A gruesome tale that is relived every June on the farm. This year seems to be especially horrific due to the shear numbers of invading miller moths that seem to make their way into every sliver of space between a door and the door jamb, the crack of the door in the car, and of course they have ninja powers that gets them into the house when you open the door.
The cats usually are very happy during this season because it gives them live prey to chase. However even the cats seem to be overwhelmed by the shear number of miller moths.
Every morning I open the french door only to find a new layer of live moths tucked in around the door seal. Of course, the mere act of opening the door releases the miller moth cloud out onto the deck and invariably some manage to do a 180 and end up in the house. Flyswatters are strategically placed throughout the house to maximize the murder spree that ensues. Smacked off the ceiling, walls, windows, curtains, around the night lights and even on the furniture. No surface is safe from their dirty, nasty selves and once they are killed they leave a horrid mess behind of moth dust.
Usually after the killing season is over, all the curtains get a fresh run in the washing machine. For the next 2 months or so I will be vacuuming up miller moth carcasses as they seem to fall behind everything. The cats will find them and have a crunchy snack sometimes. I guess they taste good enough to them.
This year there was even a swarm off the trees along the driveway as I drove home at night. That was a bit freaky because it looked like a cloud just launched off the trees and you never knew if they were going to die when they hit the vehicle or if they would just attack it and slither into a crack for a better spot to spend the night.
Thankfully, it is now July 9 and they are no longer found in every crack and crevice. I don't know where they move on to but all I can say is I am glad the unwanted guests are gone. Now to clean up what they left behind and dispose of their dead relatives.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Halloween is just around the corner. . . .
As usual my brain has shifted into high gear as the haunting season is nearing. Thanks to my crazy friends who find cool ideas for me and pass them on. That leads me more ideas and then next thing you know I realize it is July and I only have 3 months to get this all ready. So in the spirit of the season I am enlisting my friends and fans to help me.
PROJECT #1: Milk Jug Ghosts
100 Glow sticks purchased, another 100 to be purchased. Now I need 200 milk jugs empty and with a ghostly face on them. Come on friends, help me out with this project. Be creative and give me some good ghosts for the Halloween House!
What I would like you to do is as you empty a gallon milk jug, wash it out and then take a black marker and put a face on it! When you have that done, put it in my car or drop it by the Farm Bureau office when I am there. I will take them up until October 1.
PROJECT #2: Baby Boo Spiders
I am currently growing the bodies of these little cuties. I hope to have about 100 and will need a few friends to help assemble them. Mostly will need a hot glue gun operator (please send resume), pipe cleaner bender and insertion specialist (resume required) and eye ball insertion specialist (no medical degree necessary). I think this will be an afternoon party project so if you are interested just send me a facebook message and I will let you know what Saturday or Sunday afternoon we are doing these. But likely it will be October 12, wine will be served!
PROJECT #3: Giving Yard Spider a Glow in the dark skin.
I have the glow in the dark paint so just need to get him moved out of the brome grass and sit down and paint him a fresh coat of paint. I think he is going to live on the driveway somewhere this year.
PROJECT #4: Construct the Haunted House picture wall
This one is going on the east deck so that visitors can have a Halloween photo of them visiting the Halloween House. I am taking the inspiration from picture #1, creating it into picture #2 set up and picture #3 is similar to what the finished photo will look like. So here is my thoughts on this one - OSB cut into the shape, 2 circle windows will be eye balls looking out (I have those actually already) and the people will be in the large arch opening in the bottom middle. I might make a couple of long, slender holes on either side. The stone look is going to be accomplished by spray foam and spray paint. Spider webbing will be involved somehow.
Take this picture with all its creepy elements and build it into this below.
As you can see, there are some serious plans being made to make the Halloween House even more fantastic than in years past. So mark your calendars for October 19 from 2p-5p. Come out and see all the crazy stuff I have come up with this year!
PROJECT #1: Milk Jug Ghosts
100 Glow sticks purchased, another 100 to be purchased. Now I need 200 milk jugs empty and with a ghostly face on them. Come on friends, help me out with this project. Be creative and give me some good ghosts for the Halloween House!
What I would like you to do is as you empty a gallon milk jug, wash it out and then take a black marker and put a face on it! When you have that done, put it in my car or drop it by the Farm Bureau office when I am there. I will take them up until October 1.
PROJECT #2: Baby Boo Spiders
I am currently growing the bodies of these little cuties. I hope to have about 100 and will need a few friends to help assemble them. Mostly will need a hot glue gun operator (please send resume), pipe cleaner bender and insertion specialist (resume required) and eye ball insertion specialist (no medical degree necessary). I think this will be an afternoon party project so if you are interested just send me a facebook message and I will let you know what Saturday or Sunday afternoon we are doing these. But likely it will be October 12, wine will be served!
PROJECT #3: Giving Yard Spider a Glow in the dark skin.
I have the glow in the dark paint so just need to get him moved out of the brome grass and sit down and paint him a fresh coat of paint. I think he is going to live on the driveway somewhere this year.
PROJECT #4: Construct the Haunted House picture wall
This one is going on the east deck so that visitors can have a Halloween photo of them visiting the Halloween House. I am taking the inspiration from picture #1, creating it into picture #2 set up and picture #3 is similar to what the finished photo will look like. So here is my thoughts on this one - OSB cut into the shape, 2 circle windows will be eye balls looking out (I have those actually already) and the people will be in the large arch opening in the bottom middle. I might make a couple of long, slender holes on either side. The stone look is going to be accomplished by spray foam and spray paint. Spider webbing will be involved somehow.
Notice that there are a couple holes cut out in the frames (see brick wall) those are where the people look out to get their picture taken like they did below.
As you can see, there are some serious plans being made to make the Halloween House even more fantastic than in years past. So mark your calendars for October 19 from 2p-5p. Come out and see all the crazy stuff I have come up with this year!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Foggy mornings
What does one do when it is wet and foggy in the morning? I catch up on some much needed house work.
Doing the dishes, making me some breakfast was how I started out. When I tried to turn on the light in the ceiling fan above the stove I discovered the light was burn out. So that means I had to turn off the ceiling fat and figure out how to remove the globe cover. When I turned off the fan I realized the fan needed to be cleaned. So this set into motion the task of cleaning the fan blades.
1. Mix water, soap and clorox in the ice cream bucket.
2. Put sheet over stove.
3. Grab paper towels.
4. Wipe off excess dirt and cat hair from fan blades.
5. Wash fan blades with soapy water and washcloth.
6. Replace light bulb and cover.
7. Turn on fan and enjoy a clean breeze.
Now on with the next project which is going to be the firewood corral.
Doing the dishes, making me some breakfast was how I started out. When I tried to turn on the light in the ceiling fan above the stove I discovered the light was burn out. So that means I had to turn off the ceiling fat and figure out how to remove the globe cover. When I turned off the fan I realized the fan needed to be cleaned. So this set into motion the task of cleaning the fan blades.
1. Mix water, soap and clorox in the ice cream bucket.
2. Put sheet over stove.
3. Grab paper towels.
4. Wipe off excess dirt and cat hair from fan blades.
5. Wash fan blades with soapy water and washcloth.
6. Replace light bulb and cover.
7. Turn on fan and enjoy a clean breeze.
Now on with the next project which is going to be the firewood corral.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
New recipe tried and liked. . . .
PULL APART PIZZA BEAD
http://www.inthekitchenwithkp.com/recipe/pepperoni-pull-apart-bread-perfect-for-a-super-bowl-crowd
My observations and tips.
1. Use pesto with extra olive oil OR flavored dipping sauce to brush on dough before each layer of cheese and meat.
2. Make sure bundt pan is oiled very well.
3. You will need more dough than you think. I suggest rolling the pieces of dough into balls and covering the bottom of a well oiled bundt pan.
4. Layer the pepperoni and cheese lavishly and keep away from middle and edges.
5. I would put pepperoni and cheese on top and not cover it with another layer of dough! personal preference.
http://www.inthekitchenwithkp.com/recipe/pepperoni-pull-apart-bread-perfect-for-a-super-bowl-crowd
My observations and tips.
1. Use pesto with extra olive oil OR flavored dipping sauce to brush on dough before each layer of cheese and meat.
2. Make sure bundt pan is oiled very well.
3. You will need more dough than you think. I suggest rolling the pieces of dough into balls and covering the bottom of a well oiled bundt pan.
4. Layer the pepperoni and cheese lavishly and keep away from middle and edges.
5. I would put pepperoni and cheese on top and not cover it with another layer of dough! personal preference.
The recipe is good, really easy to make and good even if made with biscuit dough. Pictures of the process on the link above
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
P.U. no scratch and sniff needed
Everyone has no doubt heard the Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road song. If not, here is the U-tube link - Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road
This morning as I was leaving the farm there was a skunk laying in the ditch of our road that connects to the highway. The same ditch I mow and that the cats hunt birds in the trees. The skunk was oriented with its nose pointing due east, like it was just laying there taking a nap. I rolled the window down on the truck and yelled at it -- HEY SKUNK! HEY SKUNK ARE YOU DEAD OR ALIVE? -- Since he did not smell bad as dead skunks tend to release that stink as soon as they are hit on the highway I figured he would leave.
Amazingly the skunk felt no desire to answer me or even give me indication that he was in fact alive. So I prayed that the cats would not come down and bother him and that he would saunter off today before I got home.
No such luck. The skunk was still in the same place when I drove back home this afternoon to feed dogs and cats. This time the skunk was definitely awake. Its tail was twitching and switching. Its head was moving to and fro. So I did the only thing I could do. Drove up to the yard, jumped out of the pickup, got my .22 rifle and drove back down the road.
Let me paint a picture if I can. I am dressed up from working in the insurance office all day. My hair is all pretty, slacks and a blouse but I am driving a muddy truck with my .22 by my side. Obviously this skunk, who now smells of stink, is hurt and needs to be taken out of its misery so I can get rid of the thing. Usually I don't bother sighting in anything I shoot at, mostly I hope to scare the vermin away so I took my first shot which went over its head. The second shot did as well. So I sighted the skunk in and adjusted for where the sight was and where the first 2 bullets went. 2 more shots and these appear to have done the trick. He stopped moving and still stunk!
I got back in the truck, put the safety on my gun and drove back up to the house. Let the dogs out and checked to make sure none of the cats smelled like skunk before I let them in the house. So now there lies a dead, stinky skunk in my ditch and I am going to have to mow in a few days. So hopefully I can scoop the dead skunk in a bucket, take it for a ride somewhere away from the farm and it can stink elsewhere. Funny thing though, as the dogs and I walked up around the garden I could smell skunk up there as well. I hope that is a live one that has moved on and is not lying dead under one of the cedar trees in the windbreak.
Amazingly the skunk felt no desire to answer me or even give me indication that he was in fact alive. So I prayed that the cats would not come down and bother him and that he would saunter off today before I got home.
No such luck. The skunk was still in the same place when I drove back home this afternoon to feed dogs and cats. This time the skunk was definitely awake. Its tail was twitching and switching. Its head was moving to and fro. So I did the only thing I could do. Drove up to the yard, jumped out of the pickup, got my .22 rifle and drove back down the road.
Let me paint a picture if I can. I am dressed up from working in the insurance office all day. My hair is all pretty, slacks and a blouse but I am driving a muddy truck with my .22 by my side. Obviously this skunk, who now smells of stink, is hurt and needs to be taken out of its misery so I can get rid of the thing. Usually I don't bother sighting in anything I shoot at, mostly I hope to scare the vermin away so I took my first shot which went over its head. The second shot did as well. So I sighted the skunk in and adjusted for where the sight was and where the first 2 bullets went. 2 more shots and these appear to have done the trick. He stopped moving and still stunk!
I got back in the truck, put the safety on my gun and drove back up to the house. Let the dogs out and checked to make sure none of the cats smelled like skunk before I let them in the house. So now there lies a dead, stinky skunk in my ditch and I am going to have to mow in a few days. So hopefully I can scoop the dead skunk in a bucket, take it for a ride somewhere away from the farm and it can stink elsewhere. Funny thing though, as the dogs and I walked up around the garden I could smell skunk up there as well. I hope that is a live one that has moved on and is not lying dead under one of the cedar trees in the windbreak.
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