Crane fly

Numerous common names have been applied to the crane fly, many of them more or less regional, including mosquito hawk, mosquito eater (or skeeter eater), gallinipper, or gollywhopper. Crane flies vary in size ranging from 0.079” to 2.4”, while tropical species have been recorded at over 3.9”. The giant crane fly of the western United States can reach 1.5”. Despite their names, crane flies do not feed on mosquitoes as all, nor do they bite humans. They feed on nectar or they do not feed at all; once they become adults, most crane fly species exist as adults only to mate and die. Their larvae that I have never heard of, called leatherjackets, leatherbacks, leatherback bugs or leatherjacket slugs, because of the way they move , consume roots (such as those of turf grass) and other vegetation, in some cases causing damage to plants. Does this mean that we need to start killing these flying beasts instead of letting them live to kill mosquitoes? I have several in my house right now; I think I will let them live until I have a landscaped lawn.

Black death.

I want to start off this day’s entry with a sincere apology. I have failed in posting a current blog daily. My work has and will take me away from the daily blog life. But I am dedicated to getting you current blogs when I can. I came home today to find longer grass and some new friends had moved into the area. I am talking about the good old Black Widow spider. Last weekend I sprayed for bugs, but apparently did not put enough spray out. I killed 5 tonight while looking around with the flashlight. It is my almost daily routine to go outside at night with a flashlight and kill unwanted pests like Black Widows that usually only come out at night. So tonight if you care, take a stroll outside with your flashlight and do some hunting yourself. Some killing tools include: you foot, a stick, foaming window cleaner and carburetor cleaners to stun victom to give time to kill, and of course some instant bug killer spray are some options that have worked well for me. Now I don’t recommend this; but a flammable spray and lighter are a fun way to kill spiders also. Just use fire wisely as not to start a grass fire and/or a structure fire.

Happy Mothers Day.

Wanted to dedicate this days entry to my mom. She has been there from the beginning and will always be there no matter what. She gives her unconditional love and support. She gave half of herself to create me; thus I have many of her traits. Some of the outstanding ones are the red hair; cowlicks in my hair not just in the back but in the front also; and last but not least her personality. Thanks mom for all the things you gave. Now your gift is past on to our child. Happy Mothers Day.

How much did we spend today?

new tires for Element - $550.00
new socks for work - $55.00
lunch at the drive in - $5.50
spending time with Morgan - Priceless

Custom is not easy!

You wonder why the custom things in life are so expensive. It is because most of the time it is either harder to achieve and/or needs special experience to complete. Today I fought my bathroom for this very reason. Since I cut the plumbing wall down so small and am putting the sink drain and supply lines on the same horizontal level; it necitates custom mounting. The plumbing has been nothing but a custom nightmare! Thank God the day is over!

Metal -vs- Plastic

In the endeavor to get my bathroom done; I had to make another big purchase today. I purchased more copper pipe and fittings. With the new law to get rid of lead free brass in California; plumbers have been forced to use copper again to plumb houses. There was once a superior way to plumb house using a flexible pipe that used a brass fitting and lock ring. It was perfect! Now we are forced to either use a inferior product or revert back to all copper. The biggest drawback to this is the price. We are talking $1.19/ft vs $.35/ft for ½”! Yes the fittings are expensive but when you eliminate most if not all of the 90s the money saving is significant! Now my plumbing will be a crazy hybrid of both only obtainable from my mind.

Open late.

In this rough economy most businesses are closing their doors early rather than being open late. But there is one business in town that has opened its doors an hour later than normal. This store just so happens to sell what I need for my bathroom. Tonight I took the trailer over and picked up nine sheets of ½” sheetrock; four sheets of ½” Hardybacker; and two sheets of 11/32” plywood. Now I have all I need to do the floor, walls and ceiling.