I did some research last year after losing my strawberry crop to slugs and sow bugs. I didn't want to use any chemical pesticides so I searched for something simple and effective. Cayenne pepper is what I decided to try.
The recipe is simple, you boil cayenne pepper and spray the resulting liquid on your fruit. I dipped my finger in the juice to see if it had any effect. The heat was quite strong and it seemed like enough.
Unfortunately, the only sprayer in the house wasn't working. I ended up simply spooning it over the strawberries. Spooning liquid over peaches does not work. All the liquid just rolls off. The cayenne juice was effective on the half eaten peach on the ground. The fruit flies flew away and didn't come back.
The real test was whether I would come back the next morning and find my fruits still whole. Sadly, I'd have to say the cayenne was ineffective. While it kept away the little insects, I still had holes in my strawberries and half eaten peaches. Boo.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Dorito diet
We recently took our toddler to the aquarium. At 17 months we figured he was ready to see live animals. Going on a Saturday is definitely crowded. There were strollers everywhere.
I was a little nervous to park our stroller off to the side but you just have to trust that everyone is there to see the exhibits and not to steal (especially since each adult is $30 admission). For each exhibit area, there was usually a sign that asked guests to park their strollers before entering. I would say half the people with strollers followed the instructions, the other half proceeded into the exhibit area with their stroller.
There were definitely spaces where people needed to leave their strollers off to the side. I know kids get heavy to carry, but it's very frustrating to have them blocking your path. Why is it so difficult to put a little thought into where you drive your stroller? The level of courtesy and manners is lacking these days over individual needs.
That, however, was not my biggest observation at the aquarium. Besides parking strollers, there are signs that say no food in the aquarium. Around dinner time, we saw a family coming through the eco display. The husband and wife were playfully fighting over a bag of chips. I could smell the artificial cheese flavor of the Doritos as we passed them. It just seemed so rude to be eating flavored chips in the aquarium.
First of all, food is not allowed. Secondly, the smell was annoying. And third, yes, third, the bag was a COSTCO size bag of Doritos. Since when are Costco size bags of chips something you munch on as a snack. What happened to portion control? It's not surprising that this couple was large and overweight.
Going to the museum was fun. It was great to see our child experience something new. On the other hand, it was disappointing to see examples of how American culture is deteriorating.
I was a little nervous to park our stroller off to the side but you just have to trust that everyone is there to see the exhibits and not to steal (especially since each adult is $30 admission). For each exhibit area, there was usually a sign that asked guests to park their strollers before entering. I would say half the people with strollers followed the instructions, the other half proceeded into the exhibit area with their stroller.
There were definitely spaces where people needed to leave their strollers off to the side. I know kids get heavy to carry, but it's very frustrating to have them blocking your path. Why is it so difficult to put a little thought into where you drive your stroller? The level of courtesy and manners is lacking these days over individual needs.
That, however, was not my biggest observation at the aquarium. Besides parking strollers, there are signs that say no food in the aquarium. Around dinner time, we saw a family coming through the eco display. The husband and wife were playfully fighting over a bag of chips. I could smell the artificial cheese flavor of the Doritos as we passed them. It just seemed so rude to be eating flavored chips in the aquarium.
First of all, food is not allowed. Secondly, the smell was annoying. And third, yes, third, the bag was a COSTCO size bag of Doritos. Since when are Costco size bags of chips something you munch on as a snack. What happened to portion control? It's not surprising that this couple was large and overweight.
Going to the museum was fun. It was great to see our child experience something new. On the other hand, it was disappointing to see examples of how American culture is deteriorating.
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