The Old Folks Home

[sourland]

Thunderstorms here last night.

 

[microchick]

Good morning all!

I've been around, just busy fielding questions about Marek's Disease. Seems to be more than usual popping up but with more people diving into keeping chickens it's probably to be expected. It's a shame sellers don't put up signs that say Warning! Warning! "These Are The Diseases That Can Kill Your Chickens' and "These Are The Predators That Can Kill Your Chickens'

Nah, never mind, people wouldn't read them, I mean chicks are so cute that the moment you lay eyes on them and then cup one gently in your hand you immediately become Cleopatra, Queen of De-nile and take them home expecting them to live to be 8 years old and never sneeze, have weird poop or fall over dead at the age of one year.

If only it were that easy.

Anyway. Fall is here. The temps are slowly cooling. We light a fire in the morning to take the chill off and the leaves are starting to lose their healthy green color. The only thing falling faster than acorns and hickory nuts here are the feathers off my chickens.

And yes, the yellow jackets are still a problem.

 

[Sally PB]

It's supposed to clear by mid-late afternoon. I need some dry hours to get some coop/run stuff done. It involves painting, so I literally need some "dry time."

There's stuff I can do out there now, but my last laying hen is sitting in the nest box right now, and I don't want to disturb her. She's also my "lounger," so I have time to sit here and drink another cup of coffee.

 

[microchick]

There was a local news story about yellow jackets being out of control here! Our winters have been too mild so too many of them survived over winter. We do not have a problem at my place yet.

Interesting. We had a 'hard' winter here last year. Below zero night temps, snow, ice, single digit highs, the works. Ticks were horrible and yellow jackets are horrible.

Sometimes I wonder if ice and snow don't 'insulate' the ground so insects survive the weather.

 

[microchick]

Subject: The Last Kiss_
> > > Back on April 9th, a group of Pekin, Illinois bikers were riding west on I-74 when they saw a girl about to jump off the Murray Baker Bridge. So they stopped.
> > > George, their leader, a big burly man of 53, gets off his Harley, walks through a group of gawkers, past the State Trooper who was trying to talk her down off the railing, and says,"Hey Baby... Whatcha doin'up there on that railin'?"
> > She says tearfully, "I'm going to commit suicide!!"
> > > While he didn't want to appear 'sensitive', George also didn't want to miss this 'be-a-legend' opportunity either so he asked... "Well, before you jump, Honey-Babe... Why don't you give ole George here your best last kiss?"
> > > So, with no hesitation at all, she leaned back over the railing and did just that.. And it was a long, deep, lingering kiss followed immediately by another even better one.
After they breathlessly finished, George gets a big thumbs-up approval from his biker-buddies, the onlookers, and even the State Trooper, and then says, "Wow! That was the best kiss I have ever had, Honey! That's a real talent you're wasting, Sugar Shorts.. You could be famous if you rode with me. Why the hell are you committing suicide?"
"My parents don't like me dressing up like a girl. It's still unclear whether she jumped or was pushed..

Yeah, I was born in Pekin....sounds like the Grim Reapers are still active after all these years. Thanks for the laugh.

 

[bruceha2000]

Sometimes I wonder if ice and snow don't 'insulate' the ground so insects survive the weather.

I believe it does. A good bed of snow will keep the ground from freezing as deeply as it would without the snow.

Grey all day here, temp low 60s. The sun should make an appearance mid afternoon tomorrow but we'll be returning from Mt. Washington by the time it does.

 

[Sequel]

Hey OF! I’m glad to have found this thread again. We’ve had some giant wasp nests over the years. DH had to spray one yesterday after getting stung. We try to let them be as much as possible but they get cranky late in the season.

 

[microchick]

Ours aren't cranky. They are down right mean. I've had yellow legged wasps swoop down on me from nests 6 foot over my head and sting me because I was standing near their nests.

Each time I got stung it got a little worse. Headache, dizziness, my hand would turn black around the wound and swell. My doctor told me that the problem with wasps stings was each time you get stung, your reaction is more pronounced until a bad reaction happens. I have to take benedryl and singulair when I get stung and keep the old epi pen close. Luckily I've been able to avoid stings the past couple of years.

Wasps IMHO are just one of those creatures that have no redeeming qualities at all. Like ticks and house flies. Even the few that feed on nectar don't make up for the damage the rest of them do.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Morning Old Folks Wet here long rubber boot and raincoat

 

[CSolis]

Ours aren't cranky. They are down right mean. I've had yellow legged wasps swoop down on me from nests 6 foot over my head and sting me because I was standing near their nests.

Each time I got stung it got a little worse. Headache, dizziness, my hand would turn black around the wound and swell. My doctor told me that the problem with wasps stings was each time you get stung, your reaction is more pronounced until a bad reaction happens. I have to take benedryl and singulair when I get stung and keep the old epi pen close. Luckily I've been able to avoid stings the past couple of years.

Wasps IMHO are just one of those creatures that have no redeeming qualities at all. Like ticks and house flies. Even the few that feed on nectar don't make up for the damage the rest of them do.

Don't forget fleas. I hate fleas!