Coldest December

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Sharkey
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Post by Sharkey »

Rudy wrote:Often times, I don't speak to other humans for many days at a time
Oh, man, life just doesn't get any better, does it? Now if I could stop them from bothering me on the phone and eliminate all the noise from their houses, cars and dogs, the Hermitage would be complete!!!

As for the mice, you HAVE to get rid of them!!! They will destroy eveything they touch, contaminate your living space with excrement, make nests of your best sweaters and as you've found, get into your food. Rodents harbor many diseases that can be transferred to humans, not the least of which is the Hanta virus, and they don't even have to be around for you to catch it.

Find every hole, crack and space that they use to enter your home and fill them with sheet metal, steel wool and hardware cloth. You also need to keep your outdoor scene spotlessly clean, no bags of trash, pet foods, etc, that will draw them to your bus like a magnet.

Don't feel bad when you crush their tiny heads. They exist for one purpose, to be a protein source for predators. As long as you eat every one you kill, the balance of nature will be preserved. Ever see Never Cry Wolf?
Rudy wrote:Does anyone want some or one of these left over ones. Don't hesitate to ask me.
No thanks, makes the electric meter spin the wrong direction. :D
graydawg
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Post by graydawg »

MRSHARKEY it sounds like your solar system may be producing you a check from the local electric co. or you are off the grid completly? I have heard that they don't have to payback the same that they charge is that true?
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Dennis The Bus Dweller
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Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

Don't feel bad when you crush their tiny heads. They exist for one purpose, to be a protein source for predators. As long as you eat every one you kill, the balance of nature will be preserved. Ever see Never Cry Wolf?

Hmm, Sharkey, You have a dark side :twisted:
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Rudy
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Post by Rudy »

Hmmm, Hanta virus? You mean them little shits can infect me with a Hanta virus. How dare they! I've given them a nice warm home for months now. The eviction notice to the mousies has been handed down in my court of law.
DIE, DIE, DIE.

I try to make humor to myself about this ensuing battle with the little rodents, but I am sad to have to step on them out in the snow when the trap that I used did not fully make them dead.

4 down and more to come.

There are MANY places for them to enter. All the plumbing that the County put in before I got this bus, as well as an unknown number of holes for wires that were run, leave much access. I suppose, with careful inspection, I might find all the holes. It is true that them little mousies (they really are cute) will not chew through steel wool.

I have figured out how to re-use these plastic traps that cost me three dollars a piece.

I had to move the dog food bag because I rid my food closet of available food for those RODENTS.

I guess it's a love/hate relationship I have with my stowaways.

But, as the captain of my ship, I must do what I must do, even though it makes me ponder.
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Post by Rudy »

I am NOT gonna eat those mousies, even if they are stir-fried!
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Post by Rudy »

"HONEY BUCKET"? Who the hell came up with THAT name?

So here's the scenario:

Monthly, I must exhume the contents of my large holding tank, mounted under my bus, and dispose of the "honey" into a stub-out for the septic tank. To accomplish this, I use a transporter tank. It is blue, has two wheels, and holds 22 gallons of "honey".

On one end of the "honey" tank, I have duct taped a fitting that connects to the "tube of gloom" which fits to the dump valve of the holding tank under my bus.

One of my favorite moments of this operation is when I get to pull the valve that lets the "honey" transfer from the big tank to my transporter tank. There's something joyful to hear the sound of movement.

At this point, I have to pay attention to the fullness of the blue two wheeler tank. I got that down pretty good and have never overfilled.

I shut the valve and elevate the "tube of gloom" to empty it's "honey" into the blue tank.

Because I do not have the proper fitting from blue tank to hose, it remains duct taped. Which means that while I am wheeling the blue tank 50 feet down the hill, I must hold the "tube of gloom" up in the air to prevent spillage.

It is these two or three trips that has my olfactory nerves very close to the smell of "honey"

Today, while in the midst of this particular task, I gave thought to the term "Honey Bucket". It took only a small portion of my imagination to convert the obvious "STANKY" odor, to what I might call "honey".

Now THAT'S wonderful!
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Sharkey
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Post by Sharkey »

Rudy wrote:Hanta virus? You mean them little shits can infect me with a Hanta virus
Yes and you can get it ~long~ after they are dead and eaten:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanta_virus

Be sure to wear a HEPA face mask when cleaning up their excrement!!! Also known as "House Mouse Flu"
Rudy
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Post by Rudy »

Sharkey, that is some scary news. I have been vacuuming their little turds and have not given any thought to the exhaust of the vacuum cleaner.

HEPA masks? Where can I find those?

But really! Are mouse turds gonna kill me?

Apparently, it is a distinct possibility.

Now, wouldn't that be a shame to die from mouse turds after all the vices that I have participated in?

What a stupid thing to have happen.

Oh how fragile we humans are.
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Stealth Camper
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Post by Stealth Camper »

WalMart has some cheap Victor wooden traps.
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Post by Stealth Camper »

Speaking of cold winter - have sisters in law coming from east Tennessee tonight to visit "balmy" Oklahoma! I guess they are going to be driving through the snow and maybe some ice. Will probably drive by you somewhere along the way, Rudy. I'll tell them to wave!
Rudy
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Post by Rudy »

Thanks, I think it was them who just drove by. Hi There you beautiful creatures.
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Post by Stealth Camper »

That was them. They are. And I LOVE listening to them talk!! Wife has kind of lost her accent, but when the say 'You'uns', it sounds like melted butter and honey on a hot homemade biscuit!!

Guess I just need to send the wife home for a couple months every year to get her re-conditioned, so I could have that sound around all year long!
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Post by Rudy »

How's this for Tennessee talk- Hose-pipe? WHAT? I always thought it was just a hose, but NO, it is a hose pipe. I've had several people almost convincing me that that was the proper name for a hose.
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Sharkey
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Post by Sharkey »

Aaack, Rudy, no, vacuuming up mouse dung, very bad!!! I don't know if you did more research on this, but many of the cases of Hanta have been attributed to people doing "spring cleaning", sweeping out old sheds, etc. Causing the virus to become airborne is one of the best ways to become infected.

I have several vacuums, but use the same hose-pipe with all of them. It's a 30 foot pool cleaning hose. I put the vacuum outdoors and run the hose in a door or window. All of the exhaust of the vacuum is kept outdoors and away from my living space that way. I got tired of smelling nasty vacuum cleaner bag stink, and after thinking about it, realized that vacuums suspend the smallest dirt back into the air to be breathed up or allowed to resettle. When I was working on the Crown a lot, I used an exhaust hose, hooked to the vacuum exhaust port, and ran that out a window. At least try to send the particulates outside instead of putting them in my lungs.

HEPA filter respirators are available through any competent safety supply house, or perhaps at your local hardware store. I have a set of HEPA cans for my half-face respirator, and swap them for normal particulate filters or organic vapor filters as needed for the job at hand.

HEPA filters will usually have a purple can color http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEPA_filter .
Rudy
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Post by Rudy »

Sharkey, I will get the vacuum to be outdoors when I use it. I have a long hose (actually several that I can hook together). Funny that you called it hose-pipe. (Musta read my post). Thanks for the good advice.

Oh, there is an exhaust port to which I can also hook a hose up to. Thanks again.
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