What’s on your mind?

[Mefisto]

Neither do I. I just tell people that because Santa Cruz is a very weird place. I'm sure it's the same now, but it's always been known as a pot haven for students and professors. Also, buttermilk as in fresh or the store bought one?

Yeah, I've heard that as well. It being a weird place, that is. On the subject of buttermilk, doesn't matter really. It leaves a sort of "skin" in my mouth and on my tongue that makes it uncomfortable to even think about it. Or at least it did the last time I had it, which is some years ago.

You might want to ask around. I've only been in the Santa Cruz forests during the colder months. I'd advise against doing it alone.

Yeah, thanks for the tip. There's a chance I'm not going alone, so maybe it'll all work out. If there happen to be mosquitoes, at least I'm already used to swatting them away.

 

[0388631]

Yeah, I've heard that as well. It being a weird place, that is. On the subject of buttermilk, doesn't matter really. It leaves a sort of "skin" in my mouth and on my tongue that makes it uncomfortable to even think about it. Or at least it did the last time I had it, which is some years ago.



Yeah, thanks for the tip. There's a chance I'm not going alone, so maybe it'll all work out. If there happen to be mosquitoes, at least I'm already used to swatting them away.

It does. Fresh buttermilk is white, and is somewhat translucent. It carries a bit of the sweetness cream has. The best way to describe it is skim milk without the skim being there. Light but fat enough. Store bought buttermilk is yellow in color and is cultured full fat milk.


Check in with any ranger station if there is one. You can sometimes rent equipment like a GPS unit if you lose phone signal. I think they now offer SOS beacons, too.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Yeah, I've heard that as well. It being a weird place, that is. On the subject of buttermilk, doesn't matter really. It leaves a sort of "skin" in my mouth and on my tongue that makes it uncomfortable to even think about it. Or at least it did the last time I had it, which is some years ago.



Yeah, thanks for the tip. There's a chance I'm not going alone, so maybe it'll all work out. If there happen to be mosquitoes, at least I'm already used to swatting them away.

It does. Fresh buttermilk is white, and is somewhat translucent. It carries a bit of the sweetness cream has. The best way to describe it is skim milk without the skim being there. Light but fat enough. Store bought buttermilk is yellow in color and is cultured full fat milk.


Check in with any ranger station if there is one. You can sometimes rent equipment like a GPS unit if you lose phone signal. I think they now offer SOS beacons, too.

Buttermilk has its place and some revere it.

Re mosquitoes (and they love me), might I suggest that you consider citronella (either neat or mixed with a carrier oil, or in a cream from a reputable company that only used natural products such as the UK company Al Fresco); this works, and the winged horrors, which normally feast on me, stay well away when I use something that is citronella based.

 

[Mefisto]

Re mosquitoes (and they love me), might I suggest that you consider citronella (either neat or mixed with a carrier oil, or in a cream from a reputable company that only used natural products such as the UK company Al Fresco); this works, and the winged horrors, which normally feast on me, stay well away when I use something that is citronella based.

You know, even after living where I've lived for as long as I have, I don't think I've ever heard of this citronella stuff. Like you, those winged bastards don't seem to get enough of me, so at this point I'll try just about anything.

Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

You know, even after living where I've lived for as long as I have, I don't think I've ever heard of this citronella stuff. Like you, those winged bastards don't seem to get enough of me, so at this point I'll try just about anything.

Thanks for the recommendation!

My pleasure.

Citronella is an essential oil with a citrus scent; in theory, it should be diluted, but I use it neat, sometimes.

Otherwise, I use Al Fresco moisturiser, and spray or rub it on my pulse points.

However, as someone who is devoured - and I mean devoured, I get these huge red, itchy hot and sore welts when bitten, they love me, I am the equivalent of mosquito fillet steak- I do recommend "Anti Bug Bite Moisturiser" by Al Fresco, a totally natural - and better still, a totally effective - repellant from the UK the main ingredient of which is citronella (writing from hard-earned personal experience - in recent years, in mosquito lands, I only ever got bitten if I had forgotten to apply this stuff in advance, such as, one afternoon, drinking a few beers with UN colleagues, I couldn't be bothered heading back to my room before dusk and paid the price, when on the fourth beer, dusk fell, and the winged horrors struck).

Indeed, once, in the Horn of Africa, while paying a visit to one of our field offices, in a scene straight out of a Somerset Maugham story, we stayed in colonial style villas in the compound, fans slowly revolving in the high ceiling, mosquito nets covering the beds like vast tents that one could not but become entangled in, when leaving the sanctuary of my bed and net in the small hours to toddle to the bathroom - for a mere two minutes - I was assailed and assaulted by the winged menaces. Two of them, in less than two minutes.

DDT is too good for them, despite my sympathy for environmental concerns elsewhere and most of the time.

 

[0388631]

Oh, yeah. It smells more like a bad lemon candle to me. I mix 10-12 drops into a carrier lipid based cream and rub that on my legs and arms during the summer if I'll be out in the yard or anywhere with many mosquitos. Nivea and Eucerin are going to be easy to find globally.

 

[Huntn]

I find that it interferes with enjoying the beer and the clouds.

The beer and clouds are part of your existence.
[doublepost=1561159028][/doublepost]

I have bad stage fright too which is why interviewing over the phone or online is a lot easier than in person was.

As far as appearance, there have been many amazing character actors who may not have been as attractive as the leads, but they were far better actors. It's never too late to pursue something you love. I think there are more interesting roles for mature characters lately too.


You never know.

I've always wanted to draw and perhaps I will eventually discipline myself to work on perspective and such, as so many talented folks here already have, but I am quite happy with where I am almost two years into just doing it. There's very little of the nasty inner critic and all that. The process is so much fun and so relaxing.

Part 2:

Not sitting or nursing beers, but I will look at the sky (I will look a lot more at night though), or just fixate on the birds and think about how awesome nature truly is. The one really great thing about this neighborhood is the Blue Jays. I was talking to mom the other day while we were looking out the kitchen window and a Jay swooped into the tree right outside as I was talking. Birds are so amazing. It still blows my mind they came from dinosaurs.


@Apple fanboy I bet your photography will be better. May the house sale and move go as swiftly and smoothly as possible.

Blue jays and boat tail crackles are bullies.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Oh, yeah. It smells more like a bad lemon candle to me. I mix 10-12 drops into a carrier lipid based cream and rub that on my legs and arms during the summer if I'll be out in the yard or anywhere with many mosquitos. Nivea and Eucerin are going to be easy to find globally.

To that - @Mefisto - I'd add neck, earlobes (yes, believe it or not, embittered voice of experience....), ankles (the winged bastards love ankles; they went through thick sport socks to get to mine in Bratislava in 2002 - the year of the Danube floods -and munched my ankles), nostrils, fingers.........however, citronella (I must say that I like @Zenithal's comparison of citronella to a "bad lemon candle", but I am one of those who loves each and every citrus scent imaginable - the only scents I have ever used are citrus based) whether neat or in oils or creams does repel the winged menaces.

 

[0388631]

They usually go for my calves or my knuckles, believe it or not. I've found mixing in a discreet amount of household ammonia with distilled water and using a small dab on a bite kills the itch for up to 24 hours, even with showering or other bathing methods. Using medical tape works well, too. I forget the reasoning, but if you cut off the air supply to a surface "bite" it doesn't react as well and you won't itch. Bayer or 3M make rolls of various grade and they're available globally.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

They usually go for my calves or my knuckles, believe it or not. I've found mixing in a discreet amount of household ammonia with distilled water and using a small dab on a bite kills the itch for up to 24 hours, even with showering or other bathing methods. Using medical tape works well, too. I forget the reasoning, but if you cut off the air supply to a surface "bite" it doesn't react as well and you won't itch. Bayer or 3M make rolls of various grade and they're available globally.

Calves, and knuckles, yes. This I know.

Bloody fingers, too, as in knuckles (or joints) of fingers.

Behind the knees....Wrists, ear lobes, shoulder blades, neck......grrrr. All horribly attractive to the winged horrors.

 

[kazmac]

The beer and clouds are part of your existence.
[doublepost=1561159028][/doublepost]
Blue jays and boat tail crackles are bullies.

That Blue Jay I saw kicking a starlings’ feathered tush to the ground was amazing. Definitely defending its turf. I don’t know about bullies, but I like them a lot.

 

[0388631]

Quite interesting. I saw two morning doves mating rather frantically a few steps out into the yard the other morning. After they were done I poured some disinfectant where they'd been. It was very interesting to say the least. NatGeo never covered bird mating in their specials throughout the years. I've seen crows fight each other quite viciously, though. I once witnessed a massive crow take flight with a squirrel in its claws and drop the squirrel onto the then empty parking lot from maybe 100 feet up. That poor fella was dead the moment he hit the ground. Crow came about a minute later and took off with said squirrel.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Too many things on my mind at the moment. I have house to sort before photographer comes on Tuesday, the mechanics of the move itself and a lot going on at work this week.
One colleague is in hospital, two key personnel are off on holiday and it’s months end which is always a busy time.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Too many things on my mind at the moment. I have house to sort before photographer comes on Tuesday, the mechanics of the move itself and a lot going on at work this week.
One colleague is in hospital, two key personnel are off on holiday and it’s months end which is always a busy time.

But, of that lengthy list, planning for, and expediting the house move is by far the most important.

 

[Huntn]

That Blue Jay I saw kicking a starlings’ feathered tush to the ground was amazing. Definitely defending its turf. I don’t know about bullies, but I like them a lot.

Both of those birds will land on a bird feeder and using a sweeping motion with their beaks to find just the seeds they like, will empty out a bird feeder posthaste, with the majority of the seeds ending up on the ground for the squirrels. Blue Jays are pretty though.

 

[kazmac]

Both of those birds will land on a bird feeder and using a sweeping motion with their beaks to find just the seeds they like, will empty out a bird feeder posthaste, with the majority of the seeds ending up on the ground for the squirrels. Blue Jays are pretty though.

Wow.

Picky birds too. Who knew?

The squirrels around here prefer french fries... I busted one in our garbage going to town on one. Its reaction was hilarious.

And what’s on my mind? Annoyed at myself for completely missing the fact that our washing machine overflowed this morning and our neighbors trying to tell me. Thank goodness it was an overflow and not a drain pipe leak. Even so, not one of my brighter moments. And yesterday we had to deal with the toilet.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Wow.

Picky birds too. Who knew?

The squirrels around here prefer french fries... I busted one in our garbage going to town on one. Its reaction was hilarious.

And what’s on my mind? Annoyed at myself for completely missing the fact that our washing machine overflowed this morning and our neighbors trying to tell me. Thank goodness it was an overflow and not a drain pipe leak. Even so, not one of my brighter moments. And yesterday we had to deal with the toilet.

Best we had was a little field mouse who had got into the bird food. We keep it in the garage in a big plastic box. He was in there eating away one morning!

 

[0388631]

Need to pick the remaining stone fruits off our trees in the coming days before a heatwave spoils around 200 lb of fruit. The kids better love eating fruit salad for the next two months.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Need to pick the remaining stone fruits off our trees in the coming days before a heatwave spoils around 200 lb of fruit. The kids better love eating fruit salad for the next two months.

Fruit salad, I can eat endlessly.

You can also roast some of those fruits; either as dessert, or as an accompaniment to a roast dish, or a meat (cold chicken, or pork, or beef - sort of like a chutney) they will work very well.

Actually, I use fruit in standard salads with tomatoes and cucumber - terrific with fish dishes, or pork, or chicken.

And why not make chutney or homemade jam, or fruit preserves? That could also work well.

 

[Huntn]

Need to pick the remaining stone fruits off our trees in the coming days before a heatwave spoils around 200 lb of fruit. The kids better love eating fruit salad for the next two months.

What kind of fruit? West Virginia, where my Mom grew up in the mountains, had the best apples and peaches. There was an apple called Summer Rambo that made the absolute best apple sauce. They were amazing. The peaches would melt in our mouthes with wonderful flavor. They were divine.

I just learned something, another fruit introduced to N.America by colonists:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Rambo
The 'Summer Rambo' apple is French in origin. In France, it is known as 'Rambour d'été'. Originally known in North America as 'Summer Rambour,' the name evolved to 'Summer Rambo' sometime before the 1850s. Like the Rambo, was introduced to North America in colonial times. It has also been called 'Rambour Franc',[1] but in France 'Rambour Franc' is a fall-ripening apple. There are a dozen or more Rambour varieties, mostly of French origin. The name Rambour is said to have originated in the village of Rambures in Picardy.[2]

 

[Scepticalscribe]

What kind of fruit? West Virginia, where my Mom grew up in the mountains, had the best apples and peaches. There was an apple called Summer Rambo that made the absolute best apple sauce. They were amazing. The peaches would melt in our mouthes with wonderful flavor. They were divine.

I just learned something, another fruit introduced to N.America by colonists:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Rambo
The 'Summer Rambo' apple is French in origin. In France, it is known as 'Rambour d'été'. Originally known in North America as 'Summer Rambour,' the name evolved to 'Summer Rambo' sometime before the 1850s. Like the Rambo, was introduced to North America in colonial times. It has also been called 'Rambour Franc',[1] but in France 'Rambour Franc' is a fall-ripening apple. There are a dozen or more Rambour varieties, mostly of French origin. The name Rambour is said to have originated in the village of Rambures in Picardy.[2]

What do they taste like?

 

[0388631]

Fruit salad, I can eat endlessly.

You can also roast some of those fruits; either as dessert, or as an accompaniment to a roast dish, or a meat (cold chicken, or pork, or beef - sort of like a chutney) they will work very well.

Actually, I use fruit in standard salads with tomatoes and cucumber - terrific with fish dishes, or pork, or chicken.

And why not make chutney or homemade jam, or fruit preserves? That could also work well.

Been doing that with custard (the firmer kind), cake or ice cream.

Made plenty of chutney, jams, preserves and jellies. Off the top of my head I think I've bought and used up close to 100 sealable jars.

What kind of fruit? West Virginia, where my Mom grew up in the mountains, had the best apples and peaches. There was an apple called Summer Rambo that made the absolute best apple sauce. They were amazing. The peaches would melt in our mouthes with wonderful flavor. They were divine.

I just learned something, another fruit introduced to N.America by colonists:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Rambo
The 'Summer Rambo' apple is French in origin. In France, it is known as 'Rambour d'été'. Originally known in North America as 'Summer Rambour,' the name evolved to 'Summer Rambo' sometime before the 1850s. Like the Rambo, was introduced to North America in colonial times. It has also been called 'Rambour Franc',[1] but in France 'Rambour Franc' is a fall-ripening apple. There are a dozen or more Rambour varieties, mostly of French origin. The name Rambour is said to have originated in the village of Rambures in Picardy.[2]

Peaches, apricots, cherries tart, plums, etc. There's non-stone fruit to pick too. I have no idea what I did last year after the season but it exploded this year. Something I did with the soil. I don't use any synthesized nutritional aids either.


What made it "worse" is a family friend from upstate overnighted in a wood crate many preserves and other foodstuffs grown on their land. So we've got that, too. I got some nice gourmet grape jellies from the renters of grape fields I own upstate. They rent the land, effectively, and produce grapes and wine. No idea how profitable it is, but they've never missed a payment.


Sadly I know no cheese makers.

 

[LizKat]

Best we had was a little field mouse who had got into the bird food. We keep it in the garage in a big plastic box. He was in there eating away one morning!

Hah, I know that drill! For me it was a couple of deer mice caught engaging in the guilty pleasures of having raided a birdseed stash. I left the lid off a galvanized trash-bin on the deck one afternoon after filling the bird feeders and this is what greeted me next morning. They must have jumped in off the deck table but couldn't get back out... so they just partied down all night. They were way too cute to let the cats at them so I just let them go out by the woodpile.

 

[0388631]

I would have used tack paper to scrunch them both up and throw them, with a shovel, way, way off the property line so the wildlife could get to them.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I would have used tack paper to scrunch them both up and throw them, with a shovel, way, way off the property line so the wildlife could get to them.

Bad man! Ours now lives happily under the shed. I’ll have to pick him up before we move!