Posted on 09/01/2024 6:06:00 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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So... Got the 24” trap out early this morning, cleaned it up, lubed all friction points with the “Fluid Film”... Hooo, golly, she’s a sensitive bugger now. I don’t think I’ll need further tweaks.
Next is to attach inside with wire a bait tray, since the trap will be several feet off the ground. I’ll whomp up something better, later. I’m misting for a few hours that elevated route on the top of the fence next to the garden, ahead of the trap, as I’d applied repellent all along the way, after seeing the squirrel take off that way, yesterday.
Oops, left this unposted ~noon due to a phone call:
Am working on the trap project in bits and pieces —
Bait tray installed. (It’s just the bottom 1/3 or so of an old Diet Sunkist bottle, with 3x 1/8” holes drilled in the bottom. I use a lot of these with 5 holes as plant starter pots, too. :-)
An unused “trellis” (actually part of an old swing set!) that could be used, with a couple good jumps, as another way in, is now pulled well away. So, there’s only one “elevated all the way” route in, now. There are still multiple routes to where the open end of the trap will be, though, including along those big trees I mentioned.)
Job done - trap in place, baited and set. Except I realized the brackets on the top of the old swing set would be a great, stable spot to mount the trap to. So, a little reshuffling, and, voila!
The biggest disadvantage is that I have to get up on a stepladder to service the trap!
Will an elevated trap work? Dunno, but I hope so. The Opo are trying like heck to get a few fruits out B4 cold weather, and I’d sure like to see them succeed! The cukes - well, the squirrels have killed them. A couple small fruits to pull off tonight, one big one for seed, and that’s it for them. :-(
Home Depot now says my LED light is on back order so I guess they didn’t have one like they said they did. HD is a marketplace now so it’s “the seller” that didn’t really have it. They say if they don’t have it by Oct 24th, the order will auto-cancel. They don’t charge until it ships so I’m not out any money and I doubt it will happen.
So I bought another light from a different website that specializes in lighting. They also carry ETi brand so that’s what I’m getting. Different model, slightly higher lumens but within range of my mounting height and it’s IP65 rated and $15 cheaper. It was also the last one in stock, clearance item, but this is a single location, brick and mortar store so hopefully, they really do have it.
I’m interested to see what these lights can do.
Posting from the shed out by the tunnel. Bought a 25 foot USB cable to get the USB WiFi stick outside of the shed and 15 feet closer to the house. Speed test says almost as good as in the house.
This USB cable, a Renogy solar charge controller and a hose/filter kit for the little Stihl tiller came in from amazon today and pipe brackets from Tunnel Vision(such cool name) for the end walls came in.
Will be a busy weekend.
And you’ll be loving every minute of it. ;)
I saw Elliot Coleman’s book ‘Four Season Harvest’ today while I was rutting around at the Thrift Store and thought of you!
Yeah, I need to eventually get wi-fi out to the chicken coops and maybe even the garden area, for live monitoring.
That said, I do have literally several hundred feet of good quality RG-59 cable, so, I “could” get the video feeds / connection points closer to the house.
“Cool” (As in try to ascertain the LED’s themselves do not run too hot, as I discussed above.)
I’ve ended up buying almost nothing from Home Depot recently, except deals I find in the clearance endcap. A spot I perhaps should stay away from (although I do really like my new little super-flexible capability small battery tester!)
2nd trap “up” on other side of the Opo plants. This had better work - they’ve really taken a beating. Can’t take much more, I fear.
I have chopped down even more “cover” near that area, too.
We’ll be getting LOTS of rain the next few days - hopefully the squirrels will not need / want the Opo for H2O... They are ignoring the grapes - prolly don’t know what they are...
It will be nice to be able to check the weather from out there and look things up. Not going to open X or even the FR home page. I have to stand at the tunnel PC since it’s mounted flat to the wall at 5 foot up and that’s the way it’s staying. (short posts means I’m standing down there - long posts means I’m sitting in the house:)
The wifi network is different from the self contained hard wired network that the automation stuff is on so I’m not able to check the sensors from the house yet. Still working on that.
Been meaning to get Four Season Harvest and a few other books one of these days. I’ve got a couple of organic gardening books from Rodale. Would be nice to have them in digital format and have them on the tunnel PC for quick reference.
My notekeeping program syncs to my cloud so I just need the right program on the tunnel PC and connect to the cloud to have a copy down there. I’m using that as my garden journal too.
Homedepot sent me another email saying shipping has been delayed but that it usually works out in 5 days so I might be getting that first light after all. Website still says that unit is out of stock though so who knows. I’ll either get it or won’t. Other place sent an email saying that light has shipped. UPS tracking says Monday.
Got almost an inch of rain a few days ago and supposed to get another 3/4 today so I should be able to dig post holes this weekend. First one or two will be for solar panels. I’ve been running the drip pump from an RV battery and using a charger every few days to top the battery off. Will be nice to have it on solar and self maintaining. Eventually, that will power the PC and automation stuff too. No worries about power outages then.
Need to do the same at the house like we used to have. Already have 12vdc LED lighting from when we were off grid and the router and TV take hardly anything so when the power goes out, we can watch streaming. (or read)
You’re up against ‘the best’ .... good luck! :-)
Squirrels A Mission Impossible !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUDOTefoVAA&t=112s
‘Warted Green Decorative Gourd.’ It doesn’t seem to have it’s own name, though. :(
Very eye-catching! I’ve never seen one like that up close before.
When I looked at “images”, trying to figure out what it was, none were as solid black as this one. You can see a tiny hint of green near the stem, but it’s pretty much a fairly shiny black all over.
The co-op had bins of gourds & the different ones are fascinating to see - so colorful, many very odd with warts, etc.
Movers are booked: October 15th is the big day.
At least all that work I did this summer to collect runoff and pump most of it away B4 it gets into the septic system seems to be doing its job. Usually by now, we wouldn’t be able to flush the toilet... That big effluent pump I nabbed is proving to be worth it. :-)
Oh, I’m so excited! That’s terrific news! I know you’ll continue to be busy, but this is wonderful to hear! ❤️
I think I found the ‘right’ moving company - found them because they got a great writeup as one of the top companies in the state. They do mostly local moves, but do instate as well. Mom’s big fear was having her furniture on a big truck with other families’ furniture going other places & taking days for the move. Two trucks are scheduled & only our stuff will be on them. The guy I worked the details out with was outstanding & I hope the crew is the same. We can reschedule if we need to, just call them by 7 am. (it’s still hurricane season & we get remnants that cause flooding, etc - like today).
I had a ramp put up when dad was in the hospital - he only used it 4 times; however, most of the stuff I have moved I could not have gotten out of the house without that ramp. The movers are happy we have one & it will help them move us in one day. “Funny” how that ramp has worked out.
I understand your mom’s misgivings. Moving is emotional enough without having packing/moving/unloading fiascos. I’ve had my share. I’ve moved seven times as an adult, and six as a kid. Always a PITA, but usually led to better things (not always…life is tough…but we are tough, too!)
I will pray that things go smoothly for you. You must be pretty amped. I know I would be.
I’m too tired to be ‘amped’, frankly. The last load, which involved carrying stuff upstairs & also down the stairs into the basement, really took ‘it’ (energy, etc.) out of me. So ... what am I doing today? Hauling another load! The truck bed is packed full as of last night (I have become an ‘expert’ packer) and I still have to pack the trailer. It’s foggy here this morning, so once the fog burns off, I’ll load. Showers here, there & on the way are supposed to be widely scattered, so hoping nothing gets too wet - hauling some wooden bookshelves mom needs in her office. She also bought a comforter set for her bed & wants to try it out, so she’ll be along on this trip. I will need her help ‘wrangling’ the shelves.
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