Good morning!!!!

[sodamo]

63°F and .16 inches rain

Another overcast day ahead, this last day of 2025

With help of son, pulled the fans and motor from stove hood. Replacement capacitor on order, but almost 20 years greasy build up to remove before reinstalling.

Kids want to hit one of the farmer markets today.

Prayers for all
Be safe
Have a great tractor day

 

[riptides]

With the caveat that I am not an electrician, yes I would get the wire up.

You may have what is known as an Ufer ground (after the engineer who invented it, Herbert Ufer), where the grounds are attached to the rebar in reinforced concrete. It is a much more effective ground than ground rounds. I bring this up as a reason why you might not want to get rid of the existing ground system.

IIRC, my recollection is that the ground wire(s) around here need to be visible, as does the ground rod top itself and the connections, so inspectors can verify that the connections are tight, and functioning, but I don't know if being behind an enclosure door counts*. The NEC was updated recently to require two ground rods, or the testing of a single one to a resistance of 25 ohms or less. Bear in mind a new second ground rod needs to be at least 8' away and at least 8' in length, 5/8" in diameter, and be driven so that the UL markings are visible, e.g. right end up. I have known of inspectors who have been known to quibble whether the 8' burial rule means the top needs to be buried or not.
(* Does the UFER Ground require to be visible? says doors are allowed.)

https://www.mikeholt.com/newsletters.php?action=display&letterID=2291

As always, I would check your local codes. My $0.02 would be to replace the wire, and put the ground rod and wires behind a door, as driving a new rod would likely require the enclosure door, and a second rod driven outside, and wired in, or two rods outside, because I suspect driving an 8' rod in your basement might get tricky.

All the best,

Peter

Very informative post.

All I can add is don't try and remove it. Ask me how I know. LOL. You may need explosives.

 

[ponytug]

@daugen I have watched a number of Temple Grandin's recorded lectures and interviews over the years, but I've never managed to meet her in person. We did install our limited cattle handling equipment in accordance with her guidelines, and use it when vaccinating or loading cattle into trailers, which makes the loading very easy for the cows and us.

Over the years, I've worked with a fair few that identify as being on the spectrum and more that probably were/are, and I am reminded of the California advice of "going with the flow" to enable them to work to the best of their abilities. YMMV, and I guess I come out as nobody is average and everybody is different, so life goes more smoothly for all if one works with everyone's needs. (Or cattle/horses/birds... as the case may be.)

Speaking of birds, we have a young mountain lion getting up things at the moment. He was chasing the neighbor's llama last night about dusk, and then went after "their" feral peacock before heading off. I suspect he was just kicked out of his maternal den, (nearby) so I hope he moves on sooner rather than later as he figures out which way is up, but gosh he is a gorgeous animal.

Generally, the time when they are kicked out of the den is the only time that they will eat prey other than deer, except in extreme old age. As at the moment there is an abundance of deer around here, he is not likely to go hungry. The neighbors shared a video of him wandering off and walking smoothly through a four wire barbed wire fence as if it wasn't there. One of them had been running around after the mountain lion, which strikes me as a high probability way to end up in the ER. I was concerned about an animal with rabies or an encephalitis until I saw the video.

It is a gray drizzly day here, but much warmer, having gone from the thirties to the fifties.

Happy New Year to all of you and best wishes for a better 2026!

All the best,

Peter

 

[two_bit_score]

Happy New Year's Eve! Good Morning!

Been a nice beginning to the last day of 2025!

Nice weather and looking forward to a big bowl of Tortilla soup tomorrow!

It's busy with the reporting deadlines for so many things right now. Most candidates have until the 15th of January to get their campaign finance reports filed but the books close at midnight tonight.

Everyone have a wonderful last day of 2025 and Happy New Year! Prayers for our nation!

 

[kenmbz]

Happy New Years to all and may 2026 be a great year!

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Good evening all. 17ºF in St Ann, MO, overcast, windy. Wind slowed down through the day, Sky cleared off and clouded up again as I drove south and high temp for day in TX was 42ºF. Made coffee to start day, drove back to Texas, unpacked, did load of laundry, Worked on posting.
resuming
Buppies sorry to hear about power issues. Glad to hear A1C good.praying for you and Holly.
Friend(trac) a belated Happy Birthday.
Frits sorry wife scalded her hand, prayers for quick recovery.

Welcome Home!

And theseView attachment 4655381the Fish have been around a long time. Flowers seem to make Holly happy. After we eat dinner she has no memory of what she ate or where

Prayers for all silent or spoken Dons BIL, mostly, Kyle’s and his family, Thomas, others I forget our Country

Thank you for the prayers. Prayers for you and Holly. You have a lot to deal with. I pray for things to smooth out.

this may sound fairly strange...but I'd love to take a class taught by Temple Grandin in Colorado.
The movie they made about her continues to just grab me emotionally.
No it's not a deficit
it's a gift
then I think of Kyle and I know this chocolate and roses ending is not
realistic for the more profoundly affected autistic kids.
but wow, to give a young person hope?

hope can be a powerful gift
of course I'm hoping for world peace
hope is clearly not always rewarded...

over half of Texas's cattleyards have equipment designed
by Temple Grandin. More contented cows is not only more humane but
efficient and profitable.

have any of you met her personally?
she just defines inspirational and her gift is that she can see
the world in ways that you and I cannot.

Thanks Drew. It has been a tough battle when she gets angered from things that she doesn't like. Trying to get her on SS disability. I've been told the road to SS disability is long and arduous. If, we can get her on it, I want to set her up in her own tiny home in our backyard. This way she won't be stressed from noises that we make in everyday life. She has gained so much weight on the meds that help keep her calm.

We like the Temple Grandin movie and her accomplishments. Just like with any sect of humans, those with autism are all over the spectrum.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]