Sun is up, temp is 54°. Karen I’m going just the opposite of you temp wise. Mid 70’s today and mid 50’s tomorrow. Weekend highs in upper 50’s to low 60’s with scattered showers next three days. Definitely a blast of fall.

Some of you are having an Interesting time with wasps. Anne, your story axes the prize I think. Did you have to get an exterminator out? And somebody to repair the ceiling? Best time to spray wasps is in late evening, just at dark when they have returned to their nest for the night. Soak that nest and area good. I haven’t seen a wasp or bee around here all summer. Knock on wood. Maybe because the yard was sprayed the past two years. Now flies, that’s another story.

Barbie, I think it’s good idea to sell the MH. Then you can resettle in AZ and go from there. Winters coming anyway, so won’t be a good traveling time. By spring you will have a better idea of what you want to do. Irmi, glad you had a nice trip and visits with friends and family. Martha, that was a lot of rain. Good thing you mowed.

I’ve got to head for the shower. Bought new mattress and foundation yesterday and they are delivering it today. Going to call me this morning and let me know if morning or afternoon. Am hoping it’s morning as I want to do a few things outside while weather is nice. So better get my act together. Have a nice day.

[Shirlv]

Afternoon Sue and All, Thoroughly enjoying low humidity days while I can. I have been Christmas shopping on Amazon. Last March I watched a video of how to make vanilla extract. Was an easy project for me. Daughter #1 bought 2 bottles of vodka at Sam’s Club for me and I ordered vanilla beans from Amazon I followed instructions and the two bottles have been brewing in my closet ever since. I give them a gentle shake every Saturday today I ordered swingtop bottles and personalized labels from Amazon. Don’t need them yet but it is caning season so want to be prepared. Want to find cute baskets to carry bottles and trying to think of other things to add to gift baskets. Would appreciate any ideas. Just trying to keep this 88 yr old child busy. lol Be dafe

[Bethers]

Up early but I just looked at the time and it's already mid afternoon! Sue, I laughed about it's not travel time. In the southern states it can be the best time to travel. But for most of you, you're certainly right.

Shirl, I'm looking forward to a review of you vanilla when it's done. That's a neat project.

My handyman returned this morning. I had sprayed for any remaining wasps early. One was out and fell over dead lol before I sprayed again. Over the course of the morning everything got sealed and painted and now i just see the occasional wasp confused with no entrance anymore to its home. The handyman didn't want to charge me because part of what he was doing was fixing a repair from earlier, but there was more involved especially with the wasp situation. He finally agreed to $50. Heck, I know I gota a great deal there.

I've got a crock pot going. I couldn't find my pressure cooker. Finally remembered I left it in Texas and bought an Instapot last year when Amazon had an amazing price. I did finally find it, still in it's box. Rearranged my "kitchen shelves" and it's there now, still in it's box lol. But I'm trying to use up everything in my fridge and freezer so will be opening that box yet.

Shirl, I'm enjoying every ride with Jeb. Especially since I'd never be able to afford the least expensive I've watched yet. Just watched one that cost them about $8k per person for 3 or 4 days. And that doesn't include what they spend to get there or return from the destination. I'm traveling with jetsetters and enjoying every moment.

[JudyJB]

Sheila, all of the bug catchers that use sticky pads and ultraviolet light work about equally well. I originally had one of the Zevo brand, but tossed it after finding out that the replacement pads cost three times as much as the Safer pads I currently use. The Zevo costs about $20 and then replacement pads on Amazon cost $20 for 16 pads. The Safer Home version costs about $14, and the last time I bought replacement pads, they were 40 pads for $15, and I now see cheaper pads for a short time for only $12.66 for 48 pads! I have two traps, and I replace the pads about once a week or a little earlier if they fill up fast.

So, the lesson we learned yesterday (or today) was not to stick your finger into stuff if you don't know what it is. (Congratulations on your quick fix! And I would not have had a stool handy or thought of grabbing a paper plate and tape!!) Also, I have one of those ultraviolet flashlights you can use in the desert to find scorpions, but I am afraid to use it on the basis of it is better to not know they are around!!

Traveling around the country, by the way, certainly introduces you to many kinds of insect pests. Problem with this campground in the plains of Alberta are horrible big flies. I don't know how anyone could sit outside. I took an opportunity at the dinosaur museum parking lot to grab some stuff I wanted out of my basement storage bins. Here at campsite, I have been doing the absolute minimum outside because the flies flock on my legs to bite me. I keep stamping like a horse!! Will be heading higher to cooler temps tomorrow, which I hope will help.

[Cudedog]

Some of you are having an Interesting time with wasps. Anne, your story axes the prize I think. Did you have to get an exterminator out? And somebody to repair the ceiling? Best time to spray wasps is in late evening, just at dark when they have returned to their nest for the night. Soak that nest and area good. I haven’t seen a wasp or bee around here all summer. Knock on wood. Maybe because the yard was sprayed the past two years.

Sue, we lived in quite a rural area up there in the Sierra foothills, about forty miles from "town". We had a small grocery store, and a hardware store in our tiny community - but exterminator companies? Um. . . not so much. Few exterminators either then, or even today, are willing to make an 80-mile-round-trip to spray a wasp's nest.

That is, without charging a $$bundle$$ - and we definitely didn't have a bundle to spare in those days. Calling out an exterminator just wasn't an option.

What I did - once I got my courage up (I think I remember I let a day or two go by) is that I went up to the hardware store and got a can of wasp spray, rubber gloves, and a mask, got back up on my kitchen chair with a pointy knife and kind of drilled a small hole in the middle of the paper plate, being careful not to dislodge the plate, and (with gloves and mask on) gave the can a good shake and sprayed quickly into the hole before the wasps had time to even think about trying to get me.

The nozzle on the can in those days was about the size of a nozzle on a spray paint can, so this was easy to do, although it wouldn't spray very well when being held almost sideways.

Once the can was at the point it needed to be shaken again, I pulled the can away from the hole and quickly put a another piece of tape (that I had at the ready) back over the hole.

The next day I did the same thing again. I then waited a week or so to see what might happen, and (when nothing did) I very carefully - and with a LOT of trepidation - peeled back a side of the paper plate. No action was seen or heard. A lot dead wasps fell out (I just vacuumed them up from the floor, then put the nozzle part of the vacuum into the hole to get the rest of the corpses) and then, after waiting a few more minutes, I reached in and removed the nest.

The remains looked something like this (not my photo, just an example):



Next, I went outside and caulked closed the tiny crack in the siding that they had found to get in. Then I stuffed some fiberglass insulation into the hole - to fill the space.

Sue, as I am sure you know with your wonderful handy-person skills, sheetrock is pretty easy to repair. I just cut back the sides of the hole until I was at solid sheetrock, I then cut circular piece out of some old sheetrock that was out in the barn (LOL - when you live in a rural area, a person tends not to throw stuff away, but to keep it "just in case").

I then fit the piece into the hole, then covered everything with sheetrock tape and sheetrock "mud" (plaster). Once it dried, I sanded the area down, painted it, and although I could always tell where the wasp hole had been, it really wasn't very noticeable.

So, the lesson we learned yesterday (or today) was not to stick your finger into stuff if you don't know what it is. (Congratulations on your quick fix! And I would not have had a stool handy or thought of grabbing a paper plate and tape!!) Also, I have one of those ultraviolet flashlights you can use in the desert to find scorpions, but I am afraid to use it on the basis of it is better to not know they are around!!

LOL. Judy, the problem was, I just wasn't thinking too much.

What I was doing was just wondering why the paint on the ceiling had formed such a strange looking blister all of a sudden. I was thinking "roof leak" or maybe "defective paint". Which is why I reached to touch it - to see if it was damp - although it hadn't been raining.

It never in a million years would have crossed my mind that what I was looking at was wasp damage.

It wasn't a stool that I grabbed - our old-fashioned wooden kitchen table was in the kitchen, and I just grabbed one of the kitchen table chairs. I don't know how I thought of a paper plate and tape (it was a blessing that both were near to hand in the kitchen cupboard) - all I could think of was a nasty cloud of hundreds, if not thousands, of flying, buzzing, aggressive, and angry stinging wasps filling up my entire house, floor to ceiling.

Now that would have been a major problem!!

In truth, had they gotten loose in my house - it was a very small house, about 650 sq. ft. - I really don't know what I would have done.

Anne

[BarbaraRose]

Luckily, I haven't had any issues with wasps or other flying bugs. Just fire ants, and the black widow spiders under the house. Luckily, they stayed under there. I only saw one outside one day. The fire ants were a whole 'nother story! I will have to learn to watch for scorpions and snakes in Arizona.

It was so hot today! I stayed home all day but the AC couldn't even keep up and it was in the mid 90's INSIDE the house!! Finally cooling off in here since the sun set. Tomorrow will be pushing 120* again so will spend the day in my bedroom where it stays a few degrees cooler than the rest of the house. Then we will have a long cool down with temps "only" around 110*. At least the AC can keep up with that.

Once the RV gets checked out and fixed, if needed, it will be going to Desert Hot Springs to go on consignment at a private owned RV dealer. They said that Tioga's are really popular and sell pretty fast out here. Just hope I can sell it for close to what I paid for it. If there aren't too many hidden issues discovered with it, it is in pretty nice condition inside and out.

My anxiety rears it's ugly head every single morning and last for several hours. I am finding meditation videos on You-Tube that I watch and follow along with, which do help. I think it is gonna take time to get over it completely tho. My brain is just in fight or flight mode as soon as I wake up. I read something this morning that said that the effects of anxiety are almost the same as excitement. They say to mentally convince yourself that you are actually excited instead and turn the feeling into a more positive one. Yeah, easier said than done! I think I prefer to just learn how to calm down and relax.

Need to get something to eat and then get ready for bed in a bit. I picked up some more shredded pork the other day and I like to just snack on that. It is very tasty!

Good night!

[JudyJB]

Anne, if I had a houseful of wasps, I think I would have headed for the door and slammed it behind me!

[snowball]

because the aide and nurse come on Thursday's I don't plan on doing anything other than reading scriptures... while listening to podcasts that pertain to what studying I will crochet or knit depending upon the projects... I'm trying to make a kitchen set for the kiddo's that just got married.. want to have 6 dish clothes (knitted and two colors) 4 pot holders (2 of each color) 1 enlarged pot holder to work as a trivet and 2 dish towels (crocheted) that will be the last and if I have enough cotton yarn left ... some of you received either pot holders or dish clothes at a Q gtg so you will have an idea of what they are like... and of course the infant hat.... which I totally get the beginning part except that there is something going on that I don't understand what I am doing to cause it... I may need to brave the yarn shop and their no hand rail steps... see if they can explain what I am doing wrong... she will have out grown it before I make it...
mom is going through a lot of pain usually in the evening trying different things she keeps saying please help but when I ask how I can help she can't tell me ... that and I really hurt I really hurt.... I need a vacation going to do that next month... with dd#3 going to go up to Washington see dd#4 she is my 5th child but the 4th is a boy my only boy... not totally sure of the date yet
hopefully early in the month we don't want to get caught in bad weather...
I know Anita lives in WA but it seems like there is or was someone else from that area... daughter in on the sound or across the sound which ever is the saying in Bremmington (I'm sure that is misspelled) want to get a family pass for something the family might like for a Christmas gift... but don't know what "attractions" in the area... they do have a family pass for the zoo so if any of you have idea's please let me know I'm afraid if I question dd too much she will guess why...
Judy I wonder if those are deer fly's they are big and bite... I marvel at your swift fix of your wasp problem Anne I'm not sure I would have come up with it... Sue what kind of mattress did you get? I really need to replace the one on the bed I'm using but I really don't like (at least the ones I've been on) the foam memory type ones...
Beth you will be leaving the motor home in AZ right? it will be a challenge to get everything in your car that you think you might need to take or did you leave stuff in the TT in TX
Barbie so sorry you are still having anxiety issues... hard to get over I am sure hopefully you will recoop most of what you paid for the RV
you all have a great day
sheila

[Acadianmom]

It must have rained all night and all day. I don't know how much it rained because the rain gauge is running over. Luna went out in the rain and used the bathroom this morning and I couldn't get her to go out again until just a few minutes ago. It has finally quit raining. My internet was off most of the day. There is still a lot of rain in the gulf.

The mosquitoes are terrible. They covered me the few times I went out. Had to feed the cats and put the trash bin out. Speaking of aggravating bugs, the love bugs are back. I don't know if other parts of the country have them but they love to die on your vehicle when you are going down the road. With all this rain the fire ants will be coming up on the hill. I have only seen a few scouts looking for food and I killed them.

I think only 4 campers showed up at the campout scheduled for this weekend. I'm sure glad I hadn't signed up. They are talking about staying until Monday so they can swim on Sunday.

Martha

[Bethers]

Sheila, yes, the mh will stay in Arizona. I left lots in TX, but it'll still be challenging/ interesting.

Martha those love bugs are terrible. And more terrible to wash off!

Karen, you have me lots to think about while thinking about cars. One of the only small suv's I didn't check out used or new is the Chevy Trax. It appears similar in many ways to the Soul, so I will be checking it out. The Soul has all of them beat in warranty if purchased new but I wasn't intending to buy new. Who knows, a lot will depend on my two week trip coming up to Rapid City, then my drive to Texas a couple weeks later.

On another note I always say I should write down what I do when I cook like today, just tossing together from the fridge and cabinets. I can't even tell you now what the cut of beef I used was, so why do I bother labeling before freezing lolol. But this turned out really good which is nice because I have 3 or 4 more meals from it. Froze a couple. I might have to use the slow cooker more often. I know it was a lesser cut of meat, but I was cutting it with my fork to eat which was nice because I was lazy and only cut it in strips instead of smaller cubes.

Time to head to dream land.

[Cudedog]

Anne, if I had a houseful of wasps, I think I would have headed for the door and slammed it behind me!

Well, Judy. . . of course. . . although that wouldn't have totally solved the "problem": Problem being that, sooner or later, I would need to go inside my house again. Even just now just thinking about it, the thought of a houseful of airborne wasps is. . . perplexing.

I marvel at your swift fix of your wasp problem Anne I'm not sure I would have come up with it...

Who knows, Sheila? You seem to be an extremely sensible and flexible person, able to "think on her feet". Actually, my first immediate thought was to cover the hole with lid from one of my cooking pans - but I couldn't think how I could get it to stay in place on the ceiling. The paper plate was my second thought!

I'm sure you would have come up with something, too. . . after all, "necessity is the mother of invention".

Especially when there are wasps involved!

Anne

[OregonLuvr]

Beth I bought my car new. I figured this car should last me until the end of my driving days. It wasnt real expensive and I really like it. Drives so quiet and dang near drives itself, in fact if I even think about touching the outside or inside lane it puts me back where I belong LOL If I dont signal before I change lanes (discovered this when I moved over to the passing lane so others could pass) the seat vibrates!!!! Scared me to death thought something was wrong with my car, like tires etc. It is a 2023 Buick Envision. They have a smaller one (Buick Encore GX) also but it was a bit too small for my liking so I bought the middle of the road model. I really wanted a bit bigger one but really have no need for a bigger one LOL onward to your search and good luck.