Buzzard reproduction

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/wQSQhoxhkw8HKSs39

 Now, there are two.  The second hatched today (6/29) between mid morning and late afternoon.

A few days ago, I found a buzzard had been making a mess of my south field PV equipment room, formerly a greenhouse.  I found two eggs on the ground inside the greenhouse and moved them outside.  Then, blocked the two doors into the room.  The momma is non aggressive but can almost always be found at the eggs; she just hops off when I arrive.

 6/30/2021

Chicks appear about the same as yesterday, above.

Donna and  Ray offer that they seem to be "Black Vultures" rather than the more common "Turkey Vultures":

https://txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/black-vulture

 https://txtbba.tamu.edu/species-accounts/turkey-vulture/

 

7/5/2021

Nothing much to report. They've grown a bit.

 7/15/2012

Progress!  Both chicks standing outside the nest area on their feet, holding out their wings.  I was a bit worried since I had seen a loose hound dog roaming around this morning.  A dump job, likely.  Collar but no tags.

It may be that buzzards are not considered "fair game".  A few years ago, I found a dead buzzard near a vegetable field and nothing would touch it.  For your random dead animals, they get cleaned up in a day or two.  The buzzard laid there for months.

 7/23/2012  Missing chicks

I took a couple of photos and added to album 7/21 but did not post here.  Today, I drove by and was surprised to find no chicks.  The adult is usually either absent or on the ground near the chicks.  Today, the adult was perched up off the ground which is unusual.  She flew off but there were no chicks in the area.  Either "something bad" has happened or the chicks are wandering somewhere.  I'll check on them several times tomorrow and report.

9/12/2012

After an absence of near two months, during which I suspected the worst, the near grown chicks reappeared!

The whole area under that shed shows evidence of buzzard presence/activity.    The two chicks are quite timid, preferring to hide than fight or flee.   "Mildred! Be VERY still.  I don't think he sees us." I sure wish I knew what they were doing for the past two months.

9/13/2021

This morning, the chicks remain huddled up in their protected place, lumber and stuff leaning against a barn wall.  Near their hatching spot.  Still maintaining a very low profile.  No evidence of adults.

Border Radio and Charlatans

 I've started re-reading a book entitled "Border Radio".

Wikipedia article on "Border Blasters":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_blaster

I recall hearing border blaster broadcasts on the radio but that must have been long after their heydays since my listening would have been no earlier than the early 1950s.

My interest was especially piqued because I had a great aunt that was convinced that she was cured of stomach cancer in Eureka Springs Arkansas by one of the principals of border radio in the 1930s:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_G._Baker

I had a false lead that the "doctor" of interest was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Brinkley but Brinkley had no Eureka Springs connection.  And Dr Brinkley's "thing" was impotence treatment with goat gonad transplants.  The family of my great aunt reports what a pleasant place Eureka Springs was.  They lived in Eureka Springs for a period of time while my aunt was treated, apparently as an outpatient.  "Treatment" was reported to be mostly ingesting great quantities of freshly extracted carrot juice.  I believe my aunt ended her days believing that she had been cured by Dr Baker.   Most family members now offer the opinion that she never had cancer.  I grew up with some association with the aunt and never considered questioning her cure belief; it was not a topic that greatly interested me at the time.   But, my interest in history has grown over the years.  The time Baker operated in Eureka Springs was brief,   He bought the Crescent Hotel, his hospital in Eureka Springs, in 1937 and he was imprisoned in May 1941.  His cancer treatment business likely fell apart at his imprisonment. 

 

PV Energy Report

 We've had about a week of pretty sunny weather following at least a month of rainy cloudy weather.  Good PV production. Listed are the four meters (with transformers) that I have.  "HillTop" was installed several months ago solely for the purpose of delivering energy to my utility. Yesterday, June 19, 2021 yielded:

1) new "topofhill" transformer        167 kwh

2) "Across the Road", ATR                328 kwh

3) "House"                                        173 kwh

4) "Pool"/"Big Barn"                        108 kwh

All are "net". Production that exceeds use.

The total for the first three is 668 kwh for which I am credited at $.06/kwh monthly.  $40 for the day.  Each day for the past week has been close to that.

The 4th meter production is credited annually at $.03/kwh.  So, about $3 for that day for that meter.  Each meter cost me about $.75/day for the "overhead" connection fee.  The 4th meter generally more than pays for the connection fees.  In addition, the 4th meter/transformer supplies me true "net metering", "use the grid as a battery".  It doesn't matter when I use the energy; I am billed nothing for it if my contributions for a month exceed my use.  For that benefit, I accept the much lower payment rate.  The rate structure on the other three meters/transformers mean that I pay $.10/kwh for night time use no matter how much I may produce during daylight hours.

I am working to bring production for all four meters up nearer their transformer capacities.  My estimates for the upper limits are 400, 400,  300, and 140 for the meters respectively.  That is, I might be able to get best day peak productions up to 1100 kwh ($66) per day for the monthly credited meters.  After that?  Time to add a 5th meter/transformer!

 

6/30/2021

20 days into my billing period with the last 10 being sub par from cloudiness.  Average over the 20 days has been about 566 kwh.  Near $34/day.  On target for a $1k month.

Original Jeddo solar project post updated

 https://wmckemie.blogspot.com/2021/01/1500-acres-of-pv-near-jeddo.html

 

Pecos Cantaloupe

I think I'll semi-plan a Pecos trip for mid-July.  Bring home a few boxes of cantaloupe. Maybe before just to check out the Mondajano farm and get a reading on the cantaloupe season.  It is on a highway I don't believe I've traveled before.  SuperCharger stops at Junction and Ft Stockton.  Should be quick and easy trips.  I guess I could go on to Balmorea to see if there has been progress on the pool repair.

http://www.ntxe-news.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=74&num=111895

 https://www.lubbockonline.com/news/20190830/famed-pecos-cantaloupes-from-west-texas-now-rare-few-farms

 https://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/nature-outdoors/the-truth-about-pecos-cantaloupes

 https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Pecos-cantaloupes-were-famous-Now-oil-rules-14273017.php

 https://goo.gl/maps/Ssuczi6eTH3xbriLA

PowerWall Lives!

 Right after our big long freeze event in February, my PowerWall quit working.  It was refusing to use grid power.  Pleas to Tesla Energy for a service call went nearly ignored.  After the better part of a day trying to get back on grid power, I decided to wire around the PowerWall Gateway.  The only way to do that safely was to pull my meter.  So, I notified Bluebonnet, cut the seal and pulled the meter.  After I figured out what needed to be done, it was a less than half hour job to do it.  The primary obstacle was bending and moving very heavy copper wire.  I was extremely relieved when I plugged the meter back in and found I had grid power again.  

 With essentially zero help or advice from Tesla, I determined that a big switch in the gateway box was just a 200 amp breaker rather than a transfer switch as I first thought.  A search on the part number told me it was a very common unit.  So, I ordered one.  Installing the new one was a long, tedious, and painful job because of obscured mounting bolts and general congestion.  I ordered several sets of deep sockets of approximately the right size.  The right size turned out to be 10mm.  Weeks later, the new breaker was in place.  But, I had lost enthusiasm for the project and kept postponing putting the PW back in the circuit.   I was uncertain that the bad breaker was the only problem.  I would rather have hired Tesla or others to do the job.  Meanwhile, I had bought a new three battery PW from an individual, not Tesla.  I've become sensitive to the possibility of allowing the batteries to run down and become ruined.  The "new" batteries have likely been in storage more than a year.  The new gateway is "gen2" and my installed gateway is "gen1".  I hope that tells me that the batteries are not very old.  The "gen2" gateway seems not to have the 200 amp breaker that failed me.

So, today was the day.  May 20.  About three months after I disconnected the PW.  Things went rather smoothly other than not being able to get the heavy wires stuffed down into the gateway box so it can be properly closed.  Pull meter.  Change four big wires from one set of lug connections to the others.  Reinstall meter.  Flip breakers, switches, disconnects back on.  Everything works.  The single positive result of all my pleadings with Tesla back in February was that my PW got properly associated with my Tesla account so that the PW, like cars, shows up on my Tesla smartphone app.  I had had no communication with my PW for three months and I was extremely pleased to see it show up on the app with 70% charge.  The sun was out so it immediately started charging at 5kw with excess power going to the grid.

 The next step:  I have three PW batteries, NIB, that have never been used or installed.  So, I want to get them hooked up, either all together or one at a time, and make sure that they are not in danger of totally self discharging.   The new batteries weigh maybe 300 pounds each and I am not very mobile.  Moving them from my Sprinter to the house will be daunting.  So, I'll likely wait to gain better mobility before I attack that project.

While writing this, the PW battery became fully charged.   I believe I have it configured so it uses battery power after sundown until the battery gets down to 50%.  Then, grid power, saving the last 50% for a power failure.

A little later.... I emailed Bluebonnet this morning to tell them the meter was ready for a seal.  This afternoon, a guy showed up and installed a seal.  With zero grief to me.  No complaints about "only Bluebonnet people are supposed to remove seals".    It is no wonder that I like being a Bluebonnet customer.  More accurately, having Bluebonnet as a customer.

New 12000 btu "hyper heat" mini split heat pump

 Just installed.  "Hyper Heat" meaning that it extracts heat from air temperatures below zero F rather than the older types would require resistive heat below about 40 deg F.  SEER of 22.5.  Another choice was a 9000 btu unit of SEER 25.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/outQ6QGDURUsNm2M7

The unit may not be big enough to supply all needed cooling and heating.  The window unit, I believe, is about 18000 btu which is sufficient for cooling the area.  The major impetus is to not have to build fires in the stove when heating needs are moderate.  Current infirmities have made fire tending tedious and painful. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DiamondAir-Mini-Split-12k-BTU-Hyper-Heat-22-5-SEER-Heat-Pump-D2012SHO-DF2012HMSI/254362573571?hash=item3b3930db03:g:uMUAAOSwbsddgQt2

Picked up at Houston warehouse of

 https://www.budgetheating.com/

Installation by Paige Aire:

http://paigeaire.com

 Cost: about $1400 plus $800 for installation.

Product specifications:

 https://www.diamondaircorp.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=906

 Full heat capacity down to 5 deg F!  I'm now thinking the 18000 btu unit might have been a better choice, though less efficient.  I was first drawn to the 9000 btu unit because it is more efficient than the purchased 12000 btu..

7/15/2021

I've been running the 12k btu unit now for over two months and I'm well pleased with it.  I have in hand a similar 9k btu unit that I intend to put in my bedroom.  Together, I think the two units will both heat and cool the entire house.  For back up cooling, I will leave in place the two window units: a 18k btu in the dining room and a 6k btu in the bedroom.  I'm thinking ahead for the winter in case my limited mobility problem does not get better and I don't feel up to tending a fire in the winter.  Even with improved mobility, I will likely do a lot of winter heating with the heat pumps.

Electric energy is generally not a problem.  During the day, I produce and send to the grid at least 10 times as much as I can hope to squander on heating and cooling.  My only (slight) worry is that, if grid is down, I may have not be able to heat and cool as much at night as I would like.

Here are some stories of interest:

https://cleantechnica.com/2021/07/30/ductless-heat-pumps-demystified/

 https://cleantechnica.com/2021/08/12/why-heat-pumps-are-the-answer-to-heat-waves/