Several years ago I installed an automatic back-up generator for our homes electrical system.  It was a rather complicated project requiring gas line plumbing, partitioning of the wiring at the circuit breaker box into critical and non-critical circuits, and installation of an automatic transfer switch.  Recently I moved the 12V battery which starts the generator from within the outdoor generator housing to the interior of our house where it stays warm all winter.  During two prior power outages, the generator did not start automatically (first time due to high winds affecting the gas to air ratio, second time due to depleted battery from sub-zero temperature).  When the power in most of West Concord failed this afternoon, the generator kicked in and everything worked as planned.  The computers, phones, routers, and TV (all on battery backup) bridged the automated switch over without a glitch and essential functions of the house remained operational (full kitchen except for ovens, one zone of HVAC, garage door openers, family room and media center).  The outage only lasted for two hours but my satisfaction with the system finally working exactly as planned lasted all day.

Jeanine suggested a visit to the Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Festival this afternoon and it proved to be a great outing. The weather was perfect and the sand sculptures were truly amazing. We both agreed that it would be fun to return next year while the artists are still working on their creations. In addition to the works of art, we enjoyed live music by saxophonist Mike Rollins.

Today I rented a 3/4 ton pick-up truck with which to move Maya’s tiny house to a new location.  Kyle, back from his European adventure yesterday, was a huge help. We hitched the trailer and towed the house from Verrill Farm, where it has been since autumn, back to our house.  There we loaded it with all of the appliances and remaining building supplies that we have been storing in the third bay of our garage. Finally, we towed it to a new location on the property of a friend in nearby Sudbury.  Here the house will be guarded by two sheep that live in their own tiny house located only feet away.

Nothing better than a company barbecue after a long day at the office. Caterers set up their grill in our parking lot which we converted to an open air dining area / playground. Later we headed back in doors for karaoke. Those who know me well are aware I have no aptitude for singing whatsoever but I do appreciate that gift in others. The whole evening was a ton of fun.

I happened to be experimenting with some focus settings on my camera this evening and using Jeanine as a test subject. She is generally less than fond of such involvement with these experimental pursuits but flashed me a big smile which I was happy to record.

The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge across the Charles River and is now considered a Boston icon. The bridge and connecting tunnel were built as part of the Big Dig, the largest highway construction project in the United States. Its full name commemorates Boston civic leader and civil rights activist Leonard P. Zakim who championed “building bridges between peoples”, and the “Battle of Bunker Hill.”  I stopped in the neighborhood of the bridge this morning after dropping Kris off at Logan Airport for an early flight home. I then walked along the river to where the USS Constitution and USS Cassin Young are docked while putting my drone to good use along the way.

Nicolai called us this evening from a pet store in Colorado Springs where he was picking out a gift with and for his girlfriend Karuna.  Shortly after our conversation, he texted us this image which seems to suggest that these dinosaurs are now part of their family.  Normally I think of Nicolai as a master of the grand romantic gesture.  I now find myself reconsidering that assessment.  These guys look like baby velociraptors that escaped from Jurassic Park. Not to worry, I am sure Kubo (their recently acquired dog) will kill them before they eat anyone.  Just ask the chickens at the Catamount Center for Environmental Science & Education where he recently dispatched one of the flock which, it should be noted, belonged to the Director of the program and Nicolai’s future boss when he begins working there next month.

Kris, Jeanine and I had breakfast out and then went for a walk at Heart Pond along the new rail trail. We then stocked up on groceries and snacks for our micro World Cup viewing party. You have to admire the Croatians for their work rate and “never say die” attitude but in the end, the French put the ball in the net more times. It has been a great World Cup tournament and I am now looking forward to the Amputee World Cup which will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico in late November

Visiting us for a few days is Kris Earle,  Jeanine’s best friend dating back to her middle school days.  The two have remained extremely close and it is always a pleasure to spend time together.  Kris was curious about the Copenhagen Wheel so I set her up with my bike and she joined Jeanine for a short ride.  It is always fun to see how people react the first time they try it and Kris was no exception.

Judging from the photos we are receiving from him, Kyle appears to be having a tremendous European vacation.  Here he is “flying though Paris.”  He started in Ireland (Dublin and Galway), flew to Paris, and is now headed for Marseille by train.

During our visit to Switzerland, I took several series of photos for later merging into high resolution panoramas. This evening I completed the post processing and have posted my favorites here.  The only way to appreciate these is by clicking on the images and then zooming in and scrolling about.  Normally, I crop the final results into rectangles  but left the raw borders of the one below unmodified since it followed the lines of the glacier so nicely.

Today will be spent returning home by way of Zurich where I will rendezvous with Jeanine at the airport.  I left Friedrichshaffen on the 5:40am ferry bound for Romanshorn and then took a train to Konstanz (Germany to Switzerland to Germany). I checked my big backpack into a locker at the train station and gave myself a couple of hours to tour the city.

Rhine Falls is on the way to Zurich and my next destination. About twenty minutes and two trains into that journey I realized that I had left my large backpack at the Konstanz train station necessitating some serious backtracking.  Even so, I had time to quickly visit the falls which far surpassed my expectations.  The volume of water and sound was overwhelming.  I continued to the Zurich airport where I reconnected with Jeanine with plenty of time before boarding our flight back to the states.

In addition to bicycles and e-bikes, the show featured an occasional hybrid vehicle of the three and four-wheel variety.  It is my prediction that we will see more and more human/electric-powered hybrids like this replacing cars in urban environments.  Small footprint, environmentally friendly vehicles are the only real near term solution to urban traffic congestion and I am glad to be part of an industry that will be addressing this global problem.

Pictured here are some of my colleagues attending the Eurobike trade show. Each evening we dined together and it was fun hearing stories about the early days of the company as recounted by the veterans.  They reminded me a great deal about the early days of Truevision, the company I co-founded in my twenties.