Chendrashaker's World

...in Hot Water

2012-02-13T17:40:00.001-05:00

In October we had HALCO (http://www.halcoheating.com/) install a direct solar hot water system on our new roof. The goal is to reduce our annual propane use by 50%.
How it works:
An antifreeze solution is pumped through two solar collector panels on the roof. This fluid is then pumped through a coil inside of a large water storage tank located next to our existing propane hot water tank. If the solar panel temperature is 10 degrees higher than the storage tank bottom's water temperature, a circulating pump turns on. Heat from the solar heated solution is then transferred by conduction and convection within the storage tank. When we turn a hot water faucet on for showers, dish washing or laundry; preheated water from the top of the storage tank enters our existing hot water tank, reducing the amount of propane needed to raise well water to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Two solar hot water panels.

Air temperature - 38 Faherenheit in the shade.

The inhouse temperature probe (left) and various
pressure gages for easy system monitoring.

The above video clip was taken at 2:30 PM local time.

The 1st number is the temperature of the antifreeze solution in the panels on the roof. (121 F)
The 2nd number is the temperature at the bottom of the water storage tank. (102 F)
The 3rd number is the water temperature at the top of the water storage tank, which feeds our existing gas heated hot water tank. ( 89 F)

As you can see the water entering our hot water tank is preheated by the sun. Before the solar water heating system was installed, 56 - 57 degree Fahrenheit well water would enter our hot water tank and then have to be heated with propane to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

The following video clip was taken later (5:35 PM) as the sun is now lower in the western sky. As you can see, the solar panel temperature is down (47 F), but the temperature at the top of the storage tank is 97.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Water entering the hot water tank will only have to be heated 23 degrees vs 57 degree water coming directly from the well under the old system.

We will be watching our propane bills, so check back in a few months.

Screening 2010 Leaf Compost

2012-01-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

Yard leaves are a terrific source of soil amending compost. Each fall I rake and collect yard leaves into a large pack pile. In our yard the leaves consist of black walnut, white ash, a variety of maples, red oak, and shrub leaves. Below are several photos and video clips of the finishing process for the 2010 leaves into a fine compost that will be added to this springs (2012) vegetable garden.

Unscreened 2010 Leaf Compost

Screening 2010 leaf compost removes sticks, nut hulls, stones...etc.

Screened, finished leaf compost

Removing materials that did not pass through the screen for further screening and/or recomposting.

Here I shovel the screened, finish compost into holding bin made of lined wood pallets.

The bin of finished 2010 leaf compost
...I would estimate the volume to be 2.5 - 3 cubic yards.

The finished compost pile (L) is covered, protecting it from leaching
and the screened out (R) will be rescreened and/or worked into future

compost piles for further decomposition.

Above is the 2011 leaf pack pile. (Note the interior temperature in the photo below) Over the next year, I will turn
this pile several times to insure it forms a finished compost by December 2012.

130 F - the interior temperature of the 2011 leaf pack pile (January 24, 201)

A leaf compost sample was sent to the Penn State University Compost testing site earlier this week.
I will post the analysis results when they are recieved.

Two Interesting Winter Reads

2012-01-15T17:53:00.000-05:00

Just finished reading The American Chestnut: the Life, Death and Rebirth of A Perfect Tree by Susan Freinkel. An interesting read that tells the historical story of the American Chestnut tree and the on going decades effort to restore this tree, that was long gone by my birthday. For a review, click on the link below.

http://www.susanfreinkel.com/books_American_Chestnut.html

The other evening while watching the PBS News Hour I heard Karl Pillemer, Ph.D., (researching gerontologist/Cornell University) give a review of his new book 30 Lessons for Living - Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans. You can listen to the interview by clicking on the link below.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/jan-june12/lifelessons_01-05.html

Both of these books are available in our local Pioneer Library System at: http://www.owwl.org/

...check them out. They are good winter reads!

2011 Notables on the Home Front

2012-01-01T07:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I took a little time to review some of 2011's accomplishments.
Here are ten in no particular order -

Walked 1,541 local miles ...average = 4.2 miles/day & collected $69.70 for roadside deposit cans...primarily beer cans. ...so why are Gatorade, Vitamin drinks , Brisk Tea, and chocolate milk product bottles NOT returnable? Got to look into this one.
We drove 1000 miles less this year than last year...let's see @ $.40/mile that is a savings to say nothing of the into town errands saved by walking instead.
$8.36 - the amount of loose change found along side of the roads while walking ...I also found over a dozen, unopened cans of beer ...??? Yes, I know your next question.
The Photo Voltaic system generated 8033 kilowatt hours of electricity or over 100% of our electric power needs for 2011 ... enough energy to light 803, 100 watt incandescent bulbs for an hour...right? Oh, incandescent bulbs will soon be history.
Turned and screened 6 cubic yards of finished compost that was used in our garden & flower beds ... that is roughly 6000 calories figuring 300 Calories/hour x 20 hours of turning, screening and loading/spreading.
Collected conservatively 10+ tons of field stone from roadsides, hedges, and the work areas at local cemeteries (NO! not head stones!! ...lets see now ...80 wheel barrow loads @ 250 lbs/load...) used to build a pond and free standing stone walls.
By recycling & composting, we are averaging 0.4 lbs/person of solid landfill waste/day. (...the national average is 4 lbs/person of solid landfill waste/day.)
Volunteered 383 hours over the past year ...or 7.4 hours/week.
We have not purchased any vegetables, salad greens, jams or honey in 2011 ...thinking globally, but acting locally.
I've read 25 books from the local library system. (...mostly non-fiction, many from the NYT bestseller list.)

...It is on to the New Year!

Think I will go for a three hour walk before the rains come today.

The Toy Chest

2011-12-25T06:59:00.000-05:00

Early last fall I promised my son and his wife that I would make a toy chest for our grandsons. Delivery would be on Christmas day.

....Well last week I could no longer procrastinate on my promise; so work began using the few, crude hand held tools that I had in my unheated log barn. After about '45 thousand cuts (... and recuts)' I put together the 'toy chest barn' pictured below.

Despite cold feet and fingers, it is fun to see the mental image transform into a physical stucture which I hope the boys will enjoy.

Dimensions:

Barn - 48" long x 24"wide x 30" at the barn peak.

Silo - 36" high (top of staves) x 6.5" wide. to the top of the staves.

Storage:

Lift the roof panel off on the facing side and back lean-to section of the barn. I decided against hinges, thinking that little fingers could be pinched.

The barn doors can be slid open or closed.

The silo cap can be lifted off and the top 12" can hold some more 'stuff'. The bottom 24" contain two structural support disks.

How Sweet It Is!

2011-12-09T17:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I extracted and bottled 30+ pounds of honey. Since I don't have a honey extractor that removes honey from the comb by a centrifuge action, I followed the suggestion by a fellow hobbist beekeeper. I purchased two 5 gallon plastic buckets. Drilled 20 plus 3/8th inch holes in the bottom of the top bucket lined with a nylon, 5 gallon paint screen. This bucket was then placed ontop of the bottom bucket, with a large hole in it's lid. The bottom bucket served as the collecting bucket. A faucet from my scrap plumbing pile was added and wha-laa!

... let the honey extraction begin

The plastic frames loaded with comb honey are scrapped into a collecting pan.

The scappings are added to the top bucket to begin a 24 hour gravitational separation of honey from the wax. The honey drips into the bottom collecting bucket.

While the jars filled, I designed a label.

Occupy ?

2011-11-30T06:45:00.000-05:00

With the recent removal of 'Occupy Wall Street' in New York City parks, I wondered how much of the materials removed will occupy our local landfills?

Timely Reads

2011-11-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

Just finished two interesting books that are available in our local library system.

Because I Love You -The Silent Shadow of Child Sexual Abuse by Joyce Allan is a memoir documenting the authors' search to understand her own sexual abuse by her father and his extensive abuse of so many others, including her own children years later. Her journey to restore some sense of normalacy to her life involved decades of interviews with family members, employers, and follow up leads suggested by others in the search to uncover and understand the extent of child sexual abuse by her father.

The other book currently on the NY Times Best Seller list is A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard. In 1991 when Jaycee was just eleven years old she was abducted on her way to school and for the next eighteen years she describes how she copped with the physical/mental control by her abductors. Jaycee endured sexual abuse, isolation, boredom, pregnancy and the loss of those milestone events in our lives from elementary school through adulthood.

Both books are excellent reads, especially as the events at Penn State currently unfold.

... another 'trinity'?

2011-11-04T07:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I took a break from raking and stacking my leaves to rake and stack my parent's leaves. I tarped, stacked, soaked and tramped down 16 piles of yard leaves into a compact 6x6x6 foot pile of leaves that will rot down into finished compost, which can be used to amend their garden soil.

Of course with the repetitive raking and leaf stacking process I had time to reflect on the three piles that were generated.

I think the captions will illustrate where my thinking wandered off to this time.

...click on the photo and you will obtain a full screen view which may be easier to read.

Once A Pond after more Time

2011-10-25T20:11:00.000-04:00

The electrical lines have been run and the rain water drain pipes connecting barn and house run off to the pond have been connected. A pump & scimmer circulate water several hours a day.

A short video looking east across the pond.

The fish spend most of their time at the pond's deep end.

Another video clip from the other side of the pond.

Once A POND of TIME!

2011-10-07T07:56:00.000-04:00

Each fall we bring our fish in for the winter. The problem is that some of these fish are getting too large, so I decided to construct a pond where they can over winter as well as add another demension to our landscape.

Yee-WOH!

What a lot of work.

Below is a photo dialogue of the construction to date.

Over the past year I have been redigging and enlarging a smaller pond that did NOT work.

This pond is 40'(l) x 18'(w) x 1.5-4'(d).

The line represents the expected water level. The pond was first cover with a protective underlayer and then a thick, heavy rubber liner that had to be tugged into place.

Field stones were collected to line the pond. The stones will protect the liner from UV light and will provide a biofriendlier pond environment. To date 45 wheel barrow loads of field stones were hand loaded from a hedge row 0.3 miles away. Each load was dumped, rinsed, reloaded and then at the pond - hand placed to create a solid layer of stones.

This was alot of work!

Over 200 ft of 4" drain pipe in the hand dug ditch will channel rain water from the house and barn to the pond. A morning view of the pond.

An evening view.

I love the reflections!

An electrical line, a pump and further landscaping will need to be added to complete the job.

... and add the fish to their new home!

... Picking Up PawPaws, Put'em In a Basket

2011-10-03T07:07:00.000-04:00

We have two PawPaw fruit trees (Asimina triloba - http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/) in our back yard and this year we had a bumper crop of these lumpy, fat fruits. A ripe pawpaw has a 'bananna/custard' flavor. We have been eating fresh pawpaws and spitting out the large seeds. Not wanting to let the fruit spoil, I decided this morning to look up a bananna bread receipe and make a couple of loaves of pawpaw bread, substituting the pawpaws for banannas.

It smells and tastes good!

The childhood song below was my first introduction to pawpaws.

Maybe it is familar to you too.

Where, oh where is dear little Susie?
Where, oh where is dear little Susie?
Where, oh where is dear little Susie?
Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch!

Common boys, let's go find her.
Common boy, let's go find her.
Common boys, let's go find her.
Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch!

Pickin’ up paw-paws, put ‘em in her pocket.
Pickin’ up paw-paws, put ‘em in her pocket.
Pickin’ up paw-paws, put ‘em in her pocket.
Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch!

Aging ... the worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, the worms play...

2011-09-15T08:09:00.000-04:00

Jason baked a birthday a chocolate cake for my 65th last weekend.

The cake theme emphasized my never ending interest in composting worms.

Rainy Day Forgery

2011-09-05T15:56:00.000-04:00

We've been repairing the log barn eves trough this past week. Transporting the water from the barn eves trough to the wood shed roof required bending the eves trough to diagonally run onto the shed roof. Since we needed a bracket to anchor the eves trough to the shed, Jason cobbled together a forge using scrap plumbing materials, an orphaned air matress pump and the buttom section of our old bread maker from the scrap metal pile. The coal and pieces of iron were both found in one of the abandon dumps in the greater Marbletown area.

Below is a little photo essay of the process.

The unbraced eves trough

The coal

The forge

Putting a bend in the bracket

Hardening the steel

The installed bracket now holds the eves trough in place

... of course it would have been the consumption oriented American thing to go make another purchase at the big box store.

Straw Potato Harvest

2011-08-23T20:46:00.000-04:00

I harvested 52 pounds of straw potatoes today (22 lbs of Yukon Gold & 32 lbs of Katadin), generated from my orginal planting back on May 7th. Five pounds of each potato variety were cut up and placed in a shallow trench. The potato rows were covered with a layer of finished compost (2009 yard leaves). When the potatoes emerged, I then banked them with a thick layer of old hay bale slices. As you can see in the short video clip below, I was able to 'tickle' the potatoes out without using a potato fork, which usually stabs and injures many potatoes.

'...corn as high as an elephants' eye'

2011-07-16T18:11:00.000-04:00

July16th,

....despite the hot, dry weather,

the sweet corn IS as high as an elephant's eye!

Cleaning up and Making Mulch!

2011-06-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

Having planted over a thousand trees since building our home here in 1983, a number of the trees have survived and thrived! Each year pruning, trimming, natural die back, high wind & snow damage results in a continuous supply of brush that are collected and stacked around the property. Once a year I rent a chipper. The wood chips are blown into the back of my pick up truck. I can then centrally locate the chips into a single pile on the old basketball court.

Later on the wood chips are distributed to the various beds around the property to hold in moisture, reduce the proliferation of weeds as they rot down and generate a rich, organic soil in which shrubs and perennials thrive.

(Coffee bean burlap bags are experimentally laid down as a weed barrier before being covered with the wood chips.)

Take a Hike!

2011-06-11T06:38:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, I along with seven other Finger Lakes Trail volunteers and two work crews from the Monterey Correctional Facility constructed two bridges on the Finger Lakes Trail in the Birdseye Hollow State Forest (Steuben County). The bridges were constructed out of white oak planking, fastened to utility poles that crossed the main creek. Boulders were located and skidded into place to create a retaining wall on the main bridge's east bank and stream run gravel was bucket brigaded to each of the bridge's access points.

The synergistic results of all our efforts are pictured below.

Main Bridge (38' span)

Bridge crossing the west overflow stream bed (20' span)

Take a Hike!

If you care to see more photo's of bridge building in progress go to the following FLT photo gallery site:

https://picasaweb.google.com/101133106692159636279/BirdseyeHollowBridges692011?authkey=Gv1sRgCIivtdbLhIL0FA&feat=email#

"RAIN!" ...lemonade.

2011-05-24T07:22:00.000-04:00

Despite the almost daily showers or periods of rain over the last weeks, I am taking advantage of two rain generated "lemonade" opportunities :

1. Excessive lawn clippings...

...make great mulching material between the rows of peas

2. The appearance of morrel mushrooms

...So You Want A Water Garden?

2011-04-29T07:40:00.000-04:00

The appearance and sound of the man-made rock stream off our back porch is very nice, but...

... in the spring the stream bed and tanks must be cleaned out.

The clean up involves removing rocks and accumulated, decaying materials to the compost pit.

Tanks are drained.

...tank walls are scrubbed and a 10% bleach solution is used to remover the slimy algae coating.

...followed by rinsing and flushing out the system.

..rocks are then refitted back into position

Four hours later the ciculating pump can be turned back on and the fish returned to the tanks for another year's enjoyment.

Kenyan's Win Again ...'birthers' complain!

2011-04-22T07:11:00.000-04:00

Having run the Boston Marathon multiple times in the mid to late 1970's, it was with interest to hear that once again the Kenyan's won the marathon in record time last Monday (4/18); out running the 4th place finish of the nearest American runner.

I was also thinking that President Obama's father was a Kenyan and that several current presidential hopefuls have recently questioned the American President's Official Birth Certificate and consequent right to hold the office of President of the United States of America. Here is my attempt to make a cartoon analogy, paralleling Boston's Annual Partiots' Day celebration with the 'birthers' complaint.

A Mycological/Gastronomical Experiment

2011-04-18T20:12:00.000-04:00

Today I innoculated several red oak logs with mushroom plug spawns obtained from Fungi Perfecti (http://www.fungi.com/). The recently cut oak logs were obtained from a local tree trimming outfit and allowed to set for a few more weeks before today's innoculation. Holes were drilled into the logs between 3" and 4" apart in a diamond pattern. Spawn plugs were hammered in and then sealed with parafin.

Slaming the plug spawn into the logs.

Sealing the plugs and open ends of the logs with parafin.

The innoculated logs were then set in a wooded area, out of direct sunlight. I will have to monitor the mushroom logs and keep the area damp during those dry periods this coming summer.Mushroom varieties

Left side: Reishe & Pearl Oyster logs

Right side: Shiitake logs

.....check back in September

...quote from 40 years ago

2011-03-27T07:57:00.000-04:00

In last Thursday's Finger Lakes Times under "Days of Yore" a section that recalls interesting events locally and/or nationally 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago on this date I noticed an interesting comment made by then President Nixon in 1971. Needless to say it spawned my lastest editorial cartoon shown below.

It was fun to do and I sent a copy to the FL Times, should they care to post in this weeks paper. Enjoy!

Anxious!

2011-03-20T07:18:00.000-04:00

Just got on to the computer this morning after working on school things:

correcting papers
thinking about this weeks' topics (Biology - reproduction topics /AP Biology classes - ecology topics) and all the subtopics(mitosis, meiosis, gametogenesis, & hormones/keystone species, interspecific competition, energy flow, niches, etc) that will need to be addressed this coming week.
thinking about a variety of ways to present subtopics that will appeal to those who don't get it the first time through (notes didn't work, so maybe a crossword puzzle? ...another white board illustration? ...an analogy, ...Hmmn?? what else could I use???).
thinking about what materials I will need ... physical/hands on stuff (yesterday collecting pill bugs), internet resources (WXXI - TV On Demand), familar practical examples for kids (plant cuttings on your mother or grandmother's kitchen window sill).
sketching out how I will access whether or not students understand the concepts to be covered this week (multiple choice?? ...free response questions?? ... scoring and weighting questions? ... and then the grading and logging of computer grades.)
the constant reaching out and inviting students back to the topic of discussion from their "little brush fire conversations"
...the distractions: ipods & the daggling wires to ear plugs; hands under the desk to text and/or read text messages --- so you give another reminder to put them away, while having this mental image of placing the device on the floor and crushing it

...and then I looked at my current computer desk top background photo taken last October while backpacking the Long Trail in Vermont.

I know I will be more than ready to turn the classroom over to the regular biology teacher whom I am filling in for while she is on maternity leave until spring break in April.

75 Salads and Still Counting!

2011-02-20T17:49:00.000-05:00

Salads topped with shredded carrots from last summers' garden. It has been fun harvesting lettuce, kale, broccoli & collard leaves from the green house since November. With a mulch base under the growing beds and a garden hose circulating water into the basement to a copper coil heat exchanger mounted over the furnace and then back into two water filled, black 50 gallon drums; the green house has been more productive than last year.

Crossing the Icefall

2011-02-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

About 3am, Sue notice water dripping down the wall by the door of our back porch. We have had no real ice melting thaws since late Decemember, so water was coming in due to ice build up in the divide where the east/west roof, merges with the north/south roof. While removing snow with a roof rake and salting the ice, I was entranced by the how similar the ice on the roof was to photos I have seen of the Klumbu icefall that Mt. Everest climbers must cross in order to reach the summit. So out came the camera and below are two photos. One is a googled, pirated image of the Kkumbu icefall and the other is of my roof with penciled in figures.

Interesting Book ... check it out.

2011-01-22T06:37:00.000-05:00

Just finished reading 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' by Rebecca Skloot - a N.Y. Times best seller. I first heard about the book in an interview with the author on one of NPR's 'talking head' shows. I was interested in the interview and made a note of the book because during my teaching career days, I had introduced my students to karyotyping (...examining chromosomes) by ordering "HeLa" cells from Cellserv, a biotech company in the D.C. area. Students would prep microscope slides; drop fixed "HeLa" cells from various heights to 'splat' onto microscope slides; followed by staining in an assembly line process; then zooming to 1000X under a microscope to observe and count chromosomes. They could see banding on the various shaped and sized human chromosomes; as well as count the number of chromosomes in cells.

The "Hela" cells we used in lab, were cultured from the original cells removed from Henrietta Lack when she was being treated for cervical cancer in the 'colored only' section at John Hopkins in Baltimore. She died from the cancer a few weeks later in 1951. Her cells were prolific growers under laboratory conditions and have been used in cancer research & teaching for many years. The extended Lack's family recieved virtually no explaination or recognition of the significants of this cell line that has and continues to contribute so much to our understanding of cancer, genetics, tissue culture, etc today.

After reading the story of the Lack's family, I personally was struck by the importances of good education and racial equality; two comodities readily denied the Lack's family over the decades.

It's a good, fast read and available in the Pioneer Library system.

Low Budget Good Deeds

2011-01-17T07:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday while finishing a 12.4 mile walking loop, I noticed a letter in the snow along side of Blue Cut road. I stopped, picked it up and found it was from a local resident, stamped and addressed to someone at a correctional facility in NYS. I have no idea who the individuals whose names were on the letter are and tucked the letter into my wind breaker pocket, then proceeding on towards home. While starting up the hill on Marbletown road out of Newark, I stopped to visit with an elderly man trying to reattach his mailbox with bare, white fingers in the 20F temperatures. He was having a difficult time threading the nut & washer through the mailbox mounting frame to the stove bolt with numb fingers. I helpped him complete the job, but not before my fingers became very numb too. He thanked me before I finished walking the remaining 1.5 miles home to dry out the letter and get it into Monday's mail pickup.

PS - "Who was that masked man? ...Hi! Ho! Silver!"

Looking Back at 2010

2011-01-01T18:10:00.000-05:00

Another year has come and gone. While out walking today I thought about the year past and made the following estimates about the occupation of my time over the last 365 days. I would like to think that my preoccupations around the home and our travels were environmentally friendly. With the completion of yesterdays' walk into town to pick up a few non-domestically produced items for our New Year dinner today; I completed my goal of walking/backpacking 1500 miles in 2010. [I also cashed in $37.50 worth of returnable cans/bottles picked up along the road side in and around Marbletown.] Checking the odometers of my rusty truck (... missed 'cash for clunkers') and our car, I noted that we drove a combined total of 14,039 miles; less than the USA average for a couple in our age group*.

* http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm

NEW YEAR...we are here!

Winter Solstice Measurements - very cool!

2010-12-30T19:55:00.000-05:00

December was a record setting cloudy, snowy month here in the central western part of upstate New York; not idyllic for generating solar electric power! Yesterday after 16 overcaste days, the sun was out and the photovoltaic (P.V.) towers were generating electrical power!
Since the winter solstice was ten days ago and Sue & I had adjusted the angle of the solar panels to recieve the lower angle of winter sunlight more directly earlier in December; I wanted some empiral evidence that the 'angles' were worth the effort.

Below is a photo I took showing the angle of insolation near "solar noon". I printed, then scanned the photo with the protractor to measure the angle of insolation - Results: 24 degree angle. Next I took a profile photo of the P.V. towers (below right); scanned the photo and protractor to measure the angular position of the solar collecting panels - results: 64 degrees. If you look closely in the lower right hand corner, you can just barely see the sting which parallels the angle of the sun's rays ... it is visibly & very close to 90 degrees with the flat solar panel surface. This is not an official geometry proof ...but you can see that there is an advantage to adjusting the collecting panel angle as the seasons (angle of insolation) change.

(summer angle with higher solar noon sun angle) (winter angle with lower solar noon sun angle)

Below is a copy of our on line electrical energy production for the month of December, minus today - 12/31/10. Can you tell that the month was cloudy? You can see that the our P.V. system automatically shut down for a grid power outage on December 14th (See earlier blog post on 12/15).
The video clip is of the inverter display in our basement. The inverter converts the direct current (D.C) power from the P.V. system into alternating current (A.C), before going to the grid. As the display cycles through, you can see the amount of CO 2 kept out of the atmosphere; the number of Kilowatts of power currently being produced ('speed'); the total number of Kilowatts hours produced by our system('how far we've traveled'); the number of Kilowatt hours currently produced for this day ('how far we've traveled today'); and acknowedgement that the two towers ('system is working').

* (italics = analogy of energy display)

Below is our meter which indicates that electrical power is being produced for our use and the extra is being metered back into the grid.

Seasonal Analysis

2010-12-27T11:24:00.001-05:00

Below is my attempt to graphically plot seasonal expectations.

I hope it is good for a laugh!

(click on the drawing to enlarge the drawing.)

2010-12-24T13:35:00.000-05:00

Power Outage

2010-12-15T07:33:00.000-05:00

Woke up this morning to realize that the power was out. Since I am an early riser, I assumed that the power was out in the greater Marbletown area. I proceeded to make coffee with the camp stove with light provided by the Coleman lantern and read for a predawn hour while the wood furnace pumped out toasty heat. Since we received another 6-8 inches of lake effect snow overnight, I blew out the driveway in the early morning light.

Still no power!?

It is now about 8am and a quick check with brother Steve, revealed that he had power and he reminded me that if the power were out, the generator at my parents' house would be running.

Hmmmn???

...guess I had better go check the line to my house.

It was fine. Okay, time to check with Kevin next door, since he is "upstream" of our branch joint power line. Kevin was on his cell phone talking to the power company as I arrived and waved me to take a look back down his driveway.

Yup! ... there was the problem.

Solar panels (background) would not turn on with the 'grid' disturbance.

NYSEG crew working in single digit temperatures prepare to set a new pole.

NYSEG crews prepare to raise the old pole, unwire it and rewire the new pole.

The old pole lashed to the new pole, will remain there until phone & cable companies detach and attach their lines to the new pole.

...7 hours later the Power's ON!

Recalling another time and place

2010-12-12T08:02:00.000-05:00

My niece is training to run her first marathon. Sarah's dad, my oldest brother was concerned about his daughters heavy mileage training in a recent phone call. Her training reminded him that I used to run competitive marathons in the 70's and 80's. Although now I walk and backpack miles; the conversation about marathoning reminded me of my first marathon in the spring of 1968 when I was a college Senior at Ottawa (Kansas) University and on the track team.

So I pulled an old scrape book of newspaper clipping and there I am!

(5th runner from the right) It was the 3rd Annual Humbolt, Kansas marathon. I was not in any kind of shape (mentally and/or physically) to handle the 26.2 mile, straight out and back course in rural Kansas. As the photo shows, the popularity of running a marathon was in it's infancy back then. It was my slowest and one of the most boring marathons of the 18 that I would to run over the next few decades. There were more cows and grass watching us run by then, compared to the cheering crowds on Beacon Avenue when finishing multiple runnings of the Boston Marathon years later on in the mid 70's ... and with much better results!

A Seasonal Haiku

2010-12-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

Winter is back!

2010-12-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

Lake effect snows have arrived. I estimated that about 6 inches of snow covered the ground this morning by looking out the basement door. When I actually stepped out to shovel the side walk I decided to check the snow fall with a yard stick.

Results:

11 inches and still snowing

Guess it is time blow out the driveway, after watching Sue drive out to an early morning dentist appointment in town.

Post Election Thought

2010-11-12T07:19:00.000-05:00

... well, I am not really that pessimistic; but I can't help making a little fun of the state that has so much to offer it's 'EMPIRE' citizens.

Finished Compost

2010-10-25T14:22:00.000-04:00

Below is a pile of finished compost made from last year's yard leaves. This compost contains no vegetable garden plant residues or weeds; so I am planning to use this compost on our 2011 vegetable garden to reduce the chance of introducing weeds or plant diseases. It is very nice material.

The pile was then covered to reduce the chance of nutrient loss over the fall, winter and early spring. I hope to send a compost sample into Penn State for complete nutrient analysis sometime this winter. Stay tuned!

Currently I am raking leaves and stacking them into a new pile shown below. A year from now these leaves; after I have turned the piles several times, will look like the finished compost in the top photo.

Completing the Long Trail

2010-10-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

I just returned from a 9 day backpack to the complete the northern third of the Long Trail in Vermont's Green Mountains. It was a fun, but exhausting trip that trekked along Green Mountain ridge line over the highest Vermont peaks. The trail was rugged; requiring boulder hoping and/or climbing, slogs through mud (...I packed only one pair of socks and my feet were wet 6 of the 9 trekking days) and walking through hardwood (maple, beech, yellow birch) and spruce forest. I drove to North Troy, Vermont just south of the Canandian/US border were Bob Prong (... a former math teacher at Midlakes H.S.) gave me a ride to the trail head at Applachain Gap (Vt Rt. 17). This was were Jason and I came off the Long Trail a month ago (...see blog post on September 8th). The hike was 120 miles long. The nights were cold, but the foliage and scent of fall were exhilerating.

Below are a series of random photos that will give you an impression of the trip.

Nights were spent in trail side shelters.

Ferns, metamorphic rock, moss and foliage.

Approaching the Vermonts highest peak - Mt. Mansfield as the rainy weather begins to break.

Muck, water and besure to stay on the trail = wet feet

Walking the Green Mountain ridge line continuous ups, downs, and back up over the next peak or "bump" meant a 300 - 600 ft elevation change to get from where the photo was taken to the top of the next peak or bump as shown in this photo.

The occassional evidence of past life in the Green Mountains

A view looking north into Canada on the horizon.

Sunrise over Stowe, Vermont

Ascent of Mt. Laraway required a walking along this mass of rock, dripping with water.

Looking north early in the morning.

Atop Jay Peak. My journey began beyond the furthest point visible in this photo over my head.

Looking back at Mt. Mansfield after crossing Smuggler's Notch. When I crossed Mt. Mansfield the day before, the winds forced me to stagger left & right in order to move forward, while be pelted by a driving rain, followed by stinging pelts of graupel (...BB sized pellets of snow) which turned the mountain top white. I found my self reviewing the signs of hypothermia as I desperately wanted to get off that mountain top... alive.

Ladders enable passage over some of the steeper trail sections.

Hikers had place rocks into lounge chair positions under a huge boulder.

Looking back as I ascended "the Camel Hump".

Passing through Devils' Gulch.

The US/Canandian border established in 1848 is just a line cut across the forest with markers. On my hike from the trail head back into North Troy to my truck, a US Border Patrol Officer stopped me to just check who I was and where I had been.

The video clip below is a typical view trekking along the Long Trail.

The following 360 degree video clip was taken from Mt. Belvidere.

Slide Show of Trail Work On The FL Trail

2010-09-30T07:21:00.001-04:00

In July and again in September I put in some volunteer time to help with bridge repairs/replacement on a segment of the Bristol Hills branch trail of the Finger Lakes Trail system. The specific area worked on was in the Prattsburg, NY area between Elmboise and Bean Station Roads. Helpping us complete the task were two teams of students from RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology).

Below are three links that will provide you with a nice progressive slide show of the trail work. The photos were taken by Lynda Rummel, Director of Trail Quality for the Finger Lakes Trails, who officially organized the trail work camps.

The link below shows photos of the bridges before and after our July weekend workcamp with the first group of RIT students and FLT volunteers

http://picasaweb.google.com/101133106692159636279/BeanStationBeforeAfterFirstCrew?authkey=Gv1sRgCL2Bwu_E5Y_rQA&feat=email#slideshow/5521784853036278770

This link and the next one show the bridge replacement/construction for the September 17 - 18th weekend with RIT students and FLT volunteers.

http://picasaweb.google.com/101133106692159636279/BeanStationBridgesConclusionLJensen?authkey=Gv1sRgCP22ufSw_pCIbw&feat=email#slideshow/5521770444600364114

http://picasaweb.google.com/101133106692159636279/BeanStationFinal?authkey=Gv1sRgCLvXzYWbqLDcVQ&feat=email#slideshow/5521764217640115218

Backpacking Again!

2010-09-08T07:09:00.000-04:00

Jason and I recently returned from a 9 day backpacking trip that covered a 160 mile section of the Long Trail (LT); a 270 mile trail that follows the up and down boulder, strew ridge line of the Vermont's Green Mountains.

The LT map shows the distance we backpacked.

Backpacking over boulders, a scene so typical of the trail.

Some rewarding views, looking out across Vermont.

With backpacks left behind, a 0.2 mile climb up across boulders put us ontop of Killington Mt. (4100 ft.)

Not all of the trail was boulder strewn...

Jason atop Mt. Abraham (4000 ft) ... the air temperature was about 42 degrees F and damp.

Another view into the Vermont valley below.

The LT crosses the upper sides of several sky slopes.

Interesting trail art created by the stone contributions and their placement of passing hikers.

Another view looking back from where we had come.

Busy Bees!

2010-08-27T17:15:00.000-04:00

Judging by the activity (140 incoming bees/minute), I would say the fall honey flow has begun, unlike two weeks ago when the incoming rate was about 20 bees/minute.

Turn the sound up and you can hear the "buzz"!

More 'Stoned' Work at Wayne County Master Gardener office at CCE, Newark, NY

2010-07-31T07:30:00.000-04:00

BEFORE

Herb bed with rotting, gray timber border.

AFTER

Stoned herb bed border.

... See any difference?

Trail Work

2010-07-30T07:40:00.000-04:00

On the weekend of July 16 - 18th, I and two other Finger Lakes Trail representatives had a chance to work with five RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) students and their two advisors repairing/rebuilding 8 bridges along the Bristol Hills branch of the FL Trail system near Prattsburg. It was a fun weekend filled with team work, jokes, swatting deer flies, avoiding poison ivy and getting the job done.

Hanging Out in Pennsylvania!

2010-07-24T07:40:00.000-04:00

Our most recent communications from Jason who is visiting Todd and Denise in PA.

State of the Vegetable Garden

2010-07-22T07:06:00.000-04:00

A fine crop of shelled peas and snow peas were picked, then frozen for eating in the coming year. With hot days and multiple showers this summer, the garden is growing and maturing quickly.

(L -R) Carrots, Beans, rejuvenated strawberry bed, edible soybeans, 3 varieties of sweet corn

zucchini, butternut squash (front ) blue berry and brambles (back)

(L-R) Bannna trees, Broccoli, Tomatoes
(some tomotoes are affected by subsoil black walnut roots)

(l-r) Dill, Sweet Potatoes, pumpkin, cuccumbers (far right)

(l-r) Buckwheat cover crop replaced the pea patch, mid-September corn, fall crop of peas planted 3 days ago, fall crop of the brassica family (cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts)

The Peace Maker

2010-07-13T19:47:00.000-04:00

When the neighbor's driveway along with ours were put in years ago, they cut across the natural drainage pathway of water draining the field to the east of the drive ways. Eventually a culvert was installed, allowing the water to flow under the drive ways resuming the old drainage pathway. Unfortunately after a heavy rain the muddy field water made its way into the Milbenski farm pond causing excessive silting, algal bloom and odors. A solution had to be found.

Using our BBQ altar, Jason heated and bent a piece of angle rod to frame a crude valve that could be screwed down to slow the flow of flood waters. BBQ altar/forge = cob-job The angle iron flood valve

Summer 2009

The trial run, was less then successful due to the excessive pressure behind the flood gate.
Note the water squirting from all sides. Conclusion: the flood gate has to be located on the puddlling/up side of the culvert.

July 2010

A heavy thunder shower dropped 1 inch of rain in 20 minutes. You could hear the water guggling and working it's way down the rows of corn heading towards the culvert.

The flooding corn field

An open flood gate installed on the up stream side of the culvert.

Water flow with the flood gate reduced.

Water flow with the flood gate open.

The Bialaszewski's rain garden holds flood water allowing it to infiltrate into the ground, preventing it from entering the farm pond beyond.

- the peace maker-

June Solar Energy Production

2010-07-03T08:03:00.000-04:00

For rainy, cloudy June the backyard photovoltaic system generated 890 kilowatt hours of energy.

Our typical, monthly electrical energy use runs in the 550 kilowatt hour range.

The basement inverter indicates that we have prevented over 2000 lbs. of CO2 from entering the atmosphere to date.

Below is a photo taken off of my deskstop computer for the month of June.

The web site monitors of our daily energy production.

Can you tell the sunny days from the cloudy days?

Black Walnut Compost and Tomatoes

2010-06-23T06:45:00.000-04:00

Anyone familar with black walnut trees and gardening knows that these trees give off a toxin called juglone, resulting in a toxic zone that can extend 100 ft. or more away from the actual black walnut tree trunk. Since we have multiple black walnut trees in our yards' perimeter; last fall as I raked yard leaves I decided to separate all black walnut foliage into a separate pile for composting. I turned the pile by hand five times between late October and June. After the first pile turnings, the internal temperature of the pile reached 140 F or higher for several weeks.

Black walnut compost pile (left side) and screener.

Last week I screened the black walnut compost and transplanted a tomato plant into pure black walnut compost. After one week the tomato seems to be doing well, indicating that the toxic juglone was successfully broken down by the composting process. So I now have another great source for compost for the garden and flower beds.

The "volunteer" tomato transplant

Tomato transplant after one full week in 100% pure black walnut compost.

What's the saying "When you are given a lemon, make lemonade."?

Power Up

2010-05-27T08:14:00.000-04:00

As of around mid-day Monday (5/24/10) the two pole solar array system is generating electrical power.

Very Cool!

A Pleasant Day

2010-05-20T06:45:00.000-04:00

Attented the spring luncheon of retired Phelps-Clifton Springs Faculty members held at the Clifton Spring Country Club yesterday. I decided to walk to and from the luncheon as it was a bright, mild May day. Walking along the Canandaigua outlet I was able to talk to a fisherman casting in the stream. You can not do that while motoring by in a car or peddling a bicycle. After an enjoyable time with former colleagues, I continued the loop towards home by walking the old RxR bed, exiting by Midlakes High School where I crossed the road into a plantation of trees my biology classes had planted in years past. Although some trees are growing, the area is fast being overtaken by a succession of honey suckle and multifloral rose. At the edge of Flint Creek where my biology classes had completed stream monitoring surveys, I checked a few remaining salamander boards and noting several little 'red backs'. To cross the creek; I removed my hiking boots and walked in with the backwater well above my knees. I could then get onto the Ontario County Pathway which rejoined Rt 96 and then Rt 88. The last three miles of the day's 19.5 mile hike, was along the northern most segment of the Ontario County Pathway, animated by bird vocalizations and splotchy sunlight ... a pleasant day.

Solar Array Set Up - Day 8

2010-05-05T20:18:00.000-04:00

We are in TEST MODE!

Our outside meter is running backwards as surplus electrons flow back into the grid.

Various views of the system.

Solar Array Set Up - Day 7

2010-05-05T06:52:00.000-04:00

Electric panel work today in the basement.

The inverter (big box) converts Direct Curent into Alternating Current, which is compatible with the grid. The meter (right side) will digitally display the flow of generated solar electricity. The web box in the upper right corner of the panel will be our system's direct link with the internet, enabling myself and HALCO to graphically observe the output of our panels at any time from our/their online computer monitor.

Tomorrow we will "flip the switch" and do the first trial run of the system.

Stay tuned.

Solar Array Set Up - Day 6

2010-05-04T05:55:00.000-04:00

Monday was a busy day electrically wiring the 32 solar panels into a unit and mounting the inverter box in the basement.

Electricians wire panels into a single unit.

Using a landscaping rake to restored the recently disturbed backyard.

Tomorrow will be a day of wiring in our basement.

Wednesday is the schedule trial run date.

Check back again tomorrow.

Solar Array Set Up - Day 5

2010-05-01T05:26:00.001-04:00

As you will see in the photos below, the Photovoltaic System really took shape today.

The final wiring of the system will take place on Monday.

Dan (HALCO) feeds six wires and a ground wire into the conduit as Ralph (HALCO) pulls them through, 265 ft away. A lubricant made the pulling a little easier.

Workers attach and align the solar panels to the rack.

A backside view.

Melissa (HALCO) checks & adjusts the N-S orientation of the towers' solar panels for maximum E-W solar exposure. The steep angle would be the racks' position during the dead of winter when the sun's apparent position is lower in the winter sky.

All great 'Earth Science stuff', were I still in the education business.

The two towers in the upcoming summer position when the sun is higher in the sky.

Can you see the tower as you walk out our basement door to the garden or garage?

The system blends in nicely with the surroundings.

Solar Array Set Up - Day 4

2010-04-29T20:11:00.000-04:00

Today the two racks which will hold the solar panels were mounted on the support poles.

Placing the rack holding joint atop the pole ... all 80 lbs worth.

Booming the 2nd rack into place.

Trying to place the central holding pivotal bolt.

The work continues.

Tomorrow the 32 solar panels (16/rack) will be attached and wire together.

Solar Array Set Up - Day 3

2010-04-29T05:29:00.001-04:00

Crisp, clear weather today for setting the solar array poles.

Read on.

The 20 ft galvanizd pipe each weighs 850 lbs.

Booming the poles into place.

The poles were plumbed and held in place by temporary guide wires. Reinforcing rod was installed and internal electrical wire holding conduit were toggled into the poles.

6.5 yards of concrete were wheel barrowed into the pit by the HALCO crew and myself along with the 'Bob Cat's' help.

The two poles will each hold a 10x20 ft. adjustable rack of 16 solar panels.

Looks like we have a mole problem in our lawn where the under ground conduit has been placed.

Stay tuned.

Solar Array Set Up - Day 2

2010-04-27T20:30:00.000-04:00

Today was spent laying the plastic conduit from the house to the solar array site. This was followed by back filling the trench. As you can see April showers were big wet flakes of snow. Melissa and Ralph (HALCO) set up a electrical distribution box between the two array towers, then hung an electrical panel board in the basement before heading back to prep materials for Day 3.

Tomorrow: Tower poles will be set up, a concrete base will be poured, an electical wire will be pulled through the conduit, and the solar panels will be brought on site.

Stay tuned.

Conduit pipe will enter the back of the house.

Ralph and Melissa glue pipe, then we backfilled the trench.

Solar Array Set Up - Day 1

2010-04-27T06:33:00.000-04:00

This week HALCO, a local home energy company is in the process of setting up our backyard Photovoltaic Array system. The 7.2KW/32 modules system will be mounted on two 10x20 foot towers. Our goal is to cancell out our annual net grid electrical usage. We have been working with HALCO engineers to design and submit a plan to NYSERTA for approval since October, 2009. The system should be set up by week's end and by mid-May with NYSEG's (New York State Electric & Gas) approval, we should be producing are our own electrical energy when the sun shines.

Stay tuned!

DAY 1 photos

Drilling two, 3x8 ft holes to anchor the array towers

The auger

The hole will hold the array support pole and be filled with concrete Wednesday.

A trench was dug to connect the array with the house.

Where We Were Picking Stones?

2010-04-16T06:55:00.001-04:00

Earth or Martian terrain ... can you tell?

Below is an actual picture of "martians" unloading stones on the Earth's Surface with their "terrestial rover".

Turning The Garden

2010-04-08T11:08:00.000-04:00

Planting Peas

2010-04-08T06:55:00.000-04:00

With the recent summer like weather, I decided to get an early start on the 2010 vegetable garden. I have been turning the garden over by hand for the last several weeks.
In the photo:

(Right side) - a wheel barrow load of finished compost is spread over the seed bed.
(Center) - a double row of pea seeds are seeded in a soft bed of soil and compost.
(Left side) - a trellis is set upon which germinating pea vines can attach and grow upward into sunlight for easier havesting in mid-June.

Creativity; Better Late than Never

2010-03-18T07:27:00.000-04:00

When building our log house back in 1983, I had always thought that the logs linking the back portion of the house to the front portion would make a great interior totem pole. Over the last two days I have enjoyed fullfilling this fantasy on three of the five log butts using simple hand tools. Although rather crude, I did have fun! My only reget is that I did not do this years ago when the kids would have been here to enjoy them in their day to day comings and goings. Here you see the first creation and "butts" soon to carved.

Any animal suggestion for the 4th log butt from the bottom?

Carving ID from top to bottom:

an elephant

a bat

a trout

[OK ... that's a joke, the craving from bottom to top are:

Bottom: snapping turtle

Middle: black bear

Top: A sitting beaver with it's tail between it's legs]

View coming down stairs from kids bedrooms.

Sunny Day/Trashy Walk

2010-03-09T16:37:00.000-05:00

I walked to Phelps to check out the garden seed varieties at the Phelps Mercantile store and then hiked on up Rt 96 to the Finger Lakes Credit Union to do a little banking. On the way back I started my usual mercenary picking up of discarded, returnable for deposit cans and bottles. Along the 5.5 mile hike home I picked up 30 returnable containers and 22 crushed aluminum cans that go into my aluminum stock pile. I am amazed at the volume of trash along the roads and the mind set [...or lack of a mind] that allows a body to toss out that much "stuff" along this random sampling of NYS highways. And this was only one side of the road.

I could have easily double this amount had I picked up cans/bottles going to Phelps, but how would I carry it all while walking?

Backpacking Eastern Wayne County roads

2010-03-03T17:12:00.000-05:00

The itch to try backpacking in the winter was getting to me, yet I didn't want to add more carbon to the atmosphere traveling to and from a hiking destination. Results? ... why not backpack a loop of the most rural roads of Eastern Wayne county. Below is a sequence of photos of my latest 78 mile trek in 2.5 days.
[click on individual photos to see a greater photo details... Enjoy]

My hiking loop (counter clockwise)started and ended from home (yellow pin).

Looking east toward Rt 14

Our home in Alloway ('73 -83) ...sad!

Heading to Clyde, the plowed road ends.

Entering Clyde on Rt 414

Wetlands northwest of Savannah

Lunch break spot on Noble Rd.

Heading towards Butler, NY

Butler, NY

Backed & ready to head out from day 1 campsite

Lake Ontario comes into view.

Lake Ontario at the dead end.

Walking the shore line

Lake Ontario

Heading away from the lake.

North Rose appears on the horizon.

Day 2 camp site at Huckleberry swamp

Food prep before a night's sleep

Another seasonal road ahead - time to put on snow boots.

View looking south from atop Harris Road.

Heading west

Heading south

Entering Marbletown & the journey's end.

As usual my toes are a little swollen and I lost 4 toenails, but it was a good trip!

Walking the Keuka Outlet Trail

2010-02-09T20:14:00.000-05:00

After donating platlets and returning from the American Red Cross center in Henerietta, NY late this morning (2/9/10), I decided the weather was good for walking the Keuka Outlet trail.

By noon I had parked the truck at the trail head in Drysden and was on the trail soon after. The 14 mile round trip (Drysden - Penn Yan, NY & back) took just under 4 hours (16.9 min/mile). The temperature was in the upper 20's; very little snow on the trail and no wind made for a nice walk. The trail was all mine, except for one trail runner whom I met about 10 minutes into the walk.

Below are are several, sequential views going toward Penn Yan. Remember this the next time you head south out of Penn Yan crossing the Keuka outlet on NYS Rt. 14a

Turn the sound up for one of the most enjoyable aspects of trekking.

A Thought on Rebuilding Failed States

2010-01-16T17:37:00.000-05:00

Another cartoon for the times.

Enjoy!

Thoughts on Air Travel

2010-01-08T07:47:00.000-05:00

In light of the failed attempt by the Christmas Day "underwear" bomber and all of the dissected solutions offered by the "talking heads" on the radio and TV; ... I thought a little "humor" on the topic would be in order.

Below is my cartoon attempt.

( You may want to click on the picture to "blow it up"... no pun intended to see the drawing in greater detail.)

Enjoy!

Today's Walking Haikus

2010-01-03T15:58:00.000-05:00

Below I've written three hiakus that are reflections after my seven mile walk today on area roads and trails.

15 Fahrenheit
Ontario County Pathways
Rails to Trails

Bitting North West Wind

Burning Christmas Calories

Sunday, January 3rd

Six billion people
Cold and snow discourage all
Solitude today

Mileage Log - 2009

2010-01-01T08:56:00.000-05:00

With yesterdays walk into Newark for a few grocery items, a stop at the hareware store, public library, and Post Office, before walking back; I completed 1, 529 miles of walking or an average of 4.9 miles/day for 2009.
During those walks I:

completed the entire Finger Lakes Trail system - 840 miles
eliminated 200 plus miles of gasoline propelled trips into Newark and back
picked up returnable cans/popbottles that were exchanged for over $50 worth of groceries
collected over 4 cubic feet of crushed Aluminum cans to be exchanged for cash with recyclers
located over 40 large basketball sized or larger road side boulders; that I coordinated with trips to town and simultaneously pick up with my truck.
maintained cardiovascular-pulmonary and psychological health that have been well worth the time
enjoyed changing seasons over the same walking loops
wore out the equivalent of one pair of hiking boots

And next year ...?

Looking back!

2009-12-26T08:13:00.000-05:00

One aspect of "retirement" has been the time to focus on reading for the first time ever. The "V &V" (variety and volume) have been fun. I am currently reading $20 Per Gallon by Christopher Steiner. Below is my reading list for the past year...see any pattern?

Books Read, Author and Date
The World is Flat – Thomas Friedman 11/08
Hot, Flat, and Crowded – Thomas Friedman 12/08
Three Cups of Tea – Greg Mortenson 12/08
This Republic of Suffering – Death & the Am. C. War 12/08
The Future of Life - E.O. Wilson 01/09
The Creation – E.O. Wilson 01/09
In Defense of Food – Michael Pollan 02/09
American Lion – Jon Meacham 02/09
Into the Wild – John Krauker 03/09
The Korean War; A View From the Rear – Grant W. Cole 03/09
Called to Question – Joan Chittister 04/09
The Lost City of Z – David Grann 04/09
A Walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson 04/09
The Way of Ignorance and other Essays – Wendell Berry 05/09
Between a Rock and A Hard Place – Aron Ralston 05/09
Jesus, Interrupted – Bart D. Ehrman 06/09
First on Everest – Tom Holzel & Audrey Salkeld 06/09
Picking Cotton; Our Memoir of Injustice & Redemption
Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, Ronald Cotton & Erin Torneo 07/09
Down the Great Unknown, John Wesley Powell’s 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon – Edward Dolnick 07/09
The Greatest Generation – Tom Brokaw 07/09
Angela’s Ashes – Frank McCourt 08/09
Why We Buy – Paco Underhill 08/09
Last Lion, the Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy – by the team at the Boston Globe and edited by Peter S. Canellos 08/09
The Third Chapter Passion, Risk and Adventure in the 25 years After 50
Sarah Lawrence-Lightfoot 09/09
Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization – Lester R. Brown 09/09
Born To Run – A hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen – Christopher McDougall 10/09
The Ethics of Climate Change – James Garvey 10/09
Human Origins, what bones and genomes tell us about ourselves – Robert DeSalles & Ian Tattersall 10/09
The Healing of America – T.R. Reid 11/09
Places In-between – Rory Stuart 11/09
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies - Diamond, Jared 12/09
Earth: The Sequel - Fred Krupp and Miriam Horn 12/09

R x R Crossing ...Stop! Look! & Listen! ... a reflection.

2009-12-25T09:43:00.000-05:00

Here the train is making the 24th or 25th Christmas lap around the tree.

It was Christmas Eve when I constructed the familar, crude wooden train in the unheated barn at the old Alloway homestead in 1976 or 1977 for Todd and Jason. I remember the discomfort of cold fingers and feet by the time I completed the train well after midnight. Two days ago Grandson Nolan and I were completing "rumbling" laps around the tree, a quarter century later on the resonating wooden floor.

Time moves on!

Winter Greens!

2009-12-18T07:14:00.001-05:00

Outside temperatures last evening were in the single digits as I harvested the above Swiss Chard from the passive green house for our evening meal. Very COOL, despite the cold!

Who did this?

2009-12-17T20:25:00.000-05:00

What do you see in the photo taken of our bathroom mirror?

Sue and I have notice this for the last three days. I think we were silently blaming each other. But why would either of us do such a thing? If it were the 1980 - 90's with the "kids" still here, then it would be easy to assess the blame. Yesterday, I finally asked Sue if she could explain the pranksterish sign.

Well this morning it dawned me that three days ago I had taken grandson Nolan into the bathroom and stood him on the counter top to look in the mirror at his chalk mustache. We had been drawing on the chalk board in the dinning room when I smugged a chalky mustache on Nolan. Apparently Nolan reached out and dragged his chalky fingers across the mirror, resulting in a smug looking very much like "Hi".

So who is the real prankster here?

Season Haiku

2009-12-15T07:05:00.000-05:00

The other day I was searching for an original idea that I could use to make a homemade season greeting card. I decided it would be fun to try my hand at composing a haiku that would reflect the upcoming Christmas/New Year season.

If you would like to refresh your memory as to what a haiku is; then click on the link below: http://volweb.utk.edu/school/bedford/harrisms/haiku.htm

Below is my haiku constructive effort.

Snow flying,
hungry cardinal watches our feeder.
... New Year Anticipation!

Did I meet the criteria?

Recycling the Harvest Dinner Biodegradables

2009-11-08T05:09:00.000-05:00

Members of the Park Presbyterian Chruch "Green Team" (Newark, NY)were interested in composting all biodegradable materials from the Harvest Dinnner fund raising event held on October 30th. I agreed to compost these biodegradable materials in one of my multiple compost piles. Below is a photo/video clip journal of what I did.

Three bags of food prep materials, paper products (napkins, table cloths, etc) and the actual food materials not consumed by patrons. I estimated this to be about 50 lbs of biodegradable waste.

A composting bin was constructed using four wooden pallets strapped together and a bed of yard leaves were placed at the bottom of the bin.

Non-biodegradable materials were separated from the biodegrables for comercial landfilling.

The leaves were soaked with water.

A layer of the biodegrable materials were scattered ontop of the leaves.

Here you see the first layer of biodegrables on a bed of leaves in the bin.

A video clip to illustrate the layering technique .

The finished pile, to which I have added more alternating layers of leaves & horsemanure as the pile has settled over the past week.

The pit core temperature reading (F) on November 8th. Composting started on November 1st.

The compost pile 7 on November 8th.

Here is a brief video clip of active composting piles in my back yard.

Just Plain ...!

2009-10-10T11:12:00.001-04:00

Can you suggest a caption for this photo?

I have been picking up blackwalnuts (Juglans nigra) over the past few days from the yard.

Compost Mole

2009-10-02T05:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a cloudy and cool day to work outside, so I decided to burn a few calories to generate some body heat by cleaning up the garden; screening the 2008 compost pile; closing the recently turned 2009 compost heap; and to begin the over wintering (2009-10) compost heap.
Below is a photo/video sequence of the events.
2008 heap (left) 2009 heap (right)
Sceening the 2008 heap to produce a finished compost.
Screening allows me to remove:

nonbiodegradable materials

return larger biodegradable materials to the overwinter (2010) for further decomposition

Tomato, zucchinni vines along with other garden clean up waste "greens" are spread on the 0ver wintering heap.
Large, biodegradible materials from the screened 2008 pile were spread across the "greens" onto the over winter heap.
A layer of horse manure was spread ontop the screenings.

Screened compost is shoveled onto the finished compost pile.
The finished compost will be held over the winter and used to amend garden soil and side dress summer plantings next spring and summer.
The recently turned 2009 compost pile will heat up, decompose and be turned again over the next few months to speed up decomposition.
The compost piles are covered with an overwintering layer of straw. Finished compost (left pile) Composting pile (2009 - foreground pile)

Opps! ...one more day hike!

2009-09-29T15:59:00.000-04:00

While down loading the official application for the Finger Lakes Branch Trail End-To-End Award, I noticed that the Queen Catherine Finger Lakes trail loop, was a required loop. Somehow or somewhere I had read that any branch trail under 10 miles was not required.
...Anyways - I decided to hike The Queen Catherine Marsh and Montour Falls Historic Loops today (Tuesday - September 29, 2009). Both maps are in my Finger Lakes Trail Map Binder and both are an easy day hike with no backpack. The trails are relativily flat and pass through interesting woods; marshes; by several historic markers and into several glens. The 14 mile hike took a little over 4 hours.

To see a map of the hiking route, click on the link below.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=42.527784,-77.644501&spn=0.469589,0.88028&z=10&msid=104585491248441541983.00046d32da0deeeaf38c2

When the page opens,

Click on "My Maps" and then:
Click on the Queen Catherine Marsh and Montour Falls Historic Loops listed on the left side of the web page.

A few photos taken along the way are chronologically arranged below.

Two young, naive deer along the Catherine Valley trail. Hunting season begins in a matter of days!

Montour Falls

Sullivan Trail markers; indicate the 1779 location where the Seneca Indians were driven westward to their Bristish allies in the Fort Niagara area by Revolutionary War American troops first venturing into the Finger Lakes.

Eagle Creek Falls in the Havana Glen Park. This would make a nice, family day trip!

The pedestrian bridge is out, so off came the hiking boots to ford the Diversion Channel east of Montour Falls.

A short video clip of the Catherine Creek Wildlife Management Area

Back at the south end of Seneca lake - End of the Trails!

Backpacking the Conservation Trail finishes The Finger Lakes Trail System

2009-09-16T21:27:00.000-04:00

Trekking Northward!

Once again my son Todd dropped me off at the trail head of the Conservation Trail near West Valley, NY; late in the afternoon of my 63rd birthday [9/10/09] as he traveled back to Pennsylvannia.
You can see the 119 mile trail by clicking on the link below and then clicking on My Maps and then clicking again on The Conservation Trail.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=42.527784,-77.644501&spn=0.469589,0.88028&z=10&msid=104585491248441541983.00046d32da0deeeaf38c2
September 10 - 15, 2009

Below is a sequence of photos taken as I backpacked north to Niagara Falls. The starting elevation (2000 ft) and topography (hilly) decreased as I worked my way northward to the flatter lake plains, before heading west and again north to the trail's end at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls NY.
With the completion of this solo backpack, I have completed the main East-West Finger Lakes Trail and ALL of the Branch Trails associated with the Finger Lakes Trail System in less than a year ... a total of 840 miles.
(http://www.fingerlakestrail.org/)

Fording a stream First signs of autumn. The Holland Ravines with their extensive ladders & steps

Crossing pipe lines in a "sugar bush"

The topography "flattens"

The trail now follows flat "rails to trails" and parkways

Flat and monotonous!

The Niagara River Walk towards the south bridge to Grand Island

Crossing the bouncy, noisey bridge (I-190) to Grand Island

Bivouac at Beaver Island State Park
Getting a early start!
On the Parkway north to the North bridge off Grand IslandView towards Niagara Fall from the high point on the noisey, North Grand Island Bridge
...still flat and monotonous!
The End: Straddling the International border on the Rainbow Bridge

Pototo Harvest 09

2009-09-06T12:10:00.000-04:00

In late April I planted 15 lbs of seed potatoes. Yesterday I dug, washed, dried, and sorted 100+ lbs of Red Pontiac and Katadin potatoes for storage. Some were really BIG!

A Nose Job

2009-09-01T14:06:00.000-04:00

After hiking so much of the Finger Lakes' Main and Branch Trails this past year, I volunteered with a GREAT Alley-Cat trail crew to construct "switch-backs" on Mt. Washington near Hammondsport, NY (August 31st - September 4th, 2009).

In my excitement to haul a large stone slab up and out of a near by ravine to construct a trail step; my feet slipped as tried to flip the slap up the steep ascent. The force I was using to flip the rock upward was transfered into forceful and downward "head butt" with the back flopping rock

...and the rock won!

Bob provided First Aid on the trail

The laceration with 5 stitches

Four hours and five stitches later to close the 1.2cm laceration on my right nostil; I was "off" the work crew under doctor's orders to give the wound time to heal and for the stitches to be removed.

P.S. The good news is there is no broken nose and or teeth.

Completing the Western End of the FLT

2009-08-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

I finished the 562 mile east-west length of the Finger Lakes Trail yesterday, August 24, 2009. Below is a link that you can click on to view the last segment; a 111 mile backpack.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=42.527784,-77.644501&spn=0.469589,0.88028&z=10&msid=104585491248441541983.00046d32da0deeeaf38c2

click on "my maps" and open

Western End of the FL Trail - August 20 - 24, 2009

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Todd dropped me off on PA. Rt. 346 just south of the Allegany State Park on Thursday morning.

The Allegany State Park had some of the largest trees observed while hiking across the NYS southern tier FLT system. The Allegany portion of the trails worked there way up to 2100 - 2300 feet and then typically followed the ridge, dropping into the valley to cross major streams and park highways. I spent the night in the Beck Hollow Lean-to, which kept me dry as a terrific thunderstorm rolled through in the late evening. I shared the lean-to with another backpacker who was headed to Hornell on the FLT. [19 miles]

Friday, August 21, 2009

This morning I "dropped" down into the valley to cross under I-86 and the Salamanca Indian Reservation, before walking up into the hills of the Buckthorn and Rock City State Forests. The Little Rock City Picnic Area was an interesting maze of rock and channel formations that would be a wonderful place to take kids and "adult kids" on an adventure picnic. I set up my tent outside of the DEC picnic area near an old CCC camp. [23 miles]

Dropping down to cross the Allegany River near Salamanca

Rock City Picnic area.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Some "critter" ran off with my spoon!!! ... so had to eat my oatmeal and all following meals with a fabricated stick or my hand. Licking like a dog also worked. Today was a hard hiking day of repeated, steep ups and downs crossing the McCarty Hill State Forest; looping behind the upper slopes of the Holiday Valley and Holimont Ski Areas; multiple wrong turns and backtracks; and finally acrossed the Boyce Hill State Forest where I spent a restful evening in my tent next to large beaver pond. [24 miles]

Morning view atop the Holimont Ski Area.

Trail walk.

Looking back.

Pine plantation

Bivouoac Boyce Hill State Forest

Sunday, August 23, 2009

The terrain was flatter today with more of the route along roads. Roads are faster, but the pounding takes a toll on the feet. I was making great time until huge "blow downs" covered the trail in the Bush Hill State Forest. I am glad that I am wearing long pants as many areas of the trail are overhung with late summer growths of brambles, nettles, and multi-floral rose bushes. I set up my tent at a bivouoac area outside of Higgins, NY. There was "no network" so I was able to place a land line call to Sue about my progress and pickup due to a kind local couple interested in my backpack journey. [29 miles]

Williams Road, Allegany County, NY

Blow down!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Started early across a large Amish families horse pasture and into woods laced with horse and wagon "foot prints". Amish lumber harvest seems to be a thriving industry in the area. Again many of the trail markers were covered with summer growth or faded, so I lost time searching for the trail several time times today. Arrived at Whiskey Bridge which crossed the Genesee river just south of Portageville, NY where Sue was to pick me up ... but where is Sue? After an hour I began to conclude that my wording as to the "pick up point" was confusing. Turns out Sue was waiting at the bridge crossing the Genesee river on the north side of the hamlet, 1.5 miles to the north of where I was waiting. [17 miles]

Views on the last day's trek.

Amish pasture

Amish horse and wagon tracks in the forest.

Fording Cold Creek

Another panoramic view!

Farm lane access to the forest.

Only 3 more miles to go!

The end ... again!

"Uncle Gene" and Jason = A Black Walnut Porch Glider

2009-07-19T18:18:00.000-04:00

With the help of Uncle Gene's expertise and wood working shop, son Jason and Gene cut out blackwalnut pieces for this very nice porch glider. The black walnut came from a tree taken down and milled in our yard.

Jason and "Uncle Gene"

Sue and Shannon on the pouch glider.

It's beautiful!

Apollo 11 - July 20, 1969

2009-07-17T15:56:00.000-04:00

Whow! ... 40 years ago today, I was an American Peace Corps Volunteer in a small village on the Indian Deccan Plateau.

"Chendrashaker" eating a little sacrificial rice, prior to planting a rice paddy.

Here in my mud/stone room with a cow dung floor and walls, some of my village friends & co-workers listen to the Apollo 11 moon landing/walk on the radio (Voice of America, Bangkok) and as noted by the newspaper headlines.

Another 100+ miles on the Finger Lakes Trail System.

2009-06-25T07:04:00.000-04:00

Beginning on Saturday (6/20 - 6/23), I completed another 104 mile segment of the Finger Lakes Trail system: Letchworth State Park to the Hammondsport area. The photos and information below will verify that I was REALLY on the trail ... unlike South Carolina Govenor Sanford, who recently claimed to be on the Applachain Trail, while really taking care of "affairs" in Argentina.

By visiting the following site you can view my route.

[Besure to waite & allow the interactive map to display, before clicking on "satellite", "terrain" & moving the zoom bar to explore my route.]

<http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=42.527784,-77.644501&spn=0.469589,0.88028&z=10&msid=104585491248441541983.00046d32da0deeeaf38c2>

Below are pictures and video clips arranged in chronological order that will give you a sense of the trip. Saturday and Sunday were wet hiking days, while Monday and Tuesday were sunny and warm. I spent the first overnight in a lean-to, followed by a night in a tent next to a pond with a chorus of amphibian reproductive calls. The last night was in a lean-to that is periodically visited by black bears.

Sign post at Finger Lakes Trail Headquarters, Mt. Morris, NY. I now only have the about 111 miles of the FLT (Portage, NY to the western end of the FLT in the Allegany State forest )and the 130+ mile Conservation trail to complete the 840 miles of the FLT and Branch trail system in one year by October 26th.

Letchworth Gorge ... not much of a view due the overcaste sky and rain.

With over an inch of rainfall, streams were swollen. (6/20)

...what view? Letchworth State Park. (6/20)

Letchworth State Park (6/20)

Hiking the south end of Letchworth State Park (6/20)

Letchworth State Park (6/20)

An ice cream cone break ...outside Portage, NY (6/20)

It rain all night, so Sunday morning the treking was "WET!"

The rule of the trail is to leave the gate as you find, when you enter pastured areas. (6/21)

(6/21)

Walking up Garwood Glen. (6/21)

I felt like the "cow" pied piper across this pasture. (6/21)

With the cows behind, this was the view looking east - 1800 ft. (6/21)

Rain Again!? ... Late Sunday afternoon (6/21)

[Turn the sound up.] Sleepless in the Klipnocky State Forest (2 am - 6/22)

Finally "dry" and Big Sky - 6/22

Heading towards Hornell (11 am - 6/22)

Looking back into the Canseraga Valley (not the "Canesisteo valley" as I say in the video clip)and Hornell (3pm - 6/22)

Tuesday Morning in western Steuben County (6/23)

Trail break (6/23)

Heading towards Bath, NY near or on Cochrane Rd. (am - 6/23)

The end of the trail. (pm - 6/23)

Recycled "junk" = an Arc Welder = an Old Bed Springs English Country Gate

2009-06-18T06:56:00.000-04:00

In an earlier blog posting regarding my stone wall construction, it was not mentioned that an opening was left in the stone wall where a metal gate would be the perfect addition.

[See blog dated 3/17/09 "Stoned" on Stone Walls]

Over the last few days, our son Jason responded by scrounging around the local area to find metal rods from an old bed mattress foundation [... abandoned in a wooded dump area] and two discarded microwave ovens.

From the mattress springs he cut out metal rods, designing and bending the rods into an esthetically pleasing gate, complete with latch.

From the microwave units, he utilized the transformers to construct an arc welder.

From there he welded the bed springs into a functioning gate.

The "homemade" arc welder.

Jason spot welds the gate components into a single unit.

The finished unit

..."Welcome" to a little less trashy world.