I swear I’d almost prefer a good freeze to a prolonged soaking rain. The sun came out this morning but it’s not supposed to dominate until like Friday, so this morning the whole desert was…
Mud and mist.
Mostly mud. Look at my Jeep! Look at it!
I made the mistake of going past Ian’s to start some laundry before the Monday morning water run, and from there it normally makes sense to take the road rather than the wash to D&L’s. I completely forgot the mud, and was frankly surprised I’d made it. Even in a capable 4X4 I used up every part of a rather wide muddy dirt road. On the way to town, D&L ended up backing down a long steep grade and taking another route entirely when their pickup couldn’t make it up. Always pays to weight the rear of a pickup when it’s slick.
I took the wash back to the cabin. When the mud is bad the wash is always better traction than the roads, being entirely sand. I noticed that the new spring is still going strong…
…and the damp cement on one side of Ian’s slab is still spreading. I need to get busy on acquiring a sump and pump. I have access to a jackhammer, so making the hole shouldn’t be that big a deal. He said hopefully.
We’re getting intermittent sun this afternoon and the batteries are lapping it up. I doubt the system will reach float today but it might tomorrow. Last night the battery voltage was so low I took pity and shut the inverter right off, since (after numerous lighting improvements) the parasitic draw is actually the biggest continuous drain on the system and routinely takes indicated voltage down at least .3v overnight for no gain at all. I had been staying away from the laptop and entertaining myself with Youtube videos on the iPhone, but as soon as I got back in from the powershed the videos refused to run. Once again I had completely forgotten…
About the signal booster, which normally runs so seamlessly that I forget it’s there. But without it there’s rarely any useable internet in the evening out here. So I went paleo and read a book till bedtime. 🙂
I’m stealing “I went paleo and read a book”.
I believe “paleo” is Latin for “internetless”
@ Robert: “paleo” is Latin for “internetless”
HAHA – Mostly bind, deaf, dumb, ignorant; for 500 thousand years, yet here we are 🙂
(Now often miss informed and lied to, but so what else is new 🙂 Hey, we can still hunt! )
Mid October I made a run through the northwest, on to Wyoming, and then spent over two weeks in Twin Falls Idaho waiting on replacement of a CVT transmission. I got out just before the temps went below zero, but back to Monterey County CA I’m enjoying extended overcast and below usual temps. Being an internet junky I don’t need a LOT of electric – But SOME is NICE.
@ Joel: If cost of a “real charger” to back up your solar and that can help keep your batteries -Topped Off- and so then on the extended lifetime plan – say the word !
I believe that I and others here would help because the experiment can be expected to come with great feedback and real experience data that can be asset to any who read here…
Hey