Deer Fly Traps

We have been plagued by deer flies over the last few weeks - they will dive bomb your head and, given the chance, bite huge chunks out of you. Luckily the internet had a solution (what can't you find on the web?) - deer fly traps made out of blue buckets and sticky goo. You have to move around, so the buckets can go on a tractor, on a stick, or on your head... We caught about 80 in half an hour.

Bug Begone

Mozzies are dreadful this year, despite the re-emergence of the lesser spotter bacteria helicopter, but then they always are, plus all the rain... As we spend lots of time outside I spent late winter trying to work out how to solve the issue of the bugs. Eventually, I'd like some sort of screen room, or enclosure like you get round pools in Florida, but for $40, this seemed like an idea worth trying - a mesh canopy that fits over a sun brolly.

It's okay, it has a water filled tyre (tire) around the bottom to tension the sides. It leaks. When I went to take the cap off to refill it, the whole stopper assembly pulled out. Duct tape I guess. Can't look worse than the sink can it?

In a moment of genius inspiration (unlike aforementioned sink), I found an old umbrella by the side of the road (well, by the side of someone's house attached to a patio table, but I digress), and removed the canvas, strung rope between the sticky out rods, and put the mesh over that.

This allows me to see the stars/bats/fireflies above my head, but also should help the tipping over that was caused by strong winds hitting the canvas, even when it was down. We'll see.

Partial fix of retaining wall

The timber wall at the front of the house is failing, due to poor drainage of the gutters, lack of dead-men to anchor the wall backwards, and simply age. We had already removed several of the oak railway ties that were in danger of killing the kids, but Maurice and I tidied up one side of it considerably, and replaced a couple of steps that were completely rotten. Not a bad job, and certainly one that will do until we replace it with a stone wall at some point. While it may not be clear, this is a picture of the completed job....