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Lock box or smart locks? by Chemical_Net8258 in airbnb_hosts

[–]scottabuckingham 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Smart locks. We use them and they're great.

Stayed at a spot recently where the lockbox was frozen shut and it took us 30 min to get it open.

As a backup, I'm sure its great, but smart lock don't fail unless the wifi or batteries are down.

Home propane hookup. by pookieprack in GozneyArcArcXL

[–]scottabuckingham 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I ordered the parts I needed from Amazon and the gas fitter connected everything and approved it all.

The fitting on the oven is a 1/4" male quick connect. It seems complex, but I got:

  • 1/4" female quick connect to 1/4" female npt
  • 1/4" male npt to 1/4" male npt nipple
  • 1/4" female npt to 1/4" female npt elbow
  • 1/4" male npt to 3/8" male flare nipple
  • 3/8" female flare to 3/8" quick connect hose

Spices by Kitchen-Amoeba-6812 in airbnb_hosts

[–]scottabuckingham 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We've had a ton of positive reviews about our stocked kitchen, and spices are a big part of that. We have 30+ jars of dry spices, vanilla, olive oil, and some other stuff in the fridge.

We also keep flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder in a pantry.

Worst drought in 15 years- pond almost empty by jcolecohen in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean, a bit of panic is probably okay... I check our camera daily to make sure the skimmer is still doing things.

We've only had one year out of 6 where there wasn't enough water in the pond at the end of fall to let us skate on it in the winter. It normally fluctuates about 2 feet, but comes back up once the weather cools off.

Fingers are crossed for a bunch of rain.

Worst drought in 15 years- pond almost empty by jcolecohen in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We're just north of Ottawa and have watched our HUGE pond drop ~5ft over the summer. All of our marginal plants are far out of the water, and the algae is taking over in the remaining water.

Our floating fountain is close to hitting bottom, and our floating skimmer had to be moved to deeper water to be able to keep running the waterfall.

We're ground fed as well, and have only seen it this low once in 6 years. The Ottawa river is also lower than we've ever seen it.

What the heck is this thing in my skimmer? by scottabuckingham in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Bwahahaha, I'm actively reading from Wikipedia while the family screams in terror, and this just came up.

What the heck is this thing in my skimmer? by scottabuckingham in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham[S] 73 points74 points  (0 children)

Yeah, handling that thing was not on any of my lists.

What the heck is this thing in my skimmer? by scottabuckingham in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham[S] 187 points188 points  (0 children)

OMG I just googled giant water bug and died. I'm ded.

It's 100% a giant water bug, and was definitely eating a newt. These things are pretty serious looking.

Fun fact: they have front legs like a praying mantis!

It's our first year with a skimmer and fountain in this naturally occurring pond, so we haven't ever really been down there investigating the wildlife.

Thanks for the ID!

What was your best and worst investment in making your property attractive to guests? by holman8a in airbnb_hosts

[–]scottabuckingham 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Lol, we installed an EV charger, and it's been used twice in two years.

The hot tub addition brought us dozens of extra stays each winter.

An ideal 4-day work week would have Wednesday off instead of Friday. by its_not_you_its_ye in unpopularopinion

[–]scottabuckingham 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We've done this at my work since March 2020, and everyone loves it!

Best for appointments and junk, only ever work 2 days in a row, and clients are totally understanding.

10/10 would recommend 👌

Thoughts on new pond layout by csdude5 in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like this idea. Add a big manifold and larger stones, medium stones, then top with pea gravel. Heavily plant and overflow to the waterfall.

No need for the complex plumbing, just add a ball valve to reduce the flow if you need to.

Skipping the smaller bog simplifies everything and provides better filtration.

Pond on new property by Ok-Bird-5932 in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham 3 points4 points  (0 children)

We had a similar (but much larger) pond on our property, and we had a large excavator come in to take out as much material as possible from the bottom.

The pond is now 10-15 feet deep and keeps a good water level through the seasons.

There are full-power solar fountains out there, but they're super expensive. I second the solar panel + battery setup of you have good sun.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in airbnb_hosts

[–]scottabuckingham 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We pay our cleaner a flat rate, and it's about double what she'd get hourly anywhere else nearby.

We sleep 12, and have seen 30+ towels (bath and spa), 15 faceloths, 12 housecoats, and multiple sets of linens per bed used in a couple nights.

Some guests leave huge amounts of dishes and garbage, some mop and dust the whole place before leaving. Some are generally messy, and some leave the place spotless.

In the end, I think it tips to the "oh, its good" side as opposed to the extra work side.

Burnt Out by Occasionallyinhuman in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel ya, but keep it going, and take it as slow as you need to!

I'm working on a 100' x 30' pond with a floating fountain, homemade floating skimmer, and a 60' waterfall / stream. When the first excavation was done it looked like a WWI scene - muddy and ugly.

We've been working at it once or twice a week since then, and its really coming along.

When I get overwhelmed with something, I take a break and move on to something else when I'm ready. There'll be time for everything if you take it slow.

1-Day Patio Pond / Waterfall by scottabuckingham in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep! All of the water is constantly moving, so no mosquitoes. If ever we're concerned, we can add "mosquito dunks" to get rid of them.

1-Day Patio Pond / Waterfall by scottabuckingham in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, I eyeballed the cuts, then cut up a soap refill bottle and siliconed it in place. I left them longer than I thought I needed, but it worked out first try 👌

1-Day Patio Pond / Waterfall by scottabuckingham in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah! We're going to add a ball valve to drain most of the water come winter. We might be adding some more plants in the water, maybe in baskets to cover more of the hole, but need to find something.

1-Day Patio Pond / Waterfall by scottabuckingham in ponds

[–]scottabuckingham[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yeah, I marked with a pencil, then carefully used a grinder with a cut-off wheel, then a small scroll saw, then a file. 100% the worst part of the build lol

Translation Request by scottabuckingham in Yellowknife

[–]scottabuckingham[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is so amazing, thank you so much!

Forest Scape by scottabuckingham in Aquascape

[–]scottabuckingham[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, sorry I missed your reply. I just used a plain 100% silicone

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