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Borrego Springs, CA

Sunday, January 26, 2014

I can put the Mentholatum aside

Yes, today marked the end of this year’s duck hunting season in Texas.  That means I can put the tube of Mentholatum away.  I won’t need to mask the smell of the mottled ducks when we extract their gizzards.  Most hunters today stayed as long as they could since it will be another ten months before they can enjoy their sport again.  I’ve enjoyed working the hunter check station, and getting to know the hunters.

IMG_4823Last November, I posted this picture of a water hyacinth.  While the bloom is pretty, it is an invasive species that tends to take over open water areas in ponds and bayous.  It’s kind of like the kudzu that is taking over forested areas in states east of here.  Anahuac NWR doesn’t have an active plan to deal with this invasive for one reason.

_MG_9731

All the refuge needs is some freezing temperatures in the winter to knock back its progression, and we’ve had a lot of cold temperatures so far this winter.  All that brown stuff is dead water hyacinth.  Some, of course, will survive and the process will start all over again in the spring.

I’m afraid this post tonight is going to be a mixture of different topics.  I got an email from a friend this morning, and she reminded me that I had yet to give my opinion on the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner that I bought a few weeks ago.

                                          iRobot - Roomba 770 Vacuum Cleaning Robot - Black - Larger Front

I originally ordered it for two reasons.  First, I hate vacuuming, and second, it was a very painful experience for me to use my regular vacuum when I was having such a problem with my shoulder.  As soon as it was delivered, I read the directions and plugged it in to charge overnight.

The next day, I turned it on to put it through its paces.  I have to admit that I wasn’t overly impressed with the job it did.  I also have to admit that I hadn’t vacuumed in some time, so it really faced a great challenge.  It was a hoot watching it maneuver its way around the motorhome.  It doesn’t really clean in a straight line at all, but it does change directions at wall barriers and at the edge of drop-offs like steps.  I bought the model that was supposed to be good for pet hair.  I’ve mentioned before that I can’t understand why Emma isn’t bald with all the shedding she does year round. 

The Roomba picked up the hair from the carpeted areas of the rig, but then seemed to deposit them on the linoleum sections of the floor.  I decided that maybe my test was a bit unfair, so I got out the regular vacuum and gave the rig a good once over.  Since then, I’ve turned the Roomba on every other day, and it seems to be keeping up with the hair and the rig looks ‘well groomed’ all the time.  It still dumps clumps of hair on the edges of throw rugs in the linoleum areas, but they are easy to pick up in a bunch.

Considering the price, would I buy it again?  Probably not, but I’m not going to send it back either.  I really do hate vacuuming, and in an area that is not so confined as to concentrate the pet hair I think it would be worth the price.  I’d be jumping for joy if I didn’t have to deal with so much pet hair.  It is great at getting into hard to vacuum places like under the driver and passenger seat, but I’ll probably drag out the dreaded regular vacuum about once a month to do the stairs and other places where I normally use the suction hose.

So, that’s my review of the Roomba.  I hope it helps some one out.  Looks like we’ll have to batten down the hatches again for the next polar vortex set to arrive by Tuesday.  I hope it doesn’t have all the ice accompanying it that the one last Friday had. Confused smile

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy 

23 comments:

  1. Glad to read your review of the Roomba. Who said you weren't a high-tech kind of gal? :-)

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  2. I'm in the market for a vacuum cleaner, but a cheap one!

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  3. Hey Judy, we are having the same kind of weather you are. Stay warm.

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  4. Thanks for the Roomba review. I was wondering too.

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  5. Kind of good to put away the metholatum for another season, huh? But my senses, being what they are, could actually smell duck guts as I read your blog. Oh well... As for the vacuum cleaner, how does it know to spit out the hair when it comes to a "bald" spot?

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  6. That's interesting about the Roomba...I don't think it could keep up with 4 shedding pups! I did invest in a light weight Hoover Air that does a pretty good job with no filters.
    It seems it's been really cold in Winnie this year.

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  7. Thanks for the review - maybe if I'm ever in a house again I'll think about getting one. It sure sounds interesting - and easy. I don't know anyone who likes vacuuming, and Katie sheds constantly. Now that my hair is getting longer, I'm finding I shed too. I hope I don't end up bald! :)

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  8. Never had a roomba, but we found after several duds, the dirt devil small upright with dirt cup, (no bags) and telescoping handle to suck the best, is small and lightweight, and the beater picks up our long dog hairs. Better than any other we have tried.
    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
    Karen and Steve
    (Blog) RVing: The USA Is Our Big Backyard
    http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com
    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

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  9. I don't mind vacuuming. It is getting everything out that drives me nuts.

    Better keep the Mentholatum handy. We are going to have another cold spell coming our way. Everyone around here has a cold except us Northerners. We are used to this weather.

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  10. The Roomba is more of a sweeper than a Vacuum... If it takes suction to pick up something then it doesn't do that well... But here in the Arizona tile floor house, the thing seems to pick up all kinds of junk off of the floor... I have to empty the bin almost every time I run it... And it got all those woolies out from under the bed... But I too will have to run the traditional vacuum every now and then as well....

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  11. Thanks for the review. Guess I'll stick with our old vacuum for now. I cannot believe how cold it has been for so many parts of the country and we're having 80 degree weather - in January. Unbelievable.

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  12. I guess I will stick with the Dyson, it picks up everything and makes the carpet look like new. Like you I hate to vacuum, but I sure only want to do it once.

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  13. Interesting review on the Roomba. I have always wondered about them. Yeah for you no more smelly Duck Gizzards. Brace yourself..today has been horrid -50 wind chills, winds are gusty and 40 mph..and we got new snow to blow around:(

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  14. Stella is forcing me to consider the Roomba. She sheds 24/7 and I am mostly tired of things looking so grubby. Did you get a good deal on yours?

    Cheers, Jo

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  15. Stay warm ... that same polar vortex is going to drop our temperatures where we are way south of you.

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    1. ...our temperatures where we are way south of you.

      Do you know where Judy is? Then again maybe you are not in Corpus Christi but really are 'way' south of her. Or maybe you measure 'way' as being a longer distance that I do.

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  16. Judy--Emmi doesn't shed so I don't have the pet hair problem but--you might want to empty the dirt collection container about halfway through its cycle and see if that helps. A lot of the reviews I read from pet shedding Roomba owners said you sometimes have to empty the container before the cycle is over.

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  17. Rylie would drive us crazy barking at a Roomba I just know it. As far as gizmos go it would be pretty far down on my list I'm afraid.

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  18. Emma, you'd better be careful: that Roomba or your mom could be dangerous to your health, either due to robot electronics, or due to Mom's fur frustration!

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  19. My daughter loves her Roomba..It's set to come on by itself twice a week while no one is home..she and John are working and kids at day-care...As for that cold snap...It's coming in here as we speak...Winds whipping out of the North, more of the same tomorrow, with dropping temps..Throw in a freezing rain/snow possibility Tuesday nite and we got us another Polar Vortex...Why do they now have to have a name for everything?? They are even naming the winter snow storms..I already HAVE a name for them!! ;-)

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  20. Maybe this incoming major winter storm to the South will take care of those weeds? Or will it freeze up the Roomba?

    Don't know who is happier with the end of hunting season, you or the ducks... ;c)

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