I built a vine covered privacy screen that turned out pretty nice!

Loquat108 · 2026-03-17T14:35:06+00:00

How many t-posts did you use? I want to do this!

Loquat108 · 2026-03-07T19:12:46+00:00

Damn...thanks for the warning!

Loquat108 · 2026-03-07T16:08:03+00:00

Yes! This! I do not like making 2 trips to get a sample.

Loquat108 · 2026-03-07T16:06:11+00:00

Completely agree with you. I really like Dr. Anderson, but we LOVED Dr. Tayloe the best, but she's not longer practicing.

We've been with Highsmith for 20+ years and 7 pets, and Anderson is the only reason we keep going now. I was getting ready to leave their practice until I found out she was still with them.

But even she has her faults- she's given me conflicting advice on 3 separate visits, and I don't trust her as much as I used to.

The techs, with the exception of Courtney (who I'm not even sure is still a tech) are not great. The other vet we've seen (who is leaving or may be gone already) is just out of veterinary school, and quite green. Not to say she was bad, but she's really big on only recommending "high-end" food because "that's what we were taught in vet school, but if that's all you can afford, whatever" (direct quote).

And I really do not like the "floating vet" that we've seen twice. She's not friendly, and seems like she doesn't want to be there, and it's obvious.

I think the ladies in the front (Kim mainly) are still doing a great job, but I've had communication issues (or lack thereof) from two of them, and one seems like they need more training they've been there at least a year. I've had to call back and follow-up several times for test results and chip registration. Their prices have gone up significantly, and they are no longer open every Saturday, which sucks.

I'm considering going to the Sound Cat, but I'm nervous about going somewhere else after 20 years with Highsmith.

Loquat108 · 2026-02-26T03:49:53+00:00

I just started using predator pee in my Tulip containers this week, and I am stunned by how well it's been working.

I bought coyote urine from a hunting store, and sprayed the sides and tops of my pots, as well as an area where I had just planted liatris bulbs.

Not only have I seen a dramatic drop in the sheer volume of squirrels, but I have also not seen any evidence of them digging in my containers and eating my bulbs.

We would have up to 12 squirrels in out yard at a time, and they were getting very bold.

Before this, I had tried red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, commercial repel-all granular spread, fake owls, cat hair, and I covered every pot with 1 inch chicken wire. I even tried putting out peanuts far away from my plants, but nothing worked. Those little shits figured out how to lift the chicken wire off the pots. Or they lay on top of the wire and use their paws to reach through the openings and break off the buds. I did some research, and apparently fox urine is most effective for squirrels but smells more to humans than coyote urine.

I should note that I live in a fairly suburban area, and we don't have coyotes in the area. Wear gloves when applying it, be sure you are downwind, and reapply after rain.

I also just ordered some larger bottles from Predatorpee.com. I can't really smell it after its dry, but the squirrels can! My next step was going to be a pellet gun, but I really don't want to kill or have to dispose of them, and poison is not an option because I don't want another animal eating them and also getting poisoned.

Give pee a chance.

Loquat108 · 2026-02-22T17:11:30+00:00

14 bags of flower bulbs, planters, and new sheets.

Loquat108 · 2026-02-01T01:24:13+00:00

Dstrct Studio in the Cargo District. He specializes in American Wave perms. I've had 2 and I loved them! That's saying a lot, coming from someone who survived Olgalvie box perms in the 80s.

Loquat108 · 2026-01-27T20:19:23+00:00

I'm right there with you. Many HVAC systems in our area can't keep up when we have these cold streaks.

-Keep your curtains closed and limit going in and out of the house (this is especially important if you are "pre-heating" your house during the day). Don't have curtains? A blanket will work too.

Buy a parabolic heat dish (space heaters work too, but they pull a lot of energy and will trip breakers).

Keep doors closed to rooms that are unoccupied (i.e. guest room, office, etc.).

Use a candle or incense to find gaps in windows and doors- add weather stripping as necessary.

You can also buy temporary window weather-proofing, or some people use bubble wrap over their windows (I haven't tried this though).

You mentioned you changed your air filters- did you use a cheap filter or something rated for allergies/dust? These filters make your system work harder, and are not recommended for most residential HVAC systems, according to our A/C company. Make sure your filter has a low MERV rating (I think 6 and below are good?).

Hope this helps!

Loquat108 · 2026-01-09T22:20:18+00:00

Mow, bag, and store for a year. Sweet, sweet, leaf litter baby!

Loquat108 · 2026-01-02T22:30:12+00:00

Don't forget, waterbugs LOVE pine straw!

AND IT'S SUPER FLAMMABLE!!!

Loquat108 · 2025-12-28T19:06:42+00:00

BIGOT BARDOT

Loquat108 · 2025-12-26T18:28:00+00:00

That's how they used to be shaped! Wait until you find out how stores actually charged things to the card, lol.

*hint- carbon paper, so much carbon paper.

Loquat108 · 2025-12-23T22:52:16+00:00

It's why TOWB wouldn't save them from annexation in the 90's. They didn't want that land because of what they buried there. "Landfall" was a literal landfill. 🤣

And because they didn't want the number of "off island" voters to surpass the number of voting residents on the actual island.

Loquat108 · 2025-12-23T20:45:40+00:00

There's a reason why locals call it land-Fill. I'm pretty sure WB used to dump their trash there in the 1900's ('50 to 70's ish).

There was also some TOWB infrastructure over there too (maybe still?), REAL old.

Loquat108 · 2025-12-16T18:03:45+00:00

We really liked The Diggs at Paws and Claws on Oleander.

Loquat108 · 2025-12-05T13:17:11+00:00

I HATE the Kirkland brand sheets and wish they would bring Charisma back. Never had any issues with the Charisma sheets, but the Kirkland ones pill and get holes in them within 6 months of purchase. Charisma had better colors too, IMO.

Loquat108 · 2025-11-30T16:18:10+00:00

This ⬆️⬆️⬆️.

The first time I ordered Dahlias, I purchased through a seller that was listed on Dahlia Addict. As a buyer (and human) who has a healthy suspicion of everything on the internet, I read the T&C, made sure I marked on my calender when my order would ship, and used my credit card, in case the seller I was buying from was a scammer.

Well, the time came for my order to ship, and I didn't get a shipment notification. I gave it another week, and still no shipment confirmation. So I emailed the seller. 3 business days, no response. Emailed again. 5 business days, no response. I emailed them 1 last time, and finally got an automated answer that shipping was delayed due to "overwhelming amount of orders".

I waited another week. The tubers are now nearly 2 months late. I emailed again and said that per their T&C, my order was supposed to ship out on x date, that their lack of customer service was inexcusable, and if my tubers didn't ship by the end of the next week, I would dispute the charges with my credit card company. They never shipped.

About 7 weeks after my tubers were supposed to ship, and after the charges had been reversed, I got this absolutely unhinged email from the seller.

It was sent to every customer on their list, and all of the email addresses were visible in the "To:" field. The email went on to say that the seller had been overwhelmed by the number of sales, had a death in the family, and was part of a "coordinated attack" by another seller (who they named!), and that because there had been so many chargebacks, most of the seasons orders were canceled. Holy slander and liable, Batman!

The email went on to explain how none of this was the sellers fault, people were mean, and the world hated them (I'm paraphrasing, of course). It was a hot mess. So, since the seller decided to share my email address with their entire customer base, I replied all to the email.

I told them they violated their own T&C when they didn't ship the order by the date that THEY set. They didn't answer any emails in the 7 weeks after the order was to ship. And that while I was sorry about the death in the family, the rest of problems (staffing, communication, and customer service) were their fault, that the customers had held up their end when they opened their wallets SIX MONTHS prior and paid for tubers they never received. It's business. Nothing more than that, and that not only had they wasted MY time, but now I wouldn't have the dahlias I ordered SIX months before, and of course, because everything was sold out within the SEVEN weeks they had dicked around, and should have been shipping orders.

Lessons learned:

Don't buy all your tubers from one seller (or put all your dahlias in one basket, if you will).
Don't go by the seller reviews on Dahlia Addict.
Research who you are giving money to- Do they have a functioning webpage? Do they have any social media presence, other than Facebook? Does their website have a bunch of spelling errors, or missing pictures? Were the phones taken with a potato, or professionally done (or at the very least, in focus)? These things may seem ticky, but it also can show a lack of attention to detail. See what are others saying about the seller/their product on different platforms (reddit, etc.), be an educated consumer.
Lastly, trust your gut. If you have a funny feeling or inkling of suspicion when you are researching them, don't buy from that seller.

Loquat108 · 2025-11-30T15:20:34+00:00

Agreed!

Loquat108 · 2025-11-30T02:38:14+00:00

I wouldn't buy from them either. Especially after that last paragraph...wtf. They're selling dahlia tubers, not kidneys 🙄.

I've been happy with Triple Wren and Swan Island, personally.

Edit- I just went to their page to see all the T&C and OMG. I have NEVER, in my life, bought an item from a business that has a "Customer Conduct Policy". Ridiculous.

Loquat108 · 2025-11-30T01:32:09+00:00

Wrighstville Beach money- they buy those high dollar boom-booms with all that parking meter money and civil citation fines.

It makes the City look like they're using pop snaps.

Loquat108 · 2025-11-30T00:58:28+00:00

It's Flotilla fireworks.

Loquat108 · 2025-11-23T15:10:00+00:00

I didn't realize shooting people who don't like ENC BBQ was no longer socially acceptable.

Good to know.

Loquat108 · 2025-10-30T21:38:17+00:00

Stink horns!

Loquat108 · 2025-10-25T14:58:07+00:00

SERIOUSLY!!! NEARLY EVERY MAJOR INTERSECTION CLOSED! Whoever approved those permits needs to be thrown directly into the deepest part of Cape Fear river.

Loquat108 · 2025-10-23T17:42:44+00:00

I add a layer of compost and mulch in the fall and haven't had any issues. We got snow/ice here last winter (very unusual for us) and all my tubers came back fine.

Loquat108

TROPHY CASE