maybe time to roll-installing solar panel




So this is what it looked like one morning. It's been down in the lower twenties a couple of nights. My summer job ended a couple weeks ago and I have just been hanging out enjoying the canyon and the quiet. I went hiking up towards Deseret Peak yesterday with a friend. Really nice. A bit slick once we got into the snow and ice, though. Cathy had brought hot herb tea up and it really hit the spot. Good conversation and exchange of ideas on camping and traveling in small rigs (she has a camper on a Tacoma).


I finally got a closer shot of the deer eating some of the hay I have been putting out daily for the horses. I brought a low-rider chair up to the pasture and just sat there for a while. They kept looking over but Meadow was on my lap and that might have put them somewhat at ease.

A few more days here, then off to visit friends in Salt Lake for a couple days and take care of some city-type stuff. I swear Meadow and Onyx are also getting antsy. They have just been sitting around and staring off into the distance, occasionally looking at me and meowing (and yes, their food bowl is full and the litter box is clean). They have not been wondering around as much. It’s like, “Okay, we’ve seen all there is around here. Let’s go!”


I made feet for the solar panel out of aluminum angle channel and used 3M VHB double-sided foam tape to install the panel on the roof. I removed the vent cover and drilled a hole in the base to run the cable through. Then I drilled a hole in the roof right up against the vent so the vent cover would conceal the hole. The cable runs down along the vent pipe in the closet, attached with zip ties. Another hole was drilled in the floor right next to the vent pipe for the cable and then it runs under the trailer along the frame with numerous zip ties back to the battery box with one more hole up through the floor. Sealed all the holes with calk.

Never resist the opportunity to learn something new.


FOR INDEX OF POSTINGS GO TO JULY 2006

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

park model, rick’s ’66, 4 miles an hour,
and a kindle

Image
I’m sure I’ve mentioned somewhere on these pages that I like park model trailers. If I ever regress to wanting a house, this is the route I would go. Park models are built on a trailer chassis, registered as RVs, and are limited to 400 sq. ft. They can be moved from time to time but they are designed to be used, pretty much, in one spot. The photo is of their Wedge model. This site also has some pretty cool units: http://smallhousebliss.com/category/small-prefab-and-modular-houses/ I was reading ‘World Ark,’ the Heifer International magazine, and there was an article about a small village in Nepal. The women make two 3-hour hikes each day, to haul water for their families and animals. There is a 5,000’ elevation difference from down where the water is, back up to the mountaintop village. Unreal. And forget about holidays and sick days. I’ve heard of similar stories—but 5,000’! I bet the husbands in this village never piss-off their wives. Theresa and David (Moab friends) t
Read more

timberon II

Image
Another hummingbird flew into the Nash through the cage window. The birds tend to just fly side to side across the back window, making things easy. I open the screens of the two bottom corner windows, put my hands close together and slowly herd the bird down towards the open screen. No throwing a towel over it as I had to do in the past when a regular bird flew in. In one of Janet’s emails, she wrote: “My Dad always signed off, "wake up happy" which is what his mom said to him before bed. I have been working on doing just that, waking up with happy thoughts. I know how easy it is to get discouraged when our bodies aren't at their best. Good luck and health I wish for you.” I’m also working on it. Thanks, Janet. As you can see, the owners accepted my bid. I wouldn’t doubt if I could have gotten the lot for even less. Most lots are tough to sell, but I thought my bid was a fair offer considering what lots actually sell for here. This lot would not hold much interest
Read more

new deer and balance

Image
First new one. One morning I was putting scratch grain out and eight deer were walking towards me. Not sure if I’ve seen eight at once. Pretty cool. Not back to carrying a camera in my pocket. I wonder if some of these deer are some of mine from last year. When I got up the first morning, it was 60º in the Nash. For the next two weeks, the early inside temps ranged from 56-63º. Nice change from the valley. Even lit the Wave 6 a couple mornings for a bit. The first thing I did when I towed the Nash up onto my property, I let M&M out. Yep, they literally flew out the door, ending 7 months of being indoors. They checked out their home turf, and rolled in the dirt, as I jockeyed the Nash around for summer exposure. Put the bird feeder up. Nuthatch were the first birds. Hummingbirds found their feeder sooner. One time there were three hummingbirds on the ring, sipping. They were shoulder to shoulder, using 3 adjacent slots. Don’t think I’ve seen the before, either. One day I b
Read more