Painted Trillium

A longtime and frequent visitor determined the type of flower, which is growing in the northwest corner of my lot. It's a Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum). Here's a link to the U.S. Forest Service's webpage. Thanks, Bonnie!

Roof Leak

The camper roof leak is gone! Now, I need a couple of dry days with warm nights in a row. Maybe in June! It has been a cool, wet spring. Maybe the summer will be hot and dry? It would be excellent to leave the windows open all the time!

Orchard

The fruit trees are growing again. I really should upload a new photo of the orchard, as they have filled out a bit. They do like to grow tall, so John's been toppping them to encourage them to grow outwards. Recall that they are all grafted onto dwarfing or semi-dwarfing rootstocks? But a dwarf base can allow a tree to grow to 7-9 feet. I want to keep them low so I can easily pick the fruit.

Also, I've planted new bulbs of garlic in four spots. I had planted a few cloves in these spots. But my frugality met with failure. Some rodent dug up those individual cloves. Try and dig up an entire grocery-store bulb, you furry bastards! I don't know why I was being stingy, because food-grade garlic is still quite inexpensive. I guess it's just a habit

These Alliums seem to repel Japanese beetles in my area. I have a garlic and chives bed in the middle of the orchard and the nearby fruit trees were unaffected by the beetles. (As I have reported these large insects will strip some trees and bushes of leaves in a matter of weeks, which will obviously stunt and then kill the tree or bush.)

A cherry tree that's farthest away from these "fragrant" herbs was visited by the accursed beetles last year. Fortunately, the damage wasn't severe. Also, the leaves of my blueberries showed some damage in late season. Neither were devastated; however, I am always trying to find longterm natural solutions to invasive problems. (Currently, I spread grub killer. It kills all grubs including beneficial insects, so it should be only temporary.)

It's easy for me to write about what and where I've placed these insect-repelling plants. But, unless you visit my place, it's difficult to visualize the entire scene. So, I've made another one of my classy diagrams from a photograph. Take a look here!

The circle demarcates the new garlic bed between two fruit trees. I planted two full-size bulbs there. Alvin, do your worst! The two arrows locate the two other bulbs that I planted in the existing chives/garlic bed. They should reinforce the-err--smell of the area!

What, you may ask, is the blue rectangle? That would be a good question. Enclosed inside that shape is my single peach tree. I selected a sheltered spot, since I read that peaches are vulnerable to cold chills. That tree is nestled against the native woods and on the highest ground in the orchard, which should allow cold chills to roll by. Unfortunately, the spot is also not well "sunned" so I planned to remove more trees to provide it with more sunlight.

That assumption may be incorrect. The peach tree seems to be very happy. I counted at least seven flowers forming on it! John suggested that I leave them on the tree. I may have some small peaches this year! (I know that Maria, my immediate neighbor to the east, has two peach trees in her front yard.) I circled the flower buds in this photo. Here's a a detailed view of the flowers. I'll report more fruitful action as it occurs!

Grapevines

The grapevines are still mostly dormant. That is, no leaves have unfurled yet. Hell, I don't blame them. It's been in the 40s overnight! I have high hopes for all 24 vines. However, any that fail can be replaced; since, I've converted to the Concord variety.

Power Cellar

I continued to add the better-packing fill around the Cellar. It does keep the sand in place, against the walls. I need to wait for the next step before doing a lot more backfilling. What is that next step? Be sure to visit again! Until then, you can see that I continued to built working "platforms" around the Cellar: I've been saving glass jars. Mom also gave me a bunch, also. Thanks, Mom! Once the labels are removed, the jars make ideal storage containers for hardware like screws, nuts, washers, clips, etc. I've been wanting to organize my spare hardware for at least a decade. Yeah, I'm that cool! Seriously, it's a lot easier to find that one screw of a certain length when they're separated into jars.

Now, I'm always tight on mouse-free space. So, why you ask, am I collecting a bunch of small, glass jars? Ha, I thought of quite a clever idea to get the jars out of the way. To give credit where it's due, my grandfather gave me the idea. I'll screw the jar lids to the plywood roof between the rafters! As long as the jars don't extend below the rafters, I'll never hit my head on the glass! Thank you, Grandpa. Elvis has left the Cellar!

Cool Flower

Last spring I noticed an unsual flowering plant along my daily commute. (Yes, an individual grows along the six-hundred-foot walk from my camper to the business section of my lot.) Last year something trampled it before I could snap a photo. This year, I got a shot of the plant, which is ever larger, before a deer or coyote crushed it to the ground.

I'm used to walking through my forest. I see things that most would not notice. But I don't concentrate on groundcover. Usually, I'm looking upwards to locate dead trees or suspended branches. This curious flower caught my attention last year and so I made it a point to watch for it this year. Take a look:

Site Updates

I've added three films to the GRS database.

Also, I added one quote:

In the end, winning is the only safety.
Avon in Blake's 7

Enjoy!

Back Home

The camper's roof leak persisted through the winter. I was fortunate that it only leaked in one spot. A five-gallon bucket was usually enough to contain the leaked water. Many times I would find ice in it. I mean a bucket of solid ice! Hmm, how do I melt the ice so I can pour out the icy water & ice block so I can start over? Place the bucket in the Mazda for a few minutes, of course! (The new engine is running very well.)

I continued looking for a good solution for the roof leak in the early spring. I tried the BlackJack brand rubber roof sealant, which I still had on hand. It continued to fail, like it did in the late autumn. My current solution seems to have worked. (I will, of course, seal the roof again with Flex Seal. That product --is-- worth the expense.)

What is my latest band-aid solution? Gorilla Tape the cuts in the original roof membrane and use Flex Tape to enclose everything. Any gaps in the Tape were sealed with 30-minute rain-ready caulking.

Fingers crossed; this fix will work until it is warm enough to apply Flex Seal to the entire roof. Before I roll all the roof, I'll replace the bathroom vent, as the plastic mechanism will no longer open and close the vent. Ah, the pleasures of camping in a nearly 30-year-old travel trailer!

Challenges aside, I've moved back to my summer quarters. I enjoy staying with Mom and enjoyed her company and the conveniences of "house" life; however, it's always great to be back home. Or nearly: I'm staying at Donna's where I can graciously use her hook-ups.

Lot Work

I put the "big top" back up a couple of weeks ago. It's been holding up against the rain and wind, so I did it right with only a little help from James! It has been useful, because I can paint things underneath without worry of exposure to water. I painted new handles for the snow shovels. This past season, my second shovel finally succombed to wear and exposure.

I've finished the bulk of the clean-up from the winter. I had a number of trees snapped in half or downed by the final, heavy snowstorm. The brush piles are getting large and numerous! I was only able to burn four brush piles this past winter. The others were too wet to ignite. I even put a MAP gas torch on a couple of them, but to no avail. We had the wettest summer in at least ten years, in 2023.

New Grapevines!

I removed my Gamay grapevines. Recall that they would never grow from last year's wood? It's a strange thing for grapevines to do. I replaced them with native twigs--I mean 'vines--from a NH organization. They were so tiny it looked like I planted twigs. I asked my neighbor's six-year-old daughter not to accidentally step on them. She enjoys walking along my stone walls and running around. My lot's southern exposure makes a warm change from her parents' shaded lot.

She heeded my request, because all of the "twigs" are upright and have leaf buds on them. I truly expected at least half of them to fail and, not due to a youngster's trampling. Amazing! I'll post photos when they look less like twigs in the ground

Power Cellar

Yesterday, I opened the vent holes for the Power Cellar. One hole will be used to vent any hydrogen from the battery box and the other pair will cross-ventilate the room itself.

The Cellar fared well over the winter. There was a little water leakage through the open bulkhead. However, it's not a problem since I have floor drains! Next winter the bulkhead will be sealed, so it'll be a moot point.

I continued backfilling the Cellar. I received more fill that packs better. Incidently, it's the same cost per (cubic) yard as sand. But 4-inch-minus bank-run packs a little better. (Recall that I am using screened sand against the Cellar walls to ensure there's no hydrostatic pressure.) The bank run will create the slope around the Cellar to meet the undisturbed terrain. In the below photos, the new bank run shows up against last year's sand:
I started to compact the fill with the Kubota, and it is less "runny" than the sand. The cleared vent holes are obvious. Work will continue! Please, keep visiting!

FORTRAN

My program successfully and repeatedly saves and restores files. As an exercise, It encrypts and recovers the save files. Of course the information in a saved game file doesn't matter; but, it was an exercise for me. I enjoyed it. The encryption is not RSA-compliant. After reading about RSA: I'm OK with my choice! Future programming will be reserved to bad weather days.

Site Updates

I've added five films & one TV program to the GRS database.

There are two new photos in the collection:

Enjoy!

Week Trip

I spent a week with relatives. Despite the fact that it snowed every day, it was a fun time! We visited several memorials, a dinosaur, and an art gallery. I still don't understand modern art. How can something drawn with a "crayon on paper" be considered art? Isn't that what a child does at the Red Lobster? Another exhibit displayed lava lamps and alarm clocks. Really? The museum did redeem itself with masterpieces by van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, and Degas.

The memorial for the Seabees was impressive. It showed where these men built or improved airports, roads, etc. for the soldiers. A massive Caterpillar tractor is the main exhibit but I wanted to see the stainless steel Seabee. It even wields a detailed Thompson submachine gun! The memorial to the conflict in Vietnam is just as prominent. The centerpiece is the attack helicopter. Both memorials name the men who served. Also, we visited a touching memorial for children who died young of diseases like cancer.

Site Updates

I've added five films, a TV program, and a TV movie to the GRS database. Enjoy!

FORTRAN

I've made a lot of progress on my computer program. While I couldn't code for a living, it makes a good pastime that keeps the mind active. Currently, I'm adding the capability to save and restore games. As users, we take this aspect for granted. There's a bit more to it than we think. Also, as an exercise, I'm encrypting the saved data. I should have a decent program by the time spring rolls in.

Spring!

Like many, I've already planned tasks for spring. Soon, we'll be able to put them into practice! And since the job market is slow, I have plenty of time to accomplish them! One must look at "lost" wages in the correct light. I know other contractors who wait by the phone and worry. I've learned to plan for being "between jobs". We're paid very well so it's not difficult if one has some self control.

In addition to finishing the Power Cellar, I plan to list and hopefully sell the purple truck. I like it but I have a one-ton Dually so I really don't need it. I'd rather use my time to get the MG back on the road. It has been safely stored in a CarCapsule for years now. I don't mind too much because it only costs me a small fan every few years. The fan runs continuously on a battery charged by my solar arrays. Still, it's not good to have any vehicle sit. So, "Barney" truck, when the good weather returns you're going to be listed!

Winter

This winter was really easy. I only had to plow twice or three times! The total snowfall was less than a foot, which is nothing for my area. I credit the overly wet spring, summer, and autumn. It's great that a lousy summer means an easy winter!

Site Updates

I've added seven films to the GRS database.

Three new photos join the others:


Also, I added two quotes:

...feelings aren't positive and negative. They simply exist. It's what we do with those feelings that becomes good or bad.
Counselor Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation

Nothing in life that's worthwhile is easy. It is the struggle and the fight that makes us who we are.
Mac in The Changed

Enjoy!

A Winter Hobby

I contemplated rebuilding a worn-out chainsaw. (The first one that I bought circa 2012 failed to start last year. I have since replaced it with the same make & model.) A replacement cylinder/piston kit is available. But I'm a bit tired of getting oily. I can do that job next winter!

Instead, I turned my attention to a clean, indoor hobby. I had wanted to learn the programming language C for some time. After fussing with character variables,--C requires special handling when character variables are read from the user--I translated my program into FORTRAN.

I had been told that C is lower level than FORTRAN; however, I had never believed it. So the programmer has to do something special to read-in character variables and not real or integer variables. No, thank you! I may be a nerd but I'm not a glutton for punishment

I learned FORTRAN as a youngster and used it again in university so I'm not necessarily learning something new. Though, the program is developing well and holds my attention. It deals with very large numbers so I have learned about variable precision in FORTRAN.

Since it's written in this antique language, compilers are freely available and work well. I've been using the GNU compiler, which runs on Linux OSes and in Windows. Curiously it takes twice as long to compile in Windows. I noticed because Linux compiles my program instantly. GFortran in Windows pauses like a person taking a deep breath before reciting a tongue-twister.

I briefly thought about learning a language derived from C. But they all seem to be object-oriented. I work enough with that concept when developing this site. JavaScript and Perl use that stuff. I just don't like the idea that the length of a variable is--for instance--VARIABLE.length. In my mind, something needs to be done to determine the length of the variable, like calling a subroutine or a function: call return_length (VARIABLE, length)

This method of thinking must be why I am a trained mechanical engineer and not a computer programmer. (No, I can't call them software engineers.) For example, engineers measure an item to learn its dimensions. Something must be done to determine these dimensions. Of course, one may argue that dimensions are just a property of the item. I'll just ignore the abstraction and enjoy FORTRAN!

Site Updates

I've added six films to the GRS database. Enjoy!

Generator Rebuild

I finished rebuilding the generator. And it runs and energizes a load

I have built an automobile engine so I was interested to see how similar small engines are. I was surprised by the size of the piston. Previously, I disassembled a string trimmer. It's piston-conrod sub-assembly are tiny in comparison! The generator's conrod has no bearings, unlike a car engine. Aside from the oil slinger on the "bearing cap", the sub-assembly looks one from a car.

See the replacement piston & connecting rod here. Here's the original piston in the cylinder so you can scale it. I like the pushrods. I replaced the cylinder head as well so I wouldn't have any problems with leaking valves. I've ground and lapped valve seats. It's not trivial. The original cylinder head looks as one would expect. See it here.

I took a photo just after I cracked the crankcase. The two loose parts in the crankcase cover are part of the governor, which pokes into the top of the crankcase and runs on a nylon gear. The black sensor in the "sump" is the low-oil-pressure switch.

The camshaft is geared to the crankshaft. It reminds me of the cam gears on the Stovebolt Six in my '67 Chevy pick-up. The generator camshaft has a spring-loaded mechanism that keeps the exhaust valve slightly open until the engine is spinning at a certain speed. The idea is that it acts like a compression release to reduce the effort to start the generator (Thanks, Mike, for the research!)

The tapered shaft that forms the connection between the gasoline engine and the electrical alternator was a pain to separate. With no luck and fearing that I would damage the housing, I searched the Internet for a solution.

A clever individual recommended filling the bolt hole with water, loosely threading in the screw, and freezing the entire unit. They were joking about their wives complaining about a greasy engine in her freezer. I lucked out because I have a large freezer at my disposal, free of charge. Yes, I filled the hole with water and put it outside overnight. It worked perfectly!

Here's a shot of the generator fully assembled. As I reported, it runs and does what is should do! Of course, I kept the original parts for future use. I have another generator just like this one.

Site Updates

I've added four films to the GRS database. Enjoy!

Write In?

So the main candidate for the Democratic Party didn't campaign and didn't even bother to pay the fee to have his name listed on the ballot. I'm stunned. These politicians try to shove their dirty work down our throats and then when it comes to an election we are arrogantly ignored.

Of course, Mr. Biden is not responsible. He needs to retire. But, his staff should be ashamed. Want to vote for someone on the ballot? Why not vote for the guy who wears a boot on his head? Or the guy named President something-or-other? What has happened to the Democratic Party? The Kennedy Brothers would be stunned by the strangeness and haughtiness of these candidates.

I wonder if there is no campaign for Biden because they know that he couldn't live through another term. And they know that Ms. Harris isn't a strong enough candidate to win using her own name. Does it sound underhanded? Think about it objectively. Career politicians don't do anything without a personal plan.

Generator Rebuild

I'm nearing the end of the rebuilding project. It was fun to see the internal workings. I'll post photos when I'm done.

Site Updates

I've added seven films and one TV program to the GRS database.

Four new photos are on the page:

Enjoy!