Chit Chat in VOLTVILLE Thread #2 :)

[awsum140]

We use a window AC unit, 14,000BTU, and it works fairly well cooling the whole house, and most importantly, keeping the humidity down to a comfortable, for here, level. I bought it the day we moved in so it's about even years old now. It's a 120 volt unit but does need a 20 amp circuit, then again it's pretty big for a 120 volt unit. We actually cool the whole space we spend most of out time in with it, maybe 1000sqft total. We use a fan and the quirks of how the house is laid out to do that. I also added a small fan in the "dead spot" of our foyer that would actually get cold to move that air around, too. Electric bills never get over $250 even if we run it 24/7. Having 2x6 heavily insulated walls, a heavily insulated attic and double, insulated glass, windows and doors helps, too.

The thing that bothers me about window units, beside putting them in and taking them out, is that the thermostat is on the unit, itself. That isn't the best solution by far. If it's a little cooler outside, like at night, the thermostat has to be lowered to compensate for the cooler temperature of the case. Why, with the popularity of Bluetooth, the thermostats can't be remoted beats the heck out of me. It has a remote control so adding temperature sensing shouldn't be all that hard. A few bucks more, sure, but well worth the added accuracy and comfort. We keep ours set on "auto" and it does cycle off when it gets cool enough in here.

 

[awsum140]

Here you go, Lizzie. Your water problems solved, but at what price, dollars?

SunToWater Technologies-Water From Air Generators (800) 382-4062

They collect water from the air, humidity, into salt, then extract the water with air circulation in a closed loop and condense it so it's pure water, no salt. I kind of doubt it would work very well in your dry environment though.

 

[wvducklady]

omg, I am so, so sorry!!! RIP Pingy RIP lil egg

It was pretty shocking. I have not seen a snake yet. It could have just been a situation that went wrong The other hens may have got into her nest, broke her egg, ate her baby, and she freaked out attacked them got into a fight...and panicked...got herself stuck and broke her neck panicking. Thats the only other explanation if it was not a snake. Its just a really sad situation.

 

[wvducklady]

Good morning, Voltmaniacs.

Ducky,

Pingy sounds like a very cool chicken. How did she get the name Pingy?

So what color did your friend paint the chair, 3MG?

How's the heat in the East, awsum?

I have some tree suckers to pull today and some clean up in the big horse pen. Then, off to the Olve Garden to lunch with my mini horse friend, Penny.

When she was born she looked like a baby Pinguin so we called her Pingy for short

 

[wvducklady]

Here are the baby chicks I just took these pictures 15 minutes ago

Here are my lillies that opened up this morning They smell really good!

 

[celticluvr]

Awww Ducky baby chickies are so cute!!!! Gorgeous flowers!!

 

[wvducklady]

Awww Ducky baby chickies are so cute!!!! Gorgeous flowers!!

They are adorable I love watching them hunt for bugs being so little! Thank you Those lillies are my favorite.

 

[wvducklady]

So, the egg I left in last night was still there today....but this evening I left an egg, and when I went and chevked a little after 10 tonight it was gone.....I am so wigged. Whatever it is it got the egg after I locked the birds up at dark. Its got to be a snake. No yolk, no shell...just an empty nest. I am so worried about the baby chicks. I have them sealed in tight with Momna in their own little house in the coup, but you guys know as well as I do that if a predator wants something it will do whatever it has to to get something. Starting tonight we will be checking the coup every 10 to 15 minutes after locking them up at night, on top of me checking constantly during the day just in case, until we get the thieving murderer! I hate this.

 

[awsum140]

'moanin, Volties.

Another hot, humid, day here in the Great Nanny State. Has anyone noticed what happened in Pennsylvania regarding vaping? 40% tax on everything vape related starting August 1. That wasn't enough, so there will also be a digital download tax. How much that is I haven't heard. It's a terrible and dangerous precedent in both cases. How long will it be before other States do the same things "for the children"? Really neat, killing two types of businesses in one fell swoop.

The chicks are cute, Ducky. Maybe you could rig a trap using that anvil and take out you predator with a "Wylie Coyote" method. I do wonder how a snake would make off with the entire egg or eat it, entirely, without leaving some crumbs of the shell. I always thought they'd eat the white and yolk and leave the shell while other types, like 'coons and fox, would take the whole thing.

 

[Renolizzie]

Snakes have to swallow everything whole so no eggshell would be left unless the snake accidently crushed it while grabbing it, I think.

The chicks are adorable. Love the way chickens eat bugs.

Our sunny and hot 97 degrees is turning into really cloudy and hot. I'm wondering if thunderstorms are in our future today although the weather peeps say 0 chance of precipitation.

Went to the water meeting and now I am treasurer so I asked some treasurer like questions like how much is it going to cost us to file with the PUC and when is that going to be done and who is doing it. At least Doug was there since he tends to know what is going on. He is buying a piece of property so that means he will be back on the board and at the meetings more often I hope. I stated that I really hate fund raisers [except of course the fun run that Dorothy is doing in September, great idea] but the yard sale no one helps and it is hot and such. Doug said it helped get the word out but I said can't we just have a membership drive where we show up with a booth at local events? We shall see what happens but I am not participating in another yard sale. I hate doing them.

We voted yes to giving the guy who lost two really special tables $300 to replace them which I privately think is absurd. We have a yard sale. He doesn't pick them up for a year. They finally go missing [although they were recently seen shortly before this third yard sale]. He needs to be reimbursed. WTF? I said it was my obligation to point out that it was a lot of money. Of course, I didn't throw a stink and he got his money. So we did a yard sale where we made $400 and we are paying out $300 for tables. Dumb. End rant.

Did some weeding, watering, cut tree suckers and irritating branches of trees, dishes, laundry. Got out steak for dinner. Want to be done early since it will be super hot. We did get the interior of the house cooled done to 66 degrees even though it was 65 degrees outside this morning. Not bad. We just got our electric bill and we definitely have had our lowest pay-in-July bill ever!!!!! Nice.

There is a book with my name on it. So, although I will have to work on some photocopies and tie up a few loose ends on laundry, I think I will rest up for the rest of today.

 

[awsum140]

I guess you're right, Lizzie. The snake would swallow the egg whole, and with the calcium in the shell, it wouldn't need an antacid!

I was working outside, dumb I know, but this sitting around 'cause it's hot outside gets boring after a while. Sure there's lots of stuff to do inside all the time, but that can get done on days when I really can't go outside.

 

[Renolizzie]

Good morning, Voltpeeps.

Gonna be 94, gotta work this morning. Have a good day. That is all

 

[Wuzznt Me]

Good morning Voltville. Hope y'all are having a good weekend so far. Been a while since I stopped by here.

 

[awsum140]

'moaning, Voltazillians.

It's gonna be about 94 here, too, Lizzie, but we've got humidity in the 50-60% range which yields dew points over 70 and "feels like" of over 100. Summer at the Jersey Shore, well about an hour away from the shore anyway. All the benefits(?) of the shore without the ocean, sand or boardwalk. Such a deal!

I was going to work outside little this morning, but slept a little later than I wanted to which put the laundry off too far. Now it's just too darn hot out there. We're swamped with sunshine as well.

Hey, Wuzz! How's it going? You are missed around here you know.

Speaking of which, wonder how Rave, Terry and Uncle are doing?

 

[celticluvr]

Good morning Voltville. Hope y'all are having a good weekend so far. Been a while since I stopped by here.

Hi wuzz! We miss you!

I hope Rave, Terry, and Uncle are doing alright.

 

[Wuzznt Me]

Hey, Wuzz! How's it going? You are missed around here you know.

Hi wuzz! We miss you!

Thanx y'all. I'll try to do better.

 

[wvducklady]

'moanin, Volties.

Another hot, humid, day here in the Great Nanny State. Has anyone noticed what happened in Pennsylvania regarding vaping? 40% tax on everything vape related starting August 1. That wasn't enough, so there will also be a digital download tax. How much that is I haven't heard. It's a terrible and dangerous precedent in both cases. How long will it be before other States do the same things "for the children"? Really neat, killing two types of businesses in one fell swoop.

The chicks are cute, Ducky. Maybe you could rig a trap using that anvil and take out you predator with a "Wylie Coyote" method. I do wonder how a snake would make off with the entire egg or eat it, entirely, without leaving some crumbs of the shell. I always thought they'd eat the white and yolk and leave the shell while other types, like 'coons and fox, would take the whole thing.

A snake will swallow the entire egg, and will even wrap themselves around something to break the shell quicker and spit the shell back out. If they are in a hurry they will leave before spitting the egg shell back out.

 

[Renolizzie]

Good morning Voltville. Hope y'all are having a good weekend so far. Been a while since I stopped by here.

Wonderful to see you, Wuzz. Say hi to Mrs Wuzz for me

I'm with you guys. Hope Raven, Terry and Uncle are okay.

 

[SandySu]

Good times

Do we know if you are expecting yet, awsum?

Wuzz - thinking of you and Mrs. Wuzz today.

Lizzie, I'm trying to catch up from way back before answering, but I had to break my own rule to say how much I love that photo of you & Wiseguy in the water!

 

[SandySu]

Nope, keeping the A/C. Love feeling cool and dry Everybody thinks we are Mexican anyway due to our Portuguese last name Pretty funny since I totally look like a Norwegian. I keep telling the survey people we are not Hispanic and one time the person totally didn't grasp that so I answered questions like is it better to be called a Latina or a Hispanic. I said if I were Hispanic I would pick Latina. She asked about race again at the end and I finally got across to her that neither I nor my husband is Hispanic. I laughed pretty hard at that one.

Again, I have to respond. I have a Chinese-sounding last name, though it's actually Turkish (by marriage). But I don't look at all Chinese. One time, when I worked in publishing back in NYC, 3 of us were sent out to Jackson, Michigan (somewhere a reasonable distance west of Detroit, if I remember correctly). One of us was Chinese, and her last name was Young. The people at the Holiday Inn just couldn't comprehend our last names, and they kept thinking my last name was Young. I had to keep explaining because I was the one authorized to sign for all the expenses. And they kept handing all the forms to Ms. Young!

I've had plenty of other such confusions over my last name. Out in the SF Bay Area, they kept sending me the Chinese Yellow Pages. And lots of incomprehensible junk mail, too. And sales calls in a language I can't understand.

Is it some kind of weird fate that now I'm so involved with Chinese families via the tutoring?