Good Morning!!!! 77F @ 4:30AM. Sunny. High 107F. Winds light and variable.
Good to hear the news from Randy, Drew. Thanks for passing it along.
Boo Boo seems more comfortable with you than you do with him, Thomas. That doesn't sound like a comfortable arrangement at all. I wonder if one of those high pitched ultrasonic noise maker things would do anything to improve matters?:confused2:
Seems like everything costs more in California, Eric. More rules means more costs, and more people to pay all along the line.
Speaking of electricity, my Facebook posting on the power pole/palm tree fire has now elicited 338 reactions, 399 comments, and 99 shares. Most of the comments are critical of the utility's poor maintenance practices that let the tree get that big to start with, and their failure to remove flammable brush below it and the transformer. It was also revealed that an electrocuted squirrel fell to the ground and likely ignited the fire. Had that ground been cleaned to "bare mineral earth" per local fire safe guidelines, there would have been no fire at all. Yet some commenters still steadfastly support the utility, claiming it as an act of God, or that somehow it is impossible to make it safe under all our power lines, or even that since last year's fire we're all to sensitive and we're over reacting. PG&E has already admitted that the failure of a high tension lead support on a steel tower that was over 100 years old was the cause of the Camp Fire that very nearly burned my house down, and has since de-energized that entire circuit rather than try to correct the problem. They've also declared bankruptcy in an effort to dodge lawsuits from over 15,000 injured parties such as myself, and the families of the 86 that died. And now we're too sensitive? I think we're just getting started.:shocked:
Spent yesterday morning fitting straps for a tank bag to the red motorcycle, and then dug out a bash plate to protect the bottom of the engine and mounted that. A similar plate needs to be fabricated to protect the transmission; it's no longer available from the factory, but I was able to order the clamps to hold it in place before they were discontinued, and I have the plate on another motorcycle to serve as a model. So I did some shopping at McMaster-Carr to get some aluminum on the way, and learned that alloy 7075 costs nearly twice as much as 6061, and while it is stronger, it is difficult to justify over seventy dollars a square foot when the 6061 plate on the other bike has shown that 6061 is strong enough.:confused2:
Also got a call from the solar power system supply company yesterday, inquiring about the engineering firm I'd asked to alter and stamp their grid support design. I haven't heard back from the engineers yet, but was told that the solar panels that were originally specified are now unavailable, and that a slightly less powerful one of the same weight and dimension would be supplied instead. Apparently that's pretty common as the manufacturing methods become more efficient and the makeup of the cells becomes more productive. It shouldn't effect the design of the grid support, but I will need to update my building permit application with a new spec sheet.
The local airport is hosting a B-17 and a B-25, offering tours and rides this weekend. My body shop neighbor wants to go see them, and so do I, and I'm wondering if I should surprise him by purchasing two seats on the B-17, which he said was the safer of the two.:laughing:
Hang in there, gang, Friday's comin'!
