Author Archives: Joel

Right at the moment I’m looking at an almost cloudless sky. My charge controller hit float sometime around ten and it’s still there, so the batteries are getting a very nice and well-deserved soak. Which is good, because holy cow … Continue reading →

Almost certainly someone will take offense. What would happen if monks under a vow of silence decided to put on a Christmas pageant…

A couple of Christmas presents from past years have proven worth their weight in Gor-tex in the past several days. People gave me these things for extreme cold, which we get only rarely, and I stashed them with my heavy … Continue reading →

(For the record, I typed the bulk of this over at Ian’s place – because he’s got juice. Only logged on to post it when my battery voltage got back into the happy zone. Now I’m going to turn everything … Continue reading →

Actually it’s closer to noon on the ninth. The fire is still burning, not because it’s particularly cold – it’s nearly 43 out right now – but because it’s so damned damp. My stump socks are out mildewing on the … Continue reading →

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Our old odd Uncle Joel is getting stranger than ever, now he’s posting pictures of shit. Well it’s not what it is that caught my eye, for clearly ’tis nought but a turd. And … Continue reading →

When I rolled out of the sack this morning the moon was bright and clear, and the sky appeared nearly cloudless. Finally the air began to brighten, and… Frozen fog at the moment, everything’s covered with a fine layer of … Continue reading →

From InRange.tv, The Battle at Dragoon Springs.

…and I’m happy to say my moratorium on fire paranoia seems to be holding. Whenever I get the pang, I just clean the stovepipe again. Why not? It’s designed to be easy to take down. This time last winter I … Continue reading →

And last night he was really getting on my nerves. The Secret Lair has a single comfy chair, and after lights-out it belongs to Ghost. But with everybody sequestered indoors as the weather continued (day after day) as if Hillary … Continue reading →

And we’re back to heavy overcast. After Thursday’s all-day rain, the roads are soaked so heavily the caliche is still soupy in places. I was supposed to meet my weekender neighbor S to get some composted manure for his yard, … Continue reading →

Do not watch the following video. I’m serious. I am totally not responsible for any damage that comes to you from watching the following video. You have been warned. After I have betrayed the revolution and set myself up as … Continue reading →

So a few days ago I saw an item on a sidebar somewhere about a “black stormtrooper controversy.” And I was all like… …because I couldn’t decide if the racial outrage clique would be upset that there was a black … Continue reading →

Five days of no more than peek-a-boo sun, capped off with a day that would have been at home on a bad day in the Pacific Northwet. Yesterday my input voltage did not exceed 12.2 volts, except for one period … Continue reading →

And it rained nonstop from 5 this morning till about 3:30. Indicated voltage never got above 12.2, and although I’m very pleased with the way the system is handling all this I’m still getting off the ‘pooter right now. Other … Continue reading →

…and while I’ve noted with pleasure that solar panels aren’t useless in cloudy weather, still they’re not at their best. So it’s time to reduce my ‘pooter time. I’ll probably be back later.

My year and a half in a small-engine shop left me with complete contempt for crappy little Chinese engines, but this one seems to have survived its misuse quite well. It was reluctant to start in the 25-degree morning, but … Continue reading →

When I was Mr. Suburban Man, I learned never to walk into a Home Depot without extremely good reason and a shopping list – preferably after leaving my credit cards at home. Because I was like that annoying kid watching … Continue reading →

Had breakfast with my weekender neighbors S&L this morning. And in the course of the conversation, S asked me “Are you interested in a project?” I should always back away slowly. Sometimes I even do. It seems somebody dumped on … Continue reading →