Recap on Wasp Nest and More Home STUFF

Had a student friend by the house today. Made a half day of it buying and installing gutter covers. Got the whole shebang finished, and I'm happy about it.

You know I love before/after photos - bear with me.

Before, open gutter...

After... covered gutter!
Ok, calm down now there Skippy. Sit down. I know the raw excitement of the before/after gutter photos overstimulated you. Breathe deeply. There - that's better.

Now, recall yesterday's bit about the Yellow Jackets that took over my little bird house. After dark I popped the entire bird cage into a plastic bag and in to the freezer (-1 degree). I honestly thought there would not be an ending to that story for at least a month or two.

Johan, the guy who did the gutter covers was nice enough to open the frozen bird house this morning - end result? A half dozen frozen Yellow Jackets and one VERY small mud nest cell. It was only an inch long, with a single tunnel. I was correct in my thinking yesterday, that the wasps only started their nest yesterday, and I took it down before they got much of a nest going. *WHEW!* My final comment on the wasp nest - I couldn't - wouldn't - have opened the thing myself for months. So thanks Johan for keeping the wasp saga from dragging on for ages.

There are tons of Wasp nests under the eves of my house, and the one below is still hanging and there no wasps in it any longer - no idea why. It is NOT the ensy one in the bird house, and it is a paper wasp nest. Isn't it a beaut? Only about 4 inches across.

For whatever reason, these sorts of honey coned paper wasp nests creep me out!
Honestly, honeycombs have made me feel creepy since I was a tiny kid - I've no idea why. I recall my Aunt Verona asking me why I was squicked by such things and I told her 'the holes make me all squidgey'.

Well, fifty years later, word up - the damn things still do!

It's Nature's Way

Sanctioned Visitor to Gulag Garden
Here's my little wren/titmouse nesting box, which has hung unused for about four or five years now. I must say it's decorativeness pleases me, if not the local House Wrens. Late this afternoon I noticed that Yellow Jacket Wasps are also pleased with the properly wasp-sized condo. Hum... free rent even.

Unsanctioned Yellow-Jackets buzzed in and out all afternoon
I'm usually don't flip over such natural occurances but you have to forgive me. Normally the light rail bit of my home commute is just shy of 20 minutes; today it was more than an hour. Today was HOT, needless to say, as is usual on such days, the light rail was stalled, the air conditioning was out and the cars were crowded with pissy commuters. So when I got home and collapsed on the couch and noticed the wasp parade just outside my window - I felt a bit irate.

Now... thing is, I've got a wasp-nest bomber, but.... But being hot and feeling cranky, I thought up something... evil... something deserved by a species that has stung me numerous times for NO good reason. Ever been stung by a Yellow Jacket? Nasty affair.

I was about to dig up the wasp-bomb. I hesitated as did not want wasp poison all over my bird house. And what if there is a papery wasp-nest in there? Ugh! A mess. So, one giant BIG-arse plastic bag, and giant BIG-arse freezer later...

More on this chilly, chiling experiment another day.

Keeping Up with the Hatfields & the McCoys

In my futile attempt to keep my home from falling down around me, I try for at least one house maintenance project a year. I despise having to dig up a new contractor/workman. Hiring feels like tossing out bait and praying a kindly woodland deer appears, as opposed to a rampaging rabid wolf that calls you Madame, compliments the decor then effs up your project and ravages your bank account. So this past month I hired a new contractor (in retrospect, half wolf/half deer) and rehired a tried and true tree trimmer of the Bambi persuasion.

First off there was a gutters issue. Way back in 1997 when my house exterior was painted, my gutters took a major thumping. The painter, Paul loved painting, but didn't love messing with gutters, so in several spots he just removed them, then spent hours telling me how useless gutters were. Flash forward to 2007, when my gutterless back porch slowly fell to bits due to water damage. Thank you for the b'jillion $ repair job Paul. Ok, it was my fault, I should have stuck to my guns and made him put the gutters back PROPERLY, not half-arssed in some spots or not at all in others.

Missing Section of Guttering
Armed with an estimate, neither too high nor too low, I went with it. The replacements took one Friday and the end result was old rust pitted gutters gone, new vinyl (uncovered) gutters. Hurrah!

Voila! New Back Porch Gutter
Emboldened by the gutter success, I opted for some tree trimming with Santos Tree Service, that did a good job some 6 years ago. Since last time my HUMONGOUS front yard Ash tree grew right back over the roof and even sent out scout limbs to touch the fireplace chimney. I had NO fireplace fires this past winter, which is the first time that's happened since I moved into this house. Why? I thought I was just too lazy or, scoff if you must, but MAYBE was the great Earth Mother squelching the idea of a fire in my head so wouldn't burnt my house down, reducing it to rubble. Eh? Eh? You buying that explanation? OK, me neither, but it was a good coincidence in any case.

The Chimney: an Insurance Claim Waiting to Happen
Proof, my insurance agent sleeps better these days.
I also wanted the Italian Cypress on the Northeast corner of the house gone - it leaned on the house and gutters and harbors heaven only knows what kind of vermin. I signed the Italian Cypress' death warrent. Bwah, ha, ha, ha, ha!

The Cypress was not more than 2 feet higher
than the roof when I moved in
Arrivederci Italian Cypress!
A motley crowd of back yard invaders is shown below, shortly before their removal. What a mess! The blasted birdy-planted privet took over the corner, shading out my Toyon shrub - a native plant with red Autumn berries. Poor Toyon! It was hunched over, looking miserable, whining "the Privet is picking on me!"

In the first photo, taken during the work, ravaging hoards of volunteer climbing rose shrubs are already pulled out. Clearing the back fence will leave room for the new chicken hutch that will be plump full of pullets by October.

The Privet (tall, hoary bit in corner) is an evil, birdie planted Garden HORROR!
The poor leaning Toyon blinks: The corner is hers and hers alone!
Roto-tilling the last bits of rose roots
So, that is it for this round of home improvements - until next week anyway. Meanwhile, the kitchen is still in transition (has been since DECEMBER!). I'm pondering what the heck to do to the front yard which is looking rather Dogpatch-ish. We shall see...