Author Archives: Joel

This seems awfully elementary and I don’t want to insult anyone so if you already know this or have your own system just ignore this. But on the other hand I’ve seen neighbors I thought would know better start brush … Continue reading →

A few days ago I had a scary problem with my prosthetic leg that turned out to be nothing but that caused a major change in how something close to me – hell, it’s attached to me – looked. Here’s … Continue reading →

Yesterday it never got above freezing outside and it likely won’t today. But the sky did clear, which gave the batteries their first good charge in three or four days. And this morning it really showed… It’s really frigid outside, … Continue reading →

I don’t remember this ever happening before. The roof-mounted panels never completely cleared yesterday. Solar panels are generally pretty good at clearing themselves of snow, given time. They’re black and smooth so you get a liquid layer that then makes … Continue reading →

Temperature bottomed out at 5o F. but was rapidly rising when I got out of bed. That’s unusual behavior, it’s usually coldest as the sun starts to rise, and I was confused until it started to snow. Again. Still, no … Continue reading →

Cold enough this time that it’s all loose powder, easy to clean up. No hurry with the solar panels since we’re completely socked in here. I’ll clean them off and it’ll help a little, but not a lot. I measured … Continue reading →

All yesterday morning’s lovely sunshine was hidden behind thick overcast by ten. The batteries got a little help but not the nice deep charge I like to see. Still it was a nice quiet day, no unexpected visitors, no emergency … Continue reading →

Yesterday was forecast to be warmer than today, but I think today’s going to end up warmer than yesterday no matter how cool it stays. Yesterday was actually kind of pleasant in an “only the greenhouse effect is keeping us … Continue reading →

That was the most heavily overcast day we’ve had since I don’t remember when. A little wan sunlight right at the end of the day but not enough to bring the charge controllers to float, and of course it happened … Continue reading →

I wonder how much more of this the chickens’ top cover could have taken? They absolutely freaked out when I started flailing about with a shovel, BTW. Chickens is stoopid. On a completely different subject… Private to whomever sent me … Continue reading →

Four inches of snow in a night! I know that’s not a lot to some of you – but this is the southwest desert and it’s a lot. It’s really kind of pleasant – not at all cold, there was … Continue reading →

…Much thick wet snow. Could be worse: Last time I saw the sky the stars were very sharp and clear, promising a very cold night. Apparently the clouds arrived right after that. Now suddenly there’s inches of snow but it’s … Continue reading →

Yeah, Christmas is not really a big thing here at the Secret Lair but it is awfully close to the change of the year and that’s traditionally when we get a huge cold snap. Not every year, but it’s worth … Continue reading →

As we await the arrival of our new dystopian overlords, those of us not in touch with governmental doings worry endlessly about the fate of family and loved ones caught behind the lines of devastation undoubtedly caused by the federal … Continue reading →

I collected the card from the game camera this morning after more than a week, and there was nothing on it worth mentioning. But my connection speed has improved enough that I could put together some older elk pics I’ve … Continue reading →

The manager of the shop where I bought the trailer’s new tires agreed readily enough that they are supposed to hold air longer than a month, and gave me no trouble about replacing the rotted-out valve stem while D&L and … Continue reading →

He goes out, he does his chores without trying to elope to Mexico with one of the yard rabbits, he comes in, he gets a cookie. That’s the routine, and Torso Boy likes his routine. And he let me know … Continue reading →

It’s the shortest sunny period, the earliest evening, and so the recharging capacity will be at its lowest at the same time your usage is likely to be highest. If you’re going to have problems with battery capacity, they are … Continue reading →

In, you know – a bad way. They replaced the tire but not the valve stem. So guess what blew out? It’s not all bad news – a shop with a tire-mounting machine can replace this in a few minutes, … Continue reading →