Compressible Water Vapor Barrier

Apparently, there are no materials that are both compressible and have zero water vapor permeability. I recently came across an application that requires such a solution. To address the problem, I devised an approach that combines a deformable gasket (round – orange) and a flexible vapor barrier film (thin – light blue) like aluminum foil. The foil prevents vapor migration, while the gasket provides compressibility. Since the foil is flexible, it can conform as the gasket changes shape.

Road House Fireplace

When we designed the River House we decided for health and safety reasons that it would have zero indoor combustion. The most difficult thing to give up was a fireplace. Reinforcing our decision was the fact that a stone chimney is an efficient conductor of heat and, hence, a conduit for energy constantly leaving the home. Even the best flue dampers allow some amount of air through, and thus, a second major source of energy loss and drafts. Finally, we thought about our last home. It had five fireplaces of which we only ever used one and that one only a handful of times per year. Our energy efficient alternative is a virtual fire that plays on the big screen TV in our living area complete with the sounds of a real fire. Now that winter has arrived, we find ourselves “making a fire” almost every night and while we miss the heat and smell of a real fire we are equally happy not having to gather wood from outside or clean ash from the hearth. When we want the authentic experience we step out to the patio to enjoy the fire pit.

Timber

Mild winter days are the best time to do tree work in the yard. It is not so cold that your fingers get numb, and all the leaves are down making movement and pruning easier. I spent a couple of hours on the west end of our property cutting down dead trees and smaller ones that will never break through the canopy. Pictured above is the bottom half of a 75-foot tree that I dropped within a foot of my target by cutting a precisely angled hinge at the base with my chainsaw. I only wish I had the foresight to set up a camera to record the felling. As weather permits, I will need to spend another afternoon cutting this trunk into sections for firewood.

Photorganization

The drawer slide hardware I have been waiting for arrived today, allowing me to complete the drawer project I started last week. I will use this area to store my photography gear. I enjoy creating organized spaces for my equipment, which allows me to access and retrieve it quickly. One drawer will be allocated for lenses and another for my “goto” set of full-size tripods. The one in the middle is for travel and hiking (1.8 lbs). In the front is the one I use for most normal shooting situations (3.4 lbs). The one at the back is my choice when using my heavy telephoto lenses (4.1 lbs).

Investment Candidate

Over the weekend, the entire family toured the building pictured above. We are thinking about purchasing it as a group in 4 equal shares (Kyle:Nico:Maya:Parents). Today, Kyle and I revisited it to do a closer building inspection. We discovered undisclosed fire damage, a non-functional furnace for the top apartment, and a floor that slopes 8 inches over 25 feet. None of these are deal breakers but need to be considered should we decide to make an offer. I returned later in the day with my drone to survey the roof. We have decided to get an HVAC contractor to estimate the furnace replacement cost and to get a sense of the permitting requirements before making our decision about an offer.

Mystery Solved

Last week, I encountered a tower while walking through the woods. Today, I passed the same tower and went off the path to investigate. A peek into the dilapidated hut at its base revealed an abandoned well. The tower was for a windmill used to pump water for irrigation. A follower of this blog suspected as much and can take credit for solving the puzzle. As a prize for that bit of sleuthing, I am offering a new challenge based on an object I found later on the same walk. I know this mystery will be of special interest because this individual is a subject matter expert on gears.

Efficient Clamping

Jeanine and I met up with Kyle, Nico, and Maya in Somerville to look at a mixed-use building in Somerville. The ground level houses two businesses with a three-bedroom apartment on each of the the second and third floors.

Kyle has been orchestrating the search for an investment property and Maya and Nico are interested in building equity rather than paying rent. The three are planning to pool their resources to buy the building. Nico and Maya would each take a floor and rent out their extra bedrooms. After the tour, we had lunch together and it looks like everyone wants to move forward with an offer. There are still a lot of variables to consider and hurdles to overcome but we all left feeling excited about the possibilities.

On the home front, I persuaded/coerced “glue girl” to help me assemble four drawers that will eventually be installed in my office to house camera gear.

Hawkish Purview

While meeting with a former colleague at the house, he spotted a red-tailed hawk land on a nearby tree. I briefly paused our conversation to get a photo of this handsome fellow. He has been a frequent visitor, but thus far, I have never had time to wait and watch as he hunts. We have an abundance of squirrels that would make for a nice meal, and at some point in the future, I hope to capture that action.

I finally got around to designing our Holiday Card and placing the order. It will feature a photo of the family from our visit to the Lakes District in England and another of Jeanine and me during our southern road trip on the beaches of Pawley Island, South Carolina.

More Drawers?

It has been almost a year since I built drawer boxes for the cabinetry in the River House. Today, I started another batch of four that will be used inside one of the cabinets in my office to store camera lenses and tripods. Assembly will require Jeanine’s assistance in her role as “Glue Girl.” The lock miter joint I am using requires that all eight corner surfaces have glue applied simultaneously. Working alone, I would have to do them all sequentially and this would take long enough for the glue to start curing. Working with Jeanine, we can cut that time in half. It was nice to be in the shop again but it is hard to get excited about building more drawer boxes. I think this batch will put me over 130.

Q4 Delivery

Jeanine’s Audi Q4 eTron arrived today, which made for much excitement on an otherwise dreary day. It rained heavily from dawn to dusk. This did not stop Jeanine from taking it out for a run after I reviewed the controls with her. The Q4 is the baby sister of my eTron, so I am very well-versed in the extremely similar user interface. Jeanine was delighted each time we encountered a feature that was not available on my now 5-year-old car. It has a self-parking feature that she will be sure to enjoy.

We are giving Jeanine’s 8-year-old BMW X1 to Nicolai. Maya still has my old Audi Q5, and Kyle has long since sold the minivan we gave him. We call this trickle-down autonomics. With the new arrival, our house, cars, and tools are now 100% electric. We no longer own a single thing that runs on carbon-based fuel. Since our power company uses 100% renewable sources, we have substantially lowered our carbon footprint.

UPDATE: I forgot about our outdoor grill, which runs on propane. We use it rarely, but I do not see us parting ways with it any time soon.

Grey & Foggy

Even on a grey and foggy day, I revel in the beauty of our river. I got out for a nice 3-mile walk and can finally declare my injured hamstring fully healed. Jeanine signed me up to play pickleball starting in a few weeks, so the timing worked well. I watched a few YouTube videos to familiarize myself with the rules, techniques, and strategies. I played on my high school tennis team and am not a half-bad ping pong player, so I think I should be able to hold my own against folks my age.

Mystery Tower

While walking in nearby woods on a path I had not taken before, I came across the pictured tower and small hut. It appeared to be some sort of radio antenna, but with no electrical service this deep in the forest, that seems an unlikely guess. I will have to consult some of our older neighbors to see if they can shed some light on this mystery.

Holiday Potluck

This evening, Jeanine and I hosted a holiday gathering for members of the Conantum community where we live. Every year, about ten families volunteer to host a potluck dinner to which the remainder of the neighborhood is invited. We had 16 people join us, and they arrived with a delicious array of food that we set out on our island, where Jeanine had two pots of vegetarian soup on simmer. We turned the counter in the pantry into a staging area for the desserts, which worked out perfectly. Jeanine prepared a traditional Swedish glögg, a punch made with spiced wine and served hot, which was a hit with the group.

Woodland Gnome

In a change from our tradition, our Christmas tree will not be topped with an angel this year. In honor of our new home, we have opted for a very adorable woodland gnome. Absent also are the shiny balls and tinsel, replaced by woodland creature-themed ornaments. The kids were here last weekend to help trim the tree and I finally got around to photographing it today.

Our friends, Alex and Lou Ann spent the night. More importantly, they said yes when Jeanine offered to make pancakes. Naturally, I had to partake as well because I am a most hospitable host.

Chunky Water

A close inspection of this photo will reveal a very lumpy reflection of the sunrise in the waters of the Sudbury River. Temperatures for the last week have dipped well below freezing for much of the day and all of the night. The surface of the river has been freezing and thawing in patches, resulting in large plates of textured ice.

This evening, we hosted a gathering of friends who are the parents of Maya’s high school soccer teammates. We are fortunate to have found such lasting relationships and enjoyed hearing updates on all the girls.

Earlier in the day, I visited an urgent care center. After using a Q-tip to clean my ear, I noticed that the tip had become separated from the stick. I attempted to remove the cotton swab with tweezers and then with a tool I fashioned from double sticky tape. I decided to seek professional attention after several unsuccessful attempts. When I arrived for treatment, I became irritated when a nurse came in to measure my blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and temperature. I could not see how this had any bearing on a bit of cotton stuck in my ear. A half-hour later, I saw the doctor. He used an otoscope to look in my ear, only to discover that it was clear. I have yet to figure out this mystery but will no doubt be reminded of my irritation when I see the bill.

Downsizing?

Now that we are settled into the new house, I finally had time today to start organizing my photography gear. I started with my tripods. I currently have five full-height versions which is two more than anyone could reasonably need. I have decided to scale that number back to three; one ultra-lightweight compact unit for hiking and air travel, one mid-weight unit for everyday use and car travel, and one heavy-duty unit to support of my large telephoto lenses. During the course of this downsizing effort, I concluded that I should dedicate one tripod to our spotting scope so that it is always deployed and ready for use. I then realized it would be nice to have a tripod dedicated to my shop where I use it in conjunction with my laser level. Before the day ended, I managed to purchase two more tripods. So much for downsizing my collection. In all fairness, I still plan to sell two leaving me with five. In a more productive exercise, I also listed one of my drones for sale.

Photo Board Stand

Jeanine volunteered me to help make photo boards for the Concord 250th Celebration. These are the painted backdrops with head hole cutouts. Others will be doing the artwork, and I will be responsible for building the stands and making the cutouts. I spent a few minutes making a quick and dirty prototype this afternoon. The height of the plywood support and the spread of the legs will be adjusted to ensure that the completed assembly can handle the wind loading.

Performance Art

We are disrupting space.

We are dismantling normal.

We are redefining beauty.

Nicolai participated in a performance art piece presented at the Harvard Art Museum today commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Imperceptibly slow movements created an ever-changing tableau that observers were encouraged to explore.

Window Guest

Normally, it is rather difficult to photograph insects, especially if they can fly. I found this moth resting on the outside of a house window and was able to capture this image by placing my camera with a macro lens directly on the other side of the glass. It is not a particularly interesting photograph, but I was otherwise occupied doing yard work for much of the day.

River Otters

For the first time since moving to the River House, I was able to capture a photo of our River Otters. Jeanine spotted them heading down to Fairhaven Bay. By the time I got my camera, they were out of range. Two hours later, they passed by in the other direction, and I got my first decent shots. Although the second one is blurry, if you look closely, you will see that this otter has a fish in his mouth. The kids and Owen were all here to watch soccer and trim the Christmas tree. They all got to see them for the first time as well.

Tree Compromise

I am a proponent of the artificial Christmas tree. Jeanine is not. I do not like the idea of cutting down live trees year after year only to dispose of them a month later. Also, I like the fact that they can be pre-wired and set up quickly with little mess. Jeanine likes the beauty and fragrance of a real tree. This year, I acquiesced to her wishes. Consistent with our smaller house, we found a smaller tree, which may be a good compromise for us. It was easy to find, transport, and set up with little fuss. It took less resources to grow and will produce a smaller amount of waste. We are hoping the kids will join us tomorrow to begin decorating it.

Dominos

Jeanine, Susan, and Jean visited the Concord Museum this morning before traveling to Medford to visit Kyle and see his new house. Upon their return, they launched into a serious dominos tournament. I took advantage of Black Friday sales to do some needed shopping. Of most significance, and after extensive research, I ordered a sectional couch to replace our one-year-old sofa. The latter did not meet with the kids’ approval because it was too formal and not conducive to sprawling out. Jeanine was not a fan either, as it did not provide adequate seating for larger gatherings. The new couch is a custom order and is expected to arrive in early April.

First Thanksgiving

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving in the new house with much to be thankful for. We were joined by the kids, Aunt Susan and Jean, Maya’s boyfriend, Owen, and Kyle’s flatmate, Heloisa. Maya and Owen caught a quick nap after competing in a 5K turkey trot this morning.

Nico had a visit from Robin, a close friend from Colorado College while Maya invited her high school friends Grace, Claire, and Zoe over for coffee after the race.

We also received wonderful news that my nephew, Mario, will be getting married on July 20th in Ireland. We are already starting to plan for the nuptial and family reunion.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Jeanine baked a pumpkin cheesecake for our Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. She used one of the steam modes available on our oven for the first time for this recipe. Based on appearance alone the results were excellent. The proof will be in the pudding.

On Display

Nicolai informed us that he will perform as part of a movement installation at the Harvard Art Museum next week.

“The work invites performers and audience members alike to consider societal “norms” about disability and celebrates difference as an affirmation of our humanity. Performers– a mix of Harvard students, staff, and community members– will create sculptural compositions of their own making which will slowly evolve in real time over the course of the hour.”

We are so accustomed to hearing about his athletic exploits that this came as a surprise, a delightful one. We are both planning to attend.

o62 Champions

My soccer team, the Concord United Dragons, secured our over-62 division state title this afternoon. I had hoped to play, but a few warm-up sprints convinced me that my hamstring injury from two weeks ago had not yet healed sufficiently. It was a very competitive match, which remained scoreless through the first half. Early in the second, we picked up a beautiful goal that felt like it could be the winner, but Everett, our opponent, responded with an equalizer 15 minutes later. With less than three minutes remaining and both teams playing flat out for the win, we found the back of the net, earning us the championship and trophy. After the match, we gathered at a local pub and enjoyed a rather raucous celebration.

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Alpha Romeo

Jeanine’s office has been the repository for all the boxes containing books we kept during our recent moves. She has recently started sorting them and selecting ones to keep and donate. I have been enlisted to move the keepers into the basement until such time that I have completed building the bookshelves for her office. Some of the boxes contain old photos, including the one above featuring me and my Alpha Romeo Spider, perhaps my favorite cars of all time. This car accompanied me on my journeys, first from Schenectady, NY, to Indianapolis, IN, and then on to Stanford, CA. It was with me during some of the most transformative times of my young life and is a reminder of some of my fondest memories. Hard to imagine it has been 45 years since this photo was taken. It seems like only yesterday if I look past the full head of hair and fit body.

Sibling HQ

Kyle has initiated a plan to purchase a triple-unit home somewhere in the Boston area. The idea is that each sibling would own one of the units. The concept is still in its infancy, but Nicolai and Maya seem interested in exploring the possibilities, and Kyle has already started identifying possible candidates. Jeanine and I like the idea and will be very interested to see what develops.

Drought Relief

Pictured above is the Cambridge Reservoir. It is almost entirely devoid of water. We have been experiencing drought conditions in Massachusetts for the last several weeks. This has led to the highest level of wildfire warnings we have ever seen since moving here some twenty years ago. Thankfully, we received rain today, and more is forecast for tomorrow.

November Sudbury

For large parts of the year, the wetlands in the foreground of the photo above are underwater. We have had very little rain for the last three months, allowing the area to dry out. Surprisingly, this has introduced a lovely palette of colors. Fortunately, there is rain in the forecast for this evening which we badly need.

This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.