lakngulf
Veteran Member
Well, last year I fought the raccoons for the corn, and we split 50/50. This year they are not even waiting for the ears to get ripe. They are wiping me out.
How does your garden grow?
- Thread starter Larro Darro
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Larro Darro
Elite Member
If you have a live trap, bait it with a can of sardines, or some other smelly meat. You will catch at least one a night. Then shoot them with a .22. And there is no need to throw the dead carcass away. Coon makes fine eating. Especially corn fed ones
Larro
Western
Super Member
I use Dukes dog proof coon traps, they will thin them out in a hurry.
dave1949
Super Star Member
We like our house. It's really like a walk-out basement with no house above it. I have no idea how well that would work in your climate. My guess is you would want less glass and less thermal mass, plus a lot more attention to forced air exchange, AC and humidity control. They make some pricey but nice ERV units for air exchange with heat recovery based on a ducted system.
Our previous house was 2-1/2 stories, about 3000 sq ft. It needed a riding vacuum cleaner. :laughing: Seriously, keeping a house that size clean is a lot of hours. We decided to downsize and go for energy efficiency to stretch retirement budgets.
Our house is optimized more for long, cold winters than summer warmth. We may have over done that a bit. Winter heat is no issue, but hot and humid weather was a bit outside it's best performance. Today I posted pics of our new mini-split units in the Good Morning thread. I think those units are what we needed for summer.
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Larro Darro
Elite Member
I have a piece of land planted in slash pines that has a big bowl shaped depression on it. I always dreamed of having a long, narrow, curved underground house set back into the hill. I used to draw up plans for the house. What I had in mind was the front {facing south} having about three feet exposed with windows up high for light to get in the rooms, and the top of the house to be completely underground. But the land is harder to get electric to, as well as lacking a good right of way, so when we built, we built here in an old pasture near the crossroads. Both roads were dirt when we built eleven years ago, now both are paved.
Our house is 1 1/2 stories, and was 1800 square feet before we added on. Now it's 2440, and while not too big, I wish it was one story. And as I get older, I will just wish that all the more
We had to have a second heat pump when we added on. If I ever did go underground, {or Styrofoam} I would have the same setup I have now, just with one unit instead of the two. Our heating and cooling is electric, and our bill is around $200-250 a month. That is not too bad for around here. But we keep the AC set on 78F. When it's 90F outside, that is pretty cool.Larro
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Larro Darro
Elite Member
I have about half a dozen pink eyed purple hulls ready to pick. In a few days there will be enough for a mess. The Crimson Sweets are growing well. {as are the other little green melons that I forgot to look at the seed packets when I was in town so I could find out what they are} The gourds have blooms and little gourds on them.
Larro
There's probably a dozen sites in Maine where you can dig deep enough to do that without either hitting ledge or building below the water table... Dave scoffed up one of them.
:thumbsup:Western
Super Member
Made pickles last Sunday, gave out 2 jars to see if they liked them and lived:laughing: Getting orders now :shocked: I'll be honest, best textured pickles I have had next to Valasik (sp) fact you wouldnt know the difference!! My wife found a "pre-mix" at the local grocer and WOW.
brin
Super Member
Every year the Deer eat my peppers....and my Mrs. Hostas.....Last year the deer ate the Jalapeno peppers...this year they are eating the cherry peppers...I was really looking forward to those....Now I'm looking at my hunting license....
dave1949
Super Star Member
There's probably a dozen sites in Maine where you can dig deep enough to do that without either hitting ledge or building below the water table... Dave scoffed up one of them.
Ha Ha. We're actually just dug into the side of a small rising area of land. No ledge but lots of boulders came out of that digging. When our well was drilled they hit ledge at 15'. It's down there for sure. :laughing:
The basement of our old house in Wells sat on ledge in one corner. We got really lucky on that one. The house sat between two granite ridges that came out of the ground. Everything, the foundation drain to daylight, septic & leach field, fit in there with no blasting. It was all yellow-red sand between the ledge too.
