Random 5 for July 7, 2024 – Heat, cats, scooters, Facebook, ants

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Things you see – On my way to Starbucks in the morning, there is an older guy who rides a motorized scooter. He cuts across parking lots and acts like an eight-year-old (he’s closer to 80). On the one hand, I commend his activity. On the other hand, I’m terrified I’ll hit him as he’s flying around the roads and parking lots. (I think he’s trying to do wheelies and donuts!) Secretly, I’d love to have one of those!

Weather Yikes! – We are in our second heat wave — 3 days of 90 degree+ temperatures (32 degrees C). This is the end of July weather. Maybe. It makes my stomach do flip flops when I’m in it for any extended time. I’ll be out watering my plants today (and every day). We are lucky that we can water and are not in a drought restricted area.

Cats be weird – The cats are super lazy (but not any less hungry) during this weather. They are shedding and everyone except Morgan wants to get brushed every morning. Sasha and Gus have thick cats. Gus is a short haired cat with a heavy undercoat which is a result of his outdoor ancestors. Sasha is a long-hair cat who walks around like a diva on a runway with a fur coat, swishing and swaying. Even Gracie, whose fur is more like a Speedo, likes a good work down. Morgan is the only one that is not crazy about getting brushed. A couple swipes and she’ll attempt to bite the brush (or my hand whichever is closer).

Another one – I’m on Facebook. (Don’t judge. I like to keep up with family and friends.) I am always amazed at how far people will go to look better. In the past week, I saw someone alter their photo so they were unrecognizable. Beautiful, but unrecognizable. What’s with that? Ironing out a few wrinkles is one thing but removing your defining features is another. Oh vanity.

The end of the ants – We got inundated with ants again after a downpour. In the past few weeks every time it rained, they came in. None of the home treatments were working. I couldn’t find their point of entry, so I called an exterminator. He found it right away. They had a conga line going up and down under our front window. It’s at the other end of the house from where we see them inside. He sprayed the foundation outside but only did two gel dabs inside in spots where the cats could not access. He said we may see some for a week or so but after a day, they were gone. At least we know where to treat if we get them again.

So how was your week?

 

 

76 thoughts on “Random 5 for July 7, 2024 – Heat, cats, scooters, Facebook, ants”

  1. Whew! That is hot! Glad the exterminator was able to clear up your ant problem – they are miserable to get rid of. I’m on Facebook too, just for keeping in touch with various friends and relatives 🙂

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  2. I’m also an Facebook, which is very useful for reminding me of birthdays of friends and family members outside the nuclear family circle. I got inveigled into FB by my stepsister, so as to widen her circle of contacts on Farmville. At least I didn’t allow myself to get sucked into Candy Crush (lol).

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  3. Loved the “diva on a runway” description. ‘Pawfect!’ I can totally see that! Awww, the ants go marching two by two…hurrah, hurrah…oops, sorry, hope that isn’t an ear worm for you like it’s been for me. Just paying it forward. 😉 Hope they’ve moved on to other pastures now for good.

    The western US is also on fire. Literally and figuratively so I totally understand with dozens of fires in California alone. It was 117ºF in Palm Springs yesterday. I lived in the PNW for a short time decades ago-they are melting right now and air conditioning is uncommon for the region, unlike here in Denver. And yet we continue to hang on to fossil fuel sources despite the grim effects on climate change. Stay cool if you can. I’ve been watering my potted plants multiple times a day. Nothing like the higher altitude to intensify the sunshine.

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  4. Sometimes I feel it’s one big game of Chicken with those motorized scooters and bikes. I know they see me coming up to them — at least I think they do — but their actions belie any sense of security, for them or me. But, yeah, I admit to being somewhat envious. I could probably get one and ride is safely in our development only…. but I’m not precisely sure where I’d keep it. It’s easier just to make faces and snarl at them. You’re an ant killer, Kate! 😉 – Marty

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  5. Sasha is a long-hair cat who walks around like a diva on a runway with a fur coat, swishing and swaying. Even Gracie, whose fur is more like a Speedo, likes a good work down.

    I think this is so hilarious. The imagery. Speedo indeed.

    And the guy on the electric bike needs to park it. Be careful he doesn’t hit you. I’ve seen it happen here. They seem to have a will of their own, their driver not in charge. I’d be more impressed at his acuity, to use your word, if he had a book under his arm.

    Diva on a runway, at one time. 🙂

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  6. Oh, the heat is killing our yard. It went from green to brown and yellow. It’s awful. We seem to have a moth problem. I have no idea where they are coming from but my favorite clothes are nervous.

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    • We have beige grass too. I’ve been watering the trees we’ve planted in the last 3 years and my pots. Everything else is on it’s own. Last time I had a moth problem it was from sunflower seeds. They have larvae that hatches into moths. I used to keep some in the house in a container. I don’t do that anymore. A lot of my clothes are part poly something so I don’t worry about that.

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      • Any word of Grace after her vanishing-act?
        We had a lovely lady once, called by the unlikely name of “The Hobbit”. She moved 9 (yes, NINE) times altogether, including 2 flights with her ‘Pet-Passport’, and settled happily in all places. By the time we finally returned to her birthplace she had reached the grand old age of 23 years.
        Anyway, the point is, once upon a time she disappeared in hot weather for a day, nonchalantly reappearing in the evening at tea-time, only to vanish the next day…and the next. Finally, my wife went to put some washed towels in the linen-cupboard, opened the door, clicked light-switch ….there was a black ball of gently breathing fur in the middle of the stack of clean bed-linen. The wife snarled, and The Hobbit snarled right back for disturbing her. Cats!

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        • Yes, she came out from her hidey spot eventually. I can see any one of my cats getting into a closet for a nap on clean linens or clothes. I never had a cat live past 18 so you are lucky.

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          • We were exceptionally lucky.
            Mind you, never was a cat so well looked after. Slept on the duvet between us at night, when one of us turned she would roll over and continue sleeping too.
            When she got creaky I knocked-together a little staircase for her to get on the bed; I called it her ‘staircase to heaven’.

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  7. Isn’t it nice when the experts really are expert at their job. Glad they got rid of your ants.

    I haven’t noticed anyone changing their appearance on Facebook. But then, maybe they fooled me. I have to admit that my photo is old. I’m either too lazy to change it or I don’t want one that’s up-to-date.

    One of my daughter’s cats likes to be brushed so much that if she just holds a comb or brush while she’s doing something else, he rubs against it and brushes himself.

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    • Gracie will roll on the brush if I leave it with bristles upright. My FB and WP pic is probably close to 10 years old. I just don’t take pictures of myself. I should have someone take a few new ones.

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  8. Hi, Kate – I would totally never judge you for being on FB. I’m also on FB for the same reasons. The pros of being able to easily keep up with friends and family outweights the cons (and I am very aware that I control the delete button). 😀

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  9. Once I had the initial onslaught of ants this year, the siege stopped. We are getting a lot of rain from Beryl on Tuesday/Wednesday, but we’ve had many bouts of torrential rain and the ants didn’t return. (Whew!) I have river rock on that side (the only side they come in), so I don’t know if they could determine point of entry for me. After TruGreen said they’d spray the perimeter and “don’t worry, but have a good insect spray on hand, preferably one for spiders, for the few few days, it will be fine.” I hurried up and ordered some from Amazon, then I saw the disgruntled reviews about TruGreen and cancelled all together.

    I don’t understand that about posting radically retouched photos. Everyone has to grow old. And some of the personalities that I watched on TV/movies and have had plastic surgery don’t even resemble themselves … think Meg Ryan. I don’t use a profile photo of myself for FB, Twitter, Instagram or my blog as the last time I had my photo taken was probably 2000 … I live alone, no relatives, don’t hand my camera over to anyone and don’t know how to take a selfie.

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    • Hopefully you won’t get ants again until next year! There was I knew from way back. I haven’t seen her in easily 15 years. The photos that she posts look like a young person. Someone posted a candid shot of her and she was 20 pounds heavier and 20 years older. ????

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      • I’m crossing my fingers for no ants. I told you a few posts ago I thought the Robin forgot to nest here, then finally showed up two weeks ago. She’s bound and determined to let people think she’s young looking, so that’s funny about the candid shot of her … oops!

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  11. I had a friend who only posted pictures of her much younger self (over and over again). She was obviously looking for the attention that she got when she was 40 years younger. I found it very sad. Anyone who alters their picture to the point of it being unrecognizable (or, even just to the point of it being unbelievable) isn’t kidding anyone but themselves.

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  12. I am on FB too for the same reason. I do end up feeling bad about myself when I scroll through. I recently decided to get some teeth whitener after seeing photos of someone I went to school with. 🙂

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  13. Glad your ant problem is over. Scout doesn’t like to be brushed either. When I try, she gets up and leaves the room. It’s hot temps here too and supposed to get hotter in a few days. We had a water main break and repairs for the last month here in the city of Calgary. Finally had indoor water restrictions lifted but outdoor ones are still in place. I’ve been creative getting water for my balcony plants. Every day when I change the cat water bowls, I save it for the plants.

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    • That’s a long time for water restrictions! Cats are like people. Some just don’t like to be touched much. Morgan doesn’t like too much petting. She’s THAT cat that will let you pet her and seem to enjoy it, then she’ll bite you to stop.

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  15. Another string of wicked hot and humid days here. It’s like a swamp outside. Glad the ants are gone. Those scooters scare me too regardless of age. Young guys mostly here ride them right down the middle of the road like they actually own the road, weave in and out of cars, don’t care about the signals, and turn where they want and just assume you won’t hit them. I wish there was some type of regulations on them, but not so much.

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  16. YAY on the end of the ant invasion! That’s usually a toughie to resolve but sounds like your “bug guy” did it. Teddy is shedding like mad but he’s always had a very heavy undercoat. He wants me to brush him every morning (which I do) but lately I’m quite sure I could knit a cat out of what fuzz I’m getting off my big boy. It’s ridiculously hot out – and dry – we need rain DESPERATELY and we ARE on water restrictions. EEK.

    Hugs, Pam

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    • We had so much rain in the spring and over the winter so I’m hoping the weather will break before they start water restrictions. Our trash is almost half cat hair! 🙂

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  17. I worry about people in my grocery stores shopping in one of those motorized carts and most are old. Glad you are getting rid of your ants.

    It was a good week. And it seems Hurricane Beryl will be going in a little north of us so we won’t get as much wind and rain.

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    • I hate those grocery store carts. I’ve had someone back up into me and almost run me over. The aisles are too small and people don’t seem to know how to drive them. Glad you won’t get affected by the hurricane.

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  18. Terro brand liquid ant bait works wonderfully. Pour out a little puddle, and they line up around it like cows!(Or just place the opened container) They take it back to the colony and within a few hours the whole nest is wiped out.

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    • We have to be careful with the cats but our biggest issue was knowing where they were coming in. It’s the oddest place and not at all near where we see them. Next year I will try some DIY stuff now that I know where to put it.

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  20. Our week has been and still is hot Hot HOT!!! Rainy too. Bah!
    Those gel dabs are THE best! We still call our bug guy when we get ants because ants in Florida are on steroids. We see a lot of old people on motorized all kinds of things and they are a danger to society!!!
    Good Morning!

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    • 🙂 I love old people (OMG am I one?) who do crazy things but yes, this guy was riding that thing way too fast. No helmet either. If he hit a pothole or bump in the road he was roadkill.

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  21. I thought it was bad that TV and media have made it so we don’t know what normal facial features are anymore, but Instagram and TikTok are insane with their filters. But at least it’s less mess than makeup?

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  22. The social media filters are insane. I always hope I recognize them in the real world, and don’t gasp when I do.

    We have a 90-year-old neighbor riding an electric bike. Kudos for his ambition; however, I can’t watch him as he speeds by. I sweat just thinking about it.

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  24. Good week here ~

    FUN STUFF: Water aerobics (2x a week) makes the heat enjoyable. We went out to eat at a new place (in a converted gas station) and split a grain bowl with wild rice, quinoa, roasted veggies, and cheese. It was good, but the fries were better. I made 2 batches of quick pickled onions to tuck in sandwiches and toss in salads ~ the “BITE” is gone but the pickled onions still have a delightful “SNAP” to them. They should keep 2 weeks in the fridge.

    SOBERING: I read up on Greta Thornberg and climate change, including a book called Life After Doom. Pretty sure we’re screwed. I used to think that we’d tidy up the planet before we exterminated ourselves. Now, I think I was being overly optimistic. We’re not doing enough fast enough. So we’ll see heat, draught, and storms continuing to escalate until we don’t have enough fingers to block all the holes in the damn. Time will tell.

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  26. Glad you got the ant problem under control. We use Raid’s Ant Gel when we get them (in a spot safe from the cats) and every ant within 100 yards come to visit for a few hours, take the bait home to the nest, and then they are all gone. Love the stuff.

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    • We learned a lot from this exterminator. He was a young guy and was relatively inexpensive. Now that we understand where they enter and the best places to put the gel, we will treat ourselves next year.

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  27. Oh dear, the filters! It’s one thing to mess about with them for fun, but changing your appearance? All it means is that people will be shocked when they meet you and wonder what happened in your life since the photo was taken!

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    • It had to be more than a filter. I’ve seen some people tweak up their photos, then you see candid photos posted and yikes! it looks like they aged 20 years and gained 50 pounds!

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      • Do they say that they’ve been playing around with filters? Or do they just let everyone think those are real? The only filter I use on photos is that vivid iPhone one which brightens the whole shot if it’s too dark.

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        • They just post it and everyone tells them how beautiful they are. Argh! I do light adjustments too. I don’t use photos that are seriously unflattering but this was way beyond all of that.

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