Author Topic: Life in America - I made the move. (Read 1325642 times)

TeeJay · « **Reply #7140 on:** April 15, 2019, 01:58:05 pm »

Quote from: Tiger8 on April 15, 2019, 12:47:37 pm

Zog, I know that when we do things for ourselves, we do only what is necessary and leave the nice to haves for later.

BUT, have you thought of moving your ramp into your shed, out to the edge of the Covered area and Braai, then you could have a nice flat deck to use in front of the door, instead of a ramp running up the centre of your "deck"? I think that it would be safer and more user friendly, just my brain fart

I look forward to reading of your and Mrs Zog's adventures each day, you guys are an inspiration to many of us. I really appreciate you sharing and what you are accomplishing. Be Blessed

Great idea - a flat deck - I'm sure Mr Zog has thought of that - but that would mean a LOT more wood and a LOT more money

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7141 on:** April 16, 2019, 02:35:07 am »

Quote from: TeeJay on April 15, 2019, 01:58:05 pm

Quote from: Tiger8 on April 15, 2019, 12:47:37 pm
Zog, I know that when we do things for ourselves, we do only what is necessary and leave the nice to haves for later.

BUT, have you thought of moving your ramp into your shed, out to the edge of the Covered area and Braai, then you could have a nice flat deck to use in front of the door, instead of a ramp running up the centre of your "deck"? I think that it would be safer and more user friendly, just my brain fart

I look forward to reading of your and Mrs Zog's adventures each day, you guys are an inspiration to many of us. I really appreciate you sharing and what you are accomplishing. Be Blessed

Great idea - a flat deck - I'm sure Mr Zog has thought of that - but that would mean a LOT more wood and a LOT more money

Quite correct

I did seriously contemplate doing just that, but decided against it for two reasons;
1. The cost would be much more than I can afford right now
2. The extra room that the deck would take up. I need some space top get my trailer around to the other side of the yard where it gets stored. And I like being able to get my bakkie into the backyard should I so desire. Extending the porch out another 6 feet before the ramp would make that impossible.

I do have a plan for the next couple of years though, to build a screen porch at the side of the workshop...

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7142 on:** April 16, 2019, 02:42:53 am »

I got home this evening with a few minutes of daylight left.

So I grabbed a piece of scrap 2x4, measured it against the side of the ramp with a spirit level, and ripped it along it's diagonal.

Then I squared out a piece of scrap 3/4" plywood and screwed the pieces of ripped 2x4 to the plywood.

Now I have a wedge-shaped platform that sits perfectly level on the ramp. I can put my little wooden stool on the platform and sit nice and level while I braai

I'll keep the wedge inside the workshop when I'm not using it so that it lasts a few years.

pics below, including the quality inspector checking it out

TeeJay · « **Reply #7143 on:** April 16, 2019, 07:04:51 am »

Smart move - simple solutions are the best

Check that dog looking for something down there

Fudmucker · « **Reply #7144 on:** April 16, 2019, 07:12:43 am »

Quote from: TeeJay on April 16, 2019, 07:04:51 am

Check that dog looking for something down there

That's Maggie supervising that Zog's spirit level is correctly placed !

TeeJay · « **Reply #7145 on:** April 16, 2019, 01:32:51 pm »

Quote from: Fudmucker on April 16, 2019, 07:12:43 am

Quote from: TeeJay on April 16, 2019, 07:04:51 am
Check that dog looking for something down there

That's Maggie supervising that Zog's spirit level is correctly placed !

The other pic - Maggie is looking down under the shed - something must have moved down there

She knows better than to check the Boss's work

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7146 on:** April 18, 2019, 03:27:59 am »

I got home this afternoon and found a dead snake on the lawn

It was a 4 foot long Black Racer, a non-venomous snake that moves incredibly fast. But I'm guessing not fast enough to escape Maggie

I threw it over the back fence into the drainage ditch. While it was still in the air I realised that I should have taken a pic for y'all...

It's a pity she killed it. They are really good at controlling the lizards and frogs and small rodents etc. I just hope that she never encounters a Coral snake or a Cottonmouth or a Pygmy Rattlesnake in the garden. They do have nasty venom. Hopefully when the fence on the east side is also done there will be a lot less chance for snakes to get in.

hedleyj · « **Reply #7147 on:** April 18, 2019, 03:39:21 am »

Do you get wild garlic there, it seems to be quite effective at keeping snakes out, we had a problem with cape cobra at one time and planted wild garlic around the perimeter after which we never saw another one in the garden.

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7148 on:** April 18, 2019, 03:52:36 am »

Quote from: hedleyj on April 18, 2019, 03:39:21 am

Do you get wild garlic there, it seems to be quite effective at keeping snakes out, we had a problem with cape cobra at one time and planted wild garlic around the perimeter after which we never saw another one in the garden.

I'm not sure, will try find out.

Years ago I was in the SAAF in Louis Trichardt. They planted wild garlic around all the buildings to keep the snakes out. Moerofa lot of puffies and cobras and mambas out there. It didn't seem to work, snakes were found inside the rooms and buildings all the time...

Knucklhead · « **Reply #7149 on:** April 18, 2019, 02:12:24 pm »

problem solved ZOG

Tom van Brits · « **Reply #7150 on:** April 18, 2019, 09:11:22 pm »

Quote from: Mr Zog on April 18, 2019, 03:52:36 am

Quote from: hedleyj on April 18, 2019, 03:39:21 am
Do you get wild garlic there, it seems to be quite effective at keeping snakes out, we had a problem with cape cobra at one time and planted wild garlic around the perimeter after which we never saw another one in the garden.

I'm not sure, will try find out.

Years ago I was in the SAAF in Louis Trichardt. They planted wild garlic around all the buildings to keep the snakes out. Moerofa lot of puffies and cobras and mambas out there. It didn't seem to work, snakes were found inside the rooms and buildings all the time...

In my experience it does not work, because we have found a 'rinkhals right in the flowerbed of wild garlic.

Fudmucker · « **Reply #7151 on:** April 19, 2019, 05:22:09 am »

Snakes?
You need some mongoose.
They'll sort them out quickly.

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7152 on:** April 20, 2019, 02:23:44 am »

Quote from: Fudmucker on April 19, 2019, 05:22:09 am

Snakes?
You need some mongoose.
They'll sort them out quickly.

We have a Maggie. Better than any mongoose

Fudmucker · « **Reply #7153 on:** April 20, 2019, 02:31:28 am »

Many terriers are very good with snakes and rodents.

Mongoose are snakes natural enemies.
They also look so seriously cute when they are standing sentry.

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7154 on:** April 20, 2019, 02:53:38 am »

Many years ago Mrs Zog and I were camping in a tent at Cape Vidal.

We awoke one morning and watched a family of about 15 banded mongooses forage their way past our tent, as close as half a meter away. They are very beautiful and extremely cute little buggers

Mr Zog · « **Reply #7155 on:** April 20, 2019, 03:04:59 am »

Unlike life in SA, Good Friday isn't a holiday in the USA.

Neither is Easter Monday. So I worked a long day today, was on the clock for almost 11 hours. Finished off the day by installing a new geyser for a rich old lady in a magnificent house overlooking the Indian River Lagoon. She bitched about the price, so much so that she got a 10% discount from the boss. Forget the fact that I had to move mountains to get her a new geyser late on a Friday afternoon, and then work late to get it installed so that she wouldn't have to spend the weekend taking cool showers.

I am "on call" this weekend, so hopefully I get a couple of callouts so I can earn some more overtime. But I also have a few projects around the house that I want to get done. One of them is to see if I can get the old water softener working again. Although we are now on "City Water", they don't soften the water completely, so we get that white milky build-up on the glasses and other dishes when they come out of the dishwasher, and the shower nozzle clogs up too. I can only imagine what the inside of the geyser looks like. A water softener will remove all of the calcium and magnesium from the water and solve these issues.

And of course it's also time to start working on the East-side fence

Fudmucker · « **Reply #7156 on:** April 20, 2019, 03:22:20 am »

Quote from: Mr Zog on April 20, 2019, 02:53:38 am

Many years ago Mrs Zog and I were camping in a tent at Cape Vidal.

We awoke one morning and watched a family of about 15 banded mongooses forage their way past our tent, as close as half a meter away. They are very beautiful and extremely cute little buggers

In 1974 I had a similar experience in Cape Vidal while on a student tour.
We had a "kitchen tent" for the group and the mongoose found the polony we had for sandwiches.
They had a whale of a time biting through the plastic skin and munching away at the red stuff inside.
We had to suspend the unopened polony that was not in the fridge from the tree to keep it away from them.
I wonder if they was ancestors of your mongoose family?

Later I was there with the Missus in a Kombi Camper.
Sitting under the side canopy having sundowners, I heard a slurping sound.
Deep inside a brush patch was an old push-button water tap.
I had seen it during the day, dripping slightly.
I looked around the end of the kombi to see a bushpig sow and two piglets sucking away at the tap.
They were clearly the cause of the polished finish.
I moved to fetch my camera and heard a deep grunt.
The big bushpig boar was just 3 metres or so away, looking at me from the edge of the clearing.

I sat down again...!

TeeJay · « **Reply #7157 on:** April 20, 2019, 12:18:49 pm »

Wow Mr Zog - I thought Easter was celebrated around the world in christian countries - which the USA is - not so?

Why don't they close for easter?

WheelieDog · « **Reply #7158 on:** April 20, 2019, 01:13:36 pm »

Yes, I was about to wish you guys an enjoyable and relaxed long weekend.

Now I won't. I don't want to rub it in

Welsh · « **Reply #7159 on:** April 20, 2019, 01:16:45 pm »

Quote from: TeeJay on April 20, 2019, 12:18:49 pm

Wow Mr Zog - I thought Easter was celebrated around the world in christian countries - which the USA is - not so?

Why don't they close for easter?

the USA is a strange mix of Christian extremists and non Christian, their constitution is notably not Christian based. 😎 their constitution and symbolism on the dollar bill etc is very non Christian.