Posted on 04/04/2020 9:15:07 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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Mules are the most interesting characters! If Beau is winning, that is a good thing .... mules tend to remember (forever!) what goes on during training.
My grandfather had mules - used them for work around the farm. My mom still fondly (NOT!) remembers the one called “Bill”. Bill could hear thunder from waaaaay far away, before the person behind him with the plow could hear it. Bill hated thunderstorms .... if he heard the tiniest hint of a thunder rumble, he was GONE ... back to the barn, no matter what he was doing. Other than that, he was a ‘good’ mule! He also was more accurate than any weatherman.
“He also was more accurate than any weatherman.”
Our dog, Lakota, is exactly that way! He starts barking and howling when he hears ANY bit of thunder - even before we hear it. He is never wrong. He also likes to stand out in the rain and bark at it.
For a dog that is a Grand Nite Champion raccoon hunter, with all the plaques and awards to prove it, I sometimes wonder about his mental health, LOL!
Fantastic! We have a few Bluebirds, but none of the nests are anywhere near the house, so we rarely see them.
I do see Scarlet Tanager and Indigo Buntings from time to time. So beautiful. :)
‘My’ Orioles and Red Breasted Grosbeak are still a few weeks out. Can’t wait to see them!
That’s a great idea.
Thanks.
One thing a friend tried once for her birds was to sprinkle diatomaceous earth around on the nests.
It kills the bugs without hurting the birds and increased the survival rate of the hatchlings.
Interesting video series by a NJ gardener.
I have used wood chips extensively in the past just for weed control mulch.
I am switching to this method exclusively for my growing with the exception of my greenhouse.
What a racket!
But I WILL admit to shopping at their Outlet Mall store which is always a stop on my 2x a year Shopping Day with my BFFs. It’s near the Lindt Chocolate store, so it’s a Win-Win!
Some of their goodies ARE to die for - but only when greatly discounted. They make excellent Stocking Stuffers and Hostess Gifts and my Dad always liked their fancy jams and jellies. :)
Good idea - hadn’t thought of that.
The new bluebird house I put up has the feature of an elevated mesh floor which aids in the management of blowfly and other harmful insect infestation.
The new house also can be cleaned out between fledgling batches (and should be). The old derelict house was one my dad made with a pattern he got from somewhere - could not clean it out. The BBs still managed to raise fledglings in there, but it’s definitely better for them to be able to clean old, dirty nests out.
It was blowflies she mentioned it helping against.
I had never heard of them before she mentioned that.
They are pricey.........but I’ve always loved getting....and giving ........ their products.
That is an awesome sight! I can hardly wait to see how it looks when finished.
Looks like I’m getting a couple of Kiko does in the next few days. Wife shook here head and said ok. 100% and I’ll get paperwork to register when/if I want. I’ve got my eye on a 75% Boer / 25% Kiko buck for the Kiko does. Boer bucks tend to put fast weight on their kids. We’ll see how it works out and if need be, I’ll swap out the boer/kiko mix for a 100% Kiko buck. Boer goats are just high maintenance in humid temperate climates bit Kikos are not.
On YouTune, I have seen channels featuring uses for plastic bottles. One showed how to make a drip irrigation system for watering your garden. It would certainly cost less than $1,000.00. Might be worth considering.
Oh that is too cute!
I’ve seen them used for a single plant. Stick them in the ground neck down. I’ll have well over 50 plants in a 1,100 sq ft area. I’ve got water tanks and an 12 vdc RV water pump so I’ll probably go the soaker hose route.
It’ll be a few years, but hopefully we’ll all still be here! :)
When I clean out the nest between fledgling “batches”, maybe I’ll sprinkle some Diatomaceous earth in the bottom of the house - it will be under the wire mesh so anything that falls through the mesh will for sure be killed. I want healthy, happy bluebbirds!!
This morning, one of the males was sitting on top of a shepherd’s hook sort of thing I have out for hanging the hummingbird feeder. He was SO handsome with his bright blue ‘jacket’! Unfortunately, although I could see him through the window, it was a bad angle for a photo & if I stepped outside to do it, he would have been spooked off. The males are in “breeding plummage” right now so they are especially bright blue. We really love seeing them all around the place.
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