What are you doing today?

[GaryE25 23]

Those are nice display aquariums . Look and you will see how nice an aquarium can look without unsightly substrate . Really , I’m serious . I kid around about my bare bottom aquariums but look at these with the plants in containers . They’re very nice and so easy to maintain and keep clean .

Bare bottomed tanks look about as good as bare bottomed 100 year olds. The closest we get to a bare bottomed river is a reflecting pool, and rumour is those things can have issues.

My wife is out kayaking, my friends are hiking and I'm off to the fishroom to do water changes. I have to fill the bird feeder, continue my squabble with some rock pigeons and clean up from a raccoon break in on my homemade greenhouse. Raccoons are funny - they didn't poop, or find anything to eat, but they threw everything everywhere. They got in via an opening they expanded under the eaves, but then couldn't get back out. The floor has everything that was on the shelves, shattered. I caught them red handed and they waddled out the open door looking very ashamed of themselves.

It was an act. They had no regrets.

 

[Back in the fold19 4]

Bare bottomed tanks look about as good as bare bottomed 100 year olds. The closest we get to a bare bottomed river is a reflecting pool, and rumour is those things can have issues.

My wife is out kayaking, my friends are hiking and I'm off to the fishroom to do water changes. I have to fill the bird feeder, continue my squabble with some rock pigeons and clean up from a raccoon break in on my homemade greenhouse. Raccoons are funny - they didn't poop, or find anything to eat, but they threw everything everywhere. They got in via an opening they expanded under the eaves, but then couldn't get back out. The floor has everything that was on the shelves, shattered. I caught them red handed and they waddled out the open door looking very ashamed of themselves.

It was an act. They had no regrets.

Raccoons are interesting animals . We have lots of them around here . They’re very curious creatures and like to explore human surroundings . I like them but some people around here act like they’re afraid of them which I just don’t get at all .

 

[gwand64 180]

Raccoons are interesting animals . We have lots of them around here . They’re very curious creatures and like to explore human surroundings . I like them but some people around here act like they’re afraid of them which I just don’t get at all .

So do raccoon tetras, but they don’t eat out of my garbage cans or carry rabies!!

 

[GaryE25 23]

I'm not afraid of raccoons. I didn't enter the greenhouse when I saw them, as they'd be cornered than and that changes things. I opened the door, called them names and waited for them to see they had a safe out.

You have to watch for rabies with them, and the big ones are quite big. These were dumb teenagers clearly out in the world learning. If my neighbour sees them, then they'll fall to a woods-mafia hit. He does that. We have coyotes, foxes, occasional bear and traveling bobcats around here, but they can take care of themselves. Raccoons have a fatal attraction to compost and garbage.

It's cruise ship season here, big time, and the tourists feed the deer in the park up the road. I've known some of the herd all their lives, and they're used to me. I don't feed them. But they are trying their luck and approaching looking for carrots, I guess. If they come north, they just get rejected. If they move south in hunting season, the training from tourists makes them walk up to hunters.

 

[bgarthe65 82]

Here the 10 are happily swimming about in the QT tank. This is a time when I really enjoy seeing fish having to be in the boring QT.

 

[Jennet44 102]

Today for me, even setting up a simple floating plant fixture already feels like I'm doing a marathon walk. Now sat down having another coffee break.

 

[bgarthe65 82]

Hey…..I’m here across the pond having my coffee too while I wait for my dog to finish her meal so I can go to the dentist

 

[MattW64 180]

You oldies may like this post.

I picked up a new project today. A local gent is clearing out his garage (I think his spouse made him ). He had an original Selecta Homemaster workshop going for cheap, so I picked it up. Its heydays are long gone, as it was built in the 60s and time hasn't been fair, but it works, and its build quality outperforms most drill presses sold today, well the cheaper ones. It certainly needs some work done to it, but I don't mind that at all! There are a couple of things missing, like the circular saw, but from what the gentleman said, it's the one part that would maim or kill you, so that's why he removed it shortly after he purchased it.

After doing some searching online, I came across a post from 2008 on an archived woodworking forum. Luckily, the thread included a post by a user who had uploaded original manuals and adverts for Selectra products, even instructions on constructing a modern cabinet! I managed to download some so I can see what parts I'm missing or the names of what needs replacing. I will be using this for woodworking, so I'm only going to be doing rust removal, a general clean, basic part replacement and potentially a paint job.

Have a read through the manuals if you want to know how to make a cabinet or a glossary of wood joints & terms

 

[GaryE25 23]

There are pages missing. You should be able to find plans for a complete set of fishroom racks, including a wooden stair spillway for waterchanges and bamboo piping for refills.

 

[Back in the fold19 4]

That shop tool is going to be fun for you and a worthwhile thing to have . Old means nothing when it comes to things like that . You will build things and get the satisfaction of making something with your own two hands .
Today I had a great bike ride . It was near windless and the temperature was perfect . I stopped part way up a climb to fiddle with my front derailleur shifting which was acting up and another rider stopped to ask if I needed help . He turned out to be the guy that owned the bike shop where I bought my first bike that my Dad didn’t buy for me in 1978 . We both remembered each other and that was just such a joyful moment . He’s in his 80’s and still riding .

 

[GaryE25 23]

It seems so exotic when I read of @Back in the fold 's bike rides. That land must be something to see - not far from the Little Big Horn - the stuff of cowboy movies and 80 year old ex cycle store guys...

I finally spent time to rebuild the inside of my homemade greenhouse this morning. That dastardly raccoon was like a super evolved version of a house cat. It swept everything off the shelves and onto the floor. I had pots of dirt, glass, pottery shards, sun brittle plastic, tools, a box of screws, tape, rope - that little beast must have had a great time. There wasn't a scrap of food in any of it, but he checked everything. Nothing passed his test, so he threw it all away. So did I, with most of it.

A masked poltergeist.

He's one of the dumbest raccoons that have held this territory since we've been here. He's at least the 11th in 5 years - their reigns as kings are very short. All the others showed more intelligence, so he'll probably be the one that lasts longest. It's a tough world out there.

I added some shelves and repaired some small claw damage to one wall. I only use it to start plants in the Spring, since we have a short season. I grew some really tasty heirloom tomatoes this year - the Paul Robeson variety out of the Ukraine. They are odd looking, partly dark green ones, but very tasty. They aren't GMOed for packing and shipping.

 

[Tomsfish23 22]

Today starts the 10th Saratoga Auto Museum auction.
Over 300 cars. Some of the cars include a Rolls Royce with no reserve and Mercedes Gull wing valued at 1.5 million.
They say a customer from Switzerland will be arriving today with hopes of taking the Mercedes back with them.
I will humbly stroll the grounds to see what else they have. Got no room even if I had any money but enjoy seeing so many cars of this caliber in one spot.

 

[Jennet44 102]

Putting wood and plants back in my main aquarium. Wood still floating, but weighed it down by some rocks, so now I will watch to see what water does.

 

[Back in the fold19 4]

I have to say that the backroads around here are very scenic and nice for long bike rides . Billings is the biggest “ city “ in Montana with about 200,000 people in the greater Billings / Yellowstone County area and from my house I can be in the countryside within 15 minutes on my bike . Other areas are only a bit further but I used to take that for granted and I don’t anymore . The “ city “ has its automobile congestion and that’s tiresome but being able to escape it is nice . I have one ride that parallels the Yellowstone River in a few spots and a couple days ago I saw two pheasants and the big cottonwoods are starting to change color . As much as I like my bike for fitness and health there are more mental benefits to it than anything and sometimes I just like to get into a Walter Mitty frame of mind and imagine myself doing something epic . Gary , I bet you feel the same way out on your kayak . The two activities are very similar . I envy you being out on the water like that . I bet it’s great fun .

 

[bgarthe65 82]

I just finished acclimating my 10 new special ordered Panda Corycats (Hopsiloma panda) and they’re now QTing. These guys are so cool and fun to watch. I am using them to up the Cory count in a couple of tanks.