What are you doing today?

[WhistlingBadger]

I am rather fond of wolf spiders. If they are content to leave me alone, I am content to reciprocate. Mrs. Badger requires me to adhere to the Quarter Rule: If its legs are bigger than a quarter, it can't stay in the house.

@AdoraBelle Dearheart I will now share one of my favorite songs.

 

[jaylach]

I am rather fond of wolf spiders. If they are content to leave me alone, I am content to reciprocate. Mrs. Badger requires me to adhere to the Quarter Rule: If its legs are bigger than a quarter, it can't stay in the house.

I also like wolf spiders! Wish I had one in my apartment as they are awesome hunters of other bugs. Although, if one moved in, it would probably starve to death as I next to never see any bugs in my apartment. LOL! When I lived in Florida I had a black lab that thought he was a wolf lab. That dog HATED palmetto bugs and would half destroy a room to get it if he saw one.

 

[gwand]

I also like wolf spiders! Wish I had one in my apartment as they are awesome hunters of other bugs. Although, if one moved in, it would probably starve to death as I next to never see any bugs in my apartment. LOL! When I lived in Florida I had a black lab that thought he was a wolf lab. That dog HATED palmetto bugs and would half destroy a room to get it if he saw one.

I don’t like furry insects.

 

[jaylach]

As are most for me it was/is a pretty mellow day. Watching my Cleveland Guardians playing the Boston Red Sox.

Bought a new wallet and, earlier, transferred stuff from the old one. Now it is on my kitchen counter with a bit of weight on it trying to break it in so it will lay flat. I always grumble when I get a new wallet as it takes time for things to stretch out so everything fits well such as not having to pry a debit card out of the slot.

Patched a leak in my back bicycle tire. Seems to now be fine but was a bit of a pain. The actual patching wasn't a pain but it took me like 10 minutes to get the thin foil off the mounting side of the thing. I should have gotten simple peel and stick patches but nooooo, I have to be my old school self and get a kit with the glue and stuff. I may end up getting some peel and stick patches to add to the kit though. Actually a pretty nice kit with allen wrenches, wheel mount wrenches, screw drivers along with the actual patches and glue. I could pretty much totally break down and repair anything on the bike with this kit. It has Velcro straps to mount on the bike but I figure someone would just end up taking the kit. Personally I think it a fairly nice package for $17.99 USD. I did a quick search for something like a mountable 'lock box' I could mount on the bike to keep the kit but didn't have much luck. I'll do another search for the possibilities of lockable saddle bags that I can mount.

Here is the kit. To me it seems pretty inclusive.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

After battling hideous attack spider, now having to battle fleas...

Today will be battling fleas, contacting vets for prices/an appointment, finishing a DWP application form, which is hard and sucks, but needs doing ASAP.

That's the boring and depressing stuff. Hoping for some sunshine so I can do some desperately needed pruning of buddlea (butterfly bushes) out front, so they flower well in summer. I'm a bit late doing it, but they're weeds and will shoot back up, no problem. Both gardens been neglected last couple of years especially, and the bushes/shrubs that need more careful pruning are bugging me every time I see them, so some sunshine and gardening would be a lovely way to break up some chores! Yesterday was perfect weather for it, but didn't get chance.

Oh, it's also pond season and I really need to pull some weeds and do some pond maintenance, so might do that first!

 

[JuiceBox52]

7 hours until my appointment with the neurosurgeon in Barcelona. To say I’m nervous would be an understatement. Hopefully this is all worth it

 

[jaylach]

After battling hideous attack spider, now having to battle fleas...

Today will be battling fleas, contacting vets for prices/an appointment, finishing a DWP application form, which is hard and sucks, but needs doing ASAP.

I assume that, since you mention 'contacting vets', that the fleas are on critters...

This may sound off the wall but the best flea shampoo I have ever found is Dawn dish washing detergent. First, as with any flea shampoo, work into the neck first to prevent fleas on the body running away and getting on the head which is more difficult to treat due to the eyes. After the neck shampoo the body saving the head for last. On the head work into the top, chin and ears and snout. If the critter will allow mix some extra Dawn with a little water and pour or squirt into the ear channels as this is always a problem area with fleas.

The reason that Dawn works so well is that it cuts oil/grease but is a LOT more gentle to skin than other chemicals that do the same. This is why it is often used to save ducks and other critters that have suffered from oil spills in waterways. A Flea's entire body is coated with a film of oil. Remove the oil film and the flea dies. Dawn removes the oil film.

There IS one downside as to using Dawn to kill fleas on your beastie that being that it also removes the oils from the surface skin of the critter tending to potentially cause dry skin which can be itchy for the beast. To avoid this issue just use a conditioner after totally rinsing off the Dawn. As to a conditioner I recommend one that is oatmeal based as they tend to be more natural and without a lot of weird chemicals.

When I was in Florida I shampooed my black lab, Rudy, weekly with Dawn followed by an oat meal conditioner. With how he loved to dig and roll in the dirt I had to wash him weekly anyway so why not kill fleas at the same time? There are products that are applied topically along with collars and such that help but don't totally prevent fleas being on the critter as the flea has to bite the beastie to die. With Rudy it got to where, if he saw me heading to the bathroom with a bottle of Dawn he would basically knock me out of the way rushing to and jumping in the bathtub. LOL! Trust in that a hundred pounds of pure muscle black lab can pretty easily knock you out of the way to get to where he wants to be.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I assume that, since you mention 'contacting vets', that the fleas are on critters...

Yessir, my dog, Pixie

But I think might actually be cat fleas, since invader cat (story in my thread) slept on my bed with Pixie and I for the first time recently, and now fleas! Me and the pup were getting bitten.

This may sound off the wall but the best flea shampoo I have ever found is Dawn dish washing detergent.

Ooohh, fantastic advice, thank you!! Also reminded me that I read about "flea traps" using dawn dish soap, where they jump into the water/dawn mix, but then can't escape because of the dawn, so I'm gonna lay a few of those now and see if we get results! TY!

The reason that Dawn works so well is that it cuts oil/grease but is a LOT more gentle to skin than other chemicals that do the same. This is why it is often used to save ducks and other critters that have suffered from oil spills in waterways. A Flea's entire body is coated with a film of oil. Remove the oil film and the flea dies. Dawn removes the oil film.

Dawn (called Fairy liquid over here, but same corporation/product I believe) dish soap is brilliant for so many things! It's the only washing up liquid brand I use, it's just better! I didn't know it would work on fleas though!

There IS one downside as to using Dawn to kill fleas on your beastie that being that it also removes the oils from the surface skin of the critter tending to potentially cause dry skin which can be itchy for the beast.

Makes a lot of sense, stripping oils and grease is why rescuers use it on wildlife after oil spills too. I think the a one off bath or two shouldn't be too bad since she has such a thick coat, but yep, a conditioner would be best to replace some moisture. Also brilliant spot on advice about starting at the neck etc

When I was in Florida I shampooed my black lab, Rudy... Trust in that a hundred pounds of pure muscle black lab can pretty easily knock you out of the way to get to where he wants to be.

Aawww, I love black labs! A family dog we got when I was 4 was a black lab whippet cross, so she was a slightly leaner and faster black lab, but still heavy and daft enough to come running towards you and not know her own weight and strength! Edited to add: she also had the classic labrador tail!! Gorgeous and healthy dog though, and have had a soft spot for black labs especially since. My fav colour variety of lab Rudy sounds like a he was a very good boy!

I've already bathed her last night, poor thing, since it meant a full bathtub to try to drown as many of the blighters as I could, then covering her in white vinegar, then lemon juice, then finally with her normal shampoo. A lot of working it all in everywhere, then a lot to rinse it out of dense double coat and spaniel feathering. She wasn't thrilled about having to wait that long since she's not as enthused for baths as Rudy was, but *touch wood* since her zoomies and spa experience with a hair dryer, plus my home-remedies on bed/carpet/couch, she hasn't been jerking up trying to nibble away a flea the way she was yesterday, so fingers crossed! I made a thread for it yesterday titled "FLEAS! GAH!" if you're interested

Just using the home remedies to at least try to knock down the total numbers and keep her more comfortable until I can get the vet treatment again!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

7 hours until my appointment with the neurosurgeon in Barcelona. To say I’m nervous would be an understatement. Hopefully this is all worth it

Will be sending positive vibes into the universe and prayers for you. Hope you finally can get some good news about your health, I really do!

 

[jaylach]

Yessir, my dog, Pixie
View attachment 340482

But I think might actually be cat fleas, since invader cat (story in my thread) slept on my bed with Pixie and I for the first time recently, and now fleas! Me and the pup were getting bitten.


Ooohh, fantastic advice, thank you!! Also reminded me that I read about "flea traps" using dawn dish soap, where they jump into the water/dawn mix, but then can't escape because of the dawn, so I'm gonna lay a few of those now and see if we get results! TY!


Dawn (called Fairy liquid over here, but same corporation/product I believe) dish soap is brilliant for so many things! It's the only washing up liquid brand I use, it's just better! I didn't know it would work on fleas though!


Makes a lot of sense, stripping oils and grease is why rescuers use it on wildlife after oil spills too. I think the a one off bath or two shouldn't be too bad since she has such a thick coat, but yep, a conditioner would be best to replace some moisture. Also brilliant spot on advice about starting at the neck etc

Aawww, I love black labs! A family dog we got when I was 4 was a black lab whippet cross, so she was a slightly leaner and faster black lab, but still heavy and daft enough to come running towards you and not know her own weight and strength! Edited to add: she also had the classic labrador tail!! Gorgeous and healthy dog though, and have had a soft spot for black labs especially since. My fav colour variety of lab Rudy sounds like a he was a very good boy!

I've already bathed her last night, poor thing, since it meant a full bathtub to try to drown as many of the blighters as I could, then covering her in white vinegar, then lemon juice, then finally with her normal shampoo. A lot of working it all in everywhere, then a lot to rinse it out of dense double coat and spaniel feathering. She wasn't thrilled about having to wait that long since she's not as enthused for baths as Rudy was, but *touch wood* since her zoomies and spa experience with a hair dryer, plus my home-remedies on bed/carpet/couch, she hasn't been jerking up trying to nibble away a flea the way she was yesterday, so fingers crossed! I made a thread for it yesterday titled "FLEAS! GAH!" if you're interested

Just using the home remedies to at least try to knock down the total numbers and keep her more comfortable until I can get the vet treatment again!

Na-nana-na... Since you posted a picture I can too. This was Rudy. You can easily see what I meant by 100 pounds of pure muscle. Don't really know where the bean of light hitting his head came from as there was no skylight or anything. Amazingly strong and quick but a total gentle giant unless you messed with family. One time, on a walk, a bull mastiff got loose and attacked us. Rudy took it down. No, no, no, he didn't kill or cause serious injury. He just hit it chest to chest and knocked it down and held it there until the owners got there and I told him to release. As you can see from his coat using Dawn caused no harm. LOL! Ya, the blue sleeping bag and pillow was his bed. And, yes, his tail was a combination of a weapon and destructive force. A wag of his tail could clear off a coffee table.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Na-nana-na... Since you posted a picture I can too. This was Rudy. You can easily see what I meant by 100 pounds of pure muscle. Don't really know where the bean of light hitting his head came from as there was no skylight or anything. Amazingly strong and quick but a total gentle giant unless you messed with family. One time, on a walk, a bull mastiff got loose and attacked us. Rudy took it down. No, no, no, he didn't kill or cause serious injury. He just hit it chest to chest and knocked it down and held it there until the owners got there and I told him to release. As you can see from his coat using Dawn caused no harm. LOL! Ya, the blue sleeping bag and pillow was his bed. And, yes, his tail was a combination of a weapon and destructive force. A wag of his tail could clear off a coffee table.

View attachment 340483

I love him so much! So shiny and in lovely condition! Plus that happy lab grin, like "what are we don't now, dad? with a happy, relaxed mouth and eyes...d'aaww! Love that trusting and confident expression.

I think there's a slight difference between Labs in the UK and the US if I remember rightly, or that might be something I'm misremembering from Marley & Me, maybe! He does look more solid and muscular with a slightly wider head than the UK labs I'm used to seeing (although to be fair, most labs I see around are barrel shaped and soft from being so good at begging for/finding food, while Rudy was clearly well muscled and not overweight, just muscular and a larger framed dog), but he's still so strongly LAB, and stunning!

Love the story of how he protected you guys as well! An off leash mastiff attacking you is terrifying... such a shame when people with dog or human aggressive dogs don't secure or muzzle them in public, or can't hold onto them and have more dog than they can manage, that's also a risk to the public. I hope no one was injured, and thank God for Rudy being there and knowing what to do! I'm sure he earned a special streak or burger treat and tons of fuss for that!

Haha, I can imagine the Mastiff was just stunned, laying there like "what happened to me?? I'm the biggest, toughest dog ever, this hasn't happened before!"

 

[WhistlingBadger]

There should be a special insurance category against labrador tails.

 

[GaryE]

British labs, American labs - a wing of my family came from Labrador and had labradors. I wonder what type they were?

Then they moved to Newfoundland, and my grandmother grew up with Newfoundland dogs. Go figure.

What I'm doing today, before I go to work, is having fun with my dog. I can now move again after my brother in law and I built a fenced in area for Mabel to run in. And run she does. That schoolyard has brought out a winter's worth pent up zoomies.

Tomorrow, I start work on the gardens, which have been neglected, or not created. I have a month for that, before the danger of frost will have passed. A lot of what I have to do is remove geotextile, added by the previous owner a long time ago and covered in weed bearing topsoil. Then I have to remove sod from a large-ish area, get deer fence up and enrich the soil with compost for vegetables. Farmer Gary, a new character in my life.

I live on the ancient mouth of a prehistoric river that was rerouted by glaciation in the most recent ice age, and now flows a few km from here. The soil is a river delta - lots of sand and pebbles, with some good organic matter mixed in. I think it was cow pasture til about 50 years ago, and hasn't been planted on ever. With all the sand, it's easier to work than the clay on the ancient river banks.

The first year we were here, I grew loads of tomatoes in boxes hung off the rails on the back deck. It took time for the urban balcony gardener in me to adjust to 1.8 acres of land. That's a lot of Balconville planters. I'm going for a 16 foot x 8 foot veggie garden this year.

 

[JuiceBox52]

Will be sending positive vibes into the universe and prayers for you. Hope you finally can get some good news about your health, I really do!

Thank you

 

[Back in the fold]

Went for a four mile run this morning after my yoga stretches and now I’m sitting here playing online troll with you guys and my comic book forum . The comics geeks are way more fun but not as educational as you guys .