Turn The Page

My paramotor buddy Chris Page has started a new travel series on his YouTube channel.  Ben, Chupa, and I made it into the first episode.  88,91,71,0,W

a friday night film

the found donkey...

Went by to visit the lost donkey in his swank new home today.  He seemed happy to see me - or maybe he was happy about the carrot I brought for him...96,101,77,0,B

where the magic happens...

Just got a new cast iron griddle to absorb and hold more heat in the solar oven.  Also made an adjustment to the swiveling shelf by raising it an inch.  The shelf stays level as the oven is tilted to catch the full on sun.  Have to make a run to the hardware store tomorrow.  The inside is due for a fresh coat of high heat black spray paint.  96,100,78,0,B

a little upgrade...

After 6 years of almost continuous use, it was time to replace the fans in Pepino.  92,97,75,0,B

a monday matinee...

Daily Renewal

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.  

a new friend...

This raven has been picking through my trash every day for over a week.  I keep finding bits and pieces on the ground around my trash cans.  Putting out food every morning now to buddy up to him.  Video coming soon.  103,108,80,0,B

a friday night film

the longest day...

Video tomorrow...

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hard white wheat week...

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new propellers...

I kept getting turbulence warnings on that last road check flight with the drone even though it was relatively calm.  Thought it might be a good idea to put on some new propellers.  According to the flight logs, in the past year the Mavic Pro has flown 127 missions for a total of over 133 miles and almost 18 hours of flight time - and not a single crash.  91,97,73,0,B 

a monday matinee...

The size and age of all...

If you think believing in God is a stretch, try wrapping your head around the fact that we are but a tiny speck in an expanding universe that is 13.8 billion years old and the observable parts of it are 46 billion light years away.  The good news is accepting Christ is all you have to do to know God is real...a lot easier than accepting the size and age of where He placed us...

mattress day...

Well...I fully expected to be hunkered down inside all day with the predicted rainstorm - but that didn't happen (yet).  Had nothing planned so I came up with a long overdue chore to attend to.  Dragged my beast of a mattress outside to clean (hydrogen peroxide, water, baking soda, dish soap) and air out for the day.  It is quite a chore to move it as it is rather bulky and takes up a quarter of my living space inside the hut.  It also gave me the opportunity to repair some wiring that was hidden beneath it - my kitchen light hasn't worked for over a year.  88,100,76,0,B

a friday night film

another flat...

Another busy day...got a tire done this morning at Terlingua Auto, baked super cookies all afternoon, and prepped a batch of hard white wheat bread dough to bake tomorrow.  I had a non-repairable flat last weekend on an almost brand new Hankook Dynapro tire I bought from Discount Tire Direct.  (And please don't bother to tell me about your super tires - I already know about them.)  When I bought a couple of these for my truck in April, I paid $16 extra for a Certificate for Refund or Replacement for each tire - good for 3 years no matter how many miles you put on them. A 5 minute phone call last Saturday and my free replacement with free shipping arrived on Wednesday.  A very good deal and painless customer service.  91,97,73,0,B   

How much is enough?

Put another 400 watts of solar into service today (1,200 total now for my main system).  Figuring out how much solar one needs is always a bit tricky - especially when using items that require AC voltage from an inverter. The good thing is, solar can be modular and you can keep adding panels until you have enough to feed your electronic comforts - and multiple charge controllers can feed the same bank of batteries.  These three sets go to three different charge controllers all hooked up to one battery bank.   My 5,000 Btu air conditioner is rated at 115 VAC and 4.6 AC amps. Using this online converter I figured out my air conditioner is pulling almost 50 DC amps out of my solar system.  With the latest addition, I am now pumping in about 66 DC amps during peak hours which keeps me ahead in the energy game when I require extra cooling in the hut.  The really good news is that we have cooler temperatures and some good chances of rain headed this way for a week starting Saturday.  Now it's time for storm prep.  92,99,73,0,B  

Big Baking Day

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a monday matinee...

Enjoy the ride?

So social media is flooded with "suicide awareness" this week. FYI - almost 100 regular people kill themselves every day in the US - but a couple of celebrities off themselves and suddenly everyone is all about suicide awareness?  I think Matt Walsh hit the nail on the head here.  This quote from Anthony Bourdain that has been making the rounds on Facebook sends a very dangerous message straight from Satan.  With a life philosophy like that, it's not surprising that Bourdain chose to end the ride....  

1 Corinthians 6 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Romans 12: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

the ramp bunny...

This is Notchi (notch in his ear). When it is really hot out, he spends most of the day under the ramp to my porch. He and George are the only two bunnies here (out of about 60) that I recognize well enough to name.  Video coming Monday... 92,99,77,0,B

a friday night film

oven repair

The solar oven repair is taking a lot longer than anticipated...but almost done.  94,103,78,0,B

flour shakers...

Quick Alpine run for oven parts.  Got some flour shakers in the mail today from my friend David Johnson.  I see more baking in my future.  90,105,75,0,C

Toasted...

Been doing a lot of baking with the solar oven this year so I thought I would freshen up the outside with a new skin.  Discovered the excessive heat has taken quite a toll on the insides - even through a layer of sheet metal (this charred piece was the bottom of the oven).  As bad as it was, the good news is the flash point of wood is 572° so it's doubtful the oven would have ever gone up in flames (although that would certainly make for a good video).  Getting parts and extra insulation tomorrow so I can start baking again by the weekend.   Just ordered aluminum plate and ceramic insulation for the smaller solar ovens I will be selling soon.  100,108,71,0,B  

a monday matinee...

How shall they be judged?

So the lost donkey story had a happy ending today.  He just got picked up and transported to his new home.   A group of folks are starting a rescue operation for local livestock that gets cast aside or left to die (which happens a lot out here).  Proverbs 12:10 A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.  

babysitting

A few more days before the lost donkey goes to his new home.   He is still welcome here, for now.  I need a video for my monday matinee.
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a friday night film