Ed,
To trap weasels and mink, bury 1 section of stovepipe flush to the level of the ground, place a egg in the bottom----works quite well, animal goes in, can't get out.
Other than what is in the freezer I no longer have any fowl around anymore, there fore I am pleased to see weasels take up residence in the garage, and among the rocks on the hillside. No mice around!
herrinchoker
gmpullmanOne day, some years ago, I picked up my shoe to put it on and something ran out of the shoe
.
When I was in Middle School living in Gainesville, Florida, I put on my shoe and had a scorpion inside of it.
Ever since then I bang my shoes on the ground just in case another critter is hiding inside.
It has never happened again.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
gmpullmanThat's a 12 ounce can, for comparison (closest thing I had handy ). T
Ha ! L O L !
I was going to hold it up next to me..... ( just for size compairison ) but quickly realized that my stomach would totally "Eclipse" the cat.
BTW: what happened to the other 5 can's ???
Rust...... It's a good thing !
howmusI need to bait my old mouse traps with cheese and put them out down cellar.
Try peanut butter, Ray. Sticks to the bait holder better.
I would think with six cats living among us that we wouldn't have a mouse "problem" but, sure enough, the little critters find their way into the house. I keep traps baited in the basement and catch the occasional stowaway now-and-then.
One day, some years ago, I picked up my shoe to put it on and something ran out of the shoe and right up my arm! You want to talk about a surprise moment!
As it turns out, the cats and the mice have negotiated a mutual understanding (mouse leader pleading his case here:)
Whoopie by Edmund, on Flickr
Sometimes I move an object on the layout and find sunflower seed stashed in some crevice Seems the mice like to play Miniature Wonderland on the layout.
[edit]
Predators, big and small! After seeing Timmy's duck-killing bobcat that reminded me of this lethal killer we had last month:
Weasel by Edmund, on Flickr
That's a 12 ounce can, for comparison (closest thing I had handy ). This little weasel killed ten ducks and five chickens before I finally trapped it. If it ain't one thing it's another.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoat
Enjoy the weekend, Regards, Ed
Howdy all !
Flo, could I get a stack of Buttermilk pancake's, a large Chocolat Shake, and a large order of Fernch-fry's to dip into the shake..... Thank's.
As many of you know, I live in the middle of nowhere ( we are 8 mile's from anything like "civilization" ) As a result, I worry about leaving my wife alone , all kind's of bad thing's could happen.
So this morning, I left for work about 4:30..... shortly after, my wife heard a rucus outside at the duck pen. She grabbed the Shotgun and was confronted by this.
The Bob-cat managed to kill 12 duck's before she got there. I figure this cat weigh's around 35 LBS. That's a 5 gallon gas can in the background ( just for size compairison
She did alright, and held her ground..... BUT THIS IS WHY I WORRY !!!!!!
Georgia...
Have you ever been driving through Georgia, and seen a tree that looked just like a "Super-Tree" we use on our model railroads?
I have... I had to pull over and take a picture of it.
Mornin' folks!
hon30critterlast year the contractors discovered a pile of dead mice between the drywall.
I had a bag of Sunflower seeds for the squirells outside... Helpd to keep them out of the birdseed a bit which I prefer to have birdies eat..... I got about 3/4 of the way down the bag and poured out a pile of the seeds into a large measuring thingie I use for that.... and.... Out fell a very fossilized dead mouse! I disposed of the mouse, scratched my head, and decided to still use the rest of the sunflower seed for the squirrels. They didn't seem to mind.
Thanks for the reminder guys. I need to bait my old mouse traps with cheese and put them out down cellar. That is where I seem to get them in my house. I have found the evidence of their presence on the layout at times. Yuck!
I am getting ready to head out in a couple hours to meet a lovely lady at the movie theater in Canandaigua this afternoon. After the movie we will go out to dinner together. Should be an enjoyable day!!!
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
York1My wife is the opposite of yours. She thinks mice are cute, and she doesn't want me to do anything with them.
My wife also thinks that mice (or, as Ray puts it, mousies) are cute. We never had a mouse in one of our houses, so the mice she knows are the one you see in a pet store - like this one, which is actually a rat:
With nothing better to do, I played a little with my house design, just to occupy me. Here is a night shot of the house.
Iechi da!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
We didn't worry too much about mice for many years. We have had them in the house maybe three times in 30 years and they were quickly eradicated.
Unfortunately we didn't think about what was going on in the attic. Our attic is nearly impossible to see into because of the added insulation so we weren't aware of how much mouse poop was accumulating up there until we had to pull down part of the bathroom ceiling during renovations. There was mouse poop everywhere!! It was disgusting! We immediately contacted an exterminator and he has addressed the wee beasties every year since.
End of story? Nope. When we were taking a dividing wall down in the kitchen last year the contractors discovered a pile of dead mice between the drywall. There was a gap between the bulkhead over the kitchen cabinets and the wall, and the bulkhead was open to the attic. I'm not talking a couple of mice, I'm talking dozens. Dianne had sworn to me that she had heard mice in the wall several times. I believe the reason that they had fallen into the wall from the attic and stayed there is that they were suffering the effects of the poison. Regardless, it was a nasty mess. We never showed Dianne but I did admit to her later that she had been right about the mouse sounds over the years.
Hope I haven't ruined anybody's lunch.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Good Saturday morning, everyone. It's sunny and cool, but dry, so I will spend part of the day mowing up leaves.
This will be my seventh time this fall mowing to pick up leaves, and the oaks and one maple have most of their leaves still hanging on.
cudaken Mouse Problem again. One of the things I hate about colder weather. Last week while Sue was gone I was in the bedroom with Dirk Pip the Rat Fink watching Tv, saw a mouse run from one side of the room to another.
I hate the mice in the fall, also. We don't get them in the house, but our attached garage sure gets them.
My wife is the opposite of yours. She thinks mice are cute, and she doesn't want me to do anything with them. I told her to tell me how cute they are when she goes out to start her Expedition and finds the wires are chewed up. They won't bother my Durango because I leave it parked outside.
My wife keeps three big garbage cans filled with black oil sunflower seeds for all of her bird feeders. I think the mice love the seeds.
Not much else to report from flyover country.
Have a good day, everyone. Hope those of you with health or sleep issues get some relief!
York1 John
I asked my doctor if I gave up delicious food and all alcohol, would I live longer? He said, "No, but it will seem longer."
Good Afternoon!
After another sleepless night, I am pretty much worn out today.
Dave - I am a lot less worried about a possible leak in the flat roof. First, the seam is welded by marine welders in a shipyard and ships usually don´t have leaks. Second, there is another completely sealed steel roof above the containers, which forms the basis for the deck. With that method of construction, a leak is less likely when compared to regular flat roofs or even normal roofs.
I forget to mention that the roof is covered with a membrane, so that should finally exclude all possibilities of a leakage.
I had a lenghty conversion with our friend. While she likes the design and the features, it is too small for her. Unfortunately, you just cannot simply make the thing wider if you want to use shipping containers as a base. Any other form of construction will let the costs explode. I have seen homes not much bigger than my plan, but at triple the cost. Unfortunately, it´s a do-or-die matter. If she insists on larger living quarters, well, that´s the end of the project and not only the project. I think we should try to find a way to own a house in Denmark without the help of a third person. I have not yet told Petra that I am walking away from the idea of joining forces with our friend , as we both need a dream to cling to in order to bear what we have to go through here. And the worst isn yet to come! I cannot go deeper into the matter without Steven O. rightfully stepping in.
Tinplate ToddlerA leaking roof is not an issue at all, the house is made of a shipping container, which already is water tight.
Well, I'm kind of in Kevin's court as far as roof leaks go. Don't forget that there will be a seam down the center where the two halves of the container are joined together when they are put side by side.
If you haven't already, I would consider making the deck floor reasonably easy to remove. If you do end up with a leak, you don't want to have to destroy the deck getting to the leak.
Another (much more expensive) option would be to put a membrane over the deck boards. That would in effect give you two roofs. However, the membranes will only last so long and you have to have one that is designed to handle foot traffic and chair/table legs. You don't want to have to face the bill in 15 years when it has to be replaced. Also, sealing around the cupola will require some expertise and care. Ideally the cladding on the cupola would be applied overtop of the membrane where it runs several inches up the wall from the cant strip. Each of the railing posts will present a challenge too. (The more I write, the less attractive the membrane option becomes).
Good Morning All,
A regular to go please Zoe, I already did brekkie.
Kevin, I agree probably with millions made and the Chinese penchent for cutting corners on things a good inspection is in order before a container is turned into housing. I guess we've been lucky with the overseas stuff and most of that has been one or two use boxes. Apparently they won't take empty containers back in China either unless they have cargo in them, hence the massive stacks of containers near all our container ports. Probably a good read on our balance of payments manufacturing wise.
Off to the back to wrestle with the Ranger. Ciao, J.R.
Tinplate ToddlerI didn´t include gutters in the drawing.
I was assuming that you were going to add gutters. Even with large gutters installed, spillover will occur when the gutters get filled up with ice.
Anyhow, moot point if she doesn't like the roof.
GMTRacingCertification is supposed to include being leakproof though of course they all have vents on the walls. We only see a few containers a year but I haven't seen any evidence of leaks
I don't find massive leaks, or damage to the contents, but there is ocassionally evidence some water got in. I estimate 5% of the containers we open have some evidence of water finding a crack or poorly sealed seam.
This is a minor nuisance in shipping, but it would be a huge headache in a house.
Kevin,
Certification is supposed to include being leakproof though of course they all have vents on the walls. We only see a few containers a year but I haven't seen any evidence of leaks though I would like to have a go at the Brit who is in charge of blocking cars in place when loading.
I see lots of leaks in containers that no longer have overseas certs. That said I still prefer the flat roof variation of Ulrichs'. The idea of converting containers is intriguing but I think insulation will be an issue at leat in colder climates.
Still haven't made it downstairs. Tomorrow I have to do some stuff to the Focus but also change out the clutch master on the CFO's Ranger. When the clutch was changed the annular release seal must have gotten pinched and it has just gotten worse and worse to the point now where it simply won't generate enough travel to release. The Ranger is now on stands in the shop and the CFO drove the Excursion home instead. Bet the doggies liked that better - more room to run from window to window.
Ken good going reducing the nicotine intake. On the mice - I can relate. We have meese traps at the shop baited with peanut butter and we have to keep them away from where the dogs can get to them. One will sit and whine under the peanut butter for long periods of time. In the vehicles we started using Defcon instead on the basis that they are in the storage yard so the doggies won't find poison meese to eat a quarter mile from the shop proper. We tried the ultrasonic stuff too but I think that just didn't work.
Oh well, time to get some sleep - tomorrow promises to be a long day.
Ciao, J.R.
Not in my experience.
I'll bet atleast 5% of the shipping containers I have opened had water intrusion, and the other 95% just weren't on top of the stack.
Eveing Diners
Flo, give the gang and I a please and Dirk his Buffalo Treat.
Pretty much a do nothing day. Wife went to visit with our daughter and I stayed home with Dirk.
Mouse Problem again. One of the things I hate about colder weather. Last week while Sue was gone I was in the bedroom with Dirk Pip the Rat Fink watching Tv, saw a mouse run from one side of the room to another. That's not good, my wife is terrified of mices! As I was setting the trap I saw my wife come home so I got busy. Got the trap baited and uder my nightstand before she came in, mission accomplished right? Did not want the wife know I saw a mouse, she freak out.
Then Dirk Rat Finked me out! I use Slim Jimmys as baite. He wanted the Slim Jim and was trying to get under the night stand. So I had to tell the wife about seeing a mouse. Next day I caught a mouse in the garage, I was hoping it was the same one but I knew better.
Today I found 4 baby mices in my kitchen sink. While they where cute, I put on my work gloves and dispathched them to mouse heaven. Bought some sticky traps today. I hate using them, but you do what you got to do.
Vaping Front. I have made the switch from 5.0 nicotine pods to 2.4 nicotine pods. It is a small step but it is a step to getting off nicotine.
210 days with out smoking Ken and Dirk say's Woof, Woof.
I hate Rust
York1I like your design.
Thank you very much - I appreciate it!
York1Do the stairs up to the roof need to be on that side of the building, or could they be moved closer to the exterior door?
Excellent idea and a much better design! I have incorporated this change and some minor changes our friend wanted to have done. She does not like the cedar cladding, so I changed that to white aluminum panels. I am not yet sure whether I would like it on my house, but it is not bad looking either.
Here are the changes:
The stairs are now at moved to the left of the building. And here is the other side:
It is closing in on 2am and I have not yet caught any sleep! I am going to give it a try now!
Tinplate ToddlerEdit: Top of the page - order your favourite poison and I´ll pick up the tab!
I'll take a domestic beer. Or three.
I like your design. Do the stairs up to the roof need to be on that side of the building, or could they be moved closer to the exterior door?
You did a great job. I tried to learn to use a "simple" landscape program and gave up. It was above my pay scale.
Although Denmark is even further north than my place, snow is not much of an issue - thanks to the gulf stream. A leaking roof is not an issue at all, the house is made of a shipping container, which already is water tight. Interesting enough, the flat roof with a rooftop deck is the cheapest of all solutions. A "regular" roof is much more expensive, while not offering any benefit. There is hardly any usable space in the attic, not even for storage, due to the rather small dimensions of the entire building.
Edit: Top of the page - order your favourite poison and I´ll pick up the tab!
Ulrich: Two questions/comments about the flat roof. First, is snow removal a consideration? Second, there is an old saying here is Arizona, where the flat roof is very popular--it is not a question of if a flat roof will leak, it is a question of when.
Richard
hon30critterust an observation: the third sloped roof design has a valley that terminates almost right above the entry door. Any spillover will flood the area in front of the door.
I didn´t include gutters in the drawing. Anyway, Sylvia has decided against this option - good!
Hi Ulrich,
Just an observation: the third sloped roof design has a valley that terminates almost right above the entry door. Any spillover will flood the area in front of the door. I don't know if that area of Denmark gets hard freezes, but in Ontario the front walkway would be a skating rink in the winter.
In my career as a roofing salesperson I saw dozens of homes that were designed to look pretty but were totally disfunctional when it came to dealing with roof drainage. Having a valley terminating over an entrance way was one of the worst scenarios.
Just sayin'.
I like the flat roof design mush better anyhow. It is strikingly different.
Mike, the deck will rest on galvanized steel beams and will have a slight slope to one side to drain of any rain water. On top of the first layer of steel plates, a second layer of perforated steel plates will be mounted on steel profiles, keeping the two layers separate by about an inch. The top side of the perforated steel plates will be coated with an anti-slip coating.
Edit:
I had a first discussion about my design with our friend. I guess I need a little more selling to do There are a few things she may want to change, but the she likes the basic idea.
Here is the last cut of the drawings.
ROBERT PETRICKAbout 10 years ago I built a pretty large bridge for the owner's home layout. The layout has been dismantled, but he put the bridge on top of a shelf at the shop.
I saw the bridge. It is on top of the large display case right as you walk into the shop. Impressive!
I had a good time there.
I like the roof deck Ulrich, but I guess the maintainence of would have to be weighed against that of a more conventional roof.
The container roof itself will give great protection, but a deck on top will need to be designed so it drains quickly, and maybe even before the deck is built, some type of heavy coating could be applied to the container top.
Just thinking out loud.
I like your designs!
Mike.
My You Tube
Time for some coffee and cake!
Kevin - when I had to fold up my business, I lost all my prized possessions which were dear to me, at least that´s what I thought. I never bought anything to impress others, only for my own joy and happiness. The strange thing was, once the stuff was gone, I didn´t miss it at all! Being stripped of all items of a marketable value (except my HON3 brass Tenwheeler, which I simply had forgotten about) I found other things of a much greater value - the love and friendship Petra is giving me!
TF - working with a number of different track planning programs over the year has taught me how to handle such basic programs. Mind you, this is not a professional architectural program, merely a home designer tool.
I dabbled around with a few different styles of roofs.
Although I am more for traditional house designs, I still like the rather industrial look of the original design the best.
Let´s see what Sylvia has to say about it!
SeeYou190 Good morning diners. As we continue our tour through Georgia, today we find ourselves in the city of Buford up Northeast of Atlanta. . . Buford is home to a nice little restored train station on the NORFOLK SOUTHERN trackage through town. The station has been converted into stores. . The downtown area of Buford has been completely restored and is just gorgeous. Tonight, we are dining at the Bare Bones Steakhouse. This is an upscale restaurant in a renovated department store building in downtown Buford. . . There are many beautiful houses in Buford that have been masterfully restored. Some are new construction that are built to match the old neighborhoods where they are located. . . . . Buford is also home to the Trainmaster Hobby Shop. This is a great place to browse around and see what you can find. I found gold in there today... a bound copy of the 1954 edition of Model Railroader Magazine. This will look great in the 1954 magazine rack I have for the SGRR train room. . . . Trainmaster has operating layouts in the store in N, HO, and Lionel scale. . I did not buy this brass 4-4-2 Atlantic locomotive, but I was tempted. It is lettered for the CONJUNCTION JUNCTION RAILROAD. It was hard to walk away from it. If it had been a freight car, I would have jumped on it. . . Right outside the Trainmaster is NORFOLK SOUTHERN’s double track mainline through town. As I left the hobby shop this long train of double stacked containers went speeding by. . . Stay tuned for more sights from around Georgia. . -Kevin .
Good morning diners. As we continue our tour through Georgia, today we find ourselves in the city of Buford up Northeast of Atlanta.
Buford is home to a nice little restored train station on the NORFOLK SOUTHERN trackage through town. The station has been converted into stores.
The downtown area of Buford has been completely restored and is just gorgeous. Tonight, we are dining at the Bare Bones Steakhouse. This is an upscale restaurant in a renovated department store building in downtown Buford.
There are many beautiful houses in Buford that have been masterfully restored. Some are new construction that are built to match the old neighborhoods where they are located.
Buford is also home to the Trainmaster Hobby Shop. This is a great place to browse around and see what you can find. I found gold in there today... a bound copy of the 1954 edition of Model Railroader Magazine. This will look great in the 1954 magazine rack I have for the SGRR train room.
Trainmaster has operating layouts in the store in N, HO, and Lionel scale.
I did not buy this brass 4-4-2 Atlantic locomotive, but I was tempted. It is lettered for the CONJUNCTION JUNCTION RAILROAD. It was hard to walk away from it. If it had been a freight car, I would have jumped on it.
Right outside the Trainmaster is NORFOLK SOUTHERN’s double track mainline through town. As I left the hobby shop this long train of double stacked containers went speeding by.
Stay tuned for more sights from around Georgia.
Hey Kevin -
I wondered when you'd get to Trainmaster's.
About 10 years ago I built a pretty large bridge for the owner's home layout. The layout has been dismantled, but he put the bridge on top of a shelf at the shop.
Regarding the NS mainline . . . when a train goes by, everyone in the shop drops what they've doing and runs to the front of the store to watch. Kinda like a bunch of kids when they hear the ice cream truck. Nice.
Thanks for the travelogue.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog