Saturday coffee May 27

[5thDragoons]

I can tell it's Memorial weekend without looking at a calendar - heavy rain forecast for the next several days. I should probably mow, but it's starting to sprinkle already. Oh, darn! Got up early @ 0415 because Flop Ears needed ear drops again. Went for the usual short hike, and she's better now. I've been seeing a beaver at the pond where we go & took a camera... which of course meant the beaver was a no show.

As for holiday plans, nothing really going here. Might do the cemetery thing Monday if it's not raining a lick. SW

[Allen]

Memorial weekend. The traffic here is like Christmas time. I noticed this Thursday--2 days before the weekend. Sat-Sun-Mon I'm not getting on the road for anything.

We own a small lot next to my Daughters house (about an acre). My son in-law parks his truck under a large pecan tree there due to the shade. Over a year ago lightning hit his truck and disabled it (took about 8 months for the Chevy dealership to repair it). It wasn't until this spring that I noticed the tree wasn't budding out like the rest and had obviously been hit with the lightning strike too.

The tree is no doubt close to 100 years old, about 90-95' tall. We called several tree "experts" to cut, grind and remove the tree. Only 2 of these places returned our call with an estimate.

Anyway, long story made longer, the tree was removed yesterday. Nothing there now but smooth pulverized dirt/sawdust/wood chips. We have several tall trees like this that need to be "topped" to save them from hurricanes.

Talk about yard work---at least I just watched this time.

[lyman]

drove down to Kilmarnock to the store for the day (Brother and I own a gunshop there, as well as the one I am based out of here in Chesterfield) and noticed a plethora of State Troopers running radar,
as well as a lot of travel trailers\RV's,

tis the season,


gray here, hit the farmers market this morning for our monthly supply of farm raised eggs, (much better than store bought and about the same price)
and a few fresh veggies


got some local seafood whilst I was down in the Northern Neck so we are gonna have fried oysters and some home made crabcakes Sun or Mon,

[Doc Sharptail]

Coffee this a.m. is a little old- rewarmed Tim Hortons in the microwave. Bleah. I'll get up and start a fresh pot after this post.
Just a few rain sprinkles now- it'll get heavier mid afternoon.
Played around with the P/B-2A bellows unit this a.m. on the big manfrotto tripod, and I am still learning a lot.
I'll put a couple pix up in the photography thread...

Regards,

Doc Sharptail

[Dragonsdad]

Trying to make up my mind whether i want to run the string trimmer awhile longer or try and take a nap.

We've been doing the afternoon showers and expecting to do more. It looks like mowing is going to be a weekly deal until things really warm up weather-wise. Too early in the year to set up the air conditioner or I'd be doing that today.

Friend of mine makes a living as a beekeeper. Dude has multiple hives spread out in two states. I'm continually surprised at the scale of his operations. Claims he lost 12 out of 15 queens (local hives) last winter and he's trying to scale back up. Turns out some thought goes into socializing new hives with those already established. He showed me video of hives at war and it's something I don't want to be around.

Started putting up a hummingbird feeder last year after one got up in my face on a hot mid-summer afternoon. I swear the heat had him confused.
Seems they follow the fruit trees flowering out and make it part of their Spring migration pattern. They don't overwinter here but I've got at least one that hangs out. He's pretty good sized as Hummers go. In flight, he makes more of a deep buzz than a high pitched hum. I looked him up once but forgot the species(?). I think species is the term I'm looking for. Website said we have three types that visit the area. I see them so seldom I'd never given them much thought until the one came up and looked me over.

[Allen]

It looks like mowing is going to be a weekly deal until things really warm up weather-wise.

You're going to really be mowing then.

FYI: There is such a critter known as a hummingbird moth. They look a little like the bird and fly like the bird. I only see them at night smacking on sweet smelling flowers.

Beekeeper. Not for me. Honeybee's attack me for any reason or no reason. As far as relying on the hives for income go, murder wasp, storms, or insecticides can wipe them out overnight. Africanized honey bee's wouldn't be a good thing to happen either.

But, glad to know some people raise them and help keep their numbers up.

[Dragonsdad]

"...glad to know some people raise them and help keep their numbers up"
For my friend, it's serious business.
He makes better money at it than I would have thought but he puts effort into the various processes (renting out hives, etc.) The honey's great.

My mother planted a type of flower that attracts those hummingbird moths you mentioned... Bouncing Betty's (?).
Some people call them Hawk moths. Sphinx moths is name for them. I'd say the name tends to be a regional thing but I've always called them hummingbird moths as well. Lady was excitedly pointing out "all the hummingbirds" to her daughter one evening. (there's some evening foot traffic out front) I don't think I made any friends by pointing to the fact they're actually moths. She didn't say anything but I made a mental note, going forward, not to correct a mother in front of her daughter.

[Dragonsdad]

You're going to really be mowing then.

After de-thatching and getting some composted steer manure out there, the lawn has both taken off and greened up something fierce. Even the gaps from last year's vole runs are filling in nicely.

[Allen]

I made a mental note, going forward, not to correct a mother in front of her daughter.

I think that goes for any woman, any time.

[lyman]

cool and breezy here today,

wife worked me like a rented mule,
farmers market
got the truck and went to Home Despot,
put a piece of outside furniture together for the front porch
pulled up 2 big overgrown box woods out front, (amazing what a chain, truck and a bushaxe will do)

trimmed a few limbs, (stihl small saw cranked w\o issues)

then steaks on the grill, onions, baby broccoli, and some taters


gonna be a glass or 2 of wine, and maybe a few advils,,,,

busy day