It's time again...

I just can't take it anymore - so I guess it's time to clean up the greenhouse...again. The mess has really gotten out of hand. Normally I shoot timelapses of the project, but this time it's just going to be a "before and after". The hardest part is getting motivated to begin so I figured if I shot and posted a video, it would force me to get on the ball. Hoping to get it all done by the end of November. 69,74,51,0,B

Blemishes...

2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 

Solitario

It has been 6 years since the last time I ventured out to my remote property.  Went out this morning with my realtor so she could see it and get some photos for the listing.  It is really a beautiful spot - just a little too far off the beaten path for my taste.  72,77,39,0,B

TYF@TFL

66,84,50,0,W

look before you leap

44,84,72,0,B

flowers

78,85,46,0,C

rover by drone

70,75,38,0,B

FPV Wish List

Hoping for some good Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals next month.

61,84,59,0,W

No yoke...

2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 

Safely across to the home side...

85,90,52,0,B

The Hole

This notorious spot on Mailbox Road has gotten worse since the grader operator recently decided to divert the flow in a different direction.   For years there have been very few issues here even after heavy rain.  The problem is that the operator built a berm across the spot where the water used to flow west and now it goes north - and uphill (green arrows show the way the water used to flow - red arrows show the new bad uphill flow).  Because of this, a great deal of water backs up and just sits in this low spot instead of running off downhill/west like it used to.  It has been 4 days since the last rain, and I almost ruined my nearly 15-year record of having never gotten stuck on this road.  Barely made it through going out and on the way back decided to just park and walk from there (1.5 miles from TFL).  Would really hate to get stuck AND block the road (something the tourists don't seem to be concerned about).  I think by tomorrow afternoon I will be able to power through. 81,85,45,0,B

Cutting...

The most recent rooted cutting from my 3 1/2 year old tomato plant experiment.  No tomatoes all summer but I have 10 plants still living (third, forth, and fifth generations) from the original 2 plants.  74,84,46,0,B

Rover photo while out and about...

67,76,46,0,B

Rover controller setup...

56,60,54,0,B

Another rainy day...

Ordered servos and BECs (battery eliminator circuits) for the rover.  First project with them is to control the direction the FPV camera points.  My mom always told me, "Look both ways before you cross the street".  54,71,64, .31",B

seek

Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

new controller/more options

Figured out a few more options with Mission Planner while using a new controller.  The old joystick I was using didn't have extra buttons and no self-centering on the throttle, so I had to precisely place that lever to keep the rover stopped.  The new controller has plenty of buttons and two spring loaded levers - one for forward and one for reverse so it stops when released.  Eliminated an independent RC transmitter and receiver altogether which would control the rover in "manual" mode and trigger the other control modes. Now I use the controller alone to choose between "auto" (pre-planned missions), "guided"(individual segments of travel), and "acro" (manual movement with the new controller).  All this transmitted from the ground station to the rover via the long-range telemetry radio.  85,90,58,0,B

Kit

Probably a reason my rabbit population has drastically diminished over the past year. 84,88,60,0,B

free at last...

The ranch sent the grader out due to the previous night's medical emergency and all the stranded tourists were finally able to head home. Overall, there were 20 people and 8 vehicles trapped out here thanks to the swamped road. Whoopsy by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...  Artist: http://audionautix.com/   83,91,55,0,B

DIY road crew...

Day 2 of the dry out. Some of the stranded folks get a gold star for taking on the task of doing some road work so they could get their families out of here. The Sheriff's Department made it out last night with an EMT to transport a sick girl to the hospital - so the trail has been blazed. 83,89,61,0,B

Some bad spots out there...

Got a little more rain last night. Doesn't look good for anyone trying to get out today. Their best chance is late tomorrow afternoon. Good news is we have 3 sunny days ahead and no more rain in the immediate forecast. 78,83,59, .19",B

Happens every time it rains...

Never fails out here. Someone always tries to drive my road right after a rainstorm (a little over a half inch fell early this morning). Normally I don't even offer to help because it is too muddy for me to even get to them. Fortunately, these folks were stuck in a spot that I could easily pull them out of. While we were setting up for the tow, three other vehicles came along looking to get out and I told them all the same thing - if it doesn't rain again, it will be at least a day (most likely 2 days) before the road will be passable all the way to the highway. Bad news is there is a chance of more rain tonight. 72,79,58, .66",B

Self control

 listen here

RFD900X

Quite pleased with this test of the new long range telemetry radios. Wasn't sure how the RFD900x system would handle losing line of sight behind the hill by the highway (2.5 miles from the ground station) - but it stayed connected like a champ. Only had a few brief outages as I turned around by the mailboxes and started heading back. I wasn't up for the normal one-hour trip it takes the rover to make on its own so I strapped it into the back of my pickup for a faster trip and took if for a ride. The ground station radio was mounted on top of a 30' mast at the hut. Compass variance for the rover direction was off a bit, but that didn't matter for this test. All in all, it was rousing success! I couldn't get the system to work with an FrSky Taranus QX7 RC Transmitter - but the system works fine with a slight mod to the ground station end. 74,77,59,0,C

FSBO

The remote property can be reached from 2 different directions.  The north route off Hwy118 via North County Rd./Hen Egg Rd./Hermans Peak Rd. is 11 miles and is only passable during the dry season due to 2 creek crossings.  The south route off Hwy170 via South County Rd./Salt Grass Rd./Hermans Peak Rd. is 18 miles and passable year-round except during or right after heavy rain.  74,79,62,0,C

FSBO

In case anyone who reads my blog is interested... 

I am about to list my remote property for sale.

20 acres @ $1500/acre

Make an offer...

Here are the coodinates for the corners:

NW  29 27 56.04 N

      103 38 22.68 W

NE  29 27 56.07 N

     103 38 15.33 W

SW  29 27 42.90 N

      103 38 22.38 W

SE   29 27 42.97 N

      103 38 15.13 W

Thrustmaster

Having a lot of trouble getting a new RC transmitter to work with the long-range telemetry radios.  I think I found a good workaround.  Went through a bunch of boxes in storage until I found an old USB joystick I bought about 4 years ago.  Was able to get it to work in the ground station software and control the rover manually.  Since the control inputs are sent through the new long range telemetry system, there really is no need for an extra transmitter.   Since I'm not getting much cooperation out of the one I recently bought, I am going to return it for a refund ($140).  The Amazon return window closes on the 16th. 72,85,56,0,B 

In the canyon...

Had a little trouble driving the rover manually the length of the canyon. There were more than a couple of spots it just couldn't get through. 83,87,57,0,B

The Canyon

Decided to try another canyon flight - this time a bit lower.

Last trip was back in 2017.

82,89,55,0,B

More about fools...

Psalms 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. 2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord. 5 There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous. 6 Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge. 7 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. 

pinouts...

One of the problems with the rover project has been the ability to easily get all the parts I need.  Seems Pixhawk accessories can be a little hard to track down.  Ended up having to cannibalize a couple of cables to get from point A to point B.  (After triple checking my work - I'm pretty sure the Pixhawk pinouts in the above diagram are opposite of the ones on my Pixhawk so I redid the connections - fingers crossed.) This is the rover part of the setup.  Tomorrow, I hope to get the ground station side operational so I can test out the new long range (40 kilometer) system.  81,88,59,0,B

skipped a day...

Unless we get some really good rain - most of the year (and sometimes years at a time), the seeds of these flowers lay dormant in the soil and nothing sprouts. Last month there was over 2" of rain in six days so this plant has sprung back to life. I am pretty sure it is Damianita (Chrysactinia mexicana). It gives off a pungent - bittersweet aroma when crushed. Here is a drone video of the flowers from 2018. 80,88,55,0,B