Concord is well known for its poor cell phone coverage/reception. This is due to the community’s disdain for cell phone towers and the consequent lack thereof. Finally, however, approval has been granted for a new tower to be constructed on the town’s retired landfill site. I am hopeful, that this will improved service at our house which is less than 1-1/2 miles away. What remains to be seen is how the ~175 foot hill that lies between us and the antenna will impact coverage.
Until today, we have not seen icicles hanging from our roof, something that was a frequent occurrence at our prior homes. The pictured icicles looked like a frozen crashing wave and were only present on our garage, which is unheated and uninsulated. In the winter, the air temperature in the garage is always higher than the outside air due to three sources of heating; (1) solar heating of the outside walls, (2) thermal bleed from the wall shared with the house, and (3) the heat thrown off by the electric cars after being driven. It is easy to imagine a scenario where the garage roof becomes warm enough to melt snow while the outside air temperature is below freezing. By contrast, the roof over our living areas are highly insulated and made from light-colored aluminum which reflects solar radiation. The surface is much less likely to ever become warm enough to melt snow while outside temperatures are cold enough to make icicles.
While on a walk in the neighborhood today, Jeanine and I came across this shoveled-off area of ice in the woods. Jeanine postulated that the unshoveled area in the center was formed in the shape of a football and that this was a tribute of some kind to the Super Bowl. I theorized that this small patch of ice was cleared to form a mini ice rink, although there were no carved tracks to support this idea. For now, this sighting will remain a mystery.
Last night, we received only 4″ of the forecasted 5-8″ of snow for our area. This was just fine by me, as it is my job to clear the drive and walkway. This photo is courtesy of our surveillance system, which e-mails me photos of anyone entering or leaving our driveway. Our snowblower is battery-powered and thus far has managed to clear everything on a single set of fully charged batteries. I always have a second set on trickle charge, should they be required for deeper or wetter snow.
Jeanine and I took advantage of the perfect winter day for a half-day road trip to Boston’s south shore. Our first destination was the Scituate Lighthouse, which we reached by way of a 3-mile walk around the Scituate Harbor. We rewarded our effort with lunch at the Lucky Finn Cafe, which lived up to its reputation.
Our next stop was the Lawson Tower. Described as the most beautiful, most photographed, and most expensive water tower in the world, it is said that Lawson’s wife Jeannie was thrilled with her new home until, in 1901, the Scituate Water Co. decided to build a 276,000 gallon, 153’ high steel water tank in the town center. Mrs. Lawson saw this massive standpipe as a monstrosity and urged her husband to do something about it. Having made a fortune in the stock market, he was happy to oblige her wish.
Our stop at Cohasset Cove was the first place we observed sea ice. The cove is fed by a brook whose fresh water mixes with the salt water, resulting in a brine that freezes at higher temperatures.
Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham, was founded in 1954, and is part of the Swiss-American Benedictine Congregation. This property was previously the summer estate of William Skilton, a wool merchant who had died in the early 1930s. After Skilton’s death, the estate served various purposes, including being used as an inn, dance parlor, bachelor officers’ quarters during World War II, and a day camp. Pictured below is the observation tower.
We ended the day beach-combing on Nantasket Beach where we collected several lovely shells and completed Jeanine’s 10,000 steps for the day.
Kyle has moved on from Santa Marta to Medellin, which he describes as his favorite city in Columbia so far. I have little doubt that this has something to do with the food he is enjoying. When I last spoke to him, he was considering extending his travel to either Ecuador or Peru.
When designing our house, we hired a close friend to help design some of our interior spaces. Her plan for the first-floor half bath included four square framed black and white photos taken from a single image. Jeanine and I both loved the idea, but finding the right photo has taken some time. Pictured above is our choice. It captures the river theme of our home, and the North Bridge is arguably the most iconic landmark in Concord. Jeanine would have preferred a non-winter version (of which I have many), but I believe the snow adds significant drama in a black and white rendering. In the final installation, the frames will be separated by an inch or two.
For the third day in a row, I have been burning off dead wood from around our property. Today, I worked in the front yard near the road. With snow forecasted for tomorrow, I decided to make a final big push. It will take a couple of years to deal with the entire lot but I am very satisfied with how much I got done this season and will probably call it quits until next year. Nico took this photo as he was pulling into the driveway and posted it with the title, “Fire King.”
Jeanine sent more photos from New Orleans, where she is having a great time with her sisters. She reports that crowds are growing, and security is high with the Super Bowl set for this weekend. I am really looking forward to her return tomorrow. I miss her.
Jeanine and her sisters seem to be having a blast in New Orleans. I believe these pictures are from the warehouse where they store Mardi Gras floats. I am very tempted to make an inappropriate comment about one of these photos, but I will restrain myself in the interest of marital bliss.
On the home front, I took advantage of optimal weather to burn off tons of wood from our waterfront area. Representing decades of accumulation, it was a major undertaking. Because of recent rain and snow, the fire burned very slowly and required constant tending. While physically exhausting, the all-day effort was most satisfying.
I understand that cats do not like to be bathed, but I cannot say that I approve of Maya’s solution to the problem. What is clear is that Maya is in heaven now that she is living with two felines. I look forward to the daily photos and videos she has been sending of the cats being stupid. They almost make me want to adopt one, but that would not work out so well, given that Jeanine is allergic to them.
Jeanine left for New Orleans this morning, where she will be meeting her two sisters, Susan and Lauren. They will spend five days there in celebration of Lauren’s 70th birthday. Each sister has planned one of the days, and I hope to receive photos of their activities.
On the home front, I obtained 3 out of 4 visas that Jeanine and I will need for travel later this month.
It is true that I have a large collection of high performance flashlights. I will not say how many to protect the innocent. Three of these take the form of headlamps to which I added a fourth today. Although the headlamps I own are exceptional, none of them provide in situ charging. Our upcoming trip to New Zealand and Australia will last for 5 weeks and a single battery charge will not suffice for the full duration. I could use my much loved ZebraLight (pictured below) and bring an external charger, or purchase a flat-top 18650 type battery with a built in charge port, or pack a couple of extra batteries. When I did the weight, bulk and cost analysis, I decided that the best option would be to purchase a new headlamp with a built-in charger (pictured above). One of the challenges of international air travel is that you have to limit your carry-on weight to the most restrictive airline and nothing with a lithium battery can be placed in checked baggage. In my case, that includes the following 18 batteries/devices and I also prefer to carry my lenses with me rather than risk them to the baggage handlers. This is why weight and bulk are so important.
Kyle has moved on from Cartagena to Santa Marta for the remainder of his stay in Columbia. He sent this picture of his friend and her dog during an evening stroll on the beach. Maya is worried that Kyle may not be returning to the US. I am beginning to share that concern.
On the home front, we enjoyed a visit from my sister, Alissa, this evening. She was in Boston to attend a presentation at MIT on cancer research. For the first time in our marriage, I was entrusted with (or, rather, assigned) meal preparation for a guest. We had steamed salmon and rice, which turned out rather well. I do not count the salad, which came from a kit. Jeanine was full of advice on seasoning that I was satisfied to ignore, but I did take note when she pointed out that the rice cooker was not actually running ten minutes after I thought I had started it.
For several years, Nicolai has been the Assistant Wrestling Coach at Concord Academy. This afternoon, he invited us to attend a quad meet with Portsmouth Abbey School and Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall. Concord needed a win against Abbey to secure a first-place finish in their division. Jeanine had a prior commitment, but I was able to attend and enjoyed watching the team win 55-24 with many exciting matches that could have gone either way. My muscles are now quite sore from all the virtual moves I made from my seat in the bleachers. Anyone who has ever wrestled knows what I am talking about.
Our good friend and neighbor Dave DeLong just published his fourth book. Hidden Talent: How to Employ Refugees, the Formerly Incarcerated & People With Disabilities is based on 10 case studies of businesses committed to hiring people from typically overlooked talent pools. It also has short stories of workers who have overcome major obstacles to successful employment.
Here is a link to a sample chapter and more info on the book: ReadHiddenTalent.com
Dave is a nationally recognized expert on addressing chronic workforce shortages by recruiting and employing traditionally marginalized workers. We are fortunate to live in a community with so many talented and interesting people.
Late this morning, we experienced a magnitude 3.8 earthquake. The epicenter was SE of York, Maine, near Boon Island, roughly 66 miles from here as the crow flies. At first, I thought it was a slab of snow sliding off the roof, but I could not see any evidence of that. Then I thought it might be a mis-balanced load of laundry in the washing machine. Not until I checked my e-mail to see that neighbors had already identified the event as an earthquake did I make the connection. To be fair, this was a very tiny quake the size of which occurs 500,000 times a year. Even so, it is quite a rare thing to experience living in our neck of the woods.
Kyle shared this photo of the haircut he received today. I think it reflects the emergence of his inner Ecuadorian. Also shared was a video of a flaming dinner entry served to the table he was sharing with a new friend. We are all starting to worry that he may never come back.
A friend of ours was not feeling well, and when Jeanine offered to help out, we got a chance to take her dog Mingo, for an extended walk. Mingo was very well-behaved and kept close as we traversed a path through Concord Conservation land. Our friend continued to feel worse and eventually went to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and had an immediate appendectomy.
Jeanine was invited to speak at the grand opening of Open Table’s new annex (warehouse) this morning. During her tenure as the Executive Director, she was instrumental in securing the property and building. The space has been fully renovated and connected by a loading dock/breezeway to the main Open Table facility. Other speakers at the event included State Senator Jamie Eldridge and State Representative Kate Hogan. She delivered her comments to a standing-room-only crowd before helping with the ribbon cutting.
I have heard about lap dogs, but this is my first exposure to a laptop cat. Maya’s friend and flatmate Fiona recently adopted it, and Maya has secured some form of co-parenting rights. Although the feline prevented Maya from using her computer, it did not stop her from a scheduled meeting at work with her canine friends.
While we are experiencing the coldest winter day so far, Kyle is basking in the sun of Cartagena. Meanwhile, Nicolai has returned from Costa Rica with sunburn over his entire face.
I am happy to report that the house is warm and toasty. Our geothermal system is virtually unaffected by the outside air temperature since we are drawing heat from deep in the ground where the temperature remains between 45–54°F.
Jeanine spotted 5 coyotes walking on the frozen Sudbury River this morning. I managed to capture this photo of four of them. They were very far away and I was shooting through triple-pane glass which explains the poor photo quality. If not for the 2°F outdoor temperature and the fact that I was in my bathrobe, I would have ventured out for a better image.
After snow blowing 4″ of new snow from our driveway before sunrise, I drove to the Old North Bridge to get some early morning photos before visitors could add their footprints to the scene. I launched my drone for an overhead aerial view but curtailed the flight when I got a low battery temperature warning. When I returned home, I made another short flight to capture a snowscape of our house as seen from the river.
While we were dealing with the snow and cold, Kyle moved further south from Panama to Cartagena, Colombia. I wish this “Digital Nomad” lifestyle was a thing when I was his age. I am thrilled that he is availing himself of the opportunity to travel so much. I am also glad he has moved on from Panama, given our new President’s desire to “take it back,” referring to the Panama Canal.
Jeanine and I just watched the movie “Unstoppable,” the story of 2011 NCAA 125-pound wrestling champion Anthony Robles based on his book of the same title. It was an excellent movie that we can highly recommend. Nicolai is pictured here with Anthony in 2010 after attending a wrestling clinic that he conducted. Anthony stuck around after the clinic to give Nicolai some one-on-one coaching, and we wound up giving him a ride to the airport. What is not apparent from the movie is that Anthony is a genuinely wonderful human being. We are all thrilled with the success he has earned for himself.
After receiving a quote for $2,600 to fabricate and install a stainless steel handrail for our front steps, I decided to do the job myself. The components cost $164, and it took me less than 2 hours. The design may not be quite as elegant as the custom one I originally envisioned, but it is super sturdy, and I can think of many better things to spend the savings on.
Yesterday’s game between the national amputee soccer teams for the US and Costa Rica ended in a 0-0 tie. Jeanine and I were hoping to watch the second match today between the US and Guatemala, but the live stream does not seem to be working once again. I will report on the scores once we learn of them. Final score US 4; Guatemala 0.
After returning from some consulting work for a new client, I spent several hours trying to figure out why our doorbell chime had ceased to function. A visitor for Jeanine arrived this afternoon. I was in my office and heard the driveway sensor signal the presence of a car. I looked at our security camera feed and saw her friend walking up to the front door. I was puzzled when the doorbell did not ring. When I let her in, she confirmed having pushed the doorbell button. After confirming that the doorbell camera/button was working, I searched online for the applicable documentation and began to troubleshoot the chime. I did a factory reset and attempted to re-pair it with the doorbell. When this did not work I created a support ticket with the manufacturer (Reolink) but will probably not hear back for some time. Because the doorbell has a working chime on the outdoor unit, guests will be under the impression that we have heard the indoor chime and they will have no reason to knock. For this reason it is fairly urgent that I get this situation resolved. I eventually decided to purchase a replacement with overnight delivery. Had I known that this would only cost $19, I would have started with this solution in the first place. I should know by tomorrow if this cures the problem.
As he did last winter, Kyle traveled to Panama to enjoy sunshine and warm weather. Working remotely offers him this opportunity since it matters little where his desk is located. He brought his big screen monitor and full-size keyboard with him so as not to sacrifice productivity. When it is time for a break, he enjoys the running path pictured below.
Meanwhile, Nico is in Costa Rica with the US National Amputee Soccer Team, preparing for an international friendly against their hosts. It remains to be seen how his shoulder holds up after the injury he sustained during the USA Cup late last year.
Our landscaping plan for the River House did not include lighting to illuminate the driveway. Cars have headlights, so there was not much motivation to spend money for their benefit. For neighbors visiting on foot, however, the +300-foot walk from the street to our front door can be a little intimidating in the dark. I considered hardwired, fixed lighting, but that only looks good until the first one gets knocked over. Solar lighting fixtures were an option, but some portions of the driveway receive very little sunlight, creating the likelihood that some lights would never get sufficiently charged to stay on for several hours. I am very pleased with the solution I arrived at, one I have never seen used before. I placed an outdoor LED rope typically used to decorate trees or frame houses on one side of the driveway. It is a very low energy solution that is both functional and entertaining (see video above). They are programmed to come on at dusk and turnoff 6 hours later.
Jeanine volunteered me to help with the construction of “photo boards” to be used during the Concord 250 celebration in April. Pictured here are four pairs of stands that will be used to support 4’x6’x1/2″ plywood sheets. A neighbor who is in charge of the project and I finished the task in a couple of hours. We will cut face holes and support holes in the photo boards after they are painted. The wind load on a 4′ x 6′ surface in 20 mph winds is approximately 25 pounds. This will require about 45 pounds of counterweight placed at the right location on the legs. I will recommend 25-pound sandbags for each leg or that they be staked securely to the ground.
The new drone I recently purchased (DJI Mini 4 Pro) arrived today. Despite the high winds, I wanted to make a couple of test flights. I noticed that Verrill Farms has been constructing a permanent event space to replace the tent they have used in the past. I thought this might make an interesting photo. I also decided to revisit the neuron-shaped thaw patterns in the Sudbury River. The Mini 4 has three key improvements that convinced me to buy it. The radio range has been substantially increased, and it now has obstacle avoidance in all directions. These features will make it more intrinsically safe to fly. The newer drone now offers RAW only photo files which is more convenient for me than the previous RAW+JPEG mode.
