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Post by Pat on May 13, 2014 16:43:18 GMT -5
Yes , that is when I moved our little garden to a shadier spot. Gets morning sun only.
Took your advice, @shotgunner, and filled the bin with more water. Plants are happier. Good to see them thriving, though I don't have an open pitcher yet.
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 14, 2014 10:57:20 GMT -5
Mine still look about like they did eight days ago, but both open pitchers have bugs in them (okay, I helped out the smaller one, by dropping a mosquito in, lol!).
Hot, dry and very windy today, fire danger very high. Although I had already moved my sarracenias to the east of the patio, for good measure, I went ahead and moved them into the shade of the avocado tree. Just because. Will probably have to throw a sheet over my epidendrums to shade them today, so they don't get scorched. They are in shade most of the day, but by late afternoon (hottest temps of the day), they'll be getting toasted.
Been watering the heck out of the yard, trying to keep ahead of things. I'm sure my water bill is going to double this month. Haven't ran the A/C yet, but I think that's going to change today. 102+ expected today. Nine am, and it's already 84 degrees!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2014 11:06:32 GMT -5
101 here and humidity in the single digits. My lips are cracked and I haven;t even gone outside yet.
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 15, 2014 10:20:35 GMT -5
101 here and humidity in the single digits. My lips are cracked and I haven;t even gone outside yet. Vaseline Lip Therapy. It's good for more than lips...
It got to 101.7 here yesterday, they're saying it will be a couple degrees hotter today... wonderful.
My sympathies to everyone else suffering through this heat, and to the people that have lost their homes to the wildfire in San Diego county. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on May 15, 2014 18:14:16 GMT -5
Wow Jean. Fires look evil. Santa Anna in spring. hmmm. Great song. You staying clear of those infernos ? Lanta news is painted with the fires.
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 15, 2014 18:20:32 GMT -5
Yes, staying clear of the infernos, James. Most of the fires are in the North County, one is to the east of me, in Lakeside, at least ten miles away. It got over 106 degrees today, never seen it that hot before. Hope some idjut don't light one off closer. Non stop coverage on the news channels here.
FBI, sheriff, all the law enforcement personnel in the different areas are looking into finding who is responsible for the fires. From the start, they figured the fires (some of them, anyway) were deliberately set. There were nine different ones going at the same time yesterday. Most are still going today, but the Coco fire in San Marcos is the most destructive so far. It is going strong. That's the one the news coverage has been focusing on.
UPDATE - 5 pm, and the temperature has plummeted to an almost chilly 103 degrees. I hope it starts to cool down soon. So far it has been cooling down each night, enough to be able to sleep. But it hadn't gotten this hot before.
I can't believe the risks the news reporters have been taking, to get right in next to the firefighters to "get the story." I'm thinking they're not going to be able to enjoy those Emmys if they are dead! Yesterday, a news crew, stationed way too close in my opinion, had to get the attention of some firefighters to point out a potted plant, right up next to a home, that had caught fire just from the heat of the fire coming up the hill behind the house. Today, one of the news crews at the Coco fire reported that you could feel the heat coming off the fire from half a mile away. Power lines over hills of brush were catching fire, explosions as transformers were going up.
A lot of these neighborhoods are on ridgelines, with only one road in and out. I hope no one waits too long to leave, and doesn't make it out. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on May 15, 2014 20:07:12 GMT -5
The Rainbow people were staying in The Ocala National Forest a few years ago. Their 28 day stint was up and some stragglers stayed behind. The forestry service ran them out of the park.
The next day a 6 X 8 mile block of Federal land got set on fire. It is a 'no vehicle' tract and they had to let it burn. It was an amazing sight. The wind was blowing and the fire was tree hopping
like your western fires. I snuck in on trail bike on some outlaw trails and got a close look. Moving rapidly and w/escape route planned in case the wind shifted. The night time colors were awe inspiring. the roads are dead straight and can be looked down a long way. Critters were crossing them to escape at a high rate. It was the first large fire I ever experienced and will never forget
it.
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 16, 2014 11:45:57 GMT -5
James, you snuck in on a trail bike? What the heck were you thinking?
There is some smoke in the air today, mostly along the horizons, but you know that you are breathing it, too. Air quality not anywhere near as bad here as up in San Marcos, and near other fires in north county. Many fires are still burning.
Here's a couple pics from my front yard of the smoke from the Cedar fire. Oct 26, 2003, 8 am. 
By the time this fire was out, days later, there were ashes everywhere. It was started when a lost hunter lit a signal fire.
The next big one was the Witch Creek fire, Oct 23, 2007. Oct = prime time for Santa Ana winds, and high wildfire risk. This fire started when high winds blew power lines into trees that had not been kept pruned back. 
We were out in the desert when it started. Our camping friends had already headed home, the fire closed the route we would normally take. They got detoured miles out of the way to the north, almost ran out of gas getting home. It took them HOURS...
Once we were aware of the fire and its location, we considered heading east then south, and coming back home on I-8. That's also a long detour, but because of the high winds, they had shut down traffic on I-8. We just had to stay put for a couple extra days.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on May 16, 2014 15:34:51 GMT -5
Ominous stuff Jean. That dark sky is wicked. They have closed Florida interstates for long periods, other roads too. Or just drive through medium smoke at 25 MPH.
Bet you did have ashes.
Guessing that you get colorful sunsets/rises.
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 16, 2014 15:55:40 GMT -5
Yeah, but when it gets that thick (second pic), you have trouble breathing. Cough, cough. The smoke in the air right now is not so bad here, can't smell it, and can't hardly see it. There was a smoky sunset last night. Was wondering what the full moon was going to look like Wednesday, but I looked too early before it came up, and never checked it again.
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Post by Pat on May 16, 2014 16:44:32 GMT -5
Second photo reminds me of the Dust Bowl of the 1930's.
The handy dust masks we use for cabbing would come in handy now.
Take care,
Pat
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2014 16:49:29 GMT -5
Yeah, but when it gets that thick (second pic), you have trouble breathing. Cough, cough. The smoke in the air right now is not so bad here, can't smell it, and can't hardly see it. There was a smoky sunset last night. Was wondering what the full moon was going to look like Wednesday, but I looked too early before it came up, and never checked it again. I was calling a baseball game when it rose and I can tell you it was roasted red from the particles in the air. |
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Post by Pat on Jun 1, 2014 11:49:30 GMT -5
Now I have something to show. This is the same plant that had the flower than died. Actually, it is the only plant that has had a flower. I have great hopes for it. Looks like the pitcher is going to open very soon.  IMG_2501 by Pat6489, on Flickr Back view showing the flower.  IMG_2500 by Pat6489, on Flickr I think these two will make it.  IMG_2499 by Pat6489, on Flickr The one on the left looks like it has seen better days. Maybe it will spring from the roots some day. Clover looks healthy!  IMG_2498 by Pat6489, on Flickr I've been keeping the bin almost full. When it started to get very hot here, we moved them to a spot with less direct sun. All advice welcome! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2014 13:32:28 GMT -5
looks like you are getting a nice big pitcher Pat!! |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jun 2, 2014 5:37:44 GMT -5
Wow, Pat, that is looking great! Sad to say, mine have only had the two, small pitchers that got heat treated and malformed.  Nothing big and spectacular like yours and Scott's. I've also been moving mine around, into the shade of the avo tree on days when the weather dictates it. I think the dry air is a huge factor, I end up with crispy critters... |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 2, 2014 22:02:39 GMT -5
Rock on Pat. Hope it's hungry and gobbles up all your pesky bugs.
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Post by Pat on Jun 3, 2014 0:05:32 GMT -5
That tall pitcher opened! jamesp I looked down its throat several times today, and didn't see any bug. I hope the bugs find it before it starves to death. Photos soon. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 3, 2014 5:15:43 GMT -5
That tall pitcher opened! jamesp I looked down its throat several times today, and didn't see any bug. I hope the bugs find it before it starves to death. Photos soon. Normally they start feeding after they are a few weeks old. Then flesh thickens and they are rather rigid structurally. I am certain that the heat and/or strong sun has been an issue. Plants out east are so used to a cold season. And less sun intensity. The bottom half of Florida is with high sun radiation as the clean air blowing in from the Atlantic or the Gulf blocks little solar radiation. And about all sarracenias do not grow down there. It must be more fickle than I realized. Fond of it's southland. Give em some shade and don't give up !! |
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Post by Pat on Jun 3, 2014 9:29:48 GMT -5
Opened!   IMG_2506 by Pat6489, on Flickr  IMG_2504 by Pat6489, on Flickr jamesp, so I keep them in the water bin and they will do their thing? At what point do I put them in the ground? We seem to have two opposite reactions to our bug-eating plants: a- ewww! a plant that eats bugs! Gross! b-and the cheering section: wow, has it caught a bug yet? Interesting. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jun 3, 2014 11:05:08 GMT -5
Woo-hoo, Pat, WTG! I'm definitely in group b, lol. They can eat all the bugs they can handle. I believe they need to keep their feet wet, so they stay in the peat moss, they don't go into the ground. Unless you happen to have a swamp in your backyard... |
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Nothing big and spectacular like yours and Scott's. I've also been moving mine around, into the shade of the avo tree on days when the weather dictates it. I think the dry air is a huge factor, I end up with crispy critters...
