COLD DARK ROOM

[JoesMum]

Yeah, but don't rats carry rabies? Rats brought the bubonic plague to the UK, didn't they? So why not rabies? Rats, ships???

We got lucky I guess! Definitely no rabies here

 

[JoesMum]

Well, count yourselves lucky! We have rabies, snakes, scorpions, poison oak and ivy and many, many other things that make one want to stay indoors with a can of Raid.

We do! Every time we go abroad. I think Australia seems to be the worst place we have been to for nature that want to kill you.

 

[Yvonne G]

Yesterday when Duc went walkabout and I had to push aside branches and weeds looking for him, I came away with a very itchy thumb. Yesterday it felt like I had touched stinging nettles, but it's still itchy today. I can't see a blamed thing on the skin, not red, not a bump, nothing but terribly itchy! I would think if it were some sort of bite or sting I would see a bump. I'm thinking of making a baking soda poultice.

 

[CarolM]

Just put our water fountain in place (front garden) having spent way too much time getting it perfectly level! The new pump is working just fine, and after some tinkering and adjusting, it flows perfectly. It’s now connected to power, and an additional 5 bags of mulch (10 cubic feet) spread about.

Put tools and wheel barrow back in the garden shed and noticed a monster piece of wild black cherry tree in the mess. Now, the real issue is that we don’t HAVE cherry trees...and for the life of me, I can not determine where this tree size branch blew in from.

More to follow.

Wow. About the cherry tree. Good job on the rest. Are you free next saturday by any chance?

 

[Yvonne G]

We do! Every time we go abroad. I think Australia seems to be the worst place we have been to for nature that want to kill you.

Just one more tic in the stay-at-home-and-vegetate column!

 

[CarolM]

No poison ivy.

Only one species of poisonous snake - the adder - and that is tiny and lives on moorland. You have to be barefoot and really unlucky to be bitten by one.

The island of Ireland has no snakes at all! Legend has it that St Patrick banished them.

Could St' Patrick come banish them from here as well?

 

[CarolM]

The snake is only harmful to frogs... and probably newts. I daresay it would take the vole if it could, but that vole is more likely to end up as owl dinner

Well then it is a good thing that I am not one of those.

 

[CarolM]

Well, count yourselves lucky! We have rabies, snakes, scorpions, poison oak and ivy and many, many other things that make one want to stay indoors with a can of Raid.

Ye. I am with you there. But I think Australia is worse. [emoji33]

 

[CarolM]

We do! Every time we go abroad. I think Australia seems to be the worst place we have been to for nature that want to kill you.

Lol. Snap

 

[CarolM]

Yesterday when Duc went walkabout and I had to push aside branches and weeds looking for him, I came away with a very itchy thumb. Yesterday it felt like I had touched stinging nettles, but it's still itchy today. I can't see a blamed thing on the skin, not red, not a bump, nothing but terribly itchy! I would think if it were some sort of bite or sting I would see a bump. I'm thinking of making a baking soda poultice.

Good luck. What is a baking soda poultice?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Just to confirm I’m not half crazy, wifey trekked into the back woods and confirmed this little branch did not come from one of our trees... not sure where it came from, but yesterday’s storm and overnight winds were nasty.

Not Ours!

 

[Cathie G]

I think softening your tap with rain water is a good idea.

I still suggest that you get an API master test kit so you can test yourself.

If you don't want to spend that much, you can buy individual tests. You could get just a pH test bottle. They have them at Petco or PetSmart.

Changes in water values can happen VERY fast, especially in a small tank. If you can't test yourself, you are dependent on the store being open, and you going immediately.

It's really easy to check pH. And any tests you buy, get liquid tests. Test strips are notoriously inaccurate, and when you are talking about, say, ammonia...a tiny bit makes a huge difference.

I just saw that kit on Amazon on sale cheep! Lol. I was asking my son what he thought about it...he said yes too.

 

[Cathie G]

It has been a very nice day. My 2 closest lady friends came by and brought me and Pete cake and ice cream, and me, presents!

Last evening at Bible study I was given a big vase with beautiful flowers. [emoji253]

It's so heartwarming to have good friends IRL, and good friends online, too.

I am blessed!

I am too and really blessed because I read this post. Like minds don't have to think the same thoughts when they have the same heart...

 

[JoesMum]

Yesterday when Duc went walkabout and I had to push aside branches and weeds looking for him, I came away with a very itchy thumb. Yesterday it felt like I had touched stinging nettles, but it's still itchy today. I can't see a blamed thing on the skin, not red, not a bump, nothing but terribly itchy! I would think if it were some sort of bite or sting I would see a bump. I'm thinking of making a baking soda poultice.

Do you have any antihistamine cream or tablets around? I keep both in because I react too quickly to things that make me itch!

 

[JoesMum]

Just one more tic in the stay-at-home-and-vegetate column!

Not for us... as you may have gathered. [emoji1]

The Romney Marsh, where we were today at Dungeness, is one of the last strongholds for wild leeches in the UK. Now that is definitely something I find unattractive. The only thing in their favour is that they’re easier to avoid than ticks!

 

[JoesMum]

Could St' Patrick come banish them from here as well?

[emoji23]

 

[Momof4]

Yeah, but don't rats carry rabies? Rats brought the bubonic plague to the UK, didn't they? So why not rabies? Rats, ships???

You know Hawaii doesn’t have rabies either and they have rats.

 

[Momof4]

Lots of work going on around here!!
Pics and video coming soon!

 

[Cathie G]

Yes...we pay for water (by the gallon). There’s a water meter on everyone’s house that records the amount incoming to your residence. Soooooo, you pay for any water used for washing, toilets, gardening, lawn, etc. we get billed quarterly - last bill was $140 (Jan-March). Usually our lowest bill for the year. Soooo, any rain I can save and use for watering plants is a plus.

Of course last year, once I set up our rain barrel collection “system” we had record breaking amounts of rain all Summer long. Way too much. Our back garden remained soggy all year long.

You are blessed!!! Our water bill is at the least $60 a month. Then we have to pay for storm water going down the storm sewers. I don't know how they do the math on that because our back yard was a pond this past year. My buckets will have to be inconspicuous. They don't want mosquitoes breeding in rain barrels.

 

[Cathie G]

The UK doesn’t have rabies

There’s an outside chance if bitten by a bat that’s flown over from France, but very few have ever tested positive.

Interesting...