Jeanine and I enjoyed a long walk this morning. We were checking out exterior house colors and masonry types for consideration on the River House. At one point, we encountered this butterfly and I asked to borrow Jeanine’s phone to take a photo (it was the only camera available). I was able to get close enough for a reasonably nice image.

On our walk, I had an “ah ha” moment regarding backup power for the all-electric new house we are building. It is imperative for any house built in a cold climate to have some means of keeping the heat going in the event of a power outage to prevent water pipes from freezing. Since moving to Concord some 18 years ago we have experienced 4 long-duration blackouts. This suggests we will likely see future outages every 4 years or so, possibly more, given the increased severity of weather events due to climate change. I learned important lessons from our last backup generator. (1) Power outages happen during extreme weather conditions; blizzards, extreme cold, thunderstorms, and high winds). (2) Generators don’t like to start during these conditions. With this knowledge, I specified the following accessories for the generator I am considering; oil pan heater, carburetor heater, battery heater, air intake heater, and fuel regulator heater. After completing the list it occurred to me that generators are intrinsically not well suited to starting/running in very cold conditions. My break through idea was to install the generator in our basement where it will live in human comfort conditions and need none of the cold weather adaptations which waste energy needlessly whenever it is cold. Furthermore, I will not have to worry about high snow blocking vents or critters taking up residence inside. The price for all this goodness is that I will have to engineer a leak-free exhaust extension to carry the carbon monoxide produced during combustion outside of the house. I found a high temperature flexible hose that should do the trick. It is rated for operation up to 1200F and will accommodate the considerable vibration of the generator while starting and running. The other issue will be the very loud noise during operation. To address this I will build a sound dampening enclosure inspired by one my brother built in his wood shop for his very noisy air compressor.

While on a stroll with Jeanine, we came across a house under construction and noticed they were installing a Tesla solar roof. This is the first one I have seen in person and it has reignited my investigation into solar. Because we have heavy tree cover the ROI for solar is not very attractive. That assumes that we would add solar panels to an existing roof. However, if we installed a solar roof instead of a regular roof, the economics improve dramatically.

The official poster for the 2022 World Amputee Football World Cup was published today. Front and center is the star of Turkey’s team (the home country). Featured prominently is Nicolai from a photograph I took of him. We are all getting very excited as the tournament draws closer. The whole family will be traveling to Istanbul to watch the US play. Jeanine and I for 16 days and Kyle and Maya for 9 days.

This morning, Jeanine asked me to help out with a few projects at Open Table. First, I met with the contractor who will be making improvements to Open Table’s new warehouse (I recommended changing the location of their loading dock which proved to be an almost immediately embraced idea). Second, I used my drone to check the gutters on their main and office buildings (they were clean as a whistle). And finally, I hung four large paintings in their office (which apparently went unnoticed by employees the following day). In exchange, she treated me to breakfast at nearby Babico’s Grill and Cafe which is like stepping into a time machine.

I was at Formlabs today working on a special assignment and had a chance to have lunch with Maya. She also gave me a quick tour of her workstation, lab area, and the project she is currently working on. What a treat.

While I was working full-time at Formlabs the nearby building pictured above was under construction. Two plus years later, it appears to be nearing completion. At the time, I bemoaned the fact that its three-story parking basement would contribute that many more cars to an already untenable commuter log jam. Now, an even larger building with what appears to be a four-story underground parking garage is under construction. It is only a matter of time before the owner of the junkyard (right side, middle of photo) sells out and yet another mega building goes up. I guess the desire for a larger tax base trumps any commitment to thoughtful urban planning.

Nicolai shared this photo taken of him playing an international friendly against Haiti in Miami, Florida last weekend. Unfortunately, the US was missing their two starting defenders and could do little to thwart the speed of the Haitian forwards resulting in a one-sided result. At this stage, however, any opportunity to get playing time as a team is extremely valuable. It is sad to say, but the Haitians have raised more money to support their team in the US than the US team has in the US. Please consider donating to the US National Amputee Soccer Team. Your donations will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous donor.

Inspired by my recent visits to the wetlands of eastern Florida, I decided to visit one of our local rookeries today. I was fortunate to find an osprey at home but not much else in the way of birdlife. The variety of dragonflies, however, was amazing and I will have to return in the future with a macro lens.

The Fruitlands Museum is located on Prospect Hill Road in Harvard, MA. The location has a commanding view of Mount Wachusett and the valley below it. It is one of my favorite locations to practice flying my drone and doing range tests. Most of my day was spent with Kyle working on his basement renovation project. He is scheduled to have an HVAC contractor install updated ductwork adding runs for the new living spaces and insulating all supply ducts since the new system will cool as well as heat.

Jeanine received a lovely note of congratulation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives for being named a Commonwealth Heroine. We are all very proud of her.

Concord is served by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Commuter Rail which will take you all the way into Boston’s North Station. Since moving to MA, my downtown jobs have been in Cambridge and Sommerville. Getting to either from a commuter rail stop requires a time-consuming subway transfer and never made sense. Today, I started consulting for a new client with headquarters in Boston proper and a short 23-minute walk from North Station. I took the 6:11 am train from West Concord and was surprised by how empty it was. The ride was slow but relaxing compared to driving and the walk through downtown Boston was delightful.

The Asplundh Tree Expert Co. was founded in 1928 in Pennsylvania by brothers Griffith, Lester and Carl Asplundh, members of a Swedish-American family who combined their educations and experience in arboriculture, electrical engineering and finance. The later is Beth’s father-in-law and we joined her this morning at his winter home before leaving for our flight back to Concord. The company was the first to specialize in trimming trees around power and telephone lines instead of residential services and has been enormously successful. When we arrived at the residence, Kris was totally surprised when greeted by her son Colin who had secretly traveled to Florida from Salt Lake City to visit with his parents. Beth and Colin enjoyed paddle boarding on the river, while Kris and Jeanine relaxed in the pool.

We treated our hosts to a special dinner in Palm Beach this evening at Buccan, We very much enjoyed the small plate dining experience and insanely good desserts. Afterward, we posed for a group portrait on famous Worth Avenue. Our day started with a stroll through the Green Cay Wetlands and breakfast at the Original House of Pancakes where Rob and I had the Belgian waffles we had been craving. Later, we were joined by Kris’ daughter Bethany for lunch on the Intercostal at Prime Catch. A more glutinous day of food consumption, I cannot remember.

Less than five miles from Kris and Rob’s condo are the Wakodahatchee Wetlands. We arrived shortly after sunrise and were treated to all manner of birds, reptiles, and insects. Situated on 50 acres of previous wastewater utility property, Wakodahatchee is a constructed wetlands featuring a three-quarter mile boardwalk that crosses between open water pond areas and islands. Later in the day, we went to see the new Top gun movie, our first time in a theater since the start of the pandemic. Of any movie I can imagine, this is one to see on the big screen.