Perfect Weather Lets Capture Some Sun

The weather has been nice lately, getting well into the 70s with light winds. Still too early to put out the tomatoes but things are growing.

Thought this would be a nice time to work on the roof and garage attic; you know, before it gets really hot up there.

So we invited some nice young men over to put on a solar array.

Last pannel going up.


Roof cut off, first of three switches in the system.


The hold downs


The rack rails.


The inverter.


Here's the whole array.

It alls ends up powering the house and running the meter backwards when it is producing more than we are using.

After we recover all the tax credits it should pay for itself in about six years.  The payback is longer for us because we have some of the cheapest electricity in the country.

That means it is a better deal for all of you out there that live in the lower forty eight. Think about it!  I won't go into it being the right thing to do for the planet and your grandchildren. The price of electricity is only going up.

Go greedy and do it for the gold.

Do it now, while the weather is perfect.

Table Saw Blade Guard/Dust Collector, mark2

So, basically, here is what I want

Only $175 (not including saw and dust collector) but a nice set up.

I found a blade guard at the local restore for $4.00.  After a little hacksaw work and a trip to the local metal suppliers scrap pile ($1.00) I took it to a welder and here is what I got.

 Drilled two mounting holes in the rear support for the side table.

Foam block just a prop to lift guard for photo. Jury still out on the anti kick back feature.

Now all I have to do is rig an attachment for the dust collector already located overhead. Total so far $22.50.

Weather perfect outside so I'd better get to work.

Just a typical spring week end in Portland, followed by a trip through the snow back home.

Timbers won an action packed thriller but I know you all wouldn't understand.  So just take my word for it.

Been walking under this tree for a long time. I would imagine so have many others over the many years it has been around. It hangs over three houses and crosses the street. I feel so guilty when I look at it and wonder how many beautiful boards hide therein.

All the grand children have new play structures in their immediate futures (here and in Denver). Currently doing drive bys in the neighborhood for ideas.

Working on rain barrel systems at Ryan & Judy's (photos next trip). Hope to include an aqueduct from the rain barrels to the front yard via the garden. I believe playing with water runs in the family.

Went out to visit Travis and Kim's farm. Rained a bit so we stayed inside and ate.

Poor, neglected Bella w/friends

Drove back over Hwy 26; no accumulation on the road but more snow on the east side as the flow aloft was northeast.

Back home again and the weather is perfect so gotta get outside and to it!

Enjoy Spring.

I've Got Pictures

Went to Portland for a Timbers game this weekend. For those of you that didn't get to see it, an inspired outing with a strong second half dominating Houston for a 2-0 victory. Now don't you wish you'd been there? Don't bother to answer.

Anyway. When I left Redmond the first bulbs were up and we were definitely feeling like spring.

The tulips aren't up yet but the daffodils sure are.

When I got to Portland things were a little further along.

Looked like snow with dogwood blossoms everywhere.  One guy was shoveling them like leaves.

Then there was this tree across the street. Huge blossoms that made quite a carpet.

During a brief stint of sunshine we got out for a quick walk.

 Our favorite (purple of course) gloves with pumpkins.

 Ryan is actually walking backwards to shade Louis.

Then we realized that Nina forgot here cat helmet.

Finally Nina found many things for me to photograph.

There were trees.

 And flowers

Later I found some more trees.

Today it was time to go home and that involved crossing the Cascades.  

Snow was forecasted in the passes and it was just starting to stick at the top (Government Camp).

Ten minutes further on and the roads were just wet.

Twenty minutes more and the sun was out and trees bare.

Forty minutes from Government Camp and it is just a memory. Looks like they might be getting some snow in the mountains.

They were cutting down the trees along the right of way just west of Warm Springs. They don't look as nice as the Juniper we just got.

Sunny now at home, perfect.

Stay warm

More Wood

The Alaska Teagues are here and I took them and Emil out to visit a guy (Glen Burleigh) that salvages and saves Juniper from firewood harvests and fires in the local area.

He looks like he's been here forever and from the look of his shed, he has.

He strips the bark of newly dead trees to prevent a beetle investation.

Then he logs part of it and tries to extract the uniqueness of each tree.  And no two are the same.

We finally settled on two slabs from the same tree that have a lot of promise.

Here are some of the things that Glen found in the trees.

He has tons of resawn slabs that have great potential for musical instruments so Emil took some home to see if there were any ukeleles in there. You can see some of his work here.   roadtripukuleles.com

I have been hoping to fine new local woods for projects and I think this is going to be fun!

Supposed to rain tomorrow but I don't believe them.

Enjoy Spring!