Saturday Gardening Thread [KT]

Daylily at Brookgreen, earlier this summer

Hello, gardeners and friends of gardeners. Well, there are still fires in the West, there were explosions in the Northeast this week, but the real garden news is that Florence has hit. Hope everyone affected is doing OK. Let us know.

My niece and her husband recently moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, one of the places that was hit by flooding. They had already evacuated. They bought a chain saw to help with recovery. We might want to discuss chainsaws today for the edification of those helping after the storm.

The photo above was taken by my niece during a visit to Brookgreen Gardens earlier this summer. But that hybrid daylily is one that would be adaptable to the gardens of novices. Unlike this one:

Here's a blog post on the drama of watching a white batflower bloom:

Brookgreen Gardens was America's first sculpture garden. It was built by members of the Huntington family to showcase the sculptures of one of them. It's a huge place, built largely on a former rice plantation. It includes a Lowcountry Zoo.

Snakes from the low country of South Carolina may invade other areas during the storm. Even during other seasons, minus floods, you could find rattlesnakes in your pool noodles

That reminds me of a meme I saw some time ago:

And my niece's husband found this one back when Florence was going to kill everyone:

He also found this nice South Carolina spider.

Here are actual critters in the Brookgreen Zoo in April. My niece took the photos:

There were also some flowers then.

Though summer is a better season for flowers there.

I am coming to appreciate the sense of humor of my niece's husband. He is glad that President Trump had the hurricane downgraded.

Chainsaws

As mentioned above, my niece's husband will be volunteering with a chinsaw when he returns to Myrtle Beach. Mr. Bar-the-Door has had several chain saws. He sometimes sharpens the blades himself, which is prettty time-consuming. Do you have a favorite chain saw, or tips for use?

The Edible Garden

From Gordon:

Tomatoes, four and one-half quarts of marinara, two pints of tomato juice. Considering how much work goes into just one quart, I understand why people buy the commercial stuff.
They miss out on the soul restorative nature of the work, though....

Gardens of The Horde

From Dr_No, a sign of the season:

These are still clinging to the tree long after the moulting has taken place. These li'l suckers must grab on really tight ... enjoy

Do you enjoy these insects? Where did those cool reflections come from?

If you would like to send information and/or photos for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden
at g mail dot com

Anybody have autumn leaves yet?

Posted by: Open Blogger at 01:20 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Hello Horde. The white batflower bloom is amazing.

Posted by: SteveOReno , I proudly self-identify as a Moron at September 15, 2018 01:24 PM (2sCft)

2 Good afternoon Greenthumbs

Posted by: Skip at September 15, 2018 01:24 PM (T4oHT)

3 I'll call the others.

Posted by: SteveOReno , I proudly self-identify as a Moron at September 15, 2018 01:24 PM (2sCft)

4 Hobo needed for "this is why I live where the air hurts my face" meme.

Posted by: mikeski at September 15, 2018 01:25 PM (P1f+c)

5 I thought today was Sunday.

Posted by: klaftern at September 15, 2018 01:26 PM (RuIsu)

6 Well off to work on getting some more tax returns out of my office before Monday. Have a good day Morons and 'Ettes.

Posted by: SteveOReno , I proudly self-identify as a Moron at September 15, 2018 01:26 PM (2sCft)

7 I have 2 Stihl chainsaws and love them. Easy starts, rugged reliability. For doing recovery cutting, I recommend wearing Kevlar chaps. You end up in some contorted positions and 1 slip can be bloody without them. The chaps have saved my legs at least 3 times over the years.

Posted by: Muad'dib at September 15, 2018 01:26 PM (qvdxK)

8 Chainsaws:
We use Stihls, but they're spendy.
We are told over and over by the mechanics to empty out the fuel when setting for an extended period, and to NEVER use ethanol fuel to mix.
Majority of repairs on chainsaws is fuel related.
Sharpening takes little time. But you need a good vise, and the right sized file.

Posted by: MarkY at September 15, 2018 01:26 PM (tsP9N)

9 I appear to be raising ants like pets
they just love Terro

in other news, my new mission is to kill illegal alien invaders, aka spotted lanternflies

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 01:27 PM (CE6iV)

10 That last spider pic is a garden spider. Used to be common around here but I haven't seen one for a while. They are big but generally harmless.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at September 15, 2018 01:27 PM (mpXpK)

11 With all the rain in last two weeks tomatoes have gone to rot plus something is muching on every one.
And wife got a picture of our toad on the deck yesterday, been looking for the little guy since his branch pile is all but gone. I see why he was hanging out there.

Posted by: Skip at September 15, 2018 01:28 PM (T4oHT)

12 what kind of bug is that from.Dr_No?

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 01:28 PM (CE6iV)

13 Skip, we had a week of rain, and it nuked our maters, too. We're closing the garden down batch by batch.
Have a wagon-load of butternut squash drying now.

Posted by: MarkY at September 15, 2018 01:29 PM (tsP9N)

14 That SC pic of scared of snow and ice just prolongs the inaccurate meme. SC people have no problem with snow and ice that I have seen. The problem comes when it gets up over the bumper of your car. We don't have snow and ice removal equipment and it would be stupid to buy any when it would be used only about once every two or three years.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at September 15, 2018 01:30 PM (mpXpK)

15 four and one-half quarts of marinara

Oh, dear. Living in Colorado is affecting my brain. You'll never guess how I initially read this.

Posted by: Emmie at September 15, 2018 01:31 PM (4HMW8)

16 Anybody have autumn leaves yet?
Posted by: Open Blogger at 01:20 PM

My neighbor's elm tree started turning in August.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at September 15, 2018 01:31 PM (mpXpK)

17 MrsY has canned salsa, tomato chunks, and spaghetti sauce;
Pickled okra and made this year's assorted pickles;
Also oven blanched and frozen quite a bit of okra for quick frying;
We dry some peppers, but she made enough pickled jalape�os for our use.

Posted by: MarkY at September 15, 2018 01:32 PM (tsP9N)

18 what kind of bug is that from.Dr_No?

The image file is named "cicadas", and they look cicadish enough to me...

Posted by: mikeski at September 15, 2018 01:33 PM (P1f+c)

19 18 The image file is named "cicadas", and they look cicadish enough to me...

Posted by: mikeski at September 15, 2018 01:33 PM (P1f+c)

I hate those things. When you open a window at night in the Fall they are loud enough to wake the dead.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at September 15, 2018 01:34 PM (mpXpK)

20 I have seen guys use those bug shells as monsters in miniature games, picture them as Dungeon and Dragon monsters.

Posted by: Skip at September 15, 2018 01:35 PM (T4oHT)

21 My ex gave me a tiny seedling of a tomato plant back in June, which is now 5 feet tall and has about 25 flowers the first of which opened about 5 weeks ago.

I was growing it inside the house in front of bay windows that receive Yuge amounts if direct sunlight every day. Despite this, and despite the fact that tomato plants are supposed to be self-pollinating, not a single tomato has begun growing.

Two weeks ago I thought that perhaps the windows in this house were filtering out the type of light that is needed for proper fruit growth (can't remember which it is, the green or red spectrum light, it is one of those) so I put it outside, also in direct sunlight.

Still no fruit.

What gives, Horde Experts of All Things Plant Related?

Posted by: Sharkman at September 15, 2018 01:36 PM (fRQju)

22 Still non-stop raining here.

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at September 15, 2018 01:37 PM (mpXpK)

23 Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.

Posted by: Insomniac at September 15, 2018 01:38 PM (NWiLs)

24 The vinevmaple outside my window has its first leaves turning. Just watched one fall to the ground.

Sigh.
MIT puts me in the mood for lunch.
Soup du jour is whiskey with H2O croutons.

Posted by: Diogenes at September 15, 2018 01:39 PM (0tfLf)

25 Dana nana nana nana
Dana nana nana nana
Batflower!

Posted by: Insomniac at September 15, 2018 01:40 PM (NWiLs)

26 When I was a kid, I used to hear cicadas all the time, and see tons of their molted exoskeletons on trees. In recent years I've noticed I almost never hear or see them anymore. Not sure why.

Posted by: Insomniac at September 15, 2018 01:42 PM (NWiLs)

27 Vic - I see rain bands pounding all day, still getting winds?

Posted by: Skip at September 15, 2018 01:42 PM (T4oHT)

28 votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 01:27 PM

I don't know what Spotted Lanternflies are.

But raising ants as pets seems unwise. Unless you have one of those ant farms.

Good luck.

Dr_no's bugs are cicadas, he says. They look like movie critters to me.

Posted by: KT at September 15, 2018 01:42 PM (BVQ+1)

29 As mentioned above, my niece's husband will be volunteering with a chinsaw when he returns to Myrtle Beach.

I never realized that Bruce Campbell designed power tools.

Posted by: Steve and Cold Bear at September 15, 2018 01:43 PM (/qEW2)

30 27
Vic - I see rain bands pounding all day, still getting winds?

Posted by: Skip at September 15, 2018 01:42 PM (T4oHT)

yes

Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at September 15, 2018 01:45 PM (mpXpK)

31
I recently purchased a number of Greenworks 40 volt battery powered landscaping tools including pole trimmer and chain saw.

I highly recommend them for light duty. It's nice not having to worry about fuel/oil mixtures. Much quieter, too.

Battery life is an issue. If you want to cut for hours, you'll need multiple batteries. Recharge time is about an hour. Sometimes the battery needs to cool down before it will accept the charge.

Posted by: Forgot My Nic at September 15, 2018 01:46 PM (LOgQ4)

32 I love the sound of cicadas.

Posted by: no good deed at September 15, 2018 01:46 PM (1uG1d)

33 Sharkman at September 15, 2018 01:36 PM

If tomato plants are indoors, you need to jiggle the flowers when they bloom to transfer pollen. Some people use the back of an electric toothbrush.
Tomatoes are also sensitive to temperature. Too hot or too cold and they won't set fruit.

Posted by: KT at September 15, 2018 01:47 PM (BVQ+1)

34 I'm trying to kill the ants actually
they are stubborn

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 01:47 PM (CE6iV)

35 The trees in the front of the house start shedding really early, late August or so. They turn yellow and down they come. Not much else, yet. This is Chicago's yearly two weeks of glorious weather.

It's a gorgeous day... Doing some weeding and just soaking up some sun.

Posted by: Gem at September 15, 2018 01:47 PM (XoAz8)

36 Dr_No has been having trouble posting comments, off and on. Don't know if he can answer questions today.

Posted by: KT at September 15, 2018 01:48 PM (BVQ+1)

37 I can't believe in 10 hours Florence hasn't moved.

Posted by: Skip at September 15, 2018 01:49 PM (T4oHT)

38 Stihl for the win ... for me at least. I bought the chaps but they were so hot I don't use them much. But indeed, if I was in the middle of some bad falls it would be a good idea. I tend to use a tractor and chain on that stuff, and pull it apart first, or to a safer place.

Indeed, find a place selling ethanol-free gas ... and I always let the saw run out of fuel unless I'm using it again in a couple days. I use a hand file with that flat guide thing attached, works pretty well. Someone here recommended the carbide tipped blades iirc, which sounds right.

Posted by: illiniwek at September 15, 2018 01:51 PM (Cus5s)

39 votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 01:47 PM

Yes, they are stubborn. Should be good that they like Terro, you would think.

Posted by: KT at September 15, 2018 01:51 PM (BVQ+1)

40 Mrs928 spoke to Boy928 in Florence SC this morning and he was only getting showers. I videoed with Father928 in upstate SC and he had gotten nothing. No rain, no wind, nada.

At least inland, the Storm of a Generation is pretty wimpy.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at September 15, 2018 01:52 PM (yQpMk)

41 On the Gulf Coast it's in the 90s and 80% humidity.

Deplorable.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at September 15, 2018 01:53 PM (yQpMk)

42 Run Awaaaaayyyy!

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Literate Savage at September 15, 2018 01:55 PM (kQs4Y)

43 I love that picture of the big stitching spider! (Golden Orb Spider) Have had one in my yard a couple times. If you can get over your fear of spiders and look closely at one, they are spectacularly beautiful and build webs that look like they're out of a storybook.

Called a stitching spider because every web they build will have a big zigzag stitch running between two of the major strands from the center to the edge. (you can see it in that picture) No one is quite sure why they do that, but my personal theory is that they are using the tension created by that stitch to "Tune" the web so they know by vibration the exact size of everything that touches their web. It would mean that their webs are quite complex structures, designed as much for listening as for trapping.

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 15, 2018 01:56 PM (k1TUh)

44 Chainsaws:
Get 2 extra chains. Swapping out a dull one is much faster than trying to sharpen it by hand in the field. Once you have 3 dull chains, you're done for the day. Ideally get someone with an electric sharpener to do the resharpening. (Note that low speed dremel tools and drills can work for resharpening.)

Ballistic cloth leggings, longsleeve denim shirt, steel toed boots, ear cups, goggles, gloves, hardhat are heavy and hot to wear. Wear them anyway. Concentrate on that sharp moving chain. Don't be Superman- Take many short breaks, plan the cutting carefully, have attentive helpers move cut pieces out of the way.

Posted by: Former Landscaper at September 15, 2018 01:56 PM (hSkdO)

45 Thanks, KT.

Plant is now back indoors where it is not cold (I am in Mukilteo WA) and the flowers have all been "jiggled".

Update in a week or so.

Posted by: Sharkman at September 15, 2018 01:56 PM (fRQju)

46 32 I love the sound of cicadas.
Posted by: no good deed at September 15, 2018 01:46 PM (1uG1d)

I do, too. I think they make the perfect white noise.

Posted by: m at September 15, 2018 01:58 PM (IIoSq)

47 As mentioned above, my niece's husband will be volunteering with a chinsaw when he returns to Myrtle Beach.

Sounds like a job for John Kerry.

Posted by: JT at September 15, 2018 01:59 PM (XSPsI)

48 Pretty good crop of tomatoes this year. One plant produces cat faced fruit. Don't know what causes that. They taste fine but look weird.

Posted by: Ronster at September 15, 2018 01:59 PM (rW4va)

49 Last fall, the squirrels took my new sod and used it for nests.

This spring/summer, the grubs got a lot of my new sod.

I have to get sod again. I do not have a good feeling.

Posted by: shibumi at September 15, 2018 01:59 PM (QKV7o)

50 One plant produces cat faced fruit. Don't know what causes that. They taste fine but look weird.
Posted by: Ronster at September 15, 2018 01:59 PM (rW4va)

OK, now we need pics. I can't imagine what that would look like.

Posted by: MarkY at September 15, 2018 02:00 PM (tsP9N)

51
Most cicadas go through a life cycle that lasts from two to five years. Some species have much longer life cycles, such as the North American genus, Magicicada, which has a number of distinct "broods" that go through either a 17-year or, in some parts of the world, a 13-year life cycle.

So you might not hear them for 13, even 17 years.

Posted by: Forgot My Nic at September 15, 2018 02:01 PM (LOgQ4)

52 This spring/summer, the grubs got a lot of my new sod.

Grubs are great bait.

Posted by: JT at September 15, 2018 02:01 PM (XSPsI)

53 46 32 I love the sound of cicadas.
Posted by: no good deed at September 15, 2018 01:46 PM (1uG1d)

I do, too. I think they make the perfect white noise."

My wife has always said how much she loves that sound. She said it started when she was a kid, and cicadas meant summer, and nothing to her was sadder than when the cicadas came to an end, because that meant the end of summer, and School.

Posted by: Tom Servo at September 15, 2018 02:01 PM (k1TUh)

54 As mentioned above, my niece's husband will be volunteering with a chinsaw when he returns to Myrtle Beach

==

his name isn't Leatherface is it?

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 02:02 PM (CE6iV)

55 carbide tipped teeth on the chains I meant ... of course.
Six more days around 90 for the high, then a cool front for highs in the 70's right in time for fall. Some are picking corn, soybeans are turning yellow ... my tomatoes are laying on the ground instead of in those pretty jars. Have eaten a lot of watermelon and cantaloupe, and chickens love them to. Birds are working at the sunflowers ...

No wild animals around here that threaten me ... there are some bobcats and coyotes, but they are mostly reclusive, though they might attack small pets.

life is good ... cheers to all

Posted by: illiniwek at September 15, 2018 02:03 PM (Cus5s)

56 My mysterious hot peppers labled as " Salsa peppers" are my co-worker who is probably a hot pepper expert says are cayenne, I gave him a few red ones.

Posted by: Skip at September 15, 2018 02:03 PM (T4oHT)

57 53 My wife has always said how much she loves that sound. She said it started when she was a kid, and cicadas meant summer, and nothing to her was sadder than when the cicadas came to an end, because that meant the end of summer, and School.
Posted by: Tom Servo at September 15, 2018 02:01 PM (k1TUh)

That sounds like a passage from To Kill a Mockingbird!

Posted by: m at September 15, 2018 02:03 PM (IIoSq)

58 My hat is off to anyone who sharpens their own chainsaw blade. I have done it, and will do it again, but I am grumpy to anyone who does anything to dull a blade.

Posted by: Picric at September 15, 2018 02:04 PM (nonGu)

59 we get yuge cicadas with green wings

spotted lanternflies are really pretty Asian invaders that must be killed without mercy, according to the gubmint

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 02:04 PM (CE6iV)

60 there are some bobcats and coyotes, but they are mostly reclusive, though they might attack small pets.

Man, they had a black bear sighting over at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, MD. I saw my first one up close this summer out in Western MD.

Posted by: no good deed at September 15, 2018 02:04 PM (1uG1d)

61 You didn't grow that!

Posted by: Baracky Odumbo at September 15, 2018 02:06 PM (OMopJ)

62 Cicadas mean summer for me as well, Tom Servo. It takes me back to evenings in the backyard, swinging on the tire swing without a care in the world. I also used to curl up under a tree that was choked by purple wisteria and listen to the bees drones while reading. It was pretty fantastic.

Posted by: no good deed at September 15, 2018 02:07 PM (1uG1d)

63 At least inland, the Storm of a Generation is pretty wimpy.

Posted by: Grump928(C)

The Troll-Master-in-Chief should give a speech where he says:

"The 'Free Press' (mocking air quotes hand gestures) claimed I was personally responsible for Florence and for it being a Cat 4 storm. So I used my powers (winks) to turn Florence into a mere tropical storm.

You're welcome!" (raises arms overhead in triumphant joy).

Heads would explode.

Heh.

Posted by: Sharkman at September 15, 2018 02:13 PM (fRQju)

64 58 My hat is off to anyone who sharpens their own chainsaw blade. I have done it, and will do it again, but I am grumpy to anyone who does anything to dull a blade.
Posted by: Picric

When cleaning up residential areas, no telling what needs to be cut, and chains can dull very quickly. Nails, spikes, bits of wire fence can be imbedded in nearly any tree, along with wreckage that needs to be made smaller. Its not the same game as felling and cutting firewood...

Posted by: Former Landscaper at September 15, 2018 02:13 PM (hSkdO)

65 The insects / bugs are cicadas that have moulted and left their old shell on the tree branch. About two years ago I found some that had been dead only a day or so, and those became models for some close-up images with the trusty Nikon 105mm MicroNikkor lens. These ones are just dusty-looking, and I agree they'd make great gamer monsters ... plus, they're free and non-union, so win-win. It's the reflection that makes the image, tho' . . .

A friend tells me there is more than one generic cicada that appears every 17 years. He says there are about 10. I don't know that for a fact. What I can say with relative certainty is that I can always hear them when they're awake, and their chirping doesn't bother me. He says he doesn't like it at all - but uses stronger language to express that thought.

Now let's see if this thing posts . . .

Posted by: Dr_No at September 15, 2018 02:15 PM (imDUY)

66 the reflection is cool, Dr No

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 02:18 PM (CE6iV)

67 I really don't have anything to add to the chainsaw question. No ethanol gas, sharp chains, get extras and learn how to swap them out, make sure the bar oil reservoir is topped up, kevlar chaps (dad had 40 stitches in one knee from a cut so he can get boring on the subject), decent boots, decent gloves (wanna see my scars?) and get pointers ahead of time how to fall a tree.

My only other suggestions are to wear eye protection, keep your face out of the plane of the chain to avoid getting chips in your face, figure out what way the log is going to crimp when you start cutting it so you don't bind your chain and bar when the cut pinches, and have a light, sharp axe as well.

And don't run a saw when tired. You make mistakes when you are tired, so stack slash and firewood when you are tired. Hard to loose a foot stacking firewood.

Posted by: Kindlotot at September 15, 2018 02:20 PM (2K6fY)

68 Got one of those garden spider's webs on the west side of the house. Gonna have to be temporarily relocated when I trim the hedge.

Cicadas weren't bad this year, but they always like to leave some shells on the west door frame, for some reason. Maybe they like the evening light.

And our local quartet of wild turkeys are getting more used to us, I think. Didn't run away as fast or as far when I came outside this morning. Hmm.

Um... no alligators.

Don't have multiple quarts canned, but we got a couple of purty purple 'maters this week in the porch garden. Picture linked in nic.

Posted by: mindful webworker & the cricket-cicada chorus at September 15, 2018 02:23 PM (XkxK0)

69 I am making tomato juice today. The Willamette and Early Girl tomatoes make a lovely red and round fruit, but they are so bland. I planted Cherokee Purple and Black Krim and they are ugly, but tasty!

I have made pizza sauce in the past, but I don't think I will this year. It is a lot of work to make a couple of pints.

I have been enjoying making pizza sauce with fresh tomatoes:

2 tomatoes, two cloves of garlic, chopped onions, and a chili pepper cooked down to paste.
IF you throw in some crumbles of bacon or Italian sausage it tastes even better.

Posted by: Kindlotot at September 15, 2018 02:24 PM (2K6fY)

70 www.husqvarna.com/us/forest/
working-with-chainsaws/after-the-storm/

Posted by: Former Landscaper at September 15, 2018 02:25 PM (hSkdO)

71 So I used my powers (winks) to turn Florence into a mere tropical storm.

You're welcome!" (raises arms overhead in triumphant joy).

Posted by: Sharkman at September 15, 2018 02:13 PM

I would suggest against taking a victory lap yet. Some of these rivers are already projected to crest at 24 feet (more then two stories high) or so... and it's still early.

The next couple days into the next week will be pretty interesting.

Posted by: Forgot My Nic at September 15, 2018 02:27 PM (LOgQ4)

72 Chainsaw sharpening: Easy it is not. I used a kit for my Dremel and found out what happens if you don't get the cutters on both direction or sides of the chain equally sharpened. The saw then wants to curve as it cuts which becomes a problem on logs bigger than a few inches. The saw curves until the whole blade is in the cut, then it binds up.

Posted by: George V at September 15, 2018 02:31 PM (LUHWu)

73 Stihl chainsaws.

I used to volunteer on a trail crew and had to be certified every couple of years to work on federal land as a logger. The certification course was 2 days long and included classroom work as well as field training. Also included was first aid. You can really hurt yourself with a chainsaw. learn how to use them safely and be careful.

Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 02:31 PM (MVjcR)

74 Looks like your post at 65 stayed put, Dr_No.

Posted by: m at September 15, 2018 02:33 PM (IIoSq)

75 Typo in my nombre-de-blog.

Posted by: Kindltot at September 15, 2018 02:33 PM (2K6fY)

76 34 -- Votermom : If you can find the hole(s), fill your tea kettle with water, bring it to a boil, then run it outside and pour the super hot water down the hole(s). No worry about chemicals.

My problem is skunks in my tomato plants at night. Every night, before I let dogs out for their last visit to the little girls room, I check the entire front and side yard with a big flashlight, paying special attention to under the two cars. The dratted things pull tomatoes off vine, take a couple bites, then go for a new one. I don't need skunks for that; I already have two dogs who perform the same service -- and without stinking up the whole neighborhood.

On the positive side, three of my neighbors saw how much success I've had with my hummingbird feeder and have put up their own. So our little area has become hummingbird central. The fights are epic.

Posted by: Captain Josepha Sabin at September 15, 2018 02:34 PM (RFIWF)

77 Wildlife has been rarely sighted here.
I want to put up a trail camera to see what I'm missing.

Posted by: Innocent Bystander at September 15, 2018 02:36 PM (I9Sw7)

78 oh, and carry a cell phone, especially if working alone. I've never gotten stuck, but can see how a log could roll the wrong way, and then a couple steps getting tripped up in the brush ... could leave a guy stranded.

Posted by: illiniwek at September 15, 2018 02:36 PM (Cus5s)

79 My favorite weekend thread always has Such pretty flowers. I do not mind local snakes and critters. Spiders are mostly annoying here. No alligators.

It has cooled off but I cannot enjoy nights with open windows because of the bumper crop of acorns. Sounds like a Wendigo and a Sasquatch are crashing through the trees in my yard. I swept some - acorns, not mythical monsters - into an ashcan for feeding the squirrels in the winter.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 15, 2018 02:36 PM (/+bwe)

80 Oh, if you are doing big stuff, it can help to have a peevy to roll the logs.

Posted by: Kindltot at September 15, 2018 02:37 PM (2K6fY)

81 I've had my Stihl for 15 years. I use ethanol gas, let it sit for months with gas in it - in other words, all the wrong things - and it starts up each and every time. Never once had a problem with it.

Maybe because it's an older model ... 'cause I have newer leaf blowers who will crap the bed if I even say the word ethanol.

Posted by: Bea Arthur's Dick at September 15, 2018 02:39 PM (jWe5r)

82 And sharpening the chain? Nah. Five bucks to have it done in a day at the shop.

Posted by: Bea Arthur's Dick at September 15, 2018 02:41 PM (jWe5r)

83 I need to buy a leaf blower. The old electric one stopped working - according to my brother - when being used in vacuum mode. No, he sucked up a landscape stone that broke the plastic interior.

Any recommendations?

Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 15, 2018 02:42 PM (/+bwe)

84 "Any recommendations?"

Do not - I repeat not - get a Ryobi.

Posted by: Bea Arthur's Dick at September 15, 2018 02:44 PM (jWe5r)

85 I love Stihl equipment. I have blowers, brush cutters, trimmers and chainsaws - all of which provide flawless service. WeaselAcres Approved.

Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 02:44 PM (MVjcR)

86 I have some rosebushes and other flowering bushes along my back fence. This year there's been hummingbirds back there. I don't recall seeing them last year. The other two things I get back there are dragonflies and wasps. Finally found the nest that was bedeviling me when I mow the lawn a couple of weeks ago and zapped em with spray. I don't really like killing things, but wasps are a definite exception to the rule.

Posted by: bear with assymetrical balls at September 15, 2018 02:46 PM (H5knJ)

87 how's weaseldog?

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 02:46 PM (CE6iV)

88 Wildlife is all too common in my neighborhood. Aside from the aforementioned skunks, we have deer, raccoons, possums, bunnies, squirrels, rats, you name it. We're an old neighborhood about a mile West of the Missouri River and the critters have become very accustomed to getting around. Every dog I've had at our current location eventually comes to an agreement with squirrels. The dog watches the squirrel eat, squirrel eventually strolls off down the chain mail fence accompanied by the dog. The only thing I haven't seen is squirrel and dog shaking paws goodbye.

Posted by: Captain Josepha Sabin at September 15, 2018 02:46 PM (RFIWF)

89 Newer chainsaw and similar sized engines have pilot jets (think "idle circuit") that are so small that any bad gas will clog them. Capillary action keeps gas in that tiny hole if you don't run it dry. And that sounds like a bad idea on a two-stroke.

Posted by: klaftern at September 15, 2018 02:47 PM (RuIsu)

90 WeaselDog was barking at the mailman through our fence gate and a chipmunk came up behind her wanting to pass by. The chipmunk didn't seem a bit worried to be within six inches of the fangs of death, and scurried right past her. WD seemed a little insulted.

Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 02:52 PM (MVjcR)

91 Thanks, votermom. The reflections are just 'additional image elements.' If you're taking applications for new books, my book 'Living On New Orleans Time' is on Amazon's site. Enter my name and that will bring up the book.

For Horde members looking for a new T-shirt, I have a selection up for viewing at this URL:

https://cairebearcafe.threadless.com/

If you'd like to promote either (or both) of those sites, it will be greatly appreciated.

Posted by: Dr_No at September 15, 2018 02:53 PM (imDUY)

92 Spent the last two days dumping dirt (I do not keep the dirt in the containers year-to-year), washing out containers, and packing up the (new) shed. I have two more earth boxes to empty, and then I am officially done for the season!

It was interesting seeing what would and would not do well in my NYS container garden. Things that have done very well in the past were meh this year (cukes and green beans). I tried so many new veggies in containers including peppers (huge success), peas (yes!), cabbage (did .very well), Brussels sprouts (will not try again), and the infamous Carolina reaper (which went nuts - I do not recommend - maybe as a border plant to keep out critters)

Posted by: Ann at September 15, 2018 02:54 PM (RdjB2)

93 87 how's weaseldog?
Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 02:46 PM (CE6iV)
------
She's good, thanks! She threw up this morning but I was able to get her off the carpet and onto the wood floor in time. Seems OK now curled up in her little nest on the couch.

Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 02:54 PM (MVjcR)

94 Weasel, Chipmunks are suicidal. Have squashed so many under car in the Upper Peninsula because they cannot wait for the loooooong stretches between cars and insist on doing the Death Dash.

Thanks for the recommendation (and the anti recommendation, BAD)

Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 15, 2018 02:55 PM (/+bwe)

95 I haven't updated my blog in a while but I mean to do so and will include your stuff, Dr No

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 02:55 PM (CE6iV)

96 I bought a Huskvarna 266 off a tree man who considered it worn-out. That was 25 years ago. Put it on the log and chips fly over the chain-link fence 15 feet behind me. Holy sawdust, Batman. And yes, chaps Husky helmet with vision and hearing protection, use up or drain the gas.

Posted by: Charles the Simple at September 15, 2018 02:55 PM (w7U7L)

97 Did weaseldog try to eat her vomit?
that's my first thing to stop when doggeh throws up

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 02:56 PM (CE6iV)

98 Getting closer to that time when I trim back the crepe myrtles. One of our crepe myrtles, due to my initial butchery, has main trunk that is probably a good 12" in diameter with wrist thick smaller trunks growing out of it. The thing blooms like crazy and is somewhere between 15' and 18' tall. Fills a gap in our trees very nicely, it does.

Then, we've got "Side Show Bob" myrtle in the front. Thing sends out branches loaded with blooms every year. Crazy looking thing but it does bloom beautifully.

Our "snowcone" myrtle is shaped exactly how you'd expect. Probably 12' to 15' tall and fills out nicely with leaves and blooms late spring early summer.

I look forward to trimming the crepe myrtles back in the fall/winter because I know next year they are going to put on a show.

Posted by: Blake - used scripting salesman at September 15, 2018 02:57 PM (WEBkv)

99 Posted by: mikeski at September 15, 2018 01:33 PM (P1f+c)

I hate those things. When you open a window at night in the Fall they are loud enough to wake the dead.
Posted by: Vic We Have No Party at September 15, 2018 01:34 PM (mpXpK)

To me, one of the pleasures of a Carolina summer in an old house is sleeping with the windows open, listening to the rhythmic hum of the Cicadas and the Katydids

Posted by: Old Toby at September 15, 2018 02:57 PM (W+I/H)

100 97 Did weaseldog try to eat her vomit?
that's my first thing to stop when doggeh throws up
Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 02:56 PM (CE6iV)

-------------

Let the dog clean up after itself. How else is it every going to learn!

Posted by: Blake - used scripting salesman at September 15, 2018 02:58 PM (WEBkv)

101 95 I haven't updated my blog in a while but I mean to do so and will include your stuff, Dr No
Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 02:55 PM (CE6iV)
-------------

Don't know if I ever remembered to thank you for including my stuff, so, thank you very much. You're awesome!

Posted by: Blake - used scripting salesman at September 15, 2018 02:59 PM (WEBkv)

102 I've heard a lot of people swear by Husqvarna, too. It's a smart and simple thing to dump the fuel mix back into the gas can if you're not going to use it for a while, and definitely run it dry before putting it up for winter.

Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 02:59 PM (MVjcR)

103 Posted by: Captain Josepha Sabin at September 15, 2018 02:46 PM (RFIWF)

Funny! My dog and the bunnies have an understanding, but he considers squirrels to be trespassers and acts accordingly.

He also doesn't care for: ducks, geese, skunks, cats, chipmunks (he caught one a few years back, that poor thing went flying and tried to bury itself in the ground... I got the dog in the house but quick, and had my husband dispose of the chipmunk's body), deer mice, vowels (yikes are they ugly), possum, and anything else that dares to come into his yard.

He's a breed that was originally a ship ratter 400 years ago. I guess some things aren't bred out.

Posted by: Ann at September 15, 2018 03:00 PM (RdjB2)

104 Late to the thread but thanks for the information and those gorgeous photos. No gardening news at Chez JTB.

Posted by: JTB at September 15, 2018 03:00 PM (V+03K)

105 97 Did weaseldog try to eat her vomit?
that's my first thing to stop when doggeh throws up
Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 02:56 PM (CE6iV)
------
No - just looked at me and wagged her tail.

Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 03:01 PM (MVjcR)

106 nice designs Dr No!
How is threadless working out for you? Do you like their set-up?

Posted by: votermom pimping NEW Moron-authored books! at September 15, 2018 03:02 PM (CE6iV)

107 Pretty sure WeaselDog was bred to beg for treats and bark at the mailman.

Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 03:03 PM (MVjcR)

108 There's rattlesnakes in Lassen County but you don't see them but about 5 months a year. 7 months of teh air hurting your face... at least at daybreak.

Posted by: torabora at September 15, 2018 03:03 PM (OMopJ)

109 107 Pretty sure WeaselDog was bred to beg for treats and bark at the mailman.
Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 03:03 PM (MVjcR)

-------------

Pretty much sums up our pooches too.

Posted by: Blake - used scripting salesman at September 15, 2018 03:09 PM (WEBkv)

110 107 Pretty sure WeaselDog was bred to beg for treats and bark at the mailman.
Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 03:03 PM (MVjcR)

I think most are. And to play fetch. Some combination of those three.

Posted by: Insomniac at September 15, 2018 03:09 PM (NWiLs)

111 Pets are up!

Posted by: m at September 15, 2018 03:09 PM (IIoSq)

112 when I bought the old Allis Chalmers for mowing, the sales guy said to put this special (expensive) gas in for winter, that is supposed to be good for five years. He seemed to think having it empty can cause its own set of problems. (I forget what he said could have issues ... condensation on something I suppose)
there are also those additives for storing small engines over the winter ... the red stuff, forget what the main brand is called. Not sure if that would be better than having them empty?

Posted by: illiniwek at September 15, 2018 03:10 PM (Cus5s)

113 Haven't been to the farm in two weeks due to the rainy weather. Next weekend isn't looking great but I need to get back and tend to some things - like doing a tune-up on my chipper. Also probably need to mow again soon. And sit around and monitor the trees as they grow.

Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 03:11 PM (MVjcR)

114 112 when I bought the old Allis Chalmers for mowing, the sales guy said to put this special (expensive) gas in for winter, that is supposed to be good for five years. He seemed to think having it empty can cause its own set of problems. (I forget what he said could have issues ... condensation on something I suppose)
there are also those additives for storing small engines over the winter ... the red stuff, forget what the main brand is called. Not sure if that would be better than having them empty?

Posted by: illiniwek at September 15, 2018 03:10 PM (Cus5s)
-----
Sta-bil. They make it for diesel too. Good stuff.

Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 03:13 PM (MVjcR)

115 113 Haven't been to the farm in two weeks due to the rainy weather. Next weekend isn't looking great but I need to get back and tend to some things - like doing a tune-up on my chipper. Also probably need to mow again soon. And sit around and monitor the trees as they grow.
Posted by: Weasel at September 15, 2018 03:11 PM (MVjcR)

---------------

Maybe perform functionality testing of various NFA weapons also with video so we can drool over, I mean, critique your usage of said weapon?

Posted by: Blake - used scripting salesman at September 15, 2018 03:13 PM (WEBkv)

116 2 cents on the chainsaw question:

avoid cutting with the high kickback danger zone on the bar tip unless you want to wear the saw.

when cutting fallen branches and storm damage, take a moment to figure out where the tension is on the pieces for they can spring out on you or pinch your bar.

stop when you are tired, although cut bootlaces make an excellent conversation starter.

Been using saws for 40+ years and still have all my parts.

Posted by: Jinx the Cat at September 15, 2018 03:25 PM (XGabL)

117 He also doesn't care for: ...vowels (yikes are they ugly), possum, and anything else that
dares to come into his yard.

Posted by: Ann at September 15, 2018 03:00 PM (RdjB2)
Your dog is Welsh?

Posted by: Bert G at September 15, 2018 03:32 PM (OMsf+)

118 Jinx the Cat at September 15, 2018 03:25 P
Nice list of precautions. Thanks.

Posted by: KT at September 15, 2018 03:38 PM (BVQ+1)

119 illiniwek at September 15, 2018 02:03 PM
Thanks for the update. Sounds like some work, and maybe some fun.

Posted by: KT at September 15, 2018 03:42 PM (BVQ+1)

120 Fiskars for limb loppers...very good build.

Posted by: torabora at September 15, 2018 03:46 PM (OMopJ)

121 Not gardening, but I'm doing yard work for the first time in three weeks. I skipped one weekend, then it rained all last weekend. In fact it rained on and off for at least a week. So the grass was nice and long today.

In addition, I have a big tree in the front yard that starts dropping leaves early. Usually when I'm just mowing the lawn, I don't bother bagging the grass clippings. I figure they'll decompose and fertilize the grass. But when the yard is full of leaves, I use the bag attachment to pick up as many as I can. I have to stop every few minutes to empty the bag, so it takes a lot longer than mowing without it.

So I did the front yard, in addition to edging and sawing up a couple of largish branches, and sweeping the driveway and sidewalk.

I'm taking an extended break before going back out to mow the backyard. Fortunately there are no leaves back there yet, so it's just straight mowing without the bag. And I already did the edging in the backyard. Still, I'm probably going to miss the beginning of the chess thread, though.

Posted by: rickl at September 15, 2018 03:55 PM (sdi6R)

122 106
nice designs Dr No!

How is threadless working out for you? Do you like their set-up?

Votermom, Threadless isn't a bad site. Not getting rich from it, but creating designs keeps me off the street and out of trouble - mostly.

I've explored other sites (Etsy, Zazzle, etc), but from what I've seen - esp. at Zazzle - they let the purchaser alter the artwork. That's a dealbreaker for me. The possibility exists that I could be misunderstanding their approach, but I went over the explanation and document setup procedures a couple of times and still came away with the same conclusion.

No matter which site is used, it still comes down to promotion and exposure. If people don't know Chevrolet exists, for example, Ford will be the Nr 1 All-Time Sales Leader 'cos no competition. I've noticed that the site(-s) don't do much to help anyone there promote their work, either. It's a self-promotion paradise out of necessity.

I'm almost done with image processing for Vol II of 'Living On New Orleans Time' - the next step is assembling everything in InDesign. That's really the best software package I've found for books with lots of images and text. If it were straight text, I could use OpenOffice and print it in black 'n white instead of color. A text version may come out later, as well as a volume with my one-page stories. If you like, I'll keep you updated as they're completed.

Posted by: Dr_No at September 15, 2018 04:23 PM (imDUY)

123 chainsaws are easy... buy once, cry once.

https://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/

Posted by: redc1c4 at September 15, 2018 05:35 PM (rjbMC)

124 Yer hardware store has an electric sharpening kit for about 30 bucks. Read and follow the instructions and it works well and quickly. Having a couple of spare, sharp chains is good.

I bought such a kit for a guy who was new to farm life. I don't think he had ever sharpened it. When he first tried the sharpened one he almost fell over because it cut so quickly.

There is a guy from Minnesota, I think, who travels to hurricane zones. He finds people doing cleanup and sharpens their saws, then moves on. I think k that's a pretty good retirement hobby.

Posted by: Gordon Scott at September 15, 2018 06:40 PM (rGH2h)

125 Posted by: Bert G at September 15, 2018 03:32 PM (OMsf+)

No.

Posted by: Ann at September 15, 2018 06:48 PM (RdjB2)

126 We're had a golden orb set up shop in our slidding door. It was an amputee spider -- seven legs; one of the very rear set missing. The first day, I tossed a couple of leaf bits in its web, and it went running towards them. But after about three it knew not to bother. I set up a camera on a tripod to photograph it when it finally caught something. It wrapped it all up for lunch later. When I watched, I kept hearing Andr� Delambre crying for help.

Posted by: Lee at September 15, 2018 09:33 PM (DkG+1)

127 Dang, so late...

Beautiful pics, as always, KT.

Several cuttings of clematis montana are successful! Yay!!! Now, if I can just keep them alive over winter.

Also have a few now-rooted cuttings of cane-type begonia Dragon Wing Red (even though the blooms look more coral-pink to me). They will come indoors for winter and, again, hope I can keep them alive.

Thinking of making yet a few more cuttings of the begonias as they are so vigorous and pretty.

I keep forgetting to send the photo in, so here's tinypic:

http://tinypic.com/r/2ppkkl2/9

Posted by: JQ at September 15, 2018 10:11 PM (zMzA6)

128 Gorgeous

Posted by: Summer of Love at September 15, 2018 11:26 PM (FJrl0)

129 What a rough day, here in Idaho's Treasure Valley... I noticed some dampness under the sink this morning. I assumed it was from something I'd stuck there last night that was damp, but took the boxes of dishwashing powder out, as a precaution.

First I did the normal picking - a few green beans, some Romas and Big Boys, checked the cantaloupes (2nd wave ripening slowly) and the cucumbers - husband picked the red raspberries. I stuck in a few radish seeds, which I think will mature into radishes right before or at our likely frost date. Husband wanted to do the fall grass patching - I used the stiff rake to tear up dead grass, then raked up the grass debris to put in the compost. He spread a bit of soil, then grass seed, then soil, in those areas. This took a good chunk of the day (even had to take a lunch break). It included a bit of trimming of lower branches on some lilacs, as they had been blocking irrigation sprayers and causing the dead patches.

Good that I moved the dishwashing powder! - by late afternoon there was even more water under the sink. Had to remove everything, try to get it dry, and stick it in boxes to put in the garage; and of course we have guests coming tomorrow! (It looks like the seal around the disposal has failed. I have a bucket under it for now. We'll figure out who to call on Monday.)

We squeezed in our daily showers, then it was time to take 2 turkey pans full of roasted tomatoes and run them through the strainer-gizmo to make tomato sauce. That took extra time because we had to disassemble it once to clean the screen. We did another such batch 2 days ago which was better-behaved (canned 7 half-pints from that batch; we'll get more than that from this batch). I've got that sauce on the stove now, trying to simmer it down. (We've decided from now on, only Romas go in the tomato sauce batches, just in case it's the other tomatoes screwing things up. We'll eat/give away/compost the Nyagous and Big Boys.)

That Big Boy plant is taking up a good-sized area - it's a bit scary, actually. It's taking up more area than both the Romas in the raised bed, together! It's covered over the area next to it where I removed a dead Nyagous. (We've decided, no more heirlooms next year. We didn't like the way either Cherokee Purple or Nyagous performed.)

Then we wanted to do some grilling - burgers and veggies - so I prepped stuff for that. After dinner, finally I get to sit down and type!

Let's see - I picked the first red bell pepper today; it was deep inside the plant, so it had no sun scald, and it was a good-sized one too. But I'm thinking bell peppers aren't worth the space - too much sun scald, not enough food produced. I haven't cut off the green bean plants yet, but that day is getting close. I try to harvest chamomile flowers on every sunny afternoon I can. Red raspberries still producing well.

We most certainly have leaves falling already. Our backyard linden is always first to start, with the front yard crabapple right behind, and they're both dropping leaves. The 3 chrysanthemums right behind the kitchen are starting to open flowers, too. Our 14-day forecast doesn't show anything above 80, and we've seen Canada Geese flying south, so fall has certainly started, despite that we're not up to the Equinox yet.

Posted by: Pat* at September 16, 2018 12:33 AM (2pX/F)

130 My mom grew these yellow lilies called NAKED LADIES i took some to my 1st Grade Teacher and i whispered the name of the flower to her

Posted by: Spurwing Plover at September 16, 2018 01:59 AM (FLiOE)

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