COLD DARK ROOM

EllieMay

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Good mornooning all.

It’s an important day today. I am getting a haircut for the first time since last December... HOORAY!!!!!!!!!! English hairdressers are finally allowed to trade again.

And tonight we are putting all our warm clothes on and going to a pub. They are only allowed to trade outdoors, so we will be in the beer garden at night in April and the temperature will be approximately 7C/44F... but who cares. We haven’t eaten out since last October!
I’m so happy for you! Have lots of fun, you deserve it!!!
 

EllieMay

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Good morning all! I’m headed over to moms this morning to help her do some yard work... I worked late yesterday to carve out the time for her....

I was supposed to receive turkey eggs yesterday in the mail but they didn’t arrive:-(. I have quite a few people who want turkeys and the price of everything farm related is just so high, so I thought I could help out by doing something I enjoy anyway.. now I’m worried that I may get scrambled eggs ?

anyway, wishing everyone a very nice day!
 

Lyn W

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Good morning all, I missed a couple of days owing to a damaged power laptop lead but thankfully one of my nephews had a spare that fitted so I've been able to catch up.

Not much been happening here, it's been very cold with wintery showers the last couple of days. Today is slightly warmer with sunny spells.

Hope every one had a good Tuesday!
 

Lyn W

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It’s been a day of surprises here

First off we woke to snow. I drove to the rescue in a blizzard and it looked very pretty for a couple of hours.
View attachment 323049
When I got home I checked our trail cameras and this happened

The creature is a European Badger. We have lived here for over 20 years and never seen one, or even found traces of one, here before. She is a lactating female so she has cubs somewhere. Those in the know tell me that she has probably moved out of the main sett to have her cubs somewhere quieter.

It is so unusual that I have recorded the sighting with the county mammal group and the county badger group. The latter is very excited about badgers in the middle of a town.

It isn’t all good news. Badgers are one of the few predators of hedgehogs. JoesDad and I have already hatched a plan to put a paving slab to stop her digging out the hedgehog hole again should she become a nuisance.
View attachment 323050

That's incredible!
Any possible badger habitats near you been destroyed by developers lately?
I hope she and her babies will be safe

Hope the hedgehogs manage to keep out of her way too!
She probably thinks you're providing a packed lunch!:)
 

Lyn W

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Good mornooning all.

It’s an important day today. I am getting a haircut for the first time since last December... HOORAY!!!!!!!!!! English hairdressers are finally allowed to trade again.

And tonight we are putting all our warm clothes on and going to a pub. They are only allowed to trade outdoors, so we will be in the beer garden at night in April and the temperature will be approximately 7C/44F... but who cares. We haven’t eaten out since last October!
Our Welsh pubs have to wait for another couple of weeks before they can open their beer gardens.
The landlords aren't happy!
 

JoesMum

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That's incredible!
Any possible badger habitats near you been destroyed by developers lately?
I hope she and her babies will be safe

Hope the hedgehogs manage to keep out of her way too!
She probably thinks you're providing a packed lunch!:)
The neighbour the other side of the frnce she came under said he used to see badgers before our road was built (1992).

He thinks the sett was in another garden that borders his. We are speculating that she moved out the main sett, wherever that is, and moved into the old sett to have her cubs.

I have no idea where badgers might be normally. We live quite close to the centre of town and are surrounded by houses. It really is an unlikely place for a badger to show up.
 

Ray--Opo

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Good morning everyone, I think I have to figure out another way to grow cactus.
Cactus roots have surfaced and it worries me because they are growing towards the septic system, sidewalk and house foundation. ???
The roots in the picture are what we have cut off.
20210413_113939.jpg
 

JoesMum

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Good morning everyone, I think I have to figure out another way to grow cactus.
Cactus roots have surfaced and it worries me because they are growing towards the septic system, sidewalk and house foundation. ???
The roots in the picture are what we have cut off.
View attachment 323104
It looks like they need to be grown in a trench. You can get a heavyweight material that’s usually used to contain the roots of bamboo plants. You would need something like that to line the trench. Google “Bamboo root control”
 

Ben02

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Back from a day on the water. My kayaking partner and I headed inland to the reservoir/river that we “train” on. No power boats, no waves - we can do some extended power strokes to get our upper bodies back in shape.

Tons of turtles basking by noon. Found a very cold & floating Garter Snake. Was able to coax it back to shore where it sat quickly on the first rock.

Plenty of Eagles, turtles, hawks & the one snake.

First the Snake - Balled Up & Floating
View attachment 322549

Definitely Liked this Rock
View attachment 322550
They are excellent swimmers, a main part of their diet is frogs and fish that they manage to find.
 

Yvonne G

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Good morning everyone, I think I have to figure out another way to grow cactus.
Cactus roots have surfaced and it worries me because they are growing towards the septic system, sidewalk and house foundation. ???
The roots in the picture are what we have cut off.
View attachment 323104
Are you sure those are from the cactus? I thought cactus roots were shallow.
 

Ray--Opo

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Are you sure those are from the cactus? I thought cactus roots were shallow.
On the other side of the cactus in the neighbor's yard close to the fence. There was a big pine tree. That was cut down about 5 years ago. There is a 3' stump still there. Do you think they are old roots surfacing?
 

Ray--Opo

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It looks like they need to be grown in a trench. You can get a heavyweight material that’s usually used to contain the roots of bamboo plants. You would need something like that to line the trench. Google “Bamboo root control”
Thank you! I will check that out!??
 

Blackdog1714

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Good morning everyone, I think I have to figure out another way to grow cactus.
Cactus roots have surfaced and it worries me because they are growing towards the septic system, sidewalk and house foundation. ???
The roots in the picture are what we have cut off.
View attachment 323104
Where the roots live (green) cause if not it may have been from your neighbors tree. Firstly what the H3LL do you feed them to get them to grow like that
 

Cathie G

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We could, but that has its snags too.

The things we might feed badgers are specifically not good for hedgehogs. Badgers adore mealworms and peanuts both of which cause MBD in hedgehogs :(

I think it’s probably better not to encourage her to come if at al possible
Yea. Hopefully she'll get the message.
 

JoesMum

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We are just back from our pub meal out. We walked there and back - about 30 minutes each way - to a pub right on the edge of town with views over farmland.

It rained as we walked, but fortunately it stopped just as we arrived. Let’s be honest here, on a Tuesday night in April when it had snowed the day before the pub’s outside seating wouldn’t normally be full! It was cold! Still we had a good meal ?

Dressed up in my glad rags ?
33F3C6B1-493D-46DB-9042-5789021C8357.jpeg0F3B666F-D97F-41E4-B6EE-63DCB9F2C7AD.jpeg
 

Maro2Bear

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They are excellent swimmers, a main part of their diet is frogs and fish that they manage to find.

Garter snakes here normally aren't 100 yards out in the middle of a reservoir. But yes, i know they can swim, but this guy seemed “shocked” from the 45 degree water.
 

Maro2Bear

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Good morning everyone, I think I have to figure out another way to grow cactus.
Cactus roots have surfaced and it worries me because they are growing towards the septic system, sidewalk and house foundation. ???
The roots in the picture are what we have cut off.
View attachment 323104

Wow Ray....are you sure those are from your cactus forest? I might have to make a road trip and help you harvest some of those pads! Wow! Check those roots closely and give them a smell....
 

Ray--Opo

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Where the roots live (green) cause if not it may have been from your neighbors tree. Firstly what the H3LL do you feed them to get them to grow like that
The root broke in half but inside seemed a little moist and the small roots coming off of it were flexible.
The cactus get what mother nature gives them. No fertilizer, pesticides or extra water. ?
 
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