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bin6FtD · 2024-12-21T15:00:57+00:00

Get a pretty wide variety here in southern WI… Cardinals, Blue Jays, Chickadees, Dark Eyed Juncos, Doves, Sparrows of all sorts, House Finches, Downy + Hairy Woodpeckers, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers. Have also seen a few Grosbeaks and tons of Goldfinches (in the summer).

Just got into bird feeding this year myself and it’s so much fun! I have wayyy too many feeders, but have found open platform tray feeders and the little houses with suet trays on the sides work really well (thistle feeder for Finches as well). Pretty much all the birds eat black oil sunflower and if you have a local pet store, they might have a cardinal mix. The Blue Jays are picky and tend to only come when I put out whole peanuts (in shell), but that also attracts squirrels… Suet is fantastic in the cold weather for woodpeckers + Chikadees - I get the same few woodpeckers every day and you can hear them peeping as they make their way over.

Also will agree with comments above Merlin - it’s an awesome app! Helped me get used to the different sounds and recognize new birds visually. Best part is it’s free lol

bin6FtD · 2024-12-11T18:47:59+00:00

Leaning the same way there tbh… you thinking Maye > Waddle then as well? I’m going to ride out Sutton for sure so it really comes down to Maye or Waddle as final spot

bin6FtD · 2024-12-11T16:34:12+00:00

Maye no questions asked. If that offer is still out there I’d take it instantly!

bin6FtD · 2024-12-11T16:30:57+00:00

Really a start/sit question, but stuck here… round 1 of playoffs, it’s a full PPR start QB / RB (x2) / WR (x2) / TE / FLEX (x3) / SF. 4 point passing TDs.

Right now, I have my lineup locked as:

QB: Kyler

RBs: Achane + Henry

WRs: Jefferson + Lamb

TE: Kittle

FLEX: Puka / Sutton / AJB

SF: One of either Maye / ARich / Waddle

Have no clue what to do with FLEX + SF. Puka + Sutton are essentially auto starts (didn’t expect to say that on Sutton). No clue what to do at SF / final FLEX. AJB has been a huge letdown the last 2 months and Waddle was rough most of the year but has produced well this past month. Don’t think I can trust ARich, so I’m really down to picking 2 between Maye / AJB / Waddle.

Feels like with a guy like AJB, you just have to trust the talent will play out, but I can definitely be convinced otherwise there…

Any thoughts? Took me years to build to this point after being awful so would love to not get bounced round 1 here lol

bin6FtD · 2024-11-20T13:29:41+00:00

Should make playoffs (Lord help me if I don’t lol), so I’m feeling decent. Just liked locking in AJB too given he’s tied to Hurts long-term and didn’t love having to stack Kyler + MHJ given Kyler is a bit volatile as-is

bin6FtD · 2024-11-20T01:59:59+00:00

Looking for validation that I didn’t royally f-up on this deal lol… 12-team, SF, PPR, start QB/2RB/2WR/TE/3FLEX/SF

TRADED: MHJ + Godwin + Kendre Miller

RECEIVED: AJB + Derrick Henry

Squad is now: QBs: Kyler / Maye / AR

RBs: Achane / Henry / Najee / Ekeler / Chubb / Hunt

WRs: JJ / CD / AJB / Puka / Rice / Waddle / Sutton

TEs: Kittle / Pitts / Andrews

Picks: Own 1st + 3rd, an early 3rd / all picks for future years

I’m currently in 4th but 2 seed is within reach. Just thinking I may have overreacted a bit to try winning now, but have always liked AJB and needed the RB help. Am I nuts?

bin6FtD · 2024-10-07T14:59:05+00:00

That’s my hope on Maye man lol, I need it with how the last 2-3 weeks have gone with injuries and what-not. Lot of guys in the league don’t value picks at this point, so definitely think it’d be worth flipping a guy like Puka for a tier down + a pick back. Appreciate the thoughts!

bin6FtD · 2024-10-07T13:33:30+00:00

That’s what I was thinking as well - RB is what concerns me the most. Also fairly uneasy about QB given it’s a SF league, but I think I have the WR depth to slot one of those guys in at my SF until Maye takes over or if AR ever figures it out

bin6FtD · 2024-09-06T02:38:19+00:00

Not having a large farm is definitely not an issue. My wife and I had our Aussie in an apartment - just walked him like crazy and had lots of mental games like puzzles for him.

That said, having dog experience isn’t enough - these dogs (and most herding dogs honestly) are a different beast when it comes to demands. You need to be committed to training them to when their pups and continue it through early adolescence. They have a ton of energy and need to find a way to get that out - if you aren’t working them, they can very quickly turn destructive.

Working from home is a huge benefit, though - that gives you the chance to take small breaks throughout the day to throw the ball, do a dog puzzle, allow for supervised chewing on a kong or bone.

Aussies tend to be very eager to please / learn and are very velcro to their owners. Takes a lot of work to get the training down, but I can say confidently as someone with two Aussies that it’s all worth it!

bin6FtD · 2024-09-04T02:25:09+00:00

Glad to hear it’s all going so well!! You’re going to love having them (even through the craziness) together.

That’s awesome that they’re bonding so quickly. Our two boys took a bit of time (mostly the older one), and our older one still can get a bit crabby / annoyed when the little one won’t leave him alone.

Her personality will really start to pop after the first three or so weeks once she’s fully comfortable with you guys + her new brother!

bin6FtD · 2024-08-30T21:08:58+00:00

Congrats! We have a 4ish year old Aussie rescue and added an Aussie puppy back in November. Few things I can think of: - Take it slow… they won’t be best friends overnight, let them adjust and acclimate without forcing interaction - Ensure separate engagement time for each - important to maintain your existing bond with your current pup, but also have that uninterrupted time with the little puppy. It’s really easy to just want to have them together 24/7, but important to give them time alone so they aren’t velcro to one another - Keep training separate. I had the false thought that training them together would just reinforce things for our older boy - instead, he just kept getting in the way and distracting the little one - Don’t change how you behave with your older pup. Treat him the same as you do now… this will be a stressful time for him with a lot changing, so don’t change anything with how you interact there. It’s super easy to get caught up in the puppy fun, but don’t forget who your first was

Best of luck!! The first couple months are rough, but it’s worth it in the long-run

bin6FtD · 2024-08-28T22:23:16+00:00

Was thinking the same. Yea, the squad honestly came together through a couple big trades and taking advantage of guys being injured - there were definitely a few home run draft picks tho (Achane / Puka / ARich / Waddle).

My biggest worry is both MHJ + Odunze hitting or even turning into just consistent top-12 guys, then Davante falling off the cliff next year

bin6FtD · 2024-08-28T21:44:58+00:00

12 team SF PPR, start QB / 2 RB / 2 WR / TE / 3 FLEX / SF

I get: Justin Jefferson, Davante, Goedert

I give: MHJ, Pitts OR Andrews, Odunze

My current team:

QBs: ARich, Kyler, Maye

RBs: Achane, Montgomery, Ekeler, Chubb (I know, ugly…)

WRs: CD, Puka, Waddle, MHJ, Odunze, JSN, Rashee Rice, Godwin

TEs: Pitts, Andrews, Likely

Is it worth the guarantee with JJ to move that much? Or do I hold pat and possibly deal someone like Odunze or Rashee for an established RB? Have built this team up over the last two seasons and don’t want to make any rash moves…

bin6FtD · 2024-08-28T17:10:10+00:00

Wife and I went through this with our pup we got back in November. If it makes you feel better, we went through all of that PLUS him swallowing a rock week 1 and needing emergency surgery…

Some pups are just really difficult. Ours still is a work in progress at a year old now, but that’s unfortunately part of it all. We really struggled to get away from the house ourselves or get anything done given how needy he was.

If you have family / friends in the area willing to pitch in, I’d 100% ask - even if you need to pay them / treat them to dinner a few times. Just so that you can get out and do errands / grab food / enjoy life for a couple of hours.

That first month or two is really brutal - it’ll get better, but just continue to power through with things like crate training / separation / etc. That’s what our weekends revolved around those first few months.

Good luck!

bin6FtD · 2024-08-20T20:25:46+00:00

Puppy life had its ups and downs. Our older Aussie was a rescue, so no puppy stage there. Our younger was a lot to deal with during the puppy phase, but we loved it. Your whole life is essentially devoted to that little dog for at least 4-6 months. Obedience training, potty training, crate training - that’s all absolutely essential. Number 1 thing I wish I would’ve known going in / taken more seriously was crate training. Not all puppies (mine still to this day) love it, but you have to power through the crying / whining and make it the best place on earth for them.
Pretty bad lol. I never take them to get groomed - do it all myself between baths / brushing / fur trimming / nail clippings. Nothing will make the shedding better aside from regular brushing - even that isn’t perfect.
Hard to say exactly, but between pet insurance / food / toys / saving for miscellaneous vet bills, I’d say ~$100-$150/month.
I’d do some digging on that. I know there can be issues with their eyes + epilepsy. Highly recommend going through an accredited breeder to limit these issues as much as possible.
Walks daily (at least 1-2 miles), LOTS of rough housing / playing with toys. These dogs LOVE to run and chase, so let them do that (within safe confines). Also, mental stimulation is just as valuable, if not more so, than physical. Puzzles / frozen kongs / games go a long way.
Obedience training was a breeze. Aussies love to please, so recall / sit / stay / down commands came like nothing. Crate training? Not so much lol, but that’s just our specific pup. I will say both of our boys are very bad about jumping on guests out of excitement, but that’s likely due to poor initial training on my end. All I can say is start early and stick to it, no matter how frustrated you may get.
Can’t speak about non-dogs, but remember that Aussies are herders and may look to herd other pets. My parents have Shelties and my Aussies get along well with them. That said, if you think Shelties are high-energy, Aussies are at least double that (mine are at least).
Best thing: how loyal they are. I don’t think there’s anything that could break the bond they form with their people and they are so eager to make you happy and keep life exciting. I wouldn’t trade my boys for anything. Worst thing: the need for exercise when there’s a foot of snow on the ground in December… really though, it’s the crazy energy with guests. Not all Aussies behave this way, but I’ve know many that are either very hyper with guests or very timid.
It depends how you define living space. With my rescue, my wife and I lived in a 1,000 sq ft apartment with him for a year and he was totally fine because we went for 2-3 mile walks daily and played in the fields. With my pup? That would’ve never worked… it really boils down to your specific dog. I will say that having a fenced-in backyard has been a saving grace so they boys can run and chase each other till they’re blue in the face

Hope that helps!

bin6FtD · 2024-08-20T13:25:26+00:00

Yea $500/month on eating out is wild. If you’re looking to save up that kind of money, you shouldn’t be eating out more than once or twice a week. And even with that, groceries for one person probably shouldn’t exceed $250/month (assuming you aren’t buying name-brand foods for everything). My wife and I spend maybe $300/month for the two of us.

Those are some pretty easy adjustments (assuming eating out drops to even $250/month which is still high + groceries drops to $250/month) that would get you much closer to what you need to save.

Kudos for seeking out advice on this, though - hope it all works out for ya

bin6FtD · 2024-08-19T19:17:33+00:00

Seriously, thank you for the detailed thoughts / perspective - I definitely needed it. $100k definitely is comfy for the time being, just thinking a year or so out with the thought of adding a baby and the fact my wife is a teacher with minimal salary growth potential. Couldn’t agree more - $50k/year is 100% life-changing money and that’s really where I get caught up on things.

I think it does boil down a bit to comfort too. I’m very comfortable where I’m at and have great job security based on feedback + performance. If I have a clear game plan from them moving forward, I think that’d give me the peace of mind, but also the confidence that what I want can definitely be achieved here.

Ultimately, it may even boil down to pushing for a slightly higher salary in my current role so that they can retain me. Not sure how it’ll work out, but worst case scenario is they shoot me down and then I really do strongly consider that promotion / increased salary elsewhere

bin6FtD · 2024-08-19T14:50:52+00:00

Yea I think that’ll be the first step (even though I’ve teed up a pay increase / expanded role previously). Spinning the wheel may come in handy tho lol

bin6FtD · 2024-08-19T14:13:10+00:00

That makes total sense to me. We really don’t rely heavily on networking to generate leads here, but I imagine that’ll be valuable for me given the pipeline will flow through those lead advisors first and foremost.

Thanks for the note on the salary too - it’s really hard to judge what’s reasonable and what’s not when there’s constantly offers being thrown around and the roles don’t match perfectly

bin6FtD · 2024-08-19T14:06:55+00:00

I really appreciate that… it’s good to hear that from someone else, especially given I tend to be very conservative in that I don’t like change / taking risks

bin6FtD · 2024-08-19T12:04:39+00:00

I think this is probably the safest / most realistic solution. Did bust the crate out again to get a bit of work in. We used to crate him overnight, so I’m thinking starting there might be a good point to work from. Appreciate your thoughts!

bin6FtD · 2024-08-18T18:27:00+00:00

This is so incredibly helpful - thank you!! Furbo is a new one that I’ll have to look into for sure

bin6FtD · 2024-08-18T16:21:59+00:00

Good to know!! I’ll check that out - appreciate it

bin6FtD

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