Free-For-All Friday 6/10/16
Decatur Metro | June 10, 2016 | 8:09 amFeel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local topics not discussed here over the past week.
Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local topics not discussed here over the past week.
Sharron
DarenW
gardener
James
Chris Billingsley
MelissaM
Robert Butera
Robert Butera
Decatur Metro
Robert Butera
At Home in Decatur
Julie
Does anyone have a recommendation for affordable stump removal/grinding? thanks!
I had an excellent experience with Ness Stump Grinding. mystumpman.com 404-790-1262.
Full disclosure–> Ness is the company enlisted by the tree service which removed a diseased tree 2 years ago. The tree company charged $80.00 for the stump service, so I don’t know how much the stump service would run if there were no middle man. However, that being said, the stump guy noticed two other old stumps in the yard (from prior felled trees) and ground those up for no additional charge. It was super fast, no skin off his nose to take care of while the machine was there. I was so impressed by him that I ran to the window to jot down the contact info from his truck, for future reference. Hauling off wood chips is not included in the price, but their website says they’ll do (for an additional charge).
thanks so much.
Come walk, bike, roll, stroll Peachtree Street!
Atlanta Streets Alive returns Sunday June 12, 4-8pm. 2.7 miles of Peachtree Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from downtown (Edgewood) to the north end of midtown (17th Street).
http://www.atlantastreetsalive.com/june_route
Anyone else wary of the abundance of hawks in the neighborhood? While they are majestic and typically prey on smaller rodents, could a slow-moving ten pound asthmatic cat be a possible target? Two hawks battling for territory had swooped down unnervingly close to my head in our backyard and got me wondering…
I doubt, with all the small rodents around, a 10 pound cat would be a target.
I’m a herpetologist, not an ornithologist, but 10 pounds sounds like a lot. also – whether the cat has asthma or not probably does not really factor into the hawk’s decision to target….
I’ve raised chickens since around 2009 and the hawks had zero problems killing my 8lb-ish Buff Orpington. Whether or not they can actually fly off with their prey is irrelevant. If they think that they can kill it and get a meal….
I’ll spare you further gruesome details, but if your cat is truly small and slow-moving, I might be a little concerned.
Isn’t there a leash law for cats, anyway?? I’m tired of them killing the birds I’m feeding in my yard.
Me too, Christy. And if a dog is off leash, people flip out, but they seem okay to have their cats roaming free 24/7.
As both a cat and dog owner, my dog wandering the neighborhood would be much more of a problem than than my cat ever could. Dogs will attack and kill pets like cats and chickens. They might attack people. And they will kill wildlife. A cat will kill some wildlife–mostly rodents.
My cats like to sit on my front porch and there are many dog owners who walk their dogs past my house off leash and have let their dogs come up on my porch to chase my cats–even have let their dogs come in my front door if it’s open.
Regardless of what dogs or dog owners do, loose cats are a problem, plain and simple, and it’s not responsible pet ownership. Aside from killing the birds I feed, and crapping in my garden, there are dangers to to pet you love–other loose cats, cars, dogs. As I previous cat owner, I cared too much about my cat to risk those dangers. We live in the city, it’s just a fact of life. You care for your animal, you take appropriate care of it, and in the process, you’re considerate to your neighbors. 🙂
I’ve never understood this. We have cats pooping in our rose bed and it stinks! It’s also a health hazard to those who garden–especially if they are pregnant. Why are there no controls on cats?
No.
I have to admit that the fact that they prey on Decatur’s infamous rat and squirrel population tips me in favor of the hawks.
Decatur has a rat problem? This should be reported to the County.
I consider them to be indigenous like Palmetto bugs and mosquitoes.
And I’m much happier to see the rats than either of those!
Not me. Rats carry the plague and stuff. And they are fast breeders. Please report so the County can attempt to control their population.
DeKalb County Board of Health 404-508-7900
The actual, old-school plague? Mosquitoes carry all sorts of nasty things, too – nastier all the time, it seems. At least the rats do me the courtesy of staying outside! Tomato, tomahto, I suppose.
Trying to add some levity.
From DeKalb’s site: Rodents can spread diseases to humans through bite wounds and by contaminating food or water with their feces or urine. Germs in rodent urine and droppings can be stirred into the air and can be breathed in by humans. Diseases from rodents can also be spread indirectly by way of ticks, mites and fleas.
Plague is uncommon, but still around, according to Wikipedia…
It seems as if the palmetto bug population is exceptionally big this year–maybe because of a mild winter?
And the rats–well they’re probably one of the reasons we have coyotes and owls in the neighborhood.
Do not tolerate rats.
Exterminate them all rats, mosquitoes, palmetto bugs, cock roaches all nasty dirty little buggers.
Indeed. Do not. Snap traps (the sort with really big trigger plates) smeared with sweet peanut butter work well. I got tired of the dang things burrowing in my compost heap and getting my dogs riled up. A good number of rat necks were humanely broken without introducing poison to the local ecosystem.
This being Decatur, I assume some are still lurking, but if they don’t call attention to themselves I will try to forget about them.
Ugh. Rats.
I’ve seen mice but haven’t seen any rats…yet
That is because they are in your attic.
Or basement
Eeeeee! Thanks for the heads up!
Helicopter circling Winona Park. Anyone know why?
My better half said this evening, “I don’t know who invented air conditioning, most likely a Southerner but whatev, thank God for the momma who brought this child into the world.” I agree.
Hard to believe, isn’t it?
I recall that early in September 2001, I walked home from my teaching job at DHS and in front of the Brick Store, a car pulled up with two men inside. In broken english, they asked how to get to the Kroger. I provided directions but they had this puzzled look on their faces.
Now this was over fifteen years ago and I was much more trusting than now so I offered to take them. They agreed and I climbed in the back seat. During the short ride, I noticed all the Islamic caligraphy in the car so I pointed to something I knew and said, “Alah Akbar”. Their demeanor changed suddenly and they treated me like a long lost friend. We pulled in the Kroger lot and said goodbye.
A few weeks later, I was pretty sure that I recognized the driver’s picture on the front page of the AJC. I never knew for sure.
This morning, while Gracie and I were walking near Glenlake pool, a Middle Eastern man approached and pointed to his notebook paper and the words “Java Monkey”. I was uncomfortable giving him the directions but sent him on his way.
Sunday evening is date night for the Billingsleys and we’ve become fans of the Imperial, so much so that the waitresses know what we want when they see us. It was was the middle of last winter when we tried the Imperial and I recall one very cold Sunday evening, already dark, street deserted and the patio empty when I noticed a man walking towards us. He was a black man wearing a Hoodie and had both hands in his pockets. As he approached us, I put my hand in my pocket not knowing if I would have to defend my wife. He was very close when he said, “Hey Mr. B. How are you?” A former student.
You never know, do you?
You never do. Let’s just hope we don’t get to the point where we don’t give in to the extremists like Trump who say “round up and deport all the ones who don’t look like us!”
This is the Mr. B. that was so beloved at DHS! Helpful and cares about his students, past and present. (Even if the men he helped were indeed terrorists, maybe there’s a silver lining–maybe they spared Atlanta thanks to a friendly act. Certainly it didn’t hurt.)
I pray for the victims and families of last night’s massacre.
Me too, Mr B.
Looking for someone to do some restoration/refacing or retiling work on an older brick fireplace. Any recommendations? Thanks!