Alpha Centauri 2

Community => Recreation Commons => Topic started by: Buster's Uncle on September 13, 2013, 03:15:01 AM

Title: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 13, 2013, 03:15:01 AM
So, a few years ago, Mylochka had a vague idea to do something with all the ivy that kept wanting to grow in her backyard - it seemed unkillable, and there's something of an 'Overgrown English Garden' theme back there already, so ivy that was hardy in this harsh environment was a good fit.

Alas, I know of no before pictures to post, and I didn't take any until this current project was days underway, but she put up a row of 1 1/2' horseshoe trellises - naturally, the vine swarmed over those and prospered.  The next year, a really big trellis - about 5', and in the last two years, that got covered.

The backyard is divided by a flowerbed -actually filled mostly with bushes- with a sidewalk running through from the corner of the house.  We had a cool, very wet, spring -ideal growing conditions here in the Great Nation of Texas- and I suggested erecting some sort of trellis arch to let the ivy cover.  Mylochka didn't want to spend money on the deal, that sort of thing costing a couple hundred bucks and upward, but she had the lacy pseudo-wrought iron corner supports left from an awning that had gotten eaten by squirrels.  They had two sides at a right angle and stood nicely on their own, so no arch, but I had some ideas about handling that.

So we spent considerable figuring out how to anchor the things - once they're ivy-covered, they'd catch a lot of wind, and the winds here can get pretty ferocious.  Because of all the amateur cement work on the flowerbed spots flanking the walk, getting in the way a little and making lining them up tricky, for the one on the right, I drove a 4' rebar stake 3' into the ground (suburban fill-dirt, so half-measures wouldn't do) and Mylochka lashed it to the corner firmly with 14 gauge wire.  The other one had to have the bottom buried inside the flowerbed, and I drove the rebar at an angle from inside the right angle, tied the corner down and gave the stake a few more lick to tighten.

I also wire-tied the frames to a tree to the side on the left, the plank wall and another tree behind on the right , and each other at the top over the walk to create a bridge for the vines and support each other.  Nothing's hurricane-proof but this rig has survived some impressive storms already.  The wires are also for vines to grow on, of course.

There was a little ivy on the left flowerbed side to work with that had grown up a lantern pole, and a LOT of ivy adjacent to the right side where there was more sunlight.  After a lot of innerwebs research, I determined that my vine was Carolina Snailseed.  We actually do have the same species in America - though there it's not as impressive a grower, being good in a hot, slightly arid climate like North Texas, and not nearly as competitive in a habitable climate.  But it has attractive heart-shaped leaves, and no rootlets to cling with and damage walls.  Many on the net consider it an invasive weed; as I mentioned, it's hard to kill, but that's a big plus here.  I think it's beautiful.

So all this was on the first of May, judging from the timestamps on the photos - was going to start training vines onto the frames the next day, but woke to a three-day spell of gusty winds.  Not a good time to start. ;clenchedteeth

Then Friday of that week dawned still, so I did some cursory vine training and took some pictures.  We were proud of our engineering, its thematic fit with the look of the yard, and that we'd spent no money except on the rebar for the stakes, doing the rest with materials on hand.

(Note the coffee sitting by the left-hand frame.)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: JarlWolf on September 13, 2013, 03:23:00 AM
Not too many vines where I live, so im not really accustomed to them. Problem with explosive growth over here is fungus: Fungus and explosive growth of prickly weeds. Moist conditions, black soil and lots of rotting stuff, especially after winter means lots of mushrooms and lichen. Some of which can be ate.


As for my garden, or what I call the thing on my property, is just a flowerbed with lots of rogue wild flowers that I let grow everywhere, and then I have a small potatoe and cabbage patch. I live in a woody rural enclosure, a bit off the road, and then the main road is where all the farms are. A stream is within walking distance too on a path.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 13, 2013, 03:55:48 AM
Sounds a lot more appealing than the 'burbs.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: JarlWolf on September 13, 2013, 05:45:46 AM
Yeah, wait until winter. I've been cut off for over 2 weeks sometimes because the roads get so bad, either icy to the point its like a slip and slide or enough snow to suffocate in.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 13, 2013, 05:58:04 AM
You would laugh and laugh and laugh at the Texans who start complaining when the temperature slips into the sixties (Fahrenheit) at night.  I myself sneer at the mild conditions that pass for winter - you would need medical attention, you'd laugh so hard.

Midsummer is hellish, though.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: JarlWolf on September 13, 2013, 06:24:15 AM
Let me do a conversion of that.... ( Americans and their separate measurement systems.... makes my head hurt.)



15 CELSIUS?! That's pathetic  ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol


That's a nice day in SPRING over here!
 ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol


Right... where I live in particular... to give you perspective, and for your benefit I'll convert it to Fahrenheit because your a filthy heathen when it comes to measurement systems....

Summer ranges from roughly 68 F to 82 F normally, sometimes exceeding that. If it rains it can go below the 20 Celsius mark/ go below 68 F but only if it rains or is windy and that's still pretty nice. 

Spring ranges from 15 C/ 59 F to 20 C/68 F normally, but can dip below to 10 C/whatever the equivalent that is in F, its a little chilly.

Fall/Autumn typically is similar to spring, but temperatures can go to 0 C/32 F and past it at times into the negatives.  Though keep in mind, Fall temperature/season over here can end in October. Winter unofficially starts by October and snow begins falling then, frost usually comes before it in the final portions of October.

Winter itself ranges from -10 to -15 on a VERY nice day, (that's considered a warm day during winter here) or 14 F to 5 F. Keep in mind, NICE WARM DAY.

For an average day, late teens and over -20 for an average run of the mill day, windchill makes it seem like -30 C.  Or -4 F to -22 F.

On a cold miserable day, temperatures exceed well past -30, often reaching below -40 with windchill, Celsius. Or -30 F to -40 F and beyond. Essentially, any exposed skin will get frostbite within 5 minutes.



Edit: And my portion of the country isn't even near the coldest. Go up near Arkhangelsk and you'll starting seeing -25 C for a nice day and below -50 C at times. Strong men have died working those harbours, frozen to death.


Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: ariete on September 13, 2013, 12:19:13 PM
russia is a great nation (more than texas  ;)), but i could never live there for the strong cold, i would risk freezing of the balls, eye balls. here summer is too hot and too muggy in the cities, so peoples can't do nothing or moving without sweating in that season, only relief is to have the sea nearby. sorry BU but i'm not practice in gardening, i just got fooled by the title of thread ...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 13, 2013, 01:22:19 PM
;lol
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on September 13, 2013, 08:20:00 PM
It seems I should never go to the Southron States once June peeks around the corner.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 13, 2013, 08:21:24 PM
It's not a Southron State - it's Texas.  Much nicer in America most of the time.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on September 13, 2013, 08:24:42 PM
Lone Star or not, it's still part of the Union;  ::)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 13, 2013, 08:43:17 PM
Nobody's happy with that.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 14, 2013, 03:54:17 AM
So, later in the day on the fourth of May, I finally got a shot that came out in focus.  It doesn't really show the over an hour's work I'd put in since taking the photo attached to the OP, but you can see what you're looking at better, and I'd spent some time tweaking the structural engineering and trained a little more vinage onto the trellis.

More to come - a LOT more...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on September 14, 2013, 04:12:54 AM
To show my one track mind, can't help but thinking what a wonderful place for a pumpkin patch. 

Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 14, 2013, 04:35:05 AM
Can't say that that comes as a shock...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on September 14, 2013, 05:47:43 AM
Could make a pretty marvelous graveyard scene there too. 


Oooo, or use those uprights to support a facade and place a FCG inside.  (flying crank ghost, pretty standard haunted house/disney mechanism, do not google if you don't like behind the scenes.)

Heck, with the tree you could do an axworthy justice.  (again, don't google if you don't like behind the scenes stuff)

oh, or make fire pits out of those planters and a big temple setup...

A couple pallets and we could make a KILLER witch's hut out of that too....

etc.

 


Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Valka on September 14, 2013, 06:50:38 AM
15 CELSIUS?! That's pathetic  ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol


That's a nice day in SPRING over here!
 ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol ;lol

Here, too (Red Deer, Alberta, Canada).

Quote
... Fall temperature/season over here can end in October. Winter unofficially starts by October and snow begins falling then, frost usually comes before it in the final portions of October.
We had crazy weather in this part of the world back in 1986. A sudden unexpected blizzard with LOTS of snow shut the city down for 3 days... on May 29. My dad made it to the hardware store to get propane for our camp stove (electricity was out), and he said the clerks were wearing battery-operated miners' helmets so they could see, and writing the purchases down with pen and paper - the tills weren't working. After that it was impossible to go anywhere, so we got out the candles, quilts (the furnace decided to quit, too), had hot meals made on a camp stove, and I shook my head at all the people who were unprepared for such a thing. Personally, I spent most of those 3 days tucked up in bed with my cat, under every blanket I owned. She had all 4 feet tucked under my chin, and we slept the time away. There were still huge snowdrifts around the city a week later.

Later that year I joined the Society for Creative Anachronism (a medieval recreation group) and was bemused at the other people in the Shire who froze out of their Labor Day weekend camping trip because it was snowing (I hadn't gone).

So for me, 1986 was the year I clearly remember when the weather in this part of the country went absolutely screwy and every year we have to wonder what's going on with the Pacific Ocean currents, because what happens near Hawaii can mean the difference between a warm winter and a normal one, or how frequently we get chinooks...

We usually get our first snow in October, although that one rarely stays. The real winter snow usually comes by mid-November, although one year it was nearly Christmas and we were wondering where the snow was...

To show my one track mind, can't help but thinking what a wonderful place for a pumpkin patch.
Complete with a "Welcome, Great Pumpkin" sign and a beagle flying his World War I plane that for some odd reason is in the shape of a dog house?  :D


Could make a pretty marvelous graveyard scene there too.
It'd need wrought-iron fencing instead of wood, but otherwise it'd be perfect.  :)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on September 14, 2013, 07:45:57 AM

Could make a pretty marvelous graveyard scene there too.
It'd need wrought-iron fencing instead of wood, but otherwise it'd be perfect.  :)


Nah, you backlight from the wood fence, wouldn't even notice it, and build a fake wrought iron one out of PVC there at the 'gate'.  The vineage would even work to your advantage here. 
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: JarlWolf on September 14, 2013, 06:00:10 PM
Mhm... part of the reason why my area is so bad Valka is just more of occasional government not tending to the roads. When the Socialist parties are elected here things are actually maintained....(to an extent) but when they aren't and United Russia party scams its way into the polls like they normally do, things get just to the levels of goofy in terms of maintenance...

Edit: Just so you people know, I live in whats called the Red Belt (meaning New Socialist or more often, Communist party majority), just on the fringe of it. Things are fine most of the time, but im on the fringe of it and the ruling party in my country, United Russia (Which is a nationalist agenda party), often tries to take over seats in government as much as they can. I've seen enough "re-casted" votes to make me vomit.

Edit2: Though, all the parties are relative jokes.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Mylochka on September 15, 2013, 03:02:53 AM
Could make a pretty marvelous graveyard scene there too. 


Oooo, or use those uprights to support a facade and place a FCG inside.  (flying crank ghost, pretty standard haunted house/disney mechanism, do not google if you don't like behind the scenes.)

Heck, with the tree you could do an axworthy justice.  (again, don't google if you don't like behind the scenes stuff)

oh, or make fire pits out of those planters and a big temple setup...

A couple pallets and we could make a KILLER witch's hut out of that too....

etc.

I used to have Halloween parties for my students at my old house.  It was a tiny little rental property that had a HUGE backyard.  I used to set up the "Doggie Trail of Terror" every year which actually only consisted of a series of stations with candle-illuminated signs describing circumstances designed to send chills down my pupils' spines; such as "Dr. Allison is grading YOUR PAPER right now... and has already run out of ink in his SECOND red pen!!!"  The screams could be quite blood-curdling...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 15, 2013, 03:05:48 AM
I miss the huge backyard and the parties...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on September 15, 2013, 07:41:45 AM
I used to have Halloween parties for my students at my old house.  It was a tiny little rental property that had a HUGE backyard.  I used to set up the "Doggie Trail of Terror" every year which actually only consisted of a series of stations with candle-illuminated signs describing circumstances designed to send chills down my pupils' spines; such as "Dr. Allison is grading YOUR PAPER right now... and has already run out of ink in his SECOND red pen!!!"  The screams could be quite blood-curdling...

 ;lol
What were you pupils' age, to be so easily distressed?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on September 15, 2013, 08:09:46 AM
One of the best childhood memories I have of Halloween is from one of my teachers.  Simple thing, really, the man was a STORY TELLER.  Something of a lost art, these days, the ability to tell stories.  Anyway, I don't remember the story exactly, but it was quite detailed, about his childhood, and as a good liar, he incorporated many truths into the tale as it went on, culminating in him being chased by a man with a limp he somehow could not outrun.  He began climbing into a window in his house when "He started pulling on my leg, just as I'm pulling yours." 

BOOOO, hisss goes most the class...I was laughing heartily, he'd gotten us all.   

Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: ariete on September 15, 2013, 01:29:49 PM
@valka i remember the 2003 blackout in toronto, paradoxically the same year when in summer in italy were registate temperatures exponentials (high humidity expecially in the cities intensified the perception of heat, so if there are 38° C you feel 48° C) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave#Italy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave#Italy)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Valka on September 15, 2013, 04:23:19 PM
Heat like that would probably kill me, unless I could find a cooler to stay in for the duration.

I'm a cool-weather person. In summer, my comfort zone is about 15C to 20C and any more than that is too much.

It's finally getting around to the time of year when I can be comfortable outside - a cool, invigorating nip in the air in the morning, and a pleasant rest of the day.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: JarlWolf on September 15, 2013, 05:01:09 PM
Worst heat I've ever experienced was east of Herat, Afghanistan. We were on a patrol and there was reports of enemy gangs doing something on the roads, most likely planting roadside demolitions to kill one of our patrols. Regardless, we were driving and then proceeded to the area, and the sun was scorching hot, the temperature was at least 40 degree's Celsius (It was probably more, probably approaching the 50 mark, note I've experienced hotter... but this was probably the worst for a few reasons you'll find out.). And this was dry skin cracking heat, no moisture at all: we did manage to apprehend a small gang of Mujahideen and promptly detained/dealt with them, but as we were driving back, sweating like buckets, the wind picked up and then we had a huge dust storm driving the way back with 3 bruised up, angry, cuffed Mujahideen cut throats in the vehicle with us. When it's hot, and there is scorching, gritty sand and rock flying about with near zero visibility AND you have 3 men who want to see your head on a sharpened pole in the same vehicle with you.... it was not only scorching outside, it was heated inside  ;lol

Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on September 15, 2013, 05:30:08 PM
post seems to be eaten due to irregular internet connection.  :(
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Dio on September 15, 2013, 05:31:57 PM
Where I live, it often gets above 35 degrees celsius (95 degrees fahreinheit) during the summer. However, it rarely gets below 16 degrees celsius (~60 degrees fahreinheit) during the winter. It also very dry and we rarely recieve precipitation at any time of the year except winter. Also, it tends to get very windy and dry during the late summer and early fall (September, October and November). During the Summer and Fall, we have a lot of fires in our area. These factors tend to make my area look dirty and muted. Especially if we get ash falling which lowers our air quality even more than normal.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 15, 2013, 08:06:06 PM
I used to have Halloween parties for my students at my old house.  It was a tiny little rental property that had a HUGE backyard.  I used to set up the "Doggie Trail of Terror" every year which actually only consisted of a series of stations with candle-illuminated signs describing circumstances designed to send chills down my pupils' spines; such as "Dr. Allison is grading YOUR PAPER right now... and has already run out of ink in his SECOND red pen!!!"  The screams could be quite blood-curdling...

 ;lol
What were you pupils' age, to be so easily distressed?
Mostly grads in their mid 20s.  You don't know Dr. Allison.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on September 15, 2013, 08:36:12 PM
Quote
Mostly grads in their mid 20s.  You don't know Dr. Allison.

Oh boy!  ;lol  ;b;
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 15, 2013, 09:04:00 PM
So five days later, May 9th, I'd continued to train vines onto the trellis, and added opposing lantern/birdhouse/planter hooks we'd had lying around -the original idea was an arch, remember- and filled in space at the top with a sort of dreamcatcher of string. 

It doesn't look like I'd fallen into spending hours a day on this project, but I was well on my way to that at this point.  I kept wishing we'd started this at least a month earlier, as I was spending a lot of time unwinding vines that had wrapped together on the great mass of vine off to the right so I could arrange them onto the frame.

It would have done fine in time on its own, but I wanted it to get a really good start NOW.  You can see the milk jugs - I was using pinhole drip irrigation for watering.  While working with the vines, I was always muttering "Don't be a rice-puller".

Bottom left, you can see where we transplanted in a little potted ivy M had on hand - a different species that doesn't strike me as a climber, but it helped cover the bottom front and glam up the thing by that much.

The last shot was taken at sunset and doesn't look all that great, but for once, you can see the vines, not the trees behind them, and tell what you're looking at.  I'd finally gotten a good start towards covering the right frame...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Dio on September 16, 2013, 01:38:21 AM
So five days later, May 9th, I'd continued to train vines onto the trellis, and added opposing lantern/birdhouse/planter hooks we'd had lying around -the original idea was an arch, remember- and filled in space at the top with a sort of dreamcatcher of string. 

It doesn't look like I'd fallen into spending hours a day on this project, but I was well on my way to that at this point.  I kept wishing we'd started this at least a month earlier, as I was spending a lot of time unwinding vines that had wrapped together on the great mass of vine off to the right so I could arrange them onto the frame.

It would have done fine in time on its own, but I wanted it to get a really good start NOW.  You can see the milk jugs - I was using pinhole drip irrigation for watering.  While working with the vines, I was always muttering "Don't be a rice-puller".

Bottom left, you can see where we transplanted in a little potted ivy M had on hand - a different species that doesn't strike me as a climber, but it helped cover the bottom front and glam up the thing by that much.

The last shot was taken at sunset and doesn't look all that great, but for once, you can see the vines, not the trees behind them, and tell what you're looking at.  I'd finally gotten a good start towards covering the right frame...

Just be aware that ivy can get out of control and is very difficult to remove once it is planted. Especially vines that reproduce/grow through offshoots or sprouting rhizomes. We have a neighbor with ivy growing over a chainlink fence and the ivy never seems to stay on there property even though it has to grow under a concrete block wall to get onto our property.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 16, 2013, 09:46:53 PM
Oh, that's a fact, all right.  To the left, out of frame in the neighbors' yards, it's been allowed to get out of control - doesn't quite choke out the trees, but there's a lot of it, and some of the stems are almost as big around as your wrists.  Carolina Moonseed has heck's own runner roots.  Too late for us to make it much worse.


The first attachment below was taken on May 13th, four days after the last set, at dusk.  The next two were taken early the next day; in the last, rather unbeautiful, from-behind shot, on the fence side, you can see the row of little trellises that Mylochka began with two years ago, and a bit of the big one she added a year later.

It may strike you that progress is not impressive, but remember that we're only two weeks along, so vine growth hasn't been a big part of it yet.  This ain't kudzu.  Almost every bit of new vine you see had to be trained - which isn't a big deal, but the careful untangling it took to make individual vines available was quite time-intensive.

Finally, some vine-age has reached the top of one of the frames.

Those lovely heart-shaped leaves act as a sort of barbs to hook onto things, and it's tricky to unwind without hurting the vine or stripping leaves.  Something about making this project work in the shortest possible time was really getting to me by this point.  You start seeing the hose in all the pics now; I knew that only so much was going to happen the first year, but I wanted that sucker to get a really good start.

Note the overgrowth against the wall of the house in the last picture; that's vines of the same species.  You will see more of them later...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on September 17, 2013, 04:03:53 PM
Ah, we see a bit more of the garden. ;excite;
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on September 17, 2013, 05:50:26 PM
is that a sunroom? 
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 17, 2013, 07:02:46 PM
Enclosed back porch, yes, but screened, not glassed.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on September 17, 2013, 07:18:57 PM
Yeah, old man Zito (farmer I worked for way back when) had the same thing.  (he called it a sunroom, don't know of a proper name)  Always was fond of that kind of room.  Many days sitting there after a hard day...

Though I was always curious how in the heck he dealt with it in the winter, with only those screens...course snow's not a problem there in Texas. 
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 17, 2013, 07:26:48 PM
Less than most places.  But the time I met Spaced Cowboy for poker, it was snowing on the drive back - in late April - and it layed 1 1/2'.  I was glad to make it home alive with Texan drivers on the road.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on September 17, 2013, 08:54:11 PM
Enclosed back porch, yes, but screened, not glassed.

So no desert temperatures during Summer.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 17, 2013, 09:10:11 PM
No - absolutely desert temperatures during summer - during the day; some of that desert cold at night might be refreshing.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on September 17, 2013, 09:18:58 PM
Screened porches retain the heat better then glassed ones? what material is it made of?
I thought you meant something that lets the air goes through, not panes of some translucent material.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 17, 2013, 09:31:11 PM
Yes, and the 105 degrees Fahrenheit summers are typically very still, so the porch is useless in the summer.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on September 17, 2013, 10:11:02 PM
Probably not "useless" in the summer.  100+ degrees is not uncommon here either, but a little shade, such as that provided by such a room, can really cool things off.  Especially if you get the roof shaded by trees as well, as it appears to be in the pic above.  Though, no idea what time of day the pic was taken.  What can hurt on those summer days is the breeze is sometimes your enemy. 
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 17, 2013, 10:28:04 PM
Not here.  We don't get siroccos or santa annas, or anything like that. 

Interestingly, as dry as summers get here, I've sat on Buster's porch when they lived in the Mojave at 114 degrees in the shade and felt pretty comfortable - evaporation at work, no doubt.  Here, you stop bothering to wipe away the sweat at somewhere around 105 degrees, and just let it drip, there's so much of it.  Dry is relative.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 18, 2013, 12:22:48 AM
The first attachment, IvyGate13, was taken late the next morning, at 11:06 a.m., according to the timestamp.

The next two were taken about five hours later, after I'd spent hours digging up the vines growing against the house, (along about 20 feet of wall; those runner roots don't play) and transplanting to the left gate.  Naturally, I got pretty serious about watering at that point; wanted the transplants to take.

For stuff that doesn't climb walls, there was a lot of it, and some pretty long vines.  Untangling everything took hours, (a non-trivial percentage of which was not optional, as there were some little 1' wire frames entangled) on top of time spent being really thorough getting everything along that stretch.  (Naturally, when I looked in that area the other day, a little had grown back.  Go figure.)

With the additional vines to work with, I could let the transplants cover the front, and string the native vines up the closer inside side.  I'd only begun that rearrangement at this point.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Mylochka on September 18, 2013, 04:07:17 AM
The porch is relatively small, but a great place to drink a cool drink and talk, or do craft projects that require open ventilation, or enjoy a thunderstorm... mmm...wish we could have one of those about now.  When the heat and drought stretch out into September... and sometimes even October... (sigh) it really starts to wear you down... My poor, poor, crunchy, beige yard....!
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 21, 2013, 01:52:17 AM
Almost 26 hours after the last set of pictures were taken, I'd spent half the day stripping out all the vines that had grown up through the tall rosebush at the other end of the yard, threatening to choke it out.   (No before and after pictures of that, alas, but it really needed doing for the rosebush's sake.)  Most of that, I just pulled out, uprooted and killed, but I saved one bit that came through the experience relatively undamaged.  It had grown up over 15 feet, and I did another transplant.

I wish there was some magic way to eliminate the trees and all green in the background, or I could go back in time and magically hang a giant black sheet behind the vines so you could make out a lot more detail.  If you look closely enough, you may be able to make out significant new growth creeping up the front right curlicue thingy near the top, beginning to form the arch I planned. 

The newest transplant is bare vine for the first ten feet from the ground, but I managed to preserve a lot of the leaves that grew up top in the rosebush, and for the first time, I had leafy vines reaching into the middle between the frames.  I really wish all that showed better.  You can see the bare part of the new vine clearly enough in the left-hand edge of the second attachment.

I scratched up my arms amazingly little, considering how many thorny branches I thrust my arms through for hours.  May 16th was not my laziest day of manual labor ever.

I knew I had inflicted too much trauma on the newest addition pulling it out of rosebush way over my head and reach, in addition to the uprooting and transplanting, (the runners for snailseed send down strong taproots every five-ten feet that you can never seem to get all of) to expect much growth this year, but hope springs eternal, and if the main stem survives the winter alive, it should do a lot towards the eventual goal of growing vine to fill in the space clear over to the tree off to the far left, forming a bit of a vine wall on both sides of the gate where the tree won't let bushes form a sort of hedge.

I'd made a lot of progress at this point in rearranging the native vine on the left from the front to go up the inside of the gate...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Dio on September 21, 2013, 02:18:21 AM
That yard is already looking a lot better.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 21, 2013, 02:21:19 AM
The yard had a nice wet spring.  You should see how the grass looked when we got back from America in August.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Dio on September 21, 2013, 02:27:20 AM
The porch is relatively small, but a great place to drink a cool drink and talk, or do craft projects that require open ventilation, or enjoy a thunderstorm... mmm...wish we could have one of those about now.  When the heat and drought stretch out into September... and sometimes even October... (sigh) it really starts to wear you down... My poor, poor, crunchy, beige yard....!

The yard had a nice wet spring.  You should see how the grass looked when we got back from America in August.

So that is what she meant when she said her poor crunchy beige yard...

We almost never have a "wet spring" or any other season. We are lucky if it cools down below 70 degrees fahereinheit in the winter. Also, the only time you really see green and not brown/yellow/dead plants, other than a few hardy trees and cacti, is after a prolonged rain.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 21, 2013, 03:54:38 AM
I am reminded of an episode of Remington Steele that began with Pierce Brosnan looking out the window over LA, saying "This is -- obscene.  80 degrees on Christmas day."

Ah - found a transcript (http://steeleinlove.com/dancer.html): "'Ninety seven degrees is more than a little warm. Ninety seven degrees on Christmas Eve is obscene. Should be big fat snowflakes, falling. Jack Frost nipping at your heels. Speaking of things nipping at your heels, where's Miss Holt?' he asks, pacing."

Close enough to remembering from 1985...




Nothing to say about my project, Rusty?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Rusty Edge on September 22, 2013, 07:13:58 AM
It's beautiful. I knew you were energetic and productive,  but you have more patience than I imagined! That's a great job of re-arranging.

I must admit my wife and I would be jealous .We would love to have ironwork like that, but it doesn't fit with the subdivision rules.

I guess I haven't said much because whenever I look at this thread I get focused on the weather discussions and forget about the original topic. I spent some time looking for pictures or mention of Texas highway remelts as a counterpoint to the Russian weather stories, or considered  relating my experience in a fifty below wind chill.

As for the vines themselves, I never gave them much thought until now. PA has poison oak. VA has Virginia creeper. GA has Kudzu.  I knew that.

So this vine is something called a moonseed, common in the Carolinas?

Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 22, 2013, 07:41:00 AM
Carolina Moonseed (or Snailseed - it answers to both about equally in my webs research) seems to be all over the South.  I don't think it's anywhere much west of here.

It may be more common here than in the Carolinas for all I know - I've seen a lot of vines like it, but only identified this species in particular back in May, and haven't looked very hard for it at home over the summer.  All I really know is that it doesn't look much like something so hardy it can prosper in North Texas summers, and it really didn't prosper, but surviving July and August here in decent health is IMPRESSIVE.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 22, 2013, 11:53:05 PM
So the morning of 21 May dawned overcast - perfect for one last set of pictures before we left for America.

Pray compare the first picture I snapped at the beginning:
(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4359.0;attach=7172)

-To one 16 days later:
(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4359.0;attach=7539)

The vines took a week of watering and pampering to begin really responding and making new growth, but the shoots were finally becoming significant - I REALLY didn't want to go home and abandon my current project at this point.  Still, most of the progress you see between the two shots in such a short time is artificial.  I spent hours a day painstakingly unraveling vines from the great mass to the right and weaving them gently into the trellis.

I've never not wanted to go home before from the 'Great' Nation of Texas...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on September 23, 2013, 04:01:46 PM
Your yard seems, to what I know of American standards, a bit of small-sized?
It looks to what I'd expect from yards in my area. fenced with bushes or covers so the neighbours can't cast looks in it.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on September 23, 2013, 04:43:02 PM
Don't know that we've really seen enough to judge.  We're only seeing the area with the vine gate, and haven't seen the front yard at all. 

Also depends on the area.  Some areas, especially in more urban areas, have VERY tiny yards.  The standard very much depends on where you are. 

Am I correct in my understanding that this stuff is poisonous?  No danger the dog's going to go eating it? 
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 23, 2013, 04:53:06 PM
It is supposed to be poisonous to humans, though not extremely so.  I guess the dogs would have eaten some by now if they were gonna.

The front yard is tiny.  The back is about the size you'd expect in the 'burbs.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 24, 2013, 01:32:51 AM
So Mylochka went back to Texas after less than a month, and on the 18th of June, she took a few shots of my project to send me.  And --

WHOAH!  I gather that the wet spring ended about the time we left, but it hadn't gotten very dry yet.  The last transplant didn't make it without watering, (though the roots have already made a few new shoots since, and I'm sure will produce next year), but the rest had done VERY well without me.

 :danc:

The flowers in the latter two shots are on trees in the background.  This barely flowers so you'd notice at all, and much later in the year.  It's supposed to produce pretty red berries, but I don't recall ever noticing.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on September 24, 2013, 03:48:26 AM
Appears some dead leaves there?  Any idea what happened. 

Looking much improved.  Any plans to make a canopy over the whole area, or just the arch/gate?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 24, 2013, 04:11:07 AM
The last transplant didn't make it without watering, (though the roots have already made a few new shoots since, and I'm sure will produce next year)
I did more with the top/arch since, but no plans thus far for anything more.  The future at this location is in flux.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 03, 2013, 07:48:16 PM
So here's a shot Mylochka took five days later, June 23rd.  At this point, I don't think it was going to see any more rain worth mentioning until September...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on October 03, 2013, 09:22:03 PM
I gather, it being October now, it looks green again?  :D
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 03, 2013, 09:22:50 PM
It's still summer here, basically...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on October 05, 2013, 02:22:39 AM
 :mad:  ;)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 05, 2013, 03:40:05 AM
 ;sarc
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on October 06, 2013, 04:17:22 AM
"Pumpkins on a stick" for those planters...

Some eyes in the vines...yeah, this place has lots of potential.  ;) 

Does this get woody as it ages?  Will it overbear the gate with weight? 
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 06, 2013, 04:38:30 AM
I don't think so.  I've seen stems over an inch thick, but they're pulpy inside with a wood-looking shell.  It think before it could get too heavy for the 14 gauge wire, it would bear its own weight.  The flanking frames are very stout, so I can't imagine that becoming a problem.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on October 06, 2013, 11:38:37 AM
Pumpkin on a Stick (technically it's an eggplant)  Going to try some here next year, but we really don't have the climate for it. 
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 07, 2013, 04:11:57 AM
Here's a shot of old vine in one of the neighbors' yard...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 07, 2013, 04:34:22 AM
I knew you were energetic and productive,  but you have more patience than I imagined!
Quote
In China long ago, there was a farmer named Liu. He was not a patient man. He was very impatient. He was always in a hurry. He rushed through breakfast. He rushed through lunch. He rushed through his work. He wanted to be first in everything. He didn't worry about being careful in his work. He just wanted to finish it quickly.

 One day, Liu was in the village. Some farmers were talking about their rice.
 "My rice is doing very well," said one farmer. "It is almost three inches high."
 "My rice is already three inches high," said another farmer.

 Liu hurried home. He measured his rice. The plants were strong and healthy. But they were only two inches high.

 Liu decided to hurry his plants along. He pulled each plant up from the ground until it was over three inches high. "Now my rice is higher than anyone's." he thought. "Tomorrow it will be even higher!”

The next morning. Liu hurried out to his rice field. The little rice plants were dead.
 The people of the village soon heard about Liu's rice. They laughed and shook their heads.
 They said, "Foolish Liu always-in-a-hurry!
 That's what happens when you don't have any patience."
 This story happened long ago. But today in China, people have a saying for someone who is not patient or careful: “Don’t be a rice puller!”
http://savepost.blogspot.com/2013/05/liu-always-in-hurry.html (http://savepost.blogspot.com/2013/05/liu-always-in-hurry.html)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 07, 2013, 11:51:48 PM
To my vast astonishment -I'd have sworn I took some pictures when I got back in August, and so does Mylochka- I have no shots of the gate until early afternoon of September 6.  As you can see in the background, the grass had turned to straw.  It was a typical North Texas summer, with 105 degree days , and no rain to speak of for three months straight.

So you can tell it's a hardy vine indeed - it had thinned out noticeably and all the leaves had turned a mature blue-green, but the bulk of it pulled through just fine. 

I do morn to think how it would have looked if the irrigation had been kept up...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 10, 2013, 03:11:11 AM
Here it is a week later, Sept 13.  I had resumed watering, but nothing else to report at this point.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on October 10, 2013, 06:59:25 AM
The light looks less vivid. Weather change or camera settings?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: ariete on October 10, 2013, 12:18:20 PM
 ;popcorn (AAR of uncle little garden)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on October 10, 2013, 02:15:07 PM
BU's garden's got GHOSTS!!!

@ Geo, the last show was MOST likely with the flash on, which tends to do wierd things to white balance.  In fact...I'd venture a guess it was shot while BU was out back for an evening smoke, as it's something known to cause 'ghosts' even when the smoke has dissipated beyond your ability to see...though September might be some kind of polination season in Texas which could also account for the 'ghosts'. 
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 10, 2013, 03:22:50 PM
Yeah, it was a flash picture taken at sunset.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: ariete on October 10, 2013, 05:12:53 PM
rename the thread uncle 'put the money fo' da weed' ... to thrill, peoples see ghosts
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 10, 2013, 09:33:54 PM
So, on September 18, I decided to do something about the flat top - it somehow just didn't suit the arch.  There were two of those curlicue hangers left, so I wired them onto the frame and started training vines...

I don't know if there's enough growing time left this season to get it filled in adequately on both sides, but it's looking pretty good.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 13, 2013, 07:32:45 PM
Here's from a week ago, the sixth.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 17, 2013, 01:17:32 AM
Here's where we catch up - Friday, the 11th.

I'm getting some modest new growth, but modest is key.  Even though it was in the eighties over the weekend and we just had several days of rain, the vine still apparently knows what time of year it is, and isn't going to grow like I'd hoped until it gets what passes for cold here.  It's simply showing no signs of interest in thickening the cover to what was there in late June.

I'll keep on it, but I fear that we're basically done until Spring - that's the beginning of March some years in this unnatural state, but I very well may not be here then.

I really hate that, 'cause it's gonna be the cat's bottom in a year or two, even without me, and I'd like to see.


Siiigh.  I still think it's pretty, and was a thing worth doing.

We've discussed doing something even more ambitious back in America, with Muscadines, when Mylochka retires and moves into Gramma's house.  They're not as pretty, leafwise, but they will grow like mad, given something to climb -they grow wild a bit back home- and you get a lot of decent grapes in the fall.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: ariete on October 17, 2013, 12:43:57 PM
in the last photo what's that purple mash which flow by your garden :look: (w/aliens??)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 17, 2013, 02:36:21 PM
Same as the purple at the bottom of the first.  I don't know what it's called.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on October 17, 2013, 02:55:17 PM
I really hate that, 'cause it's gonna be the cat's bottom in a year or two, even without me, and I'd like to see.

Cat's bottom? Don't know that expression.

..., when Mylochka retires and moves into Gramma's house...

Oh, so you're the baby brother? Since AFAIK you're still far away from retirement.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on October 17, 2013, 02:57:36 PM
It's a superlative, like da bomb.


I'm three years younger, and I retired a long time ago...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: ariete on November 01, 2013, 01:11:11 PM
ehy uncle are you allright?? broadcast news says central texas and austin are underwater ... i've thinked immediatly to your garden ...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on November 01, 2013, 02:47:49 PM
That's hundreds of miles away.  It's been rainy here, but that's all.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 14, 2014, 02:34:04 AM
Here's a shot from Nov. 22, when it was on its way out...  I'll resize and post three more from the dead of winter shortly.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 14, 2014, 03:06:52 AM
These are from 20 February.

I hated to leave Texas when we did -leaves were just beginning to sprout the week we came back to America- I'd hoped to stay until about the end of May, to get to see close to peak growth.  I put a lot of work into this thing last year, albeit starting a teeny bit late; I HATE missing the big payoff  this year.

Fortunately, some of Mylochka's friends decided to have a retirement party for her without bothering to consult her first.  Like, there's grad school cronies flying in from out of state.  So she decided she'd better show up, and there should be pics of the Ivy Gate in all its untrained wild glory coming about the first week of June...

 :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc:
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Dio on May 14, 2014, 03:41:44 AM
These are from 20 February.

I hated to leave Texas when we did -leaves were just beginning to sprout the week we came back to America- I'd hoped to stay until about the end of May, to get to see close to peak growth.
Please define the term 'America'. Texas was in the United States the last time I checked, and as such could be considered 'America'. This arguement could even be extended to include other countries in North, Central, and South America.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 14, 2014, 03:45:58 AM
America would be what I call the county in which I was born at the base of the Appalachian mountain chain in North Carolina, and aside from college, some adventures mostly in the 90s, and taking care of Mylochka in recent years, have lived my life.

Texans are pretty sure they're a country, so I've gotten out of the habit of having to explain that joke.  America is home.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Dio on May 14, 2014, 03:52:31 AM
Having never been in Texas for long, I did not know this cultural peculiarity. Thank you for explaining.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 14, 2014, 04:02:40 AM
It's more a matter of my sense of humor, but Texans are strange in exactly the way you expect based on TV.  TV getting it right has never happened elsewhere in my experience, and I've been to New York City twice - they control half the TV and don't much get themselves right.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on May 14, 2014, 02:25:57 PM
More your sense of humor just happening to run into reality in this case. 

So, why do you go back and forth? 
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 14, 2014, 02:35:46 PM
Mylochka taught college in a town north of Dallas, and I've been taking care of her -she takes care of me, too- even minor brain damage can trigger mood disorders and I, lamentably, have a lot of experience to bring to bear on coping with them.  She has now retired, and is currently remodeling Gramma and Grampa's house next door.  We are happy to be home, as Momma had been slipping between the cracks while Mylochka was in Texas needing me more.  We can all take care of each other together now.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on May 14, 2014, 04:04:35 PM
I get the whole taking care of each other thing, I don't get the moving back and forth so much, since you both move, correct? 
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 14, 2014, 04:06:30 PM
We've gone back and forth together around holidays, yes.  Buster's Gramma lives in America, (even at Christmas and extended family is in America, too), and Mylochka worked in Texas - a bit impractical for commuting.

Anyway, she hasn't disposed of the house in Texas yet, so more pics of the gate coming.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on May 14, 2014, 04:11:53 PM
Oh, she was still working, but is now retired?  Are you going to leave Texas behind permanent-like now she retired? 
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 14, 2014, 04:21:14 PM
:D It's complicated and I tell too much of her personal business already, intersecting with mine as it does, but yes, yes, and we already have.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Rusty Edge on May 14, 2014, 06:24:46 PM
I actually knew most of that about Buncle, except for the house next door.

As for Texas- it has a history and mythology of it's own. Americans fleeing overcrowding infiltrated Mexico, then when they became a majority, they did the American thing and started a revolution. They were the Lone Star Republic for a while, then they joined the U.S., then they seceded in the Civil War ( Oops! War of Northern Aggression ) and were the last hold-outs to surrender. In recent years there's been legal discussions about their special rights and methods to return to independence, as the only nation to become a state.

When TV shows like Jericho and Revolution depict Texas as the state most likely to organize it's own country in the aftermath of disaster and chaos.... I believe it.

Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 14, 2014, 06:38:27 PM
Hawaii will actually get out faster when the US begins collapsing.  It's the other state that was a nation first.

There are snow pics of her new/old house in America on WPC from years ago - I think it was before your time, Rusty.  Momma was born in that house.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on May 14, 2014, 07:54:55 PM
Hawaii will actually get out faster when the US begins collapsing.  It's the other state that was a nation first.

Not in the next half year I hope? :stop:
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 14, 2014, 08:11:20 PM
No, I don't think so.  We're on our way down, IMAO, but the fall, though it will be mighty, is slow.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on May 30, 2014, 01:49:30 AM
Hmm.  Screenshot off Skype from M calling me this afternoon.  The webcam didn't want to focus well or adjust to the brightness of the sky.  You can see that untended, the right side has done almost as well as I'd hoped - Summer drought season doesn't tend to set in until roughly the second week in July, and the peak pics I saw last year were over three weeks further along than this, but unless Mylochka gets someone to go into the back yard in a month, I'll never see that peak growth.

Something disappointing has happened on the left side.  You can't see it well in this, but it began to grow and for some reason had a dieback before it got very far along.  The plant is a shade-tolerant one, but does do much better on the much better-lit right side.  The tree to the left is never going to allow nearly so much growth, but I thought it'd do better than this.

I honestly haven't paid any attention to the weather in Denton since we left, days :( before I would have commenced grooming and training.

The lack of vine training this year does show - the basic growth is adequate, if not what I'd hoped, but I would have encouraged the gap between the frame and main mass off the right to close.  I don't miss Texas, and I don't miss living out of suitcases away from a lot of my resources, but I most certainly miss this project. :( :(

Mylochka will take some good camera pictures before she leaves for home (Monday, I think).  Better pics w/ better/more angles will tell us more...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 08, 2014, 08:17:45 PM
 :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 08, 2014, 08:58:54 PM
...Right there in the first picture Mylochka took of the gate is the smoking gun of what ruined the left side.  Someone CUT the main mass of vines that was growing in place when we put up the frames last year, growing out of a crack.  See second attachment.  So nothing but the transplants is growing this year.

The guy housesitting says he didn't touch the vines, and as I doubt a burglar climbed the fence around the back yard and did some gardening, I don't believe him.

:(
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 08, 2014, 09:01:19 PM
This is why we can't have nice things.  People make me so tired sometimes.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 08, 2014, 10:16:24 PM
Does the house sitter have a kid living there with him? There seem to be child toys behind between the fence and the house.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 08, 2014, 11:08:16 PM
Nope.  Those are Mylochka's garden decorations.  I gave her the frog.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 02, 2015, 09:51:20 PM
Mylochka's out in unamerica right now, trying to sell her house.  These shots from yesterday are, no doubt, the last we will get.

And the lack of attention shows  :(.  It would have looked glorious by now if I'd been able to keep tending it...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 02, 2015, 10:00:17 PM
Someone's interested in her house?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 02, 2015, 10:43:45 PM
I haven't actually been briefed.  I think the idea is to do some yardwork, get the last room repainted, make arrangements with a realtor, then come home.

We had to gang up on her to talk her into talking aunt Pokey.  It was less a concern about her being able to make the trip alone than that Texas and worrying is going to stress her out, and she'll cope better with company to hold her hand.  -Also?  Pokey's a helluva worker; the painting will get done much faster, and Pokey is a wizard of yardwork.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 03, 2015, 06:51:14 AM
Sounds like you missed out on a away-from-it-all opportunity? Or are there plans you'll join them later on?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 03, 2015, 07:37:19 PM
No such plans.  They're going to do some dolling up of the premises and make some business arrangements and come home.  That was Pokey's idea; she's very good at advice.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 03, 2015, 09:34:38 PM
Missed opportunity thus. :P
I mean, you could spent summer in UnAmerica!! ;cute
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 04, 2015, 12:12:46 AM
Months too late to do the Ivy Gate any good, and everything about Texas in the summertime is bad. ;nod
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Unorthodox on June 04, 2015, 01:27:24 AM
Gaggle of girls in the back yard.  Headache...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on June 17, 2015, 04:27:56 AM
Buncle, good luck in this adventure.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2015, 05:09:26 AM
Luck? Adventure's over.

You can do a better tuber than this.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on June 17, 2015, 05:15:06 AM
Alcohol and sleep deprivation tuber but at least I pulled 'er off.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2015, 05:27:41 AM
You have a lot of practice pulling it off...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on June 17, 2015, 05:30:09 AM
And cleaning them up, I was nice and went On-Topic and low-spam after I set it up.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2015, 05:45:15 AM
Does not compute.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on June 17, 2015, 05:46:22 AM
Does not compute.

Low-spam means that I'm doing the nicey nice

 :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc: :danc:

party time.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2015, 06:22:40 AM
That is a party.

But isn't it better to have someone else pull it off?  I thought you had a girlfriend.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on June 17, 2015, 06:23:42 AM
She's visiting relatives.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2015, 06:30:15 AM
That's disgusting.


How did the HCG of 2011 crash and burn?  Not still her, is it?  She was cute.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on June 17, 2015, 06:41:30 AM
That's disgusting.


How did the HCG of 2011 crash and burn?  Not still her, is it?  She was cute.

No, I broke up with her and went full on monk mode for a while.  Did the hermit thing, sold damn near everything I had, lived off of dandelion leaves, rice, wild strawberries and raspberries, plants I grew myself, mooching from friends, and fish that I netted from a lake.  Literally living off of 40% of my income before taxes.  Every morning I was working out trying to improve myself.  Eventually women were coming to me, that was fun, then boring, so then I focused on just improving me and if a woman came along who seemed of a like mind I decided I'd run with that for a while.  Met the one I'm with in 2013, moved in together last June, and just bought a house with her this past April.

In there I had 2 court battles for my daughter and learned how skewed the court system is against men, and why there are so many deadbeat dads.  I was fortunate that I had help from friends and family in the form of dinners and leftovers.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2015, 06:49:52 AM
Hmm.  Yeah, I figured out a long time ago that most deadbeat dads don't want to be, and it's not supporting the kids they have a problem with.


Me?  I was right here.  Six months in was a girldog, too.  The first year we grew more than I'd predicted, but it was all work and no play, mostly - with a pretty huge hole in my heart that didn't heal fast.  Makes me sad, thinking about bleeding all over this place and work work work.  Lotta science articles and too many days it was pretty much just me.

2012 was not my best year.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on June 17, 2015, 06:59:25 AM
It's better.  There's 2 things we can control, our attitude and our effort.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 17, 2015, 07:04:51 AM
Sure.  That's pretty much entry-level Taoism.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 20, 2015, 06:36:54 AM
These were taken by a pro last week for selling-the-house purposes.  Geo, they haven't closed, but the house is already sold, and for more than we'd really hoped.

I think the photographer and whomever at the realator's picked pics liked the gate.  They shoulda seen it two years ago - that woulda boosted it a thousand more right there.

This should really be the last gate pics; for realz this time.

Siiigh.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 20, 2015, 01:34:16 PM
Geo, they haven't closed, but the house is already sold, and for more than we'd really hoped.

I'll expect an invitation to a Waffle House by MyLochka then next time I'm in the neighbourhood. ;cute
Good to hear she's a rich(er) lady now.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 20, 2015, 01:49:10 PM
Texas is a profoundly messed up state, there is no retirement plan for college 'fessors in its state system, and she's hardly set for life.

There's a set of pictures online of the house, currently -I only saved the ivy ones- and I'll ask Mylochka if I can link the listing page, or just post the rest of the pictures, since you and Uno have displayed curiosity about the grounds beyond the project...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 20, 2015, 03:22:08 PM
No need for me to see the whole thing, BUncle.
Besides, its now someone else's property.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 20, 2015, 04:24:25 PM
That is the reason it's okay to share now.  At this point, it's still her work of art, but she don't live there no more.  Pictures coming.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 20, 2015, 04:52:33 PM
That is the reason it's okay to share now.  At this point, it's still her work of art, but she don't live there no more.  Pictures coming.

You have a weird interpretation of privacy. ;lol
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 20, 2015, 06:04:21 PM
No - if I did, I'd save myself some work and just link the page, which has the street address, and is TMI although she ain't there no more.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 20, 2015, 11:18:50 PM
You know, I meant the privacy of the new owner, who suddenly might find indoor pictures of his residence all over the 'net...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 21, 2015, 12:53:40 AM
We already discussed the indoor shots being boring, though the kitchen is worth looking at.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 21, 2015, 05:42:44 AM
Really, I don't see the concern.  It's just a house; a cute one, but good luck finding it...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 21, 2015, 05:44:26 AM
Kitchen...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 21, 2015, 05:45:47 AM
Back porch from inside...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 21, 2015, 05:48:40 AM
The rest of the back yard.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 21, 2015, 05:50:42 AM
Mylochka holding her baby.

Good luck stalking us from this.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 21, 2015, 08:24:32 AM
That's not a house. That's a mansion. :o
Interesting shot over the kitchen table towards the bended wall with kitchen utilities.
I never would have thought from those 2 angles I've seen until now (ivy gate and partial porch shot) the property was that big. I thought it was at most the size of her current house, without the spacious porch.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 21, 2015, 01:57:48 PM
I thought it was at most the size of her current house, without the spacious porch.
Roughly, yes.  That's real estate photography with a horizontal fisheye effect going on.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 21, 2015, 01:59:32 PM
I live in a mansion, by comparison - that there's a well turned-out cracker box in the 'burbs with a postage stamp yard.  Much smaller yard than she has now, though flat has its charms.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 21, 2015, 02:23:13 PM
I thought it was at most the size of her current house, without the spacious porch.
Roughly, yes.  That's real estate photography with a horizontal fisheye effect going on.

I see. So the garage can't take 3 cars then? ;cute
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 21, 2015, 02:43:47 PM
Nevah.  Room for two - if they're in love.

The last shot of the front of the house is the least distorted - and the lovely round kitchen is strictly a one-cook deal in size/comfort; and at that, the island leaves no room for your butt to stick out so you can bend to look in the bottom of the refridgerator.  If it was mine and I had to live there and could afford the rewiring of the stove on the island and fixing up the floor gap it would expose, I'd move the island a few feet back out of the kitchen.

That round kitchen surely added half again to the market price of the house - but I guarantee that neither of the parties who got into a bidding war  :danc: had tried hard enough to look in the fridge.  Beautiful kitchen, though, and otherwise delightfully functional for one cook.  Everything's close.

I sincerely hope the new owners don't paint over the Frida Kahlo reproduction mural in the garage...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 21, 2015, 04:29:59 PM
Something wrong with the fridge itself? Or do you mean the inconvenience of opening it and handling things in it?
And it is a beautiful kitchen.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 21, 2015, 04:53:01 PM
Fridge is fine - just too crowded right in front of it.  You actually need a lot of space right in front, to be able to get a convenient look and reach all the crannies in the back w/o pulling a muscle.

Mom can't get the real estate pictures to scroll at their site, so I got her here to look at the exterior shots and the kitchen, at least.  She has this page open right now...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 21, 2015, 04:58:50 PM
Hi BUncleMom. Hope you are well. :)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 22, 2015, 03:23:40 AM
Momma says hi back.  [Insert biscuit joke here.]

She is well.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 24, 2015, 02:40:47 AM
(http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/AyoGvYoPpsPqTZlPLjnUgQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTE5MDtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz02MDA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ucomics.com/pb150623.gif)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Mylochka on June 26, 2015, 03:08:33 PM
Hello!  Here's another picture of the trellis BU worked on -- this time without benefit of the mansion-making fish-eye lens. 

My aunt had the ingenious idea of taking some monkey grass that had grown up around the spot where a tree used to be (as shown in the first photo) and putting it in the empty garden spot in front of BU's trellis.  Makes for a nice, lush look for the backyard, I think...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 26, 2015, 03:28:20 PM
She actually did all the work of putting the trellis up, initially.  I supervised (watched; "supervise" is a family joke) and helped a little on staking the left one down - it was at least a couple of weeks later before I took a real interest.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 26, 2015, 07:26:25 PM
You got a real job of leveling up Mylochka's current 'garden' ahead of you, BUncle... ;cute
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 26, 2015, 07:34:46 PM
As a matter of fact, that's what SHE said.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 26, 2015, 11:53:08 PM
I hope there are enough stones at the edge of the property to level Mylochka's garden. ;cute
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 27, 2015, 01:51:44 AM
I never showed you but two of the rock walls - but there's a lot more.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 27, 2015, 08:03:10 AM
Its an archeological excavation!
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 27, 2015, 11:38:12 AM
Mostly archeology back no later than 1970 - I participated in building a lot of them.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 27, 2015, 01:36:02 PM
Except for the ant nests!
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 27, 2015, 01:47:17 PM
My aunts had nothing to do with those, either.  The ants are no relation.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 27, 2015, 01:50:36 PM
BTW - I figure the low rock walls to terrace hillside land are a cultural influence of the Waldensians.  Those Piedmont valleys and hillsides they immigrated from were steep, and ISTR that they'd done a lot of that in the old country.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 27, 2015, 07:25:42 PM
Tell that to those African refugees trying to cross the French-Italian border.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 27, 2015, 09:45:32 PM
Why?  Those poor people are pretty desperate, and I ain't gettin' in their way...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 27, 2015, 10:14:19 PM
That border area is about where the Waldesians came from? Steep, cliffy territory? Difficult to cross for those not knowing the area? ;)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 27, 2015, 10:48:00 PM
Northern border to the west, almost to Spain but-not-quite, yes.  It's where the last Italian line of kings came from - the Duchy of Savoy was the political boundary and Piedmont is the geographical area, or something like that.

John Milton's poem, On the Late Massacre in the Piedmont, that begins "Avenge, O' Lord, thy slaughtered saints/Whose bones lay scattered on the Alpine mountains cold" was about the last genocide attempt the Waldenses survived.  They were Protestant before Luther, and it sure wasn't their first.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 28, 2015, 07:14:39 AM
Cottian Alps are not even close to Spain.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 28, 2015, 11:36:30 AM
There's all that French coast in the way, yes.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on June 30, 2015, 12:59:31 AM
Seems legit
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on June 30, 2015, 01:07:42 AM
;nod

I don't make mistakes.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Rusty Edge on June 30, 2015, 04:28:30 PM
Tell that to those African refugees trying to cross the French-Italian border.

Are they riding elephants?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on June 30, 2015, 05:48:22 PM
No, rotten boats.

Now I think of it, I can't remember reading what happens with the refugee boats after they're intercepted and the crowd onboard unloaded.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 08, 2015, 02:48:51 AM
That's not something coming up in the ethnocentric US news.  How serious a problem?  What sort of numbers of people are we talking about?  What are they escaping?  Post-Quadaffi Libyan chaos, or what?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Rusty Edge on July 08, 2015, 03:09:12 AM
I saw something about it a month or so ago, don't remember whether they Christians or what.

My elephant question was a Hannibal reference.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 08, 2015, 03:12:15 AM
And a clever one.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on July 08, 2015, 11:34:20 AM
That's not something coming up in the ethnocentric US news.  How serious a problem?  What sort of numbers of people are we talking about?  What are they escaping?  Post-Quadaffi Libyan chaos, or what?

Its a mixed bunch. Syrians, Iraqi's, Eritreans, West-Africans (Gambians and/or Guineans, with Nigerians mixed in), and Somali's are the largest groups. The usual conflict points or dictatorship countries thus.
On numbers, last (official) number I remember for THIS year sofar was closing in on 150,000 already.
Last year's official total was a quarter million.
And that's only the people that get picked up from the boats or otherwise register at some point. Boats usually leave from the Libyan coast and attempt to sail to the closest Italian island (Lampedusa), and Malta.
Other known cross points are the Turkish borders with Greece and Rumania (also boats with the former), and both Spanish enclaves on the North African coast with Morocco.
My guess is since this 'migration' really started rolling when Khadaffi was disposed and the Syrian civil war started over a million people must have entered Europe.

How decent is the news coverage about Mexican crossings with your networks?
I remember reading an article about Obama willing to grant citizenship/residence to illegals in the States who fulfill certain conditions. And that the number could go as high as five million.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 08, 2015, 12:53:10 PM
I had to give up being a news junkie in disgust 14 years ago, and am not a good source for what the US news says or does not, but I think almost all coverage at the national level about the Mexican immigrants is from the angle of what the bigots are saying/trying to do about it lately...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on July 08, 2015, 02:42:05 PM
I forgot the Sudanese (struggle between North and South part).
As for international news, you could try the BBC. And at the very least my 'national' enews site has an english version as well.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 08, 2015, 03:05:32 PM
Actually, we have Roku, not cable now, but I bet we do have BBC news on there.  I don't actually know how to work the three-remote setup yet...

I had to give up being a news junkie in disgust 14 years ago, and am not a good source for what the US news says or does not, but I think almost all coverage at the national level about the Mexican immigrants is from the angle of what the bigots are saying/trying to do about it lately...
In fact, you've probably heard about what Donald [Sleezebag], an embarrassment to our species, said recently...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Dio on July 08, 2015, 03:25:09 PM
Actually, we have Roku, not cable now, but I bet we do have BBC news on there.  I don't actually know how to work the three-remote setup yet...

I had to give up being a news junkie in disgust 14 years ago, and am not a good source for what the US news says or does not, but I think almost all coverage at the national level about the Mexican immigrants is from the angle of what the bigots are saying/trying to do about it lately...
In fact, you've probably heard about what Donald [Sleezebag], an embarrassment to our species, said recently...
Our internet connection remains sporadically poor because we are at the end of a service line in the city. Basic Cable remains the most cost effective option since TWC (Time Warner Cable) maintains a near monopoly on the cable industry. Satellite remains relatively expensive in our area, but is still cheaper than cable.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 08, 2015, 03:29:39 PM
Intercourse the cable company - they're playing Monopoly and charging monopoly prices, but not accepting Monopoly money.  Teh gub'ment's really dropping the ball on that.

That goes triple for Duke Power...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 18, 2015, 01:57:54 AM
There's not going to be any vine arbor action before next April, I reckon, but in the meanwhile, Mylochka's agreed to showcase her ongoing project of making her new house wonderful - as it happens, I made a folder for the snow shots I took in the winter snow of 2009 or 2010, and never used it again.  Let's see what we have of her house before...

Ah.  Also a summer shot of part of the front from a similar angle.  I no longer remember whop was living there at the time.  We got rid of the trampy pothead in June '09, so this must've been the neighbor's girl and her family.  That didn't end all that well, either.

Wait.  Judging from the timestamps on the unedited shots in the folder, these are from 2005/2006 - an old retired couple from up north for a year - that did end well.

...Somewhere are the winter snow shots from after I had joined the community.  I took them to post, and recall Gamera saying he liked the 'old man' porch on the house - I said so did the old man, whom I miss very much...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on July 19, 2015, 10:48:38 PM
I've always wanted to be an old man on a porch...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 19, 2015, 10:59:09 PM
It's a good sittin' porch.  Used it for that yesterday. ;nod  Yep yep yep yep.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on July 19, 2015, 11:04:08 PM
did you have tobaccy?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 19, 2015, 11:10:45 PM
I smoked my tobaccy.  Chewing is disgusting.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on July 19, 2015, 11:12:47 PM
still counts ;relish ;relish ;relish ;relish ;relish ;relish ;relish ;relish
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 19, 2015, 11:27:48 PM
Like the way you counted to 75?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on July 19, 2015, 11:30:37 PM
I don't know what you say
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 19, 2015, 11:42:11 PM
Lots you don't know, Mr. €590.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on July 19, 2015, 11:44:08 PM
like what?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 19, 2015, 11:52:02 PM
What color panties I'm wearing.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on July 19, 2015, 11:53:55 PM
Glad you went out and finally got some
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 19, 2015, 11:58:54 PM
I would nevah keep a lady's drawahs, suh.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Metaliturtle on July 20, 2015, 12:00:24 AM
I meant bought them, at one of those vending machines people think are in Japan...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 20, 2015, 12:32:37 AM
I've nevah 'dated' a woman of Japanese virtue, suh...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on July 20, 2015, 09:46:30 PM
Down, girl. ;cute
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 21, 2015, 02:08:15 AM
...Not that I would rule it out...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 23, 2015, 10:00:18 PM
Just took 45 minutes or so off for, as we say in the local dialect, "porch settin'", though on the deck out back, not the front po'ch pictured on the last page.  Good to spend a bit with an underage single mother step-cousin I haven't seen much of in years and her charming little daughter.

Geo, you were in aunt Joyce's presence for more than five minutes, so you may recall that she definitely mentioned Hannah and Balin - them.

It's been a weird day so far, but kind of everyone to slack off posting/browsing early afternoon for a while so I was comfortable doing that.  Now to post my third science article of the day, and go do some browsing I've not been getting to lately - and no doubt, the crowd will be back after supper to see that I don't get any theme reviewing done before bed ;)...
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on July 24, 2015, 12:09:28 PM
Geo, you were in aunt Joyce's presence for more than five minutes, so you may recall that she definitely mentioned Hannah and Balin - them.

The couple with the 10-12 year old boy in tow teasing the dogs? Yeah, I remember her. Please sent my regards. :)
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 24, 2015, 08:30:59 PM
Uncle and wife?  I will - they're usually by a couple times a week.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on July 24, 2015, 10:59:33 PM
Uncle and wife?  I will - they're usually by a couple times a week.

Yeah.
Aunt Joyce = wife of uncle, right?
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on July 24, 2015, 11:14:06 PM
Right.

I just told her you sent your regards, and she said to tell you, quote "We like him".  She was pretty thrilled to meet a gen-u-ine foreign person.  She don't get out much, clearly.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on July 24, 2015, 11:22:06 PM
And even TV doesn't show (much) furin' events.

Damn. I'll need ear plugs tonight. Friend sleeping over tonight in the other room, and the snores are... noticeble... :(
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Rusty Edge on July 25, 2015, 12:32:51 AM


Damn. I'll need ear plugs tonight. Friend sleeping over tonight in the other room, and the snores are... noticeble... :(


If it's bad, you might try the radio as well.
I became a bad snorer as I aged and put on weight. Bad enough to wake people all over the house. It's also bad for my own health, even if my wife doesn't strangle me.

http://www.topsnoringmouthpieces.com/snoring-facts/ (http://www.topsnoringmouthpieces.com/snoring-facts/)

I talked to a specialist about it, they referred me to another specialist, they had me do an in home sleep study. They confirmed the problem. I was referred to a dentist for a mouth appliance. They wanted $1500, which I thought was kinda pricey for something I could probably McGyver together on my own that would serve the purpose, so I said I was seeing my own dentist the next day and would talk to him.

Well, he got out of the anti-snoring mouthpiece business. He would do it for several hundred dollars if he still did it, which he won't. He said $1,500 was a good price, he knew dentists doing it for $3K! The issue is the ADA got involved. There are liability and insurance issues. When somebody dies from sleep apnea, the relatives sue the dentist for malpractice.

So I bought 2/$100 off of the internet. It holds my jaw forward so my airways stay open, and since I made a slight adjustment the second night, nobody has heard me since. I sleep much better, too.

Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Dio on July 26, 2015, 12:54:10 AM


Damn. I'll need ear plugs tonight. Friend sleeping over tonight in the other room, and the snores are... noticeble... :(


If it's bad, you might try the radio as well.
I became a bad snorer as I aged and put on weight. Bad enough to wake people all over the house. It's also bad for my own health, even if my wife doesn't strangle me.

http://www.topsnoringmouthpieces.com/snoring-facts/ (http://www.topsnoringmouthpieces.com/snoring-facts/)

I talked to a specialist about it, they referred me to another specialist, they had me do an in home sleep study. They confirmed the problem. I was referred to a dentist for a mouth appliance. They wanted $1500, which I thought was kinda pricey for something I could probably McGyver together on my own that would serve the purpose, so I said I was seeing my own dentist the next day and would talk to him.

Well, he got out of the anti-snoring mouthpiece business. He would do it for several hundred dollars if he still did it, which he won't. He said $1,500 was a good price, he knew dentists doing it for $3K! The issue is the ADA got involved. There are liability and insurance issues. When somebody dies from sleep apnea, the relatives sue the dentist for malpractice.

So I bought 2/$100 off of the internet. It holds my jaw forward so my airways stay open, and since I made a slight adjustment the second night, nobody has heard me since. I sleep much better, too.

I am glad that you have taken the necessary effort and expense to help your health.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Rusty Edge on July 26, 2015, 02:40:22 AM
 :D That strikes me as funny. I sort of cheaped out.  Also, there's my "Happy wife, happy life" motto motivating me to find a solution.

 But I figured I'd find out if the concept worked for me  first. Doesn't matter if it's my money or the insurer's. $1500-3000 is a lot of money for a gamble. I can always spend more money on mouth appliances now that I know that they do work for me.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 21, 2017, 03:55:21 PM
bump
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Rusty Edge on September 21, 2017, 08:38:21 PM
:D That strikes me as funny. I sort of cheaped out.  Also, there's my "Happy wife, happy life" motto motivating me to find a solution.

 But I figured I'd find out if the concept worked for me  first. Doesn't matter if it's my money or the insurer's. $1500-3000 is a lot of money for a gamble. I can always spend more money on mouth appliances now that I know that they do work for me.

Actually my ENT was right. Mouth appliances can work, but the trade-off is that they make a person's TMJ issues worse. In my case, the better an appliance worked, the worse it was for the TMJ issues. I tried to seek a compromise with an adjustable appliance, making it so that it was just enough to stop my snoring, or minimize it. Even so, the longer I wore the appliance, the worse it got.

I finally went the CPAP route. It's inconvenient, but it's effective once you get used to it. You can find affordable refurbished ones on the internet with a prescription.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 21, 2017, 08:55:09 PM
Alphabet soup, man.

...I've had some limited success with training my subconscious to keep my lips shut while I sleep, habitually sorta sucking on my tongue while I'm drifting off.  I hate waking up with a dry mouth, and you can't snore with it closed, either.  -Of course, I'm the last person to know how much I snore and haven't slept in the same room with anyone else -and like it that way- since the last time I was in California, about a decade ago, and I'm told I was snoring then.  The bed involved encouraged sleeping on my back, though, and I don't do a lot of that.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Rusty Edge on September 21, 2017, 09:13:20 PM
Well, I'm not just a snorer, I have sleep apnea, which is serious. While it's not that common, I guess it's not that surprising that I have it since I have most of the risk factors- Sleep apnea can affect people regardless of sex, race, or age. However, risk factors include:
being male
excessive weight
an age above 40
large neck size (greater than 16–17 inches)
enlarged tonsils or tongue
small jaw bone
gastroesophageal reflux
allergies
sinus problems
a family history of sleep apnea
deviated septum
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 22, 2017, 01:32:52 AM
I've got over half of those - and you haven't translated the alphabet soup.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: ColdWizard on September 22, 2017, 03:27:58 AM
CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, a machine that blows air into your head.
ENT - Star Trek: Enterprise, a tv show.
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Rusty Edge on September 22, 2017, 05:17:36 AM
I've got over half of those - and you haven't translated the alphabet soup.

Sorry, I didn't understand the  statement Alphabet soup when I last read this. Haven't heard that in at least a decade. Sometimes I think of this as a dialogue, and forget it's a world-wide forum.

ENT is "Ear, Nose, Throat" - slang for my medical specialist doctor. 
ADA is American Dental Association
CPAP is " Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, a machine that blows air into your head." -  ColdWizard
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Buster's Uncle on September 22, 2017, 05:53:54 AM
;lol
Title: Re: Putting the weeds to work for Us
Post by: Geo on September 22, 2017, 03:54:48 PM
And "WTF" means "Went To France". :-*

This year the label is appliable to the current POTUS. ;)
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