Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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Avoid long drawn out arguments. This should be a place to relax, not to waste your time needlessly.
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Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
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Please do not spam at the top level. If you have a lot to post each day, try and post them all together in one top level comment
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Try keep things light. If you are bringing in deep stuff, try not to go overboard.
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Things that are clearly on-topic for this board should be posted as a separate post and not here (except if you are new and still getting the feel of this place)
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If you find people violating these rules, deport them rather than start a argument here.
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Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evoloving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
It rained on and off buckets, it's warming up, if you smile big because of the summer arriving, keep your mouth closed though, the famous black flies of Vermont are back and thick enough to aim for all your face orifices. I use incense sticks, and it works pretty good. I get on my garden kneeler, place four around me, and they avoid me. The neighbor probably thinks I am doing some sort of ritual. Nope, no ritual, just prayer and thanks for creation, ( Lord, let me see even the blackflies as part of your creation, but let them be in their own space, if it is your will.Amen)
Pine-Sol, the flies hate it, I spray it on everything outside. Secondly, invite in the birds, I have 6 feeders and have a hummingbird highway. I've seen all sorts of crazy looking birds in my feeders, it's fun to watch and the flies leave whenever there's birds around. I'm a young masculine male, everyone thinks it's hilarious that I garden and feed the birds like a little old lady.
Flies are the worst! I get huge red swelling if a biting fly gets me. Not a horse fly, small ones with green on wings. That's pretty smart. I haven't gotten into incense yet. It's something I'm interested in trying in the house. I remember it when I was a kid. I was at a concert a few years ago, at the stage in the pit. It's crowded and gets hot. I got so nauseous I thought about leaving. The stage crew rolled out the next artist equipment and incense was sticking out of a speaker. Instantly I felt better. I hope it gets better for you. I'm in the south with mosquitoes, gnats and no see ems (tiny bugs you can't see that bites with a stings). They all seem to love me, anyone beside me is safe🤣
See my response below, you need bird feeders and Pine-Sol
I figured since bee keepers use smoke to put the bees to sleep, it would repel, and it does. I guess in the south you can't cover up too much, but I garden in long sleeves too, they are worse in late afternoon and morning, when I am out, because I can't stand high noon sun. My Dad would smoke a cigar when he sat out in the evening to keep the mosquitos away.