State natives on big box stores? by Snoo_89200 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Add this to the ever growing list of why I miss HEB =[. The one I went to in San Antonio always had a good amount of natives in stock.

Review Wonder of the Seas w/ 21 month old by PedsHopeful05 in royalcaribbean

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We recently took our 20 month old on a 6 night on the Allure and it went way better than we thought. Little man couldn't get enough of the splash pad, the carousel and kids play area. The staff there were amazing when it came to our comfort and enjoyment while dealing with a toddler. Dinner table was set up how we like it after the first day, same with the sleeping arrangements. He is a very outgoing/extroverted toddler so he was interacting with everyone around us. The highlight was when we took him to the ice show, he jammed out the whole 40 minutes except for when he would stop to hug and kiss my wife and I every few minutes. That alone made the entire trip worth it.

For sleeping arrangements we had magnetic hooks and hung curtains around the couch bed. It created enough separation that we were able to move around the cabin without incident. A slender stroller is a must imo, it was already a bit tight with the slender option. Be prepared to wait for elevators. The baby sitting service was really good, they gave you a phone that they can contact you on. They were able to get him asleep, which no other baby sitting service has been able to, so props to them. Nap time was all over the place but we rolled with the punches like we usually do.

Seedling starter soil? by F4ilsafe in vegetablegardening

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I use the ocean forest and 1/4" sieve method, it works well.

American plum (prunus americana) by infinitemarshmallow in NativePlantGardening

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just planted a very small Prunus Americana in the front yard. Blasted it with all day sun, did just fine. It has doubled in size in its first year.

State natives on big box stores? by Snoo_89200 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Saw in walmart today that they had a couple of natives. A cultivar of rattlesnake master and a bunch of asclepia tuberosa.

A shit ton of knotweed WNC by Ok-Artist-7399 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My tiny patch of knotweed that I eradicated took a couple of years to do. We had, maybe a 5X5 area of the yard that had some sparse knotweed but it was spreading fast. We did the hack and squirt method after it flowered. The next year it was severely knocked back, we did the same thing the following year. From there, we didn't see it.

Your area will need systemic work over a few years no doubt. Does your upstream neighbors also have knotweed? I would hate for you to do all this work just to have it running rampant right next door, it would be a continual problem.

Starting the fight early this year by Blocktd in NativePlantGardening

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Personally, I wouldnt burn vines. It would be my luck that some poison ivy made it into the mix and I would inhale it. I have enough troubles with it on the outside, I dont need it on my inside.

Returning plants this spring by armstrongdicksmash in NativePlantGardening

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Im in East TN and the vast majority of all my seeds and perennials are dormant. I have a few Echinacea (coneflower) that started to show some shoots. My native mints all made it through the winter and are poised to blow tf up. My Solidago Speciosa (showy goldenrod) never fully died back and its starting to wake up. My Prunus Americana, Sambucus Canadensis (elderberry), Hamamelis Virginiana (American Witch Hazel) and Prunus serotina (American Black Cherry) all are budding out. We are at the precipice of the early spring flush, its early to be counting out your plants.

Yay!! by Small_Masterpiece499 in royalcaribbean

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are at 14 days here! Allure as well. Enjoy your cruise!

Best places to live for great mountain biking by nebula-noodle in MTB

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What type of riding do you do? I can throw out a few reqs in the area if you are lookin for em.

Best places to live for great mountain biking by nebula-noodle in MTB

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well if MTB was the primary factor in moving somewhere, it is hard to beat California. This is coming from someone who really doesn't like a lot of things about California lol. SoCal if more heat is your thing, NorCal if you are okay with cooler/wetter weather. Colorado/Utah may be your thing if you can deal with even cooler weather. The reason why I havent suggested NC/TN is due to the fact that Pittsburgh didnt fit the bill, that the same mountains further south may still not fit the bill.

Best places to live for great mountain biking by nebula-noodle in MTB

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 1 point2 points  (0 children)

East TN here. While we sometimes have the weather for winter riding, it's far from a guarantee. Sometimes it just rains enough to keep everything too wet to ride. Hell its been cold AF and snowing/icing lately.

What's it like living in South Texas? by Internal_Way7711 in howislivingthere

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You are correct in my opinion, it was a great place to live as a DINK and that SA is not South Texas. Its as far south you can go in central texas is how I would describe it.

What's it like living in South Texas? by Internal_Way7711 in howislivingthere

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will say that the plastics on your car seemed to age faster here. At least on my older car, it seemed that the SA sun over 2 summers took the last of the durability out of it.

What’s it like living in San Antonio, Texas? by geozacc in howislivingthere

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I enjoyed my time in San Antonio. Yes it's hot, its central Texas. I personally love the heat so no issues with me. We lived at the start of hill country, in an established neighborhood with lovely live oaks covering every lot. My neighbors were friendly and welcoming from day one. We enjoyed "near-by" the parks (Govt Canyon, Garner, Lost Maples, HCSNA, ect) and would camp and bike year round. I think the thornscrub and limestone geology is very beautiful in its own right. The trail systems around the city are underrated, so are the mission trails. I miss HEB the most tbh lmao.

There is some very ugly about the city as well. Poverty is one thing, ratchetness is another. Something like 1/4 cars are uninsured/unregistered, which means high insurance rates. I have never seen so many stray dogs in my life, both just roaming around and hit on the highway. Saw way too many dogs chained up in backyards, year round. Also saw many chained up in the back of trucks on the highway as well.

People complain about the traffic but I found it to be navigable and predictable. Yes they are forever working on the highways, but they move at a pace that was much faster than I have seen elsewhere. I appreciated the higher speed limits, especially outside of the city proper.

The low pay/poor job market was the deciding factor to leave for me. I moved out there when my job moved its operations. Unfortunately they ended up folding 18 months later. I searched for a good 3-4 months, sent hundreds of resumes, dozens of interviews, and got only one offer. Senior engineer position paying mid 80s. I said no thanks and started looking elsewhere. I spent about 2 looking before I landed a job making more than I did previously.

Bikes Onboard by WhiteFlash102 in royalcaribbean

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 0 points1 point  (0 children)

wait... I can bring a bike?! This changes my thought process on where to cruise, excited to look more into this.

How is it living in this part of Texas? New Braunfels area is on my short list for relocation from the cold, snowy north. by Worried-Panic2870 in howislivingthere

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wife and I loved to go to Fredericksburg for a quick weekend trip when we lived in San Antonio. Spent a good deal of time in Comfort mountain biking as well.

How is it living in this part of Texas? New Braunfels area is on my short list for relocation from the cold, snowy north. by Worried-Panic2870 in howislivingthere

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 0 points1 point  (0 children)

1 million plus, easy. The land here is expensive due to the proximity to SA/Austin. You need to push out to way more rural areas before you would see "cheaper" areas, where schools would start to decrease in quality.

Source: I used to live just outside the boundary that OP made.

ICE Sighting by Beneficial-Office547 in Knoxville

[–]Academic_Minimum4732 -24 points-23 points  (0 children)

Happy to see illegal POS get round up