A Good Place

Last night, the inlaws were at the house for a little BBQ. It went well, but the evening pointed out one important thing...I'm in a good place. The house is a little small and, of course the garage isn't big enough. The location is quiet and close to a state park, hiking trails and a bike trail. This came to mind today because I was looking for some pictures and found this from earlier in the spring...or last year, I can't remember. We have so much wild-life in the back yard that it's interesting to sit on the back porch and watch. This was a common topic during the meal. Whether it's simply the range of birds that visit the feeder, woodchucks, deer (and fawns), or bears, it seems that there is always something out there. In this case, the two young fawns were playing with the geese, herding them around the yard and splashing in the water. The deer seemed happy but the geese appeared to be more annoyed than anything. Most of the flock is out of the picture. Things like this make this little place very nice

I Never Knew

I learn things all the time, but today found something really interesting in my RSS bin. Reading a little about the NYC steam pipe blowing was, of course, sad. On the other hand, the ingenuity and planning that was done in the late 1800's was remarkable. They'd thought of and built an efficient method for salvaging normally lost heat in the generation of electricity. The volume of steam is tremendous and is not only used to heat buildings in the winter, but is used to turn turbines that power AC systems in some buildings during the summer months. This idea was used 120 years ago, yet today that idea is rather novel in most places. It's all in what is presented to the general public. Even with this latest disaster, this type of system should spread, with the growing energy costs and a somewhat increased need for "cleaner" energy and saving energy. Check out the SciAm article. It's pretty short but has some good things to think about.

Unbelievable!!

Today, I had an experience that should never happen. I have an elderly neighbor, in her 80's. She asked me about the price quoted to her by an out of town contractor that was going to put windows in her house. When I heard the figure and looked at the windows, I thought that something was wrong. Then I found out that this guy took a check of a thousand bucks as a deposit. The price of the windows (2 of them by the way) was nearly 10% of the price she paid for the house. I told her to get other estimates and to put a hold on that first contractor and see what comes out. She canceled the check and started asking around a little more. She had another estimate of 1/4 the price for the physical windows.
This afternoon, that original contractor showed up and was quite rude to her about her changed mind. She used me a reason for her cancellation, so he then insulted me...I wasn't around at that time. With this in mind, I did a little checking and it's not the first issue that's come from this place. Some guys are really tough spoken when dealing with an 80+ year old with a cane. I'm in the process now of finding her a better person and seeing what these things actually cost. Even with escalating labor costs, my estimate on the price of the windows leaves the labor costs at a rate not seen in any other contracting work I've ever seen. Even if the two windows took two laborers 30 hours to put in at typical local rates, she'd be well behind. With common local rates, two people would be working for over 50 hours for this bill to be reasonable...then if it took them that long, they're not reasonable either...Some people are interesting. It's too bad that there are people like this around. Of course this isn't my specialty, but common sense is good for something. If I were to put 10% of the purchase price of my home into two windows, I'd be significantly perturbed! If, somehow, I'm entirely off base, I'll call the guy and apologize. I doubt that will need to be done, but hey, if I am wrong, I'll own up to it...even though I was insulted (my neighbor couldn't repeat the insult, it was "too bad"...nice older lady:))
My step now is researching reputable window makers/installers to see what's really what. We have a few places that make them pretty locally and stand behind what they do. Helping this neighbor is not unusual, she's a nice lady and a good neighbor to have. We'll see where this goes. I hope it all works out for her and will do what I can to help.

Things Change

Well, the fishing trip didn't work out...too many other things to take care of. I guess it's a good thing, it was rough on the lake on Thursday and there was at least one injury on board due to the wave heights. On top of that, the fishing wasn't too great any way.
The weather has been very good lately, so I've shot several rounds at five stand and am getting used to the new gun. The scores should be better soon. Class is going pretty well, and I'm only behind on the video part. I hope to take care of this ASAP...meet with my actors today(if they remember). After that it should be pretty straight forward. I've toyed with the editing software and think that I'll be OK.
All is well, the car is out just about every day and so far this summer there have been few days when it's just too hot and humid to do much. It's a pretty good feeling when things are caught up and taken care of...now it's off to trim a couple of trees with a pole saw...and then dig out the drain in the back yard...and then who knows what I'll find that needs some attention. Life can be pretty slow in this rural area, and I like it!

Summer's Here

Summer has now arrived here in NW PA. It's cracked the 90 degree mark for two days now and has been humid. Others south of here may be used to this, but it takes a bit of getting used to here. We've had little to no rain in recent memory and much of the grass is turning brown(YAY!!). I figure one more mowing should just about brown all 3+ acres of my yard. That I like!
Along with the hot weather comes the desire to get out and do some fishing. Most likely I'll be headed out on Lake Erie to do a little Walleye or Perch fishing. It all depends on the wind and the waves. Even though I'm still a bit behind in my latest class, I think I can manage at least part of a day for this little excursion. It's not often that I get the chance to do a little charter fishing with friends. If I go, I'll try to get some decent pictures to post. Right now, it's back to the class and the work I've missed!

Still Working

I'm still plugging away in my quest at UF. I'm behind as usual, email difficulty. I'm 3 weeks behind in the 8 week course, but am doing my best to catch up. Two are down and this is the last one this summer. I should be OK. It will just take some long days to get up to where I need to be.
I took most of Friday off and spent the afternoon/evening at a lake and watched fire works. This year was the best show they've put on in years. I was pleasantly surprised. It also felt good to relax. I've put quite a bit of time into the first two classes and need a little time before diving into the third, even though I started late. I feel pretty good about my work and my chances of getting caught up.
Hope it all works out.

OK, So That Didn't Work

I guess I ended up working today. I'm pretty much done with both classes and feel pretty good about my work and what I've learned. All that's left is a review of a professor and to review my writings before I submit them.
I slept in today, not really getting moving until after 8! I'm usually out of bed, fed, showered and working by about 7...to get up at 8 is rare! I feel like I waste a good part of the day when I sleep in. It's the best time for me to get things done. Nobody calls or has much to do at that time, so I have few interruptions. It's the best time for me right now.
Once up today, the sky was overcast, gray and not very inviting, so I decided to get some stuff done in front of the computer. Why wait for a sunny day? I'd rather do it now. Things change and that's just part of life. Have happy 4th and I hope the weather is better where you are today!
mark

Good Days

It's been a very good last few days. Sunday was the first real car show that my car made it to this season. None of my friends were around to go, so I went on my own. I think it was the best show I've been to in a long time. The show field was better than in recent years, but more importantly the people were great. Being alone, I didn't have to worry about friends wanting to get moving, when I'm in the middle of talking to others about their cars. I talked to and met more people on that day than I have in years, other than teaching. It was really a good time! I have no pictures though, I spent too much time talking to even take the camera out of the trunk.
The 4th is tomorrow, and I intend to pretty much take the day off and let the class stuff sit. I'm done in one class and will have the other one done on Thurs or Fri, if all goes well.
For now, I'm taking the 'Cuda out of town for a visit to some family and stretch its legs a little. I'll spend the rest of the day by the pool enjoying a nearly cloud free Pennsylvania day.
Enjoy the 4th and stay safe!
mark