I've been using peanut butter as glue and birdseed or dried corn kernels as the bait. As far as the traps go, I much prefer the plastic reusable ones that are sort of like a giant clothespin to the metal and wood flat ones. Alvin, Theodore, and Simon won't know what hit them. You guys are really using almonds to lure chipmunks? They'll eat "lesser" fare -- get a pound of really cheap birdseed mix out of the bulk bin at the pet, feed, or general merchandise store for about $0.35, a jar of the cheapest peanut butter you can find (store brand is still $1 here for 16 ounce jar), and eat the almonds yourselves! Oh, and FWIW, chickens LOVE dead chipmunks. Who knew they were so carnivorous? You just have to "start" it for them with a shovel, I guess the skin is tough.

Well, I stopped by Lowes on the way home and picked up a soil tester and tried to get some iron sulfate, but they didn't have anything. They of course had hollytone, but then they also had this: http://www.amazon.com/Espoma-GSUL6-Soil-Acidifier-6-Pound/dp/B0063ZDQ66/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402443778&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=emposa+soil+acid which showed 30% sulfate. I understand it is slower release, but it was all I could lay my hands on in the next few weeks with work, travel with family, etc. I got home and used the soil tester on some tap water (town water) and it did come up at 6. I then followed the procedure and pulled a plug of dirt, mixed it into some mud and tested. It showed between 7-8 (see photo) as you all suspected. The bag said 2.5 cups per plant under the drip line. I put almost 3 under each. I'm concerned it isn't enough or will need a ton each year. Should I consider peat moss or pine needles as a top cover for the bed now and each year? Should I add more product? I'm concerned I could over do it with the product although the ph appears to be double what it should be Thanks again for the help.

There are times when I seek out the little guy, and times when I buy stuff at box stores. I try to keep it in balance. Sometimes Goliath surprises you with his compassion, and other times David pisses you off with his arrogance. Here are a few examples: 1)Weed wacker--good dealer purchase Had my eye on a Husqy 223L trimmer, which Lowe's had for $299. We have a small engine shop here in Jacksonville (Cooper's), which primarly sells Snapper, Husqvarna and Stihl. I figured I'd stop in, and if he were even within 10% of the Lowe's price, I'd buy from him. Turns out he undercut Lowe's by $30, and he now contiunes to get my business. He insisted that I take it outside and test it out--otherwise how would his trimming get done? I always support the local little guy when I can, of course, in Carolina, Lowe's is the local little guy compared to Home Depot. 2)Used John Deere--sour dealer purchase I recently "brokered" a purchase of a JD 265 from a reputable JD dealer (Bombergers Store, Litiz, PA) for my Dad, from three states away. It was a trade-in which was still configured for snow removal. We bought it for just over $1500, with plow, deck and snowblower (installed). My father has never owned a large garden tractor, and is not familiar with the lift system. I knew he'd be excited to take his new tractor up to the property and start mowing as soon as he got his hands on it. Since I obviously wouldn't be there to help him out, I didn't want him to have to skin his knuckles and get his blood pressure up swapping the blower for the deck before he got to use it, so I asked Bombergers if they could swap out the deck before the pickup time five days away. The salesman's response was "For the price this thing's going out of here, I'm not really interested in swapping the deck. We've got a lot to do for OUR customers this week. I'm mechanically inclined and it would take me at least an hour." So I asked him if I were to pay for the full $180 servicing (which includes leveling the deck), would he swap the implements out then? He agreed. Then he called me Friday at 5pm (tractor to be picked up Saturday at 10am) and said they did the service but left the blower on because they decided that wasn't worth their time. Getting really tired of being jerked around, I asked how much to swap the blower for the deck? $100. Fine. So the next morning my Dad picked up the mower, ready to cut, oblivious to the hassle and mugging I'd endured. That weekend I did some grading for my neighbor, going from deck->tiller->blade->deck in a single day, no swap taking more than 10 minutes (same system). The more I thought about it, the more I fumed. By Bomberger's standards, I'd just done $300 worth of labor just in configuring the tractor. I sent the manager an email saying they have one day to get back to me via phone or email to explain the circus that was the previous week--specifically why they didn't do a job we'd agreed on before calling me on a Friday night and demanding another Franklin note--or they could expect negative feedback on eBay. The negative feedback threat was a bluff, actually. Swapping the equipment wasn't in the terms of the sale, so I couldn't ethically destroy their 100% positive feedback for being A-holes for a somewhat separate issue. Monday morning the manager emailed me his phone number, and said he would like to refund the $100 deck swap fee, as he agreed this was outrageous. He also politely scolded me for implying in my email that his techicians were less than skilled mechanics. He's right; I don't know them. For all I know, each of them may have completed the 8th grade with a passing average. The whole time they kept referring to what they do for "their" customers. I'm assuming they mean the people who buy new $7,000 mowers, because apparently spending $1,800 on used equipment doesn't get you into the club. My Dad lives an hour away and could very well have become one of the elite few "Bombergers Customers." But after hearing about what I'd went through to get them to swap the attachments, it's a fair bet he will never seek that status. 3) Table saw--good box store purchase The Craftsman folding table saw I've had my eye on for a year, with sliding miter and built-in router table (#21829) finally went on sale this weekend, from $450 to $350. After reading the Sears Ad in the Sunday paper I grabbed my two year old and went for a ride. As I went to check out, I noticed a ball-bearing chest (#61805/61809) set also heavily discounted. Unfortunately, due to the hot price, they had sold out of them. "Okay, so how much for that one?" The sales guy looked it over... "How's 15% off sound?" Sounds like I'm going to need to stow the third row seat to make it home... Since my credit card doubles the mfg warranty, I wanted to pay for the saw first, then pay cash for the chest. "Craftsman club member? 10% off today." Nope. So he pulls his card out of his pocket and discounts the chest another 10%. With the chest receipt came a $25 off coupon off my next purchase, which was the table saw... 20 seconds later. Once again he swiped his club card and knocked another 10% off. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I had a brand new $450 table saw on sale for $350, club discounted to $292; and a $450 tool chest combo, on sale for $370, floor model discounted to $277. Granted I didn't plan on spending $600 two weeks before we go on vacation, and I now will have to go without the 15gal tow-behind sprayer I'd planned to buy this season, but it wasn't a bad day for the consumer. The big corporations might not give a hoot about us, but every now and then you'll find someone working the register who does.

Wow Katie that is an amazing swap box. What a wonderful bounty of home canned items. I love the idea of indonesian satay sauce, the huckleberry jam, jalepeno pepper jelly and the soup. I tried to make that soup last summer and had canner problems. Since then I have been afraid of making it. The box would have been awesome with just all the home canned items. -Robin Here is the Blueberry Lavender Jam recipe along with notes on canning it Blueberry Lavender Jam 2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers 1 11 1/2- ounce can frozen white grape juice concentrate 3 cups fresh blueberries, washed and drained 1. Make a lavender sachet: Cut a piece of cheesecloth into a 6-inch square, place lavender in the center, and tie into a bundle with kitchen twine. Cook the jam: In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring lavender sachet, grape juice concentrate, and blueberries to a boil. Stir constantly to prevent burning until the berry mixture jells -- about 20 minutes. (To test whether mixture has jelled, place a teaspoonful on a plate and let cool to room temperature. Lightly touch the berry mixture with your finger to see if it has consistency of jelly. If not, continue to cook for 10 more minutes and check again by using the same test.) Cover and steep for 2 hours. Store the jam: Remove the lavender sachet and discard. Divide the jam between 2 pint jars. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month Note: To modify it so I could can it I just simmered it with the lavender for 20 minutes than removed the lavender (which I had in a teaball). I also made one where I soaked the lavender overnight in the grape juice, yuck too much lavender.