We had a couple of feet of snow a few weeks ago, so you know that that means! This is a 30 minute 8 footer … that last foot is the hardest (no ladders allowed):
Helen helped me give it some more character the next day:
He started slowly tipping over, despite my encouragement to remain straight and strong:
But snowmen age a bit faster than the rest of us:
Even Irena’s mannequin was worried about him:
He eventually called it a good life, about about 1 hour after I took this photo:
And about 1 second before I took this photo …. 1 SECOND! Ah for a slightly faster camera. He was impossibly horizontal!
And for completeness, 1 week later:
We had a fun Thanksgiving. Boris shared with us the joys of cooking Salmon with Pomegranate seeds:
Along with lots of other good food:
Noah and Inna, a friend from NY, flew in for a few days. Here Noah is trying to figure out why a bird (on the deck chair) constantly perches on our deck and periodically and deliberately flies into our window:
Our leading theory was he was being territorial and trying to scare away the competition, which looks remarkably like him. We solved the problem by sitting a stuffed gorilla where he normally perched.
The rest of our curtains arrive next week. To prep for them, I bought a 26’ multi-function ladder and strung the wiring to supply power to the motors:
In the mean time, I’ve been playing with another project. We have been enjoying our hot tub:
But feeling a bit guilty about the energy use. So I researched the best way to leverage solar energy to heat water in cold temperatures. Turns out to be evacuated solar tubes:
http://www.solarpanelsplus.com/evacuated-tube-collectors
Invented in the US, but popularized and affordable-ized in China. Initially I ordered a set from China, but shipping 2xed the cost, and required a “slow boat”. So I found a state side supplier:
Got so excited, I assembled it in our kitchen before I figured out I couldn’t move it down the stairs:
So I dis-assembled, moved, and re-assembled:
I currently have it jury-rigged, testing out how well they work, deciding where to put them and if 16 tubes is enough:
Those little panels on the left are cheap (in-efficient) photo-voltaics that power a small submersible pump, so no external electricity or valves are needed.
One last, yet another sunset, photo:
Bruce