jdmidwest

The only plant in the garden affected is the pole beans, I dosed them with a liquid Sevin mix and stopped that. When I put the traps out, the bugs started dropping down out of several Pin Oaks in the back yard to the traps. I played around Sat and Sun with the location of the trap and the wind. I would move the trap with the wind and draw them out of different trees. The first infestation I noticed was 2 years ago, they obliterated my next door neighbors grape vine. It was also the time a local farmer planted several acres of wine grapes. Last year was the first for traps, I put them out when I started seeing some in the pole beans. They seem to like pole beans, they attack from the top down. What I wonder, even though I trapped a bunch last summer, were there several that laid eggs in those areas of the traps and came back in force this year? Moles were worse this year too, maybe eating the grubs?

There are programs in place for farmers to develop watering systems the would eliminate the cattle in the river problem that would offset most of the cost. The problem is that the major cattle farmer in the area does not care and carries enough clout that the MDC and the DNR does not worry him. He owns most of that stretch. Been down that road, hit a dead end with no discussion. What ever happened to that new Dairy Farm that was to go in there, did that ever come about? While most think of it as pristine, it was really a better river 20 years ago. The upper river system has really declined from what it used to be. Most of the fishery management of late has been on the "trophy section" of the trout management. Walleye have declined in the lower portions. Smallmouth fishing has declined throughout. Goggle eye has gotten a little better. Better management is needed in the upper portion above the Scenic River portion, including the feeder streams and forest around them. Protection from any mining prospects is a must. More landowner interaction in the upper portions. Better management of the karst areas around the area to protect the springs that feed the entire river with landowner involvement.

Heat rises and if white shingles reflect heat, in theory it should draw heat away in the winter from the roof and the house. Why not a reversible roof system? Of course, in some locales, you have enough snow to make the roof white in winter. Energy efficiency is a great idea. Not only does it save resources, it saves money. I am all electric at present time. I would love to install water heaters on demand on my faucets and showers, they are a great idea. Downside, electric ones are not really that efficient or produce enough hot water like the LP ones. Solar power is great, if it really caught on and became more affordable. Ground source heating and cooling is great, but it is expensive and has its quirks. Hard water, size of your lot of land, and expense is its downside. With all of our technological capabilities, we should be able to design homes that are energy efficient, affordable, practical, and appealing. Unfortunately, most are built without much planning, use the cheapest materials and contruction methods, and are way overpriced for what you get based on the market. The only things most splurge on in new homes affect the curb appeal, not practical values. Most don't think about the efficiency of the home in the long haul.

Divorce worked just fine for me.

One thing I have learned, any place you go on a Saturday, expect all kinds of other people that don't really get out any other day of the week. You should not expect to see what you would on the other 6 days of the week. If you fish a trout park, Sat. is the biggest crowd. If you float, Sat. is the biggest float day. If you fish a lake, Sat. is the biggest boat day. Sundays are usually less crowded, Mon thru Fri are finest.

Never eat rabbits before the first frost. It is more about the rabbit fever, tuleremia, that you worry about. Wolf Worms are just a parasite form of the bot fly that goes away in cooler weather. Few squirrels are affected by wolf worms. Deer get them.

I used a canoe rental service and determined my point of departure time at my leisure along with a few other folks. I did it on a Saturday in the peak of summertime float. My point is to use your head and avoid the nonesense instead of moaning about it.

Gave up on zip lock bags and dragged out a kitchen size garbage bag to dump the bugs in. As of now, I estimate the bag probably weighs 15 lbs or better and will dump tonights catch in the morning before trash pickup. Bugs are still coming in to traps in swarms. Picked up another trap in St. Gen. today. Everyone is sold out locally.

Garden took a turn for the worse today in this heat. Lower third of the tomatoes curled up and lost their leaves. Jade Beans dropped about half of their leaves. Cucumber vines started turning yellow and wilting. Corn is a gonner, tasseled at 3'. Even hotter later in the week.

I think this is another slam on the government worker at the USFWS that does not know what species is involved in the declaration. BTW, when I was growing up, it was classified as the Yeller Bass. Walleye were Jack Salmon. Longears were Red Bellies. Then there were the Horny Head Suckers.

What if you were that guy that liked to fish that private little cove on the lake that held alot of fish, then one day, it became "Party Cove". Same difference. Its public. When in public, you have to deal with public. Or you could buy land, create your own stream, and do with it what you wish. I don't go out to eat on a Friday or Saturday night because I know everyone else is going to be there, service will suck, food will be poor, and I will have to wait for a table.

If the drought keeps up around here, we are going to have a timber kill. Driving thru Perry and St. Gen counties today, I noticed several trees turning brown and loosing leaves already. That thin soil does not hold much moisture. My poplars started turning yellow and dropping leaves like fall here this week. Pin Oaks are being attacked by Jap Beetles.

I just toss them back.

I have owned 5 kayaks as of late and paddled many others. I personally fish out of either a Mainstream Kingfisher or Pamlico by Wilderness Systems. I have owned 2 by Old Town and another by Mainstream. I was wanting some imput from an Ascend Sit Inside owner, there has to be several out there. I have a cousin that owns one of the Ascend sit on tops and have paddled it. It has a stable hull design and was worth the money he spent for it. I have no desire to stand in a yak and fish. But I don't want to get tossed out of one each time I hub a downed tree. Stability is a plus factor.

I saw what they did to Pluto.....

I think that most over react to the party on the river. I spent the last two weekends on the Spring River in Ark., one with the better half, the other with the 17 yo daughter. If you plan your float right, most of the party goes in front of you and you never get involved in it. Both times we put in around noon, kicked back on gravel bars on every other hole and visited, fished and had a good time. Only one hiccup, a drunken bunch partying on the bank at the Bayou Access, not floating. 2 500 lb guys, one in a black thong and the other in a speedo. I think it damaged me more than it did my daughter. Float any river on a Sunday and you won't have a problem. Put in after noon on a Sat, same thing.

If I change the color of my shingles on my roof to white, can I stop global warming? If I put a little burner on my sewer vent to burn off the methane I produce, will I stop global warming?

But Ness, I like sweet pickles and bread an butters. Never cared much for dills.

Actually you can the pickles after you pickle them in spices. It seals and preserves them. I use straight 8 cucumbers around 6" long. Here is a refrigerator sweet pickle Dad makes every year. Downside is it takes 6 weeks, but you don't have to can them, just keep in fridge when done. cut ends off cucs and put in gallon jar 4 cups white vinegar 2 table spoon alum 4 table spoon salt 2 table spoon pickle spice fill rest of way up with water leave in frig for 6 weeks pour off liquid and discard slice pickles put back in jar add 4 cups sugar, nothing else wait 2 days, shake often sugar draws juices out and makes crisp.

Looks like you waited too long on the greenbeans, they turned purple.... Mine garden is doing ok, canned 2 gallons of cucumbers, froze several quarts of green beans. Zucchini and small tomatoes are producing well. Replanted a lettuce bed this week as the other bolted in the heat. Peppers are about as tall as they were when I planted them but have a few peppers on them. Corn was a waste of time and okra is getting plowed under an replanted today. Planted okra at first of May and it is still only 5" tall. Marigolds and sunflowers are petering out in the dry heat.

I am going to need a bigger trap. Each time I checked today they were full to the top. I stood out and watched it fill up once about 1 this afternoon. Seems like they fly better in the heat of the day.

Waited around till afternoon so it would be nice and hot on my little honey hole for Gar. It is a nice little river with all of my favorite fish with the exception of trout. First hole by the bridge produced 2 nice smallies on a popper. It was a nice surprise. A third, larger than the other two, followed both in and never would take a fly. Then came the hard part. This stream has about 1/4 mile of slick bedrock to traverse to get to the next hole. I slipped and slided upstream till I found some gravel and carried on. It was hot. At first I thought I was seeing things, a teepee in the field along the river. Must have been the Visqueen tribe looking at the construction of the teepee. Visions of Pocahontas swimming nude in the river above kept me going to my favorite gar spot on the river. A few more holes with no fish and I came to my spot. I was already late, the river was being shaded by trees, but the gar were still on top. I tied on a white bunny strip fly and caught this one on the second cast. Tempted a few more and left a fly in a nice one. Then they retreated back down to the bottom of the hole. I swiched flies and started catching smallies and green sunfish. One cast produced a shiner minnow that erupted in a cloud of scales on the way in. A nice smallie of about 18" nailed him. He did the same when I was bringing in a small longear sunfish. I fished the hole till the fish quit biting. Pocahontas never did make it, two ladies several years my senior did show up on a 4 wheeler. On the way back, I found a spot that produced several nice google eye but nothing else to brag about. Made it thru the bedrock unscathed, and never was attacked by the natives. All in all, a good afternoon.

I just googled it and found them at Pyramid Air for $28, shame I just ordered an air pistol from them yesterday, could have combined shipping. As far as the holster goes, it is always in my equipment outside of a public park. I have the one that Ness uses, it is my winter expedition pack. You can pack a shore lunch with a skillet in it.

That would work too. When the trap overflowed, I crushed a bunch on the ground with my foot. I noticed they were swarming them too. The trap works better when there are already live bugs in it. I will have to do some engineering this afternoon. I could pick up some extra bait packs at the store and use them in the pvc pipe also. What size pvc works best? With this commercial trap, they slap into the yellow paddles and drop into the lower chamber. Sounded like rain awile ago. I have been dumping into a zip lock bag and leaving it out in the sun to kill them.

I think I will just sit in my hardened bunker tonight and get plowed. I am still wondering what drinking and paddling has anything to do with it. As long as you behave, have a shuttle or Designated Driver, don't litter, and are of age to do so, it should not be an issue. Possession of alcohol in a boat in Illinois this year is an offense. But drinking soda makes you fat and that is against the law in some areas.......