You can never have enough...

[Mica]

Evening

Nice day out with sewing friends in Manawatu hot day 27 degrees  cracked out summer dress for an outing before winter hits.

Been some heavy  showers early evening here.

Not lie ins this weekend  

Back to normal routine tomorrow

[popeye333]

My room is cleared other than furniture Missy needs to get in the windows.

And my bag.

Pretty much down and down to cleaning tomorrow.. well some to do in the garage but not a lot.

Dianne and Paul came in cos they were next door buying his boat.. So Paul took the bits down from the Blinds.

Dianne growled at me for moving stuff I shouldn't be lol.. She will be in tomorrow or Def Tuesday.

Im not cooking tomorrow, well after breakfast so once I've eaten I will clean the kitchen, get my drinks out and wash the oven out and the floors. I had all the drawers lined so that made things easy.

I will buy tea for the next two nights.

I havent even called the power co or anything lol.. But there will be time on Tuesday.

So Long as I have Missys food, my pills and toiletries I wont be worried about anything else. And tV can put me to sleep.

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies We missed out on the thunderstorms, but we do have a lovely soft drizzle. The Furry One is still checking both doors to see if the weather is any different, sometimes he is lucky and the front misses half of the house lol. He's going to have to 'hold on' if he wants to stay dry today though.

Sounds like everything is going to plan, popeye

Another indoor day, it could be a good excuse to get stuck into a wardrobe and sort out more stuff for the op shop. MrK read in the local paper someone dimwit broke into our community op shop's garage and smashed a lot of stuff.

Embroidery again this afternoon, I can do some more cutting and weaving.

Happy crafting

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

Still wet here too.. Hope it hoses down and rains itself out for tomorrow lol

I find myself having internal panics. Leaving the last house we were in together, making me Teary. Worried that I wont like it around the corner.. Which is dumb cos I love the house. In my head I have so much to do.

Ill get there tho. Just wish is would pass so I can get on with things..

I was going to meet the property manager on Wednesday, but at the mo I dont think it would be a good idea. The house will be clean and no need for me to be here so I probably shouldn't put myself through it.

Took the curtains off the ranch slider yesterday.. Instant reminder of how much I hate vertical blinds.. I wont miss those. But they have been hidden for years.

Have a good day everyone.. Ill be busy once I've eaten.

[Mica]

Morning all 
Raining  drizzly now but heavy overnight

Sounds like you are organised Popeye your new house sounds nice.

Back from gym will have breakfast  and do vacuuming before I shower. A bitnof quilting until my bobbin thread runs out. Of course quilt shop not open today so will pop out there tomorrow after trip into city. 

Enjoy your day

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Yesterday, in the clear break I planted three pots of bright polyanthus, four fat leaved plants to a pot, and laid some waste cardboard down over a freshly weeded neighbouring garden plot that had been let go to ruin. I am taking it over, but this time I am going to board and mulch the ground and plant into containers gathered onto that space. Vegies and picking flowers. It will be easier to manage than constantly pulling weeds - for a season or so, anyway. So now we have a place for cardboard to go, instead of into the bins. And I came across the pack of red onion seed and scattered those across a seed tray, and I see the recent warm wet has been perfect for germination, so a couple of those new container gardens will get planted up with a zillion red onion seedlings just as soon as they are big enough to be handled.

But not all was good in the garden yesterday. I have army worm. I cannot find the beasts, but I can see where they are munching, and as I pulled out the destroyed plants I came across a chrysalis, dark red, sort of alien invader robot looking thing very smooth and shiny, and sure enough, army worm. Voracious things, devastating for leafy greens. So I will have to check out remedies, and I suspect that means chemicals, dammit. But I cannot have those things taking residence in my garden...

I hope they find polyanthus unpalatable.

[kiwimade64]

Buggar, OHH! I hope you can sort that out quickly.

It's still raining here but the sun is out at the same time.

We've had a bit of a shuffle around with furniture to make it easier for MrK to get around with his walker. He's been using his stick inside, but the time has come where he has to use the walker indoors as well. The old tea trolley is going to our daughter who will have a use for it. In the meantime, it can stay in a bedroom until we catch up with her. We now have quite the pile of stuff for the op shop.

[popeye333]

Its good having a good sort out Eh Kiwimade.

The kitchen is clean other than the floor.. My room all done bar the ensuite..

I have a load in the car. But I wont leave it at the other house till tomorrow.

Have to go around and turn the hot water on, but Ill do that on my way to get tea.

Ill have to google Army Worm I've never heard of them before.

Ewww thats nasty looking.. And its a new to the country thing too.. Glad I dont garden lol

[Mica]

Garden pest  not good OHH hope you find a remedy 

Can see the end coming with quilt not enjoying it as don't really like it but it is good practice for me.

[Lilith7]

Had to look up army worms; it seems they're overstayers form Australia, having blown here on the wind they think.
They sound horrible.



https://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/exot...w-zealand/

[Oh_hunnihunni]

They are devastating. And as ugly as sin...

[harm_less]

But not all was good in the garden yesterday. I have army worm. I cannot find the beasts, but I can see where they are munching, and as I pulled out the destroyed plants I came across a chrysalis, dark red, sort of alien invader robot looking thing very smooth and shiny, and sure enough, army worm. Voracious things, devastating for leafy greens. So I will have to check out remedies, and I suspect that means chemicals, dammit. But I cannot have those things taking residence in my garden...

I would suggest dousing your garden in Baccillus Thurigensis (BtK) insecticide. It's the same stuff they blanket sprayed up your way a few years back for the Asian Gypsy Moth and is a popular insect control measure for organic farmers. It was my sole protection against leaf roller caterpillars when I grew Organic avocados and it had great results.

It only effects caterpillars as their alkaline gut activates the bacilli which results in perforation of the gut wall and death by internal bleeding Consumption of the spray or insects that have ingested it is harmless to birds and mammals as acid guts kill the bacteria so no by-kill. It is best sprayed in the late afternoon as the bacteria are sensitive to UV so sunlight will cancel out much of the spray's effects.

It works on all caterpillars so monarchs are susceptable. On lighter coloured caterpillars the darkening of the gut indicates that the bacteria are at work and feeding quickly ceases once they have consumed it (i.e. food poisoning). Worth doing a couple of follow up sprays to get a complete eradication including early misses and newly hatched caterpillars. The Neem that the link above is promoting isn't necessary and is a wider spectrum insecticide; safe but more by-kill likely.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Yes, my first thought was for my monarchs. Having just got a clutch to maturity I would be wary of losing them. Good to know though, if spot treating fails. And I might just hold off on seedling planting till we get a decent chill. With luck they are only foraging in a limited area and as the garden gets a really good south to north gale going the moths might have just hit the sheltered spot where I found the wreckage. All digits crossed.

But we shall see.

[popeye333]

Morning everyone

Up and about. The movers get here at 8am... Missy is nervous this morning... But Ill keep her out as long as I can.

Will have breakfast and move my car.

Sad news about the Pope.. 10/10 for doing his last day. I must look yp at some stage and see how many have died in my time.

Not sure if my internet will work around the corner.. So Behave.. nah thats boring. And Ill see you when I see you.

Have a fab day

[Roma]

Good morning. 

Overcast but warm. 

Bu@@er OHH, I have those nasties in my garden,  first found in my half barrels ... once I realised they were in the soil I was on a regular seek and destroy mission for the caterpillars,  sometimes see the pupae. We also regularly get rid of the fluffy, flat nests that show up on our dark outside verandah overhang. They are not a good beastie to find in farm crops.

Good luck today Popeye ... you will be glad for you and Missy to be settled in.

We are off south where it won't be tees and shorts weather!

Enjoy the day all.

[kiwimade64]

morning ladies Another wet day here today No complaints though!

Yes, RIP Pope Francis. We've had a few popes in my lifetime, I remember in the late 70's/early 80's we had two within a few weeks of each other. My sister and I were at a Catholic school at the time so one Pope dying was a huge deal, but two, was unheard of. Dad always said the conclave chose the wrong Pope first time round lol and this was rectified by a higher being. When I saw him on the news, I said to MrK his doctors won't be happy with this, he's taking such a risk. But I suppose he had so much faith, he wasn't afraid of dying. And like Queen Elizabeth, his sense of duty was huge.

Good luck with the move, popeye. I hope the weather holds out for you.

Those army worms are nasty. It's hard to find them as they pupate underground. I haven't come across them here though. Hopefully the birds will pick a few off too, OHH. But that spray harm_less suggests sounds ideal.

We're not going far today; groceries can wait for a bit. We'll let the traffic settle down as it's madness around Karapiro by all accounts. Have fun with your southern break, roma.

Happy crafting

[Roma]

I amended my post to pupae (found in the soil as well as the caterpillars). I've never seen the caterpillars on the foliage ... suspect they come out and eat at night 

[kiwimade64]

More than likely, roma. They are sneaky little devils. Another critter the Aussies can take back lol.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

If I can locate the spray I may use it yet, by moving the pots well away from the swan plants to deal to them. We shall see. Meantime any remaining caterpillars can go hungry, lol.

The garden is full of a group of fantails at the moment, feasting on midges enjoying the dry. Must be half a dozen of them, but they move so much that at times they feel like a crowd. Pretty wee birds, and so cheeky...

[Mica]

Morning all 
Fine

Such a nuisance  OHH hopefully you can kill the little blitters

Currently waiting to see my physio probably my last visit my rotary cuff behaving 

Then pick up DGS for trip into city

Enjoy your day