OCTOBER 2015
Wednesday 2015.10.28
One Down, One To Go
This morning I completed the last step to finish up Computer-1.
Some people name their stuff, like their car or their Kitchenaid stand mixer. I don't name my things. So the other computer is Computer-1. This one is currently Computer-2, but it will be replaced and then named Computer-3. Boring, maybe, but Windows requires they have a name; so those names are good enough for me.
I finished the last of the file transfers to copy data files onto the new hard disks this morning. That was a little amusing, but mostly a nuisance. I had to transfer a lot of files and it took nearly 24 hours because these computers are old. Nothing goes quickly. I set up a hard disk outside the computer and a fan I use for such tasks. It has its own little stand. I helps keep the hard disk cool during the hours it takes to transfer files.
It's a wonder some of these parts lasted this long. Some of them are old IDE drives, which might not mean much to many of you, but that's really old technology. One of the hard disks is dated "26 NOV 2002". That's old. The new computer has been running smoothly and I'm ready to begin building and loading the second one.
It shouldn't take six days to complete the second computer. I have my notes, telling me what to do, and what to avoid. I estimate this next computer will be up and running in three days. I hope so.
That Brings Us Up to Halloween
Halloween is always a strange holiday here. I live in a college town where the annual Halloween street party is a major event. The fact that the holiday falls on a Saturday this year is even more significant. There will be lots of parties with lots of people visiting from out of town. The last time this happened people died — not from the parties though; they were killed in highway accidents on the way here.
I have a police scanner that I typically use at Halloween. I put fresh batteries into it this week. The parties at the university often result in altercations or other incidents. Police will be patrolling on horseback. It really is a major event and crowd control is sometimes necessary. For the most part, however, the police let the revelers enjoy themselves. Even public intoxication is mostly ignored unless a crime is committed or someone is in need of medical attention. And that is why there is such an obvious police presence. Law enforcement doesn't want to be accused of not paying attention when there is a medical emergency.
The neighborhood where I live has almost no children. We're mostly seniors here. So there isn't much need to buy candy. My door might be visited only two or three times. I usually don't buy anything; I go away for the evening. This year a new friend and I will go out to dinner on Saturday and then walk the main street down in the city to see the people in their costumes. I've done it before and it's fun. Some people are very creative in their choice of costume. I expect to see plenty of Hillarys and Trumps, but there will be some very original and unique ideas. I'm looking forward to it.
As For My Computers…
My ultimate plan for these computers is to keep one of the old ones, probably the one on which I am typing this blog right now. It works better than the other one and therefore it will probably be a test rig when I want to experiment with some new piece of software before loading it onto one of the new computers. The other old computer will probably be disassembled and I'll save some of the parts. Everything else will either go into recycling or electronics waste disposal. Besides, with a laptop computer as well, that makes four. How many computers does one person need?
So this blog is a short one today because I am just finishing up my cup of coffee and then it's on to the next build.
Sunday 2015.10.25
Climate Change
I saw a news report on TV that said September was the warmest month on record here in the USA. I wouldn't be surprised if October was a new record as well. There were a couple of very warm days this month and one day the temperature in parts of Los Angeles was 108°F (42°C), breaking the former record.
Now, however, the temperatures are finally cooling down. I'm seeing more days in the 70s rather than the 80s and the nighttime temperatures are dipping down into the 50s for the first time. Autumn has arrived.
Post-Construction Stage
On Thursday I built one of the two computers, modding a few parts and thus voiding the warrantees. It took all day. Putting everything together wasn't difficult, after the parts were made to fit. I ground down a couple plastic fan frames to fit the bulky CPU liquid cooler around the memory sticks and power cables. It really was a mess. Inside, a few places look like amateur custom jobs. I looked forward to putting the covers on, hiding my brutal work. And that was only one computer. At 10:00 that evening I was done with the assembly and I went to bed for a good night's rest. I needed it.
Friday morning I looked at everything again, making certain every fan was connected to a power source and every component was hooked up correctly.
Meanwhile, my home looked like I was either moving in or out — boxes everywhere. I'm not a neat freak, but I don't like a disordered mess in my home. Before going further with the computer, I went through all the boxes, sorting the contents into paperwork to save and parts (extra cables, etc.) to store. That day was also a recycling day, so everything that could be discarded went into the bin. There was no necessity of keeping those boxes anyway. With the many warrantees I voided, I wouldn't be returning anything.
Then, when satisfied my home was organized enough to feel relaxed and ready for the next challenge, I booted the new computer up. It worked. An MSI "GodLike Gaming" splash screen came up. I checked all the fans; they were spinning. Then I drove to Best Buy to purchase two packages of Windows 10 Pro. After spending $10,000 for two computers, another $400 for two operating systems seemed like an insignificant purchase.
Installing the OS and drivers took forever — all day in fact. After idling for a long time, it reported a problem and the computer needed to be restarted. I tried again and again, even going into the partitions to clean them for a fresh load. Nothing worked. I went to bed feeling defeated.
A good night's sleep, however, led to an answer. It's strange how the mind will think through a problem and come up with a solution even when everything else is sleeping. I've been reading a book about Windows 10 and it says the OS has all its own drivers. However, I had loaded drivers provided on the CD that came with the motherboard. I cleaned the partition again, did a fresh reload, and installed only one driver for the Intel chip set. The OS installation proceeded normally and all was well in a short while.
First impression? Quiet. This case makes almost no noise at all. In fact, I had to shine a flashlight through the window to check that the fans were still spinning.
The case is also one on which I am experimenting with Swiffer dust cloths as filters. With the covers off, the temperature at the top of the box was 86°F. (Ambient temperature in the room was 77°F.) I attached the covers and the filters; 30 minutes later the temperature in the box was fluctuating between 87 and 88°F. I can live with that. Holding my hand over the filter, I can feel air moving; so they're not restricting the air flow by much.
Today I am trying to load software. It will take all day. And that is the reason there is not a new recipe/video this week. The new computer took up too much of my time. However, I've been writing good notes during the entire process. When I build and load the second one, hopefully it will go a lot smoother.
Wednesday 2015.10.21
Winter Ready
Winter never looked so good.
I prepared 24 cups of chicken stock this week. Another 14 cups were already in the freezer. 38 cups of stock should last me a while for soups this winter. The first batch was made with trim from raw chickens. The second batch was made from the trim left over from the Costco rotisserie chickens I buy to store Minute Meals in my freezer. I like this stock better. It has a slightly better flavor and it doesn't make that foamy scum I normally see on the surface of the other stock. Stock made from the rotisserie chickens is easier to filter and put up for freezing.
More Computer Parts
Another video adapter card arrived this week. It's so huge it takes up three motherboard slots. The cost of this card, with tax, was $1,619.99. But hey! I got free shipping! Really, I need to have my head examined. I think I mentioned that a friend bought an entire computer for less than half the cost of this one card. He isn't interested in having an extreme production rig though.
And the two motherboards arrived yesterday. Each is an MSI X99A "Godlike Gaming" motherboard. Really, I'm not building extreme gaming rigs. I'm building extreme production rigs. But, if they can also be used for gaming, that's okay too (although I don't have any games that would take full advantage of these rigs).
The final component, a temperature monitor that fits into one of the front bays, will arrive later today. It has four sensors that can be attached inside the computer. I'm not concerned about the CPU or the graphics card. With a closed-loop liquid cooling system, they'll take care of themselves. It's mostly the hard disk and the overall internal temperature I want to watch because of the air filters. The monitor has a color touch-sensitive display that reports temperatures and can be used to control the speed of fans (although I might not bother with the fans if the temps remain within specs).
Meanwhile, I'm trying to read through the user's manual for the motherboards. I want to make certain I know exactly what I am doing before I install any components.
And finally, yesterday I voided the warranty on my computer cases. As mentioned in an earlier blog post, the CPU liquid coolers didn't fit. Out came the Dremel and there went the guarantee.
Sunday 2015.10.18
A Brief Change in the Weather
Late Wednesday afternoon was entertaining. A thunderstorm moved into the area, going right overhead. The lightning was bright and the thunder was loud. It was accompanied by a period of heavy downpour, including small hail. It was fun to watch. I opened all the curtains and watched from the comfort — and safety — of my home. It was also the test I needed. A lot of water flowed down the street. There was plenty of runoff from my landscaping, but it all streamed away down the road, leaving no puddles in my yard or in my driveway.
Unfortunately, other areas of California did not do well. Major mud slides closed many roads, including important freeways, and trapping hundreds of cars. The state is still cleaning up. We need the rain, but it doesn't come without some cost.
More Computer Stuff
On Thursday I ordered the second graphics card I need. According to the shipping tracking thing, it will be here tomorrow. That leaves only the motherboards, and maybe a few accessories.
I experimented a little with "modding," that is modifying the computer somehow to make it a little better. One issue here is dust. I have a 21-inch window fan that runs nearly everyday during the warmer months of the year, and often during winter. This office is dusty. My current computers have little dust screens on the front and they work, sort of. When I vacuum the office I try to remember to clean the filters. However, there is still dust inside my computers. Maybe just less of it.
When I built these computers eight years ago, I tried making a filter system that used the material in air conditioner filters. The fabric catches a lot of dust. However, computer fans are notoriously inefficient. They couldn't overcome the air resistance of the filters. The internal temperature shot up to over 140°F. The fans I would need are those cylindrical squirrel cage fans, and they are extremely noisy, like your vacuum cleaner.
I can purchase ready-made filter panels that attach to the computer with magnets, but they use the same screen material my current computers use, and there is dust inside. Is there a better way?
On Friday I experimented with Swiffer dusting cloths because they seem to have good air flow when I breathe through them. The temperature in this computer (the one I use to write this blog), measured at the top exhaust fan, was 90°F. I covered the intake ports with Swiffer cloths. I even reversed one of the exhaust fans to pull air into the computer (holding the cloth in place).
There are lots of places where air can get into a computer. I checked with a thin strip of tissue and temporarily closed those spaces. I wanted the bulk of the air to be drawn in through the filters. Then I waited. 15 minutes later the temperature at the exhaust fan was 96°F, and it was the same an hour later. Not bad. I might have found my answer for reducing dust in my new computers.
So, extrapolating forward, there are the liquid coolers I bought for the new computers. The CPU (central processing unit — the "brain" chip) cooler uses two fans and there is an external fan on one graphics card liquid cooler. The CPU cooler instructions (I do read them) says it works best if configured to draw air into the computer. That makes sense. The air outside my computer is currently 79°F, a full 17 degrees cooler than the air inside. The graphics card cooler has the fan pointing the other way, exhausting air. I'll need to change that.
I also looked closely at the fans in my new cases, revealing a design flaw: The front fan pulls air into the computer. There is a mesh filter in front of it. However, there is no way to inspect or clean that filter without removing both side panels and then removing the front bezel (not an easy task). In fact, without removing the bezel there is no way to know the filter is even there because there is no mention of it in the owner's manual. Someone wasn't thinking. I removed the filter and I'll probably remove the fan too. The rear exhaust fan will be replaced by the graphics card fan and radiator. That leaves at least one spare fan. I might be able to put it in the bottom of the case (there are holes for it) as another filtered intake fan.
I should probably also mention that the dust cloth filters are currently held in place on this computer by the air flow of the fans. Turn off the computer and the cloths fall off. I purchased some tiny but strong (neodymium) magnets at Home Depot. They'll hold the filters in place on the new computers.
It's counter-intuitive to draw air in through the back, bottom, and top, exhausting it out the front, but if it solves a dust problem, it might be okay. The current configuration is four fans pulling air in and one (maybe) pulling it out. The pressure differential isn't anything to think about. There are literally dozens of vents all around the case. The air will find a way out.
As for Cooking…
Winter is coming. That's soup weather. I have one cup of chicken stock remaining in the freezer. It's time. Yesterday I put up 15 cups of stock. The stock pot is currently on the stove heating up again. By the end of today I should have 30 cups of stock put away, maybe more. That will last a while.
Wednesday 2015.10.14
Head First
A thought, more of a memory, occurred to me yesterday evening while I was watching the Democratic candidate debate. During a commerical break I checked my email. Someone wrote something about my plans to build new computers. I tried to think about where I was in the process and I came up with the idea of diving.
I remembered when I was a child trying to learn how to dive. I couldn't grasp the concept. My parents tried, friends tried, but at most all I could do was fall into the water in a very ungraceful way.
There were ponds and lakes near where I grew up in New England. We lived near the coast; so there were plenty of salt water bodies as well. When I was a teenager I was standing on the edge of a pond, alone (probably not a good idea — going swimming alone — but teenagers don't always think sensibly), and without thinking I jumped into the water, hands above my head, executing a decent graceful arc of a dive head first into the water. Before I reached the water I realized what I had done and started laughing. The result was that I came up coughing from laughing underwater. The point, however, was that I dove without thinking about it. Ever since then I could dive into water naturally. It's as easy as sitting in a chair.
That idea came to mind because of my taking on the task of building two new computers. As I've mentioned before, these are "dream machine" computers. Once I bought the first part, the "mobile rack" bay insert (about $40 with the tax, back in June), which I need for dual-boot systems, the other parts were ordered, a few at a time, without thinking about it (other than researching what I would need so that everything would be compatible).
The most expensive parts are being ordered now. Yesterday the two microprocessors, (Intel Core i7-5960X "Extreme Desktop" 8 core 3 GHz 20MB cache, LGA2011v3), arrived. Two of them. $2,253.18 with the tax. Today one of the graphics cards arrived. That one cost me $1,192.48. I need to buy another one and then the motherboards, which retail at $550 each.
It has been a long steep dive into what might be some very cold water. To stay with the analogy, there is always the worry about depth. What if the computers don't work? What if I made a mistake about something and when I flick on the switch everything blows up or burns out? That's just unnecessary anxiety, but there is the nagging feeling that something could go wrong, even though I've built computers before and they always worked in the past. They're still working, eight years later (although not very well — this one froze while I was typing this blog). Reminder: Save often.
Weather
One thing I am thankful for is that the temperatures are starting to cool a little. I will not attempt to build computers while it is warmer than 80°F outside and above 90°F inside. I've mentioned that I moved to Southern California for the warmth. I love it. But there is a big difference between warm and hot. It has been hot here, really hot, record-breaking hot. Today there is a slight chance of a little rain. That's okay. This morning I worked outside planting more Dymondia ground cover. I still haven't finished all the planting yet. I do it a little at a time. The big work is done — all the stone work — so planting can go slow and easy.
The heat, of course, makes it difficult to do cooking videos too. I have so many recipes I want to try. I find new ones faster than I can experiment with them.
Sunday 2015.10.11
Oops, Sort Of…
I was hoping to upload a YouTube video this morning, but something happened. I joined a new discussion group, my second one. I attend the World News Discussion Group every other Saturday. Yesterday was the first meeting of How to Deal With Difficult People. I thought it might be interesting. It is. The organizer is the same one for the News group. The discussion was lively and, at times, genuinely personal. If I can say anything negative — the problem is that we only get one side of any story. If the "problematic" partner were present, what would that person say about the issue? I don't like operating with only half a story.
The "oops" came about because the moderator asked me to stay afterward. We talked for hours and it was very enjoyable for both of us. We get along great because one thing we both have in common is enthusiasm for computers. I had my computer with me and he showed me some neat tricks. I was able to show him something new I learned about the Firefox browser. Way cool! However, I didn't get home early enough to make all the changes necessary to upload a new video and add the recipe to the Archive. Oh well. Next week. Next Saturday will be another session of the News group again; so I'll need to make the changes early, maybe on Friday instead of my ususal Saturday.
Computer Build
The computer build is warming up. Up until recently, all the parts I ordered were those with a low risk of being DOA (dead on arrival). The vendor offers a 30-day replacement guarantee. Two components, the graphics card (GPU) and the motherboard, have the greatest risk because they have the most solder points. So the plan has been to order those last. I've been ordering parts a few each month so that I wouldn't max out my credit card and so that I wouldn't suffer from sticker shock when the invoice arrives. So far, it has been working.
Now, however, I'm getting down to the last parts to be ordered, and that's where things get a little sticky. The GPU cards I want are liquid cooled, but try to get them. The vendor I like to order from rarely has them in stock. I found one this week, one, and ordered it. When I looked back later to check the model number the item was listed as "out of stock." The one I ordered was evidently the only one they had in inventory. This poses a problem because I want to build computers in identical pairs. As I explained before, I like having two of everything because if I need to trouble-shoot a problem, it is easy to switch components between computers to narrow down the problem. And problems do occasionally happen.
So, okay, maybe each computer will have a different graphics card. They are close in design, made by the same manufacturer. One is their best quality card, a super high-end video card, a gamer's dream, but fan cooled. The other is one notch lower, but liquid cooled, which I like. I've never had to swap video cards to isolate a problem, so maybe this will be okay. The best card will go into the computer I will use for video processing. And I am really looking forward to seeing how quickly I can encode a video. The last one I did, at nearly 28 minutes (it was a complicated recipe to prepare), took nearly three hours to encode in pre-DVD format and in HD format for YouTube. I do both because I keep a library of all my videos on DVDs.
When will the build actually take place? That depends on the credit cards. As soon as I see the bills are ready to pay, I'll pay them off the same day. Then, when I see the payments are processed and I have my full credit limit again, I'll order the last of the parts. That should put the actual build at the end of this month or the beginning of November, when all the final parts arrive.
To video or not to video? I've been debating whether or not to shoot a video of the assembly. One issue is modding. When it comes to building your own computers, you hope everything will fit together perfectly. You hope. I compared the screw holes in the cases I bought with the screw holes in the processor (CPU) liquid coolers that arrived last week. The holes almost line up correctly. Almost. I'll need to mod those holes a little with a Dremel (say good-bye to the manufacturer's guarantee) to get them to fit perfectly. It comes with the territory. I don't think I've ever done a build without some modification to something. In the cases I'm using right now I built my own mounting system for the extra hard disks and I fabricated a custom fan mount to bathe the C: system drive with cool air. Do I want to show modding in the video? Or should I simply pretend everything fits together perfectly? The debate goes on.
Why liquid cool? One problem I have with my current computers is that the SATA cables seem to come loose, even those with a little metal clip that is supposed to hold them in place. The problem, I think, is with the CPU coolers I used, which are really big and heavy fan things that attach to the CPU. All the weight is supported by the motherboard. With the liquid cooling system, there is no big fan. Nearly all the weight and fans are supported by the case. Ergo: Hopefully there will be no vibration of the mobo that might shake the SATA cables loose.
The cooler changes the air flow through the computer. The case is designed with an air filter at the bottom (difficult to remove to clean because it must be pulled from the back and I push my computers back against the wall, and also impossible to monitor to see when the filter needs to be cleaned). The fans pull air up through the bottom of the case, exhausting it out the top and back. The water cooler works best by drawing air in through the top, making the filter pointless (because it would filter the air going out, not in). So a little more modding, maybe with a little velcro, might be necessary to attach the filters to the top of the case. Easy to monitor and easy to remove for cleaning. Makes me wonder why the case manufacturer didn't think of that.
The RAM (Random Access Memory) is DDR4 memory sticks, 64 gigs total. I'm going all the way and filling every memory slot on each motherboard with memory, the maximum each will hold. Will I ever use all that memory? Highly unlikely. But these are "dream machine" get-your-head-examined computers, no holds barred. I think it's more about bragging rights (maybe bragging rites) anyway. More memory does have one advantage though: You can have more programs open at the same time.
Summer Lingers
It might seem a little pointless to report temperatures here in SoCal. Where I grew up in New England it was 30°F cooler. Still, 68°F ain't bad. On Friday the temperature in Camarillo, about an hour from where I live, peaked at 108°, a new record. I moved here for the warmer weather, but this is too warm for October. It peaked at over 97° here.
Wednesday 2015.10.07
You Win a Few, You Lose a Few
Sunday's video of the Lamb and Sausage Pie went well. The pie was delicious and I made two neighbors happy. They each got nearly half (after I cut one piece for myself for the tasting). See the recipe page for more information and a photo.
Ad Blockers
In previous blog posts I mentioned my membership in a World News Discussion Group that meets every other Saturday. One item hot in the news lately is the increased usage of ad blockers on computers. I found a couple graphs that illustrated the amount of data — up to six times that of the actual web page content when filled with ads, especially animated adds that use Java scripts or Adobe Flash. The web pages can therefore take up to six times longer to load. Like many people, I find the ads annoying, but I hadn't loaded any ad blockers onto my computers.
The arguments for and against them are reasonable. I know. Web sites cost money — to host, to create, to maintain — even this one that you're reading right now. News agencies like CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, must pay their employees. They get the bulk of their revenue from ads. The advertisers pay for displaying their ads to you. If the ads are not displayed, there is no revenue, which denies income to the owners of the web sites. Internet users, on the other hand, expect everything for free and they find in-your-face advertisements annoying.
I decided to experiment. I'm planning to build new computers either this month or next month anyway, so I don't mind loading software that might not be loaded onto the new computers. I tested a free 15-day trial version of Super Ad Blocker. It's supposed to be one of the best, but it doesn't work in Windows 10, whether using the new Microsoft Edge browser, Internet Explorer, or Firefox. Animated ads and pop-ups were just as prevalent — and annoying — as ever.
Firefox, however, has a free ad blocking plug-in. The default setting eliminates all the annoying animated ads while permitting the static ads to display. Think of it as a compromise. But the settings can be changed to block every ad. And it works.
Now it's time to come up with some rationalizations. I built and maintain this web site. It costs money to host and maintain, such as buying the food I use in my recipes and videos. I don't have any advertisements, and there are a lot of reasons for that. I'd need to pay for a commercial site, which costs a lot more money, which means lots of ads. And I don't have any way of tracking my site's ad performance. Besides which, given the one or two emails I get per month, this web site wouldn't win any popularity contests. So advertisements are simply not a good idea unless my web site goes viral, in which case I'd probably sell it.
I do earn some money from monetizing my videos on YouTube. That helps to offset the cost of foods. YouTube along with the occasional donation, pays the bills. I have no reason to complain.
So how is this for a rationalization? I maintain a free website that is devoid of advertisements. Even my cookbook in EPUB format is free. Therefore, haven't I earned a little justification for using an ad blocker in my Internet web browser? Besides, plenty of other people are using ad blockers and they don't give away anything for free like I do. It works for me.
And speaking of building computers, I am continuing to order parts. Newer and more expensive components become available occasionally. I had a 6-core Ivy-bridge Intel central processing unit (CPU) on my wish list. Yesterday I changed it to an 8-core Haswell CPU. It's an extreme chip and it alone will cost me more than $1,000 when I order it. Meanwhile, a friend just bought a new computer for around $700. Mine, when complete, will ultimately cost over $5,000, and I'm building two. Maybe I need therapy. The Dell 4K monitors will be extra.
Yesterday I ordered the memory and the CPU coolers. I already have the cases, hard disks, solid state drives, Blu-ray burners, and the mobile rack bays I need to have dual-boot systems. Yet to purchase: CPUs, motherboards, and video cards. I'll probably order the CPUs tomorrow.
Sunday 2015.10.04
Ramping Up the Cooking
During the summer, partly because of the heat, I wasn't uploading cooking videos to YouTube as often as I used to, which was every Sunday. Starting this month, weather permitting, I am going to try to return to the weekly uploads.
I say weather permitting because the temperatures here are still pretty warm, like up in the mid to upper 80s. (Thursday peaked at 88°F.) You'll hear no complaints from me. It's nice warm weather, so much better than the temperatures I endured in New England when I lived in Connecticut (in fact, this warmth was the reason I moved to Southern California 40 years ago). It's when the temperature climbs up into the 90s that's when I get uncomfortable. With October here, the temperatures should begin to decline and I can enjoy my kitchen again.
And speaking of New England, I received an email from someone who listed Hope Valley, RI as a previous home. I remember Hope Valley. When I was a teenager in Connecticut and I had a job in Pawcatuck, repairing typewriters. Remember those? Our service area included parts of Rhode Island and I made many trips to Hope Valley. It was, as I remember it, a very quiet and quaint little community loaded with New England charm.
Today we're expecting a little rain. I'd like the rain, but I want the cool temperature too, forecast to be in the low to mid 70s. Therefore, I'm going to use my oven for the first time in a few months. I am making something fancy, Lamb and Sausage Pie, to fill a gap in my YouTube channel.
The recipe is already here on this web site, but I need a new video. The last time I made this was more than four years ago. I've come a long way. Besides a better video, I hope to get some better photographs too.
I really enjoy making savory pies like this one because I can use phyllo dough for the pie shell. It's the best, and fun to work with (if you don't mind a little mess). The pastry is beautiful, as can be seen in the recipe photo, flaky and golden, almost too beautiful to cut into. The filling in this pie is rich and redolent with spice and other goodness — lamb, onions, chorizo, linguiça, prosciutto. What's not to love?
El Niño?
I've said it before, and some people don't believe me, but when the ants move indoors it appears to predict a rainy winter. It has been dry outdoors. No reasons for the ants to find shelter now. But they were in my kitchen on Thursday. I set out my usual ant bait traps. They help. I'm wondering, however. Is this another predictor of a wet winter? We'll see… As for the ants, they're gone now, at least for a while.