Early Retirement Extreme Forums

it's this

https://www.realsimple.com/shop/merola- ... 6a8a7.html

but it's not imported all the way here, mkt too small/too far away from civilization

hah! manufactured in spain. excellent. gotta love that common market.

eta: not imported there? you might be able to find with a little patience...

Hardwood flooring can be surprisingly durable, but water is its downfall.

Looking back at the patio tile, that would have been nice to have throughout. It reminds me of Terrazzo.

Your chosen tile is looks neutral, functional, classic. How nice it will be to have it done at some point and not have to redo! (I am not one for redecorating or remodeling.)

My Eastern European heritage brother in mold remediation! Multi-purpose respirator masks are the new ERE style trend. Mine is pink and baby blue. I am envious that you were allowed to take occupancy in this condition. I like your tile concept and admire your staunch devotion to reuse of materials.

Update:



I was wondering why she's in the empty pot and wouldn't budge even when I walked right past her.



Got scared eventually, flew to the other side of the balcony. I turned around and-



According to pigeon breeders on youtube, there will be a second egg in 2 days and then she'll incubate both together for 17-19 days depending on temp.

Find myself thinking about crow and crowson from in praise of doing nothing. Definitely wouldn't have had the experience of watching pigeons nest and grow right outside my window if I was still working abroad full time. Let's hope pidge is not too upset with me having coffee next to her nest.

ha ha that's great!

Now that there is an egg, it will be really hard to get rid of the pigeon. They carry all sorts of diseases, not least of which are bed bugs, and you don't want to get bed bugs. If it was up to me, I would get rid of the whole nest ASAP.

Very cool. Nature will have her way. Also nice to have a balcony view with your morning coffee.

apparently, an empty pot on a high floor balcony is to pigeons what a cardboard box is to cats.

Cool pictures! So I had to look up the size of a pigeon egg and found this: https://guide.michelin.com/hk/en/hong- ... pigeon-egg
I have eaten quail eggs but never pigeon. Having a coffee companion and entertainment is more valuable than a free nibble IMO.

Anyway, your post has a lighter, more contented vibe. I am glad you’re doing well.

Curious how you're taking care of that mold? Just scrubbing with bleach? Wearing a respirator?

Lemur wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 01, 2021 1:58 pm

Curious how you're taking care of that mold? Just scrubbing with bleach? Wearing a respirator?

Right now, I am only emptying the kitchen and taking down cupboards. I'm not touching the mouldy spot until it's warm enough for all doors and windows to be opened. Then, I don't plan to scrub, I'll just spray with bleach solution instead of the regular warm water when i take down the wallpaper. I'll be wearing gloves anyway, mold or no, the entire place is gross. After the wallpaper is down and thrown out, I'll spray the wall and wait to see what else needs to be removed. Because of the leak (which is now supposedly inactive), I think I'll need to strip the walls down to brick/concrete anyways. The kitchen will need to be redone completely, its condition is simply too bad. 7w5 was asking how i was allowed to take occupancy and the answer is, yolo this is eastern europe + i am not using the space for now; I live without a fridge or a washing machine, I live out of one room, and I wash the dishes in the bathroom sink until little by little the place becomes livable. Depression + winter sluggishness + the initial state of the place mean it goes slower than I was hoping, but it goes.

edit: forgot to mention, have not purchased respirator yet, I wear a kn95 when I clean the rest of the kitchen

now we wait.

haha this is very cool.

but.. i have to ask because my computer is malfunctioning: when you got your apt it was on 2nd floor no? then i remember top floor became available... you swapped?

it was never on the 2nd floor, the high floor + open balcony with sunset view was one of the reasons i bought it in the first place. My parents are on the 2nd floor and I once talked about how they're south-facing and have deciduous trees outside their windows (shade in the summer, sunlight in the winter). Maybe that's where the 2nd floor thought came from.

I'm enjoying the photos. Thanks for sharing.

So cute!

I recently learned that very strong white vinegar is actually better for permanently vanquishing mold than bleach.

Vinegar followed up with borax is the most effective for getting mold out of wood grains. Bleach will cause the mold to retreat, but it comes back stronger. I think bleach solutions may work okay on other surfaces though.

I have some experience (through a friend) with pigeons on the balcony.
The whole family will shit all over everything on the balcony. Expect layers of shit to accumulate over time.
The little ones will make a lot of noise.
If you allow them to stay, they will get attached to your balcony as the safe spot and subsequent generations will insist on nesting there as well.
As was written already, they (and their shit) carry some nasty diseases and parasites.

For someone who thinks nothing of cracking a couple of eggs for breakfast, I find myself irrationally resistant to destroying the nest. I am being sentimental; I do realize if I don't do it now, I'll probably have to do it later. Currently, my place is a biohazard even without the pigeon shit, and given that the old guy who lived here before me was ill, the pigeons are probably already attached to this nesting spot - which would explain why they chose it even though there was a human milling about.

I am also probably going back to work abroad for at least a couple more years. Without anyone in the apartment, the pigeons will surely be back. Once I am back here full time, I will get a cat. I am sure the cat will like stalking the occasional ill-advised pigeon on my balcony which should serve as a natural deterrent.

This has been interesting, though. It has definitely exposed my irrationality around not wanting to hurt the pigeons on my balcony but at the same time, eating milk, eggs, and chicken.