One of the most common roofing materials in residential construction is the asphalt roof – literally hardened tar sprayed on felt paper and coated with a thin layer of colored rock powder. It’s cheap, nasty and disposable, meant to be used for a few years before hauled to the local dumping grounds.
In almost all ways, metal roofing is superior to individual shingles, beyond maybe appearance and initial cost of installation. Metal roofing lasts a lot longer, is fully recyclable, fire-resistant, and compatible with rain-water collection systems. Why pump water from deep underground, when you can literally get it off your roof? Literally with asphalt roofs, even if you’re not using the rainwater that falls on them, you’re still dumping polluted water as it runs over the petrochemical roof into your ground water.
The Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday that it would eliminate its scientific research arm and begin firing hundreds of chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists, after denying for months that it intended to do so.
Hmm. At least I made it home safely before that wheel bearing failed. I broke my bottle jack when I knocked the truck off it, playing with the rear wheel with all its slop, it’s pretty bad probably won’t make it much beyond the repair shop lol. It’s an excuse to get a proper sized quality jack too that I can use well after Big Red.
Next weekend looks crappy so I might end up postponing summer vacation for another week. Or maybe it will become an autumn trip. I was going to go out to Schoharie today but whatever – it’s going to rain Sunday and I really should clean my kitchen and organize my camping gear before summer vacation – I’ve been busy and the heat knocked me out.
I’ve been noticing the slop since Memorial Day but I thought it was nothing that unusual for a 14 year old lifted truck which has always driven kind of floaty. Steering, acceleration and braking are more of a suggestion then something you are really in control on a lifted truck. I wasn’t sure if it was all in my head. Big Red has long made sketchy noises in parking lot maneuver, though since 4 or 5 years ago I had the replaced the front wheel bearings, tie rods, upper ball joints, and now the front wheels generally point in the same direction and don’t cause toe out wear.
I am planning on replacing Big Red after the winter. I want a smaller, easier to drive truck before I head out to Michigan and Northern Wisconsin next summer. Maybe a Toyota Tacoma truck. Something comfortable but not so difficult to maneuver in traffic. I don’t see doing 8 hour days on the road at 75 mph heading out to Michigan in Big Red. But I’m ready to see more of America, I mean the Finger Lakes, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are fine but there is so much more to see and do. But it’s been a fun nearly decade and half with Red. How fast time goes.
I am sure there are people who drive 20 year old Honda Civics to their job in the suburbs and are happy never leaving city limits. But I like to travel and I want something that is fun to drive and can go neat places. A 20 year old Honda Civic might be fine if you never leave the city, but that’s kind of a pointless. If you’re in the city, why don’t you just take the bus? I like my truck and days in the wilderness.
Truth is I’ve been getting up at 5 AM each morning this week, and not getting to bed until around 10 PM each nigh, as it’s been hot, and like being up before it gets too hot and when I often have the greatest clarity of thought. Lately, with the heat, my mind has mostly been in clouds, work has been busy as has things happening with Save the Pine Bush.
I think I am going to head out camping today, but I’m going to avoid the Thruway and take the back roads out to Schoharie. If I’m too tired, to anxious, or decide my truck isn’t treating me well, I can always abandon my trip as I reach my house or overnight at one of State Forests such as Rensselearville or even Cotton Hill. I am just not feeling like I want to get on any high speed road besides maybe the end of 787.
I thought about going out tomorrow and doing some hiking, then swimming and set up camp. I just wish I wasn’t so damn anxious and feeling busy, as there has been so much going lately.
“A million white flowers in a field in the sky Seemed to spell out a greeting as the children flew by A guard in a chariot of silver and gold“
Lately I find myself extremely confused. I think a lot of it is the times we all live in, with the Trumpster dominating all but I’m also searching a lot in my mind what I believe and what I want to do with my life. I make a good middle class income but I don’t want to buy more plastic stuff as everybody says I should want. Aren’t you worried all your stuff is worn out and shabby. Don’t you want the latest gadgets. There are so many things and services to buy.
I spend more and more time studying the colors of the wildflowers. I used to be mostly interested in epic landscapes but now things like butterfly weed and bee balm are more fascinating with all the colors. Or watching the patterns in the clouds. Or the calls of the birds in the woods. I don’t understand the rush even while I watch the pages of the calendar fall away so violently. Maybe I’m bored with the distant places that are close via the automobile even while I look over the local.
My contacts are irritating my eyes again as I count down the days until the big snip. People are like don’t you think it’s expensive to get LASIK but compared to many things you could spend money on in your life this will mean a lifetime of good vision without contacts. Even if eventually I need cheaters for reading the truth is that it’s far less important than seeing the beauty all around. I’m just tired of spending money on things to throw away. Nothing I can spend money would be less fleeting than good vision. Anything mechanical becomes garbage in a few years and much of it is just the yellow flames in a few weeks of purchase.
If I was responsible I would be home cleaning and packing for a trip out to Schoharie. Not studying the clouds and colors at Five Rivers. Honestly I can do that when I get home or maybe I’ll leave in the morning. I hate dealing with rush hours traffic. Even if summer Friday rush hour is never bad. Tomorrow evening would be so beautiful in the wilderness and summer is rapidly fading away, especially when vacation is done in two and half weeks it’s August. Labor Day is so early this year. I sure hope I’m spending Labor Day Weekend in the hammock on Hardwood Hill like so many other Labor Days of recent past. I am thinking though of hiking up Plateau Mountain before heading to Mine Kill and swimming then camp. But I’d miss the fire tomorrow night and a beautiful evening in the woods. Not sure and I hate fighting traffic after work on a Friday but it would be such a nice night in the wilderness.
I keep playing over and over Kaleidoscope’s The Sky Children as I study the clouds. I know summer will be gone and it will be cold before you know it. Even if I can’t save the world I can spend an evening or two studying the clouds and the flicker of the fire. As I try to figure things out while I look at the colors of the wildflowers. Some day I’ll figure the hours while I sit through another hour of confusion while the advertisers hawk their crank treatments for Old Timers disease and drug rehabs because I enjoy laughing by waterfalls. And dreaming about the clouds.
And reading about log cabins and goats and adventures in the wilderness and small towns like the many I will see on my summer vacation. It’s just a dream, not real like all the plastic stuff – the vinyl siding, the asphalt roofs and drywall which is model of quality in the suburbs and of having a good job.
Reactance in electricity is like free returns to stores. Yes, some electricity returned to grid with current and voltage out of phase is resold to other customers but a lot of it is just wasted.
Lately I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube Videos and reading about modern off-grid solar set up with 240-volt two phase power, providing 50, 100 or even 200 amp feeds like you would find in a modern suburban house. It’s amazing how for under $20,000 you can generate renewable power, on-site that in most ways is as good or better as the utility purchased electricity. Off-grid doesn’t mean significant sacrifices any more, watching every watt, buying only the most modern, efficent boutique appliances specifically marked for off-gridders. No lead-acid batteries to carefully monitor and top off with distilled water while worrying about explosive, toxic gas floating off the batter banys.
I am in many ways so impressed modern lithium ion phosphate rack batteries and the E4 6000 all in one inverter-charge controllers. Both it’s the outward simplicity of the systems, how closely they integrate and how they produce 50 amp of split phase 240 volt power – or more if you chain the units together. It wasn’t that long ago that most homes had only 50 amp service and while many large modern suburban houses now have 200 amp service, that much power is not likely needed for a small house or cabin – even with a heat pump and electric clothes dryer. Solar panels are rarely delivered in fewer than lots of 10 with 20 being most common, and at 450 watts that’s like 4. 5 kW or 9 kW. Rack mount lithium ion phosphate batteries nowadays give you safe, reliable power often storing upwards of 5 kwH per unit and easily expandable as you can nowadays add batteries whenever due to BMS on each battery carefully managing charging.
Time marches on but it seems like things are only getting better.
