Nick's crAZed Ramblings

New Hound at the Hacienda!

2011-08-25T09:43:00.002-07:00

Meet Aspen.

Aspen is the newest entry at the Hunseder Hound Hacienda. Sadly Aspen's family had to surrender her and two other Greyhounds due to health reasons and the need to relocate to a place where they cannot have the dogs. They were very upset to have to lose their kids, and I cannot imagine what they went through to reach the decision. We couldn't take all three, and any more males in the house may be an issue. So we decided to take one...Aspen. She's a 9 year old girl who was with them since she was two. She has a sweet disposition and is doing well in the new pack.

Today will be the usual flurry of activity as we get her personalized tags, check her medical background and make her at home here. (She arrived last night, and the night went well as she slept near our bed.)

This puts the hound pack at 6 again. It still is fresh in our minds that we lost Figgy and Macho this year. While Aspen is not a replacement, she brings a little of each to the house. She's a white girl like our Fig and likes to snuggle on the couch, and she has the cool "Macho ears" that meet like a triangle when they are perked up. Hers actually cross a little at the tips!

Counting down to Cool!

2011-07-28T20:26:00.003-07:00

According to Dan the installer, we should go live tomorrow with the basics. The geothermal should be complete, tested and cooling the main section of the house. Early next week we should finalize, with the addition of the north section of the house being attached. Before that can happen, the main unit must be up and running, then the north A/C unit and furnace can be removed and the ductwork and air returns be extended to the main handler. We also need to add on the steam humidifier and control and the reverse osmosis water unit to protect the humidifier. It's a pretty complex system here...

After all of that is done, then the compressors will be removed, and the openings from the old evaporative coolers will be closed off and secured.

After nearly 11 weeks, we are very happy to see this coming to a close!

Measuring for ductwork and air returns

The new water heater, existing softener and the hole in the floor which goes to the air returns.

The fluid pumps that move the coolant through the system.

The control panel for the zones, thermostats and motorized air dampers.

End of day today. Getting closer. Still need reverse osmosis unit and steam humidifier to be added on.

We're in the home stretch...

2011-07-25T19:20:00.004-07:00

This should be the last week of the geothermal install. Today the old furnace was removed, the A/C compressor disconnected, the old water heater removed as well. New electric water heater installed and temporarily wired in so we have hot water while the project is being completed. The water softener was relocated a few feet and the platform all the equipment sat on was removed. Now everything is at ground level, elevation not needed since there is no pilot light on the water heater anymore. The main geothermal unit (Water Furnace Envision series) was placed on its stand.

Still to come: ductwork connections, thermostat replacements, connecting the well plumbing, finalizing the wiring and covering the pipes on the front of the house, removal of the second HVAC system that is still keeping the bedroom cool, and connecting the two separate systems together with ducts and motorized dampers. Should be done this week!

Before the changes. Old gas water heater on the left, water softener and furnace unit.

Disassembling the furnace.

Furnace removed, platform below going soon.

Here's what was under the platform...more old rat nests and the air return from the house.

End of day, platform gone, new electric water heater installed, geo main unit and the softener.

Driveway Restored

2011-07-13T15:53:00.003-07:00

After two months we are finally able to use our driveway and park in the garages again. It seems like forever since we could do this and it was a big inconvenience having to park on the north end of the house and walk back across the property, over the dry creek and up to the door when we came back from grocery shopping. Don't even talk about the trek with 40 lb cases of chicken.

The town inspected the well field and gave approval. So the trenches have been filled in, the soil compacted and leveled, and gravel brought in to make everything normal again. We decided it made sense to utilize the services of the excavating company while they were here, and we had them trench the drainage culvert the remaining length of the front yard. We had them install a 12 inch culvert pipe at the point where we were parking during construction so there will be proper drainage across the entire frontage but we can still drive across and park there if needed. It also is a path to the back gate for deliveries to the back yard.

Next steps are to line the culvert with rock and to spread gravel in the orchard area we finished a month or so back. I'll post photos of the orchard and walk path project when it is completed with the gravel in a week or so.

The drainage culvert and new culvert pipe

Driveway area re-graveled

View towards the detached garage

View from the road to the house, solar trackers visible

Plumbing the Well Field to the House

2011-07-09T07:38:00.004-07:00

We're on to the next step. Verde Sol-Air came to connect the tubing from each well together into one continuous loop. Each well gets tied to the next and the entire system comes into the house via the garage and attic. The tubing goes up the front wall, and is visible for now. Later a raceway will be placed on the wall and the tubes will be inside and covered, the whole thing painted to match the house. At the top there are two holes bored for the tubing to enter the attic, then the tubing goes across the attic and down through the ceiling to the location of the main unit.

Of course there were some challenges at this stage too. The holes were bored through the fascia board and on the inside of the attic it was near the corner of the building at an intersection of truss mounts. It was tough work for the installers to get the tubing to flex and go through the openings in the trusses due to the angles and very limited space to work. Add the friction factor of the tubing going through a closely fitted hole and then a sharp turn. After much tugging and pushing, it went in. Mike, the man in the attic did a great job of being the winch and wouldn't give up!

After the tubing was in place, the fittings are fused onto the tubing with a special heat tool that melts the plastic on the tube and the fitting at the same time, then the pieces are taken off the tool and pushed together. You have about 3 seconds to make the join once off the tool. Once fused, you can't tell part A from part B even if you cut them apart.

After all connections were made, a pressure gauge and air valve were attached to one end and a cap to the other. Compressed air was pumped into the line to a pressure of 100 PSI. The test calls for no change in pressure for 30 minutes. Ideally it wouldn't change at all. It's the next day and we're still at 100 PSI, so it passed.

Next step is inspection of the system by the town. Once approved, we can cover up the tubes and finally get our driveway back to normal and use our garages again for the first time since May 23. There will be a stop in progress while I am out of town for a week. I didn't want Debbie to have to deal with any issues while I was gone, so they will resume the week of 7/25.

As a side note, our attic is insulated with a deep spray foam layer and all openings are sealed. This makes the attic a "conditioned space" and the attic floor has no insulation to get in the way or to cause breathing issues. Even though the outside temps were at 90F, the attic was at 80F and not bad to work in. Prior to being insulated, the attic would reach temps of 120-130F on a day like this.

Verde Sol-Air Installer's Truck

Dan fusing fittings to the tubing where it enters the attic

The heat tool in place on the tubing and the fitting

Attic view of tubing, you can see the heavy foam insulation on the roof deck

Tubing coming down from the attic. New equipment not yet on site.

Excavating for the Tubing Connections

2011-07-07T07:56:00.004-07:00

We're on to the next phase. Yesterday they trenched for the tubing connections. There are trenches around the driveway area that are about 5 feet deep and 3 feet wide. If we added water and alligators we would be just like a castle! The tubing will be joined between the wells so that it becomes one continuous loop, and then it will be brought to the front of the garage, taken up the wall and into the attic. Finally it will come down into the garage and connect to the main geothermal unit.

View from road towards house - solar field in background

Two wells and connecting trench

Main trench - you can see tubing from two of the three wells

Main trench looking toward road

Main trench to the garage

Well Drilling is Completed!

2011-07-01T12:45:00.004-07:00

3 wells drilled, tubing in, cement in place. Rig and equipment GONE! ↑

At long last, the three wells are done. The equipment arrived here on May 16, drilling began on May 23. The original projection was about 7 days of drilling. It took 30. Needless to say, neither the drilling company, Verde-Sol Air or the two of us was thrilled with the delay.

The issue was our soil. Most think it was because of rock, but no, it was because of sand. The soft soil kept caving in on the hole as it was drilled, and the water that is used to eject the rock dust and debris was causing erosion and caverns. They had to put nearly 80 bags of cement into the first well to stabilize it, the second was almost as bad. The third was a bit better because they stopped drilling and added cement as soon as they saw sand come out.

So now we have three holes, filled with tubing and bentonite (to lock the tubing in place and facilitate the heat transfer). Next step is to trench for the tubing to be joined together and brought over to the house. Then it will go up the wall into the attic and down into the garage, where the main unit will be. After that, the ductwork in the attic will be merged into one system (we have two separate HVAC systems now). Then the main unit will be installed and the new water heater installed.

Water heating is another benefit. A "desuperheater" takes heat from the geothermal system and preheats the water for the water heater. If additional heat is needed, then an electric heating element kicks on to heat the remainder. Currently we have a natural gas water heater, and it accounts for the bulk of our gas usage. Since we make a surplus of electricity, it makes sense to switch to electric. When the changeout is complete the only gas usage will be for clothes drying, cooking and the BBQ. Home and water heat will be geothermal.

The only downside right now is that we are in the heat of summer. When we started the project we expected to be done in May, when no A/C or heat is needed. Now we will be "offline" for a couple of days in 95-100F heat. I may have to put a portable A/C unit in the bedroom temporarily so we can sleep!

Working on the last well ↓

Get an idea how much mess for each hole...↓

Tubing on the spool, ready to go down the hole↓

Tubing in place, cement mixer standing by↓

Hole filling up with bentonite slurry↓

Well #1 done at last!

2011-06-09T08:06:00.002-07:00

We have finally gotten the first well bored! It took quite awhile and I think some lessons were learned in the process. Now that the hole is 340 feet into the ground, the ground loop tubing has been inserted. In the photo below you see the last 8 feet or so that remains above ground to be connected later. They need to pour a cement mixture into the hole next, locking the tubing in place and assisting with heat transfer to the soil. Once done, the remaining steel goes away so it can be buried and invisible.

The trench we dug to hold the byproducts of drilling (water and sand) has been filling up. Normally you wouldn't see this much debris, but when the sides of the well cave in, extra sand comes out.

The drilling rig has been moved forward and re-set for the next bore. Note how 'clean' the area around the hole begins. The steel tube goes in and there's nothing around it...yet.

I hope that wells #2 and #3 can go much more quickly than the first. We would like our driveway back and the system in place soon!

Boring, boring, boring

2011-06-05T21:49:00.003-07:00

The title is both descriptive of the action and the result. We've been at this for a few weeks now and we're not making stellar progress. We need three wells, each about 340 feet deep, for the heat exchanger piping. We are still on well number one, and not very far along at that.

Our soil seems to be quite sandy and the sides of the well keep caving in and the water used to remove the drilling waste erodes the sides of the well into a cavern. To counter this, the driller must fill the hole with cement until it starts to rise up the hole, then let it harden and drill through it in an attempt to get past the eroded area. It's sort of a three steps forward an two steps back dance here. We have been as deep as 105 feet, but as of Friday we were back to about 85-90 feet with about 75 bags of cement used to fill the hole.

Yes I am concerned about the lack of progress.

Let's hope this week is a breakthrough (pun intended) and we get past the soft soil and hit some good hard dirt or even rock. I'd like to get this project done, and the drill rig in the driveway keeps us from parking in the garages. Heck, we have to park on the north side of the house and hike across the dry creek to get to the front door. That's especially fun when it's pitch dark and you have bags of groceries...

Updates when something changes!

Pearl & Licorice Have a "Girl's Day" Out in Sedona

2011-05-30T17:34:00.016-07:00

First, let me say I was just along as the "pup-arazzi photographer"! Deb and Emily engineered the event...a "Girl's Day Out" for my Pearl and Emily's Licorice Roo. They decided to go to Sedona and tour Tlaquepaque for the afternoon. Pearl had her nails done for the occasion:

First stop was the "Secret Garden" for lunch.

Then we were off to explore the venue and take in the sights, sounds and smells...

We visited Ken Rowe's sculpture gallery and talked with Ken and Monica for awhile...

We even found a store named for us: "Diva"!

And if you know Licorice, you know she LOVES hats, and so she had to shop for one while we were there.

We were having so much fun, Pearl had to give Licorice a hug:

Then we met a lady who got down on the ground with the girls and started to give them massages. Just what they came for, spa treatment!

Yes, Pearl was relaxed

Then Licorice got a card for her friend and decided to sign it with a nose print, using lipstick of course

The our spa treatments...here's Licorice still in her towel

Then off to a party, we were very popular and many people were taking our photos.

Pearl had a little too much to drink though...

We had a great time and we're planning the next event...wine tasting!

THE END

I Still Don't Understand How APS Does Their Calculations

2011-05-24T10:58:00.002-07:00

Every month APS has a little chart in their online billing site. It purports to show a summary of the bill and how you use the energy purchased from APS. Part of that is a comparison of "my home" to "the average home". A recent month showed "my home" used $11 and "the average home" used...$11. Yet "my home" uses more energy than "the average home" according to this same chart. Yeah. Like the average home uses $11 worth of electricity a month. Check your bill. And since when is $11 more than $11?

And if you take their breakdown of where the money goes, it adds up to $23. Don't know where they studied math, but it sure doesn't match what we do in "my home".

Scroll down for the latest case of insanity...

OK, here's the current month. This time "my home" and "the average home" both used $9. Yet the two points on the chart aren't aligned. "My" $9 is higher on the chart, does that mean my money is worth more???

And this month, my $9 is made up of components that total $28. So I use less and it's worth even more? Is there anyone out there who works for APS that can explain this total nonsense?

Drilling Begins (At Last!)

2011-05-23T21:23:00.002-07:00

We had a delay of a week due to some mechanical issues with the driller's truck. Another truck was brought out of storage and the remaining equipment was delivered today. A large air compressor trailer was hauled out to power the drilling unit. They arrived around noon (after delays going through Jerome) and worked until 5pm.

Above is the drilling tower, now upright.

The "business end" of the drill...check out the rotating teeth

Drill poised to begin

End of day, first bore underway. The foamy mud is a by-product of the water/air used to move things along. The excess goes into the ditch that was dug.

Here's the ditch with mud slurry in it.

End of the first drilling day!

Geothermal Day 1

2011-05-16T13:40:00.003-07:00

The drilling rig has been delivered to the site. I expect drilling to begin tomorrow.

In the interim, the containment for the water slurry output of the drilling process has been dug out. There was an existing draining ditch in front of the property, though it was shallow (only about a foot deep at the deepest) it does run the length of the frontage. The driller needed a containment pond for the drilling slurry to sit in and evaporate. I suggested digging the drainage ditch deeper and to use it instead of digging something new. They agreed and today we have a draining ditch that goes five feet deep and about 65 feet long. After the water has evaporated (or been pumped to water the trees!), I will refill it to a depth of about 2 feet and line it with rock. This will improve the drainage and channel it to the open acreage area. (In my dreams there would be an underground cistern to hold a couple of thousand gallons of runoff water to use for irrigation...)

^ The drainage ditch before digging ^

^ Digging begins ^

^Completed digging: 5 feet deep and 60+ feet long ^

First Activity for the Geothermal Installation

2011-05-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

The project kicks off!

First day of any work. Gravel has been cleared away for the utility locator markouts for any power/phone/gas/ etc. From the last three projects, I already know what's out there. No water, no sewer, no gas. Phone and power run a diagonal path from the transformer to the corner of the house...bypassing this area. The clearing was done around 8am.

Later today...

Verde Sol-Air's Dave Hudson came out to mark the locations for the three wells to be drilled. His work was captured by one of the security cameras...at 10:27am. No sneaking around here!

Now we wait for the locators to come and mark everything. I expect we will begin drilling Monday.

Stay tuned...

The Next "Green Project"

2011-05-01T18:58:00.001-07:00

Over the past several years we have taken many steps to go "green" and reduce energy consumption and increase efficiency of our home. With the exception of lights inside appliances, all lighting in the house is either compact fluorescent (CFL) or light emitting diode (LED). That was the first item to reduce electrical use and lessen the heat output from lighting in the summer.

Then we installed 7.5kW of grid-tied solar electric generation, and most months we generate several hundred kilowatt hours (kWh) of surplus electricity which goes back to the utility and is used by other customers. The typical electric bill is less than $10 and consists of administrative charges and taxes only.

Last summer we installed additional rain gutters and added 1,250 gallons of rainwater storage for use in irrigation and filling of the ponds and birdbaths. An inch of rain is about all it takes to fill everything up to capacity. In a pinch, the water can be filtered and used for drinking. The yard has been relandscaped to use native plants and function with little to no additional water (xeriscaped). Even the drip irrigation has been shut off for the last year.

We removed all the old blown in cellulose insulation from the attic last year. In its place we installed new sprayed on, semi-rigid insulation on the inside of the roof. The new insulation is about 9 inches deep and all openings to the attic have been sealed and foamed over. The foam starts at the top of the walls inside the attic and covers everything overhead. Gone are the little drafts we used to feel, and an infrared thermal scan shows no more hot or cold spots. The house stays at a pretty even temperature and even the garage is comfortable year round. The garage never had insulation overhead before, and could go to the high 90s in the summer and down to the 40s in winter. After insulation was added summer peaks at around 80 and winter went down to about 68. The attic used to go into the 120s and now stays below 86.

The improvement after re-insulating has been especially noticeable in the decreased costs for heating and cooling. In mid-summer we were able to lower the thermostat and still generate a surplus each day. Natural gas usage was down this winter even though our winter was far colder than usual. So now we move to the next step.

Geothermal Heating/Cooling

This will be the major project for this year. Our existing heating, cooling and water heating will be eliminated and replaced with a unified geothermal solution. This eliminates two furnaces, two air conditioning systems, two evaporative coolers and a gas fired water heater. The projected energy savings is about 70% of what we used before. And like the solar project, there are significant incentives to make the change. Based on the projected savings, our electric utility (APS) will offer a rebate of 50% of the project cost. The federal government has a 30% tax credit for the energy efficient project. There's really no good reason not to do it.

So watch the blog for updates. The project kicks off on Monday, May 9 when they begin drilling the 3 wells for the heat exchanger.

Want to know more about geothermal and how it works? Click here.

Our new honey, Bee!

2011-05-01T10:28:00.002-07:00

After the loss of two of our senior Greyhounds the house seemed so empty. Both Figgy and Macho were such a presence and provided so much love and company. The seniors are so wonderful that we decided we should add another one back into our pack. After all, five dogs just isn't the same as a "six-pack"!

So after careful consideration and a pre-interview down in Scottsdale a couple of weeks earlier, we decided that Bee should move into the Hound Hacienda. She is a delight, a 3 year old in a 9 year old's body. She is very playful, and can entertain herself with no problem...she takes toys and throws them in the air, races around the room and after almost three weeks, finally jumps on the bed.

It took awhile to convince her that it was OK to be on the couch and the bed. We encouraged her to come up, and lifted her into place. I guess she got the message, because now she comes right up on her own. She has slept next to us several nights and is a good bed-mate; she doesn't kick, stretch, or otherwise disturb the people next to her.

We hope she enjoys many happy years here, and we thank Leah for letting her go and allowing her to live with us. She was her foster for almost a year and could have stayed forever. Today is the annual Greyhound Picnic and she will go with Bella to see everyone and visit with Leah and Jim for the afternoon.

R.I.P. Macho

2011-03-11T12:48:00.001-07:00

We're barely got through losing Figgy in January, and now Macho is gone. He was the gentlest spirit, always happy and a constant companion. At 13.5 years old, he was slowing down, but still pretty active...usually the first to the gate to go out to the dogpark and play. Up at 5am to keep Deb company on conference calls. The end was pretty quick, good in the morning, failing in the evening. We think he had a stroke that left his legs paralyzed and his spirit broken. You could see in his eyes that he was ready, so we helped him across the bridge. He was such a presence, and he is greatly missed, the house is so quiet without him, though we still have 5 dogs. We adopted Macho in August 2009, shortly after we lost Tillie at almost 13 years. He was another senior hound in need of a loving home for his "sunset years". It was good for him and good for us.

Godspeed Macho, we miss you.

Macho Man 10/31/97 - 3/11/11

R.I.P. Figgy

2011-01-21T12:30:00.004-07:00

Figgy crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on January 21, 2011 after a brief battle with cancer. She gave it a good effort but in the end the mass in her chest won the battle and we lost our big white girl. We adopted her back in March of 2006, when she was seven years old. She always acted like a young dog, right up until the last two weeks.

We have nothing but great memories of the Fig, she was a class act all the way. Never quarreled with another dog and no one bothered her. We'll all miss her.

2/17/99 - 1/21/11

Stormy weather

2010-10-06T20:44:00.003-07:00

We've had a bit of a storm the past few days. Part of the recent landscape project was to improve drainage and water control. It seems to be working. Below is the culvert in front of the house. The water no longer comes down the driveway, instead it channels past the house and into the open land.

Out in the solar field you can see a bit of the hail that fell. We had hailstones about the size of quarters. Fortunately no damage to the panels, though production was quite low on the clouded days.

When the weather improves again, I will take some photos of the completed project, including the outdoor fireplace, cantina bar, rainwater collection systems and general landscaping. We've had 4.13 inches of rain in the last 4 days. I hope we're nearly done. The rainwater collection filled to capacity (950 gallons) in the first hour and a half of the storm!

Sneak Preview of the Summer Project

2010-09-16T11:10:00.003-07:00

OK, I know I have been mostly absent for awhile. It's been a busy summer. The landscape project is nearly complete. The insulation project is done. Here are two pix showing a little of the landscape stuff. Our cool (hot?) new outdoor fireplace is getting use, even now. A quick fire and a cup of coffee in the early morning is really nice...mostly for the campfire smell, not the heat!

Here's part of the dry creek we built to channel rainwater as well as add interest to the yard. You can see the big bird-bath in the photo.

I'll try to get back soon with more photos and details...

OK, so I am really behind!

2010-06-06T13:21:00.003-07:00

We love the Pearl!

Way back in February (remember February?) we adopted Pearl. It's June for heaven's sake and I haven't said a word about her. One word, wonderful!

She's is a dream dog, though only 3 years old (as of April), she is calm and fits in with our older pack. We were worried about adding a youngster, but that was unfounded. She's a great companion and loves to be wherever we are, no matter if it's on the couch, in the yard or out somewhere. She loves to be snuggled and scoots closer if you move away. She's good with other dogs, even small ones. She's a fast learner and hasn't been any trouble at all.

Check out her page on my website

Stand by for news!

2010-02-27T10:08:00.002-07:00

We pickup our newest addition later today. Pearl (aka Bull Lea) is joining the ranks at our hound hacienda! Pictures and details to follow.

It's All About the Weather (Station)

2010-01-31T16:05:00.010-07:00

OK, so it's a geek thing. I wanted a weather station to report environmental conditions here at the Hound Hacienda. After a lot of research I decided on a Davis VantageVue. It's US made, accurate and has a self-contained instrumentation unit. The indoor console is detailed, has a nice interface, and can be linked to the computer to post data to the internet. I've had the unit running for a couple of weeks now in a temporary location while I decided on the final location and mounting.

I decided on a 20 foot telescoping aluminum flagpole for the mounting. I use an identical one to mount the radio repeater antenna, and it has been up for 5 years with no issue. It's a simple task to dig the hole and set the mounting sleeve in concrete, then drop in the flagpole. An added benefit is that you can easily bring the pole back down for maintenance, it's just about 6 feet tall when collapsed.

The location was selected to keep the station out of the influence of the house and nearby trees and shrubs, for both rain collection and wind measurements. It's recommended to have the wind sensor at least 4 feet above rooflines and a distance equal or greater than twice the height of the building. I chose a site in open land 100 feet away from the house.

In addition to the local display on my desk, I send data to the internet and to several sites that collect weather data and display it for personal, commercial and statistical use. At the bottom of this page are the various links to these sites. I participate in CWOP, the Citizen's Weather Observation Program, and also send to the Weather Underground (Wunderground) site.

LIVE DATA BELOW

Close-up view of instrument package

Instruments on top of collapsed pole

Making sure that the system is level

A person for some size and scale

System fully up and operational

LINKS
MesoWest surface map with weather stations listed
My station is in the center of the map. Zoom in to see more details. There are two in Clarkdale, mine is the one that is lower on the screen

MesoWest Station Details for Station D4348 (me)

MesoWest Current Conditions for D4348

Weather Conditions with graphs

Living in Clarkdale - Weather

A Fresh Start Today

2010-01-21T09:40:00.001-07:00

Today started better than yesterday...the snow is clean and refreshing. Sadly yesterday began with the lady next door taking her life. She went outside and shot herself. She was a renter and had been there since September...yet we had never met her. I only saw her outdoors once, briefly as we drove out. I couldn't have picked her out of a lineup if challenged.

Police, fire and EMS came, whisked her away. I had to go into the house (we have the key, owners are in CA) and locate her purse so they could ID her. They rushed her to the hospital, then airlifted her to the trauma center. I understand she's brain dead and on life support until her son can arrive from overseas. Very very sad. What's stuck in my mind is cleaning up the side yard after everyone left, didn't want to leave that there as a reminder.

Sad that we never had a chance to know her, I always looked for her when I was outside to say "hi", but the only hint that she was even living there was that the trash cans went in and out each week, and I could hear the central vacuum running from time to time.

May she rest in peace.

Hounds for the Holidays

2009-11-22T19:05:00.005-07:00

Well, we are officially ahead of schedule. We have taken the photos for our annual Christmas card, and it's not even Thanksgiving yet. That's a milestone!

This year's card will feature a photo of each dog in holiday collar. Preview below of the chosen images.

Miss Bella

Tasha

Parker

Kingman

Macho

Sparky

Figgy

Parker and the Rat

2009-10-28T21:59:00.001-07:00

OK, this one's all in fun. Parker and the rat are vying for the title of "Most Scary Grin". Who do you think is the winner?

Happy Halloween!

Can you help?

2009-09-28T08:21:00.009-07:00

First, I have to say that this is out of my comfort zone. I don't like to ask for money, and often would rather work for free than have to bill someone. Maybe it's the whole karma thing, but I always hope for the best.

I feel better since my request isn't for me personally. My "cause" is the Verde Valley Humane Society. I have been serving as the board president for three years and in that time we have been doing our best to gather money to build a new facility to replace our 23 year old building. Through generous donations and special people, we gathered enough money to start the project this March. Project completion is near, but we need to raise an additional $150,000 to get it done. This is where I ask for money...$10, $100, $10,000, whatever you feel you could donate to this project. It's a tax-deductible donation, we are an IRS approved 501(c)3 organization. After so many years, we are so close, it just pains me to see us stop due to lack of funds. (And if you are wondering if I support my own cause, the answer is "YES", through donations of time, materials and several thousand dollars...)

So can you help? Will you help? You can donate in money in several ways:

You can sponsor me in our "Drive for the Last Mile" golf fundraiser. I'm supposed to hit 100 balls into the hole, and need sponsors for at least $1.00 per hole. If you want to help me to help them, click here to send me an email and I will get you the details. If the email doesn't work for you, just comment on this blog with your contact info.
You can go to our website and click on the donation link and send money via PayPal. That's fast and easy.
You can send a check to us at the address below:
Verde Valley Humane Society
P.O. Box 1429
Cottonwood, AZ 86326
Make checks payable to: VVHS Building Fund

You can be anonymous or have your name published as a donor. In either case, we will send you a donation receipt for tax purposes.

If I haven't lost you yet, please read more about our Humane Society below. The photo below is of the existing building when it was opened in 1986.

When the building was opened the size was appropriate for our needs. Sadly, today is it grossly undersized, and many of the dog kennels are outdoors. Something is always in need of repair. The staff have no place to eat lunch or take a break except outdoors, under a corrugated metal roof and next to the crematory. In the heat of summer or the cold of winter, both animals and people are not in a good place.

Why we need to finish our new building:

The current facility can no longer accommodate the rapidly increasing population of the Verde Valley. VVHS already cares for 1900-2400 animals per year.
The current 3000 sq. ft. shelter is inadequate in many ways. Many kennels are open to the elements and all areas are overcrowded. There is no area to isolate animals with illnesses or injuries, which causes unnecessary euthanization.
This society’s policy uses euthanasia as a last resort. Animals with serious behavior or health problems are euthanized, but at times perfectly healthy animals die simply due to a lack of space.
The new facility will give VVHS additional dog kennels and cat cages. It will also include get-acquainted rooms, clinic/exam room, grooming area, laundry facility, ample storage areas and adequate staff facilities.
A new facility will provide space (in the existing facility) for rehabilitating animals that are abused physically or emotionally, and allow them time for recovery before adoption.

The photo below is our "work-in-progress". The outside is nearly complete, the inside has drywall up and the basics installed. Paint is in process, as is the flooring. We're getting very close, and our contractor has been working very closely with our CEO to ensure we maximize every dollar we spend.

You can read more at our website

Thank you for reading all the way through, and thank you in advance for any donation that you make. We're all counting on you!

Funny How This Happens...Here's Macho!

2009-08-06T12:16:00.004-07:00

So here we go again. It has been just a couple of weeks since we lost Tillie. As we have always said, we don't go looking for dogs, they find us. We had an open bed and there was a dog in desperate need of a loving home.

Macho had been adopted out in 2000. Since then his people have fallen on hard times, and have been neglecting his care and health. We had heard of him nearly two years ago, and thought he would be surrendered back to our adoption group. But his owner changed her mind and let go of her other dog instead. He needed better care even then, but there was nothing we could do at the time.

Recently the same person was seeking assistance to pay for his basic needs, and he still needed much more. This time a friend stepped in and got the surrender paperwork signed. She took him in to see her veterinarian for some "triage". He was covered in fleas, had a toenail growing well into the pad on one foot, has teeth that are absolutely nasty and smell rotten. He's got a slight fever and heart murmur, probably a result of all those bad teeth. Of course our group agreed to take him back. And we agreed to take him in.

So here's Macho. He's been in to see Dr. Flannery, and we waiting for all the test results. A full blood panel, fecal exam, x-rays and general evaluation. He's on strong antibiotics for awhile to get things under control before we can begin dental work. It's likely he will lose most of his teeth, they are so bad. But in the last 48 hours he has had the nail clipped, and the wound dressed. He has had a flea bath and is clean again. His diet has improved 2000% over the "Ol Roy" canned food he was getting. We've started him on vitamins and supplements, and he's eating with gusto.

I'm hopeful that in a month or so he will have his weight down a few pounds, the arthritis pain managed, the nails in order, the teeth cleaned or removed, and generally look like the other healthy hounds that live in our home. He has fit in with all of the pack, and is working on learning the dog door. So far he has gone out, but not back in yet. The photo below shows how he is integrating...

This boy will be 12 in October. There are many similarities between Macho and Tillie:

Both were close to 11 when we took them in
Both have long soft fuzzy fur
Both are cow-spotted (Tillie black, Macho red)
Both were in poor condition
Both needed serious dental work
Both are very much loved in our family

Stay tuned for updates!

Tillie Moo 8/17/97 - 7/24/09

2009-07-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

For those friends not on Facebook, just a sad note to advise of Tillie's passing. We released her on 7/24 from her cancer pain. She was with us but two short years, and would have been 13 years old in August. Those past two years were wonderful for both Tillie and all of us. We wouldn't have traded it for anything.

She was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in May, and we vowed not to put her through any excessive treatments. We kept her happy and managed the pain until she no longer was our happy girl. Sometimes it is best to let go. We have so much technology at our disposal, but there are times it is more appropriate not to use it.

We adopted her when she was nearly 11 years old. She had been found in the desert, wandering around. Animal control picked her up, and our adoption group (GPA-AZ) took her in. She had heartworm, and needed to be treated for that, also several teeth needed to come out. She was in pretty rough shape, but her foster parents, Jan & Bud, took care of her and got her to a better condition. If she hadn't chased their cat, she would have stayed with them. Instead, she came to us in May of 2007. Seniors are great, we would adopt one again. Don't overlook the old kids...

Deb's Fireplace Dream

2009-06-30T15:59:00.007-07:00

OK, I admit, it's hard to think "fireplace" when the temps are over 100 degrees. But what better time to take on a project? Since we moved in, Deb has envisioned a "mountain lodge" type of fireplace and mantel. After five years it was time to pursue it. The old fireplace was designed to burn wood, but had a gas log in it. There was a blower, ostensibly to provide heat to the room. Yeah, right...with noise like a loud bathroom fan (can't use it and watch TV) and so much heat you might think you had a hot flash while in the snow. See below for the original look)

We started by selecting a fireplace that could actually provide heat. It's a "furnace rated" unit that provides up to 45,000 BTU of heat output. That's enough for a small house, and should do an excellent job of keeping the great room/kitchen, office area warm. We like cool bedrooms at night, and this will generate heat in the center of the house, and cooler areas at the edges.

The old fireplace was removed, and the new insert roughed in.

We had an opportunity to get a great piece of wood to serve as the mantel. A large hewn log from the old Inn in Prescott. It probably saw decades of service as their mantel, and still had some cigarette burns and scars to prove it. After some sanding and an oil finish, the top is as smooth as glass. Some attractive stone was procured and the work was scheduled to be done.

First step, tear out the old hearth and mantel box...all sheetrock and plywood. Then start framing up the new hearth, column supports and backing for the stone.

Stone is being set...

And as always, a floor supervisor to assist...

And after 5 days...of labor, voila! Here's the finished project!

Products used:
Heatilator CNXT4842 (heatilator.com)
Tivoli Stone "Toscana Plateau" (tivolistone.com)

What is APS Thinking...Or What, Is APS Thinking?

2009-06-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

OK, so here's the WTF item of the day. APS sent out a cheery email telling me to check out their website and the new account information available. Things like comparisons of our usage to others, how much it costs to run our household, how our bill compares this year to last year. You get the idea.

So I went to the site and logged in. As I reviewed the one page synopsis, something stood out. As you all know, we went solar this year, and have a grid-tied system. We generate more than we use, typically 2 to 3 times more each day than the daily consumption. Our bills hover around the $8.00 range now each month. So APS shows me a handy bar graph of my electric cost and how we stack up to "our neighbors". Sort of like the yellow sticker on a refrigerator showing how the annual cost of that model compares to others. The little chart is below. Look closely...

So according to them, my home using $8 in the last month uses more energy than similar homes in my area. More? Sure, like my average neighbors (none of whom generate electricity) have $7 bills? What kind of math do they use? I've sent them an inquiry, and we'll see how they respond. For your reading enjoyment, the entire page is below, just click on the image to see it full size and legible.

Standing by...so far no response from APS to my inquiry.

Ever Had A Dutch Baby?

2009-06-15T07:17:00.004-07:00

OK, if you didn't know this already, a Dutch Baby is a breakfast dish. It's a batter-based delicacy that's cooked in a Dutch Oven or a cast iron skillet. Below you see two in the oven, one in a skillet and one in a Dutch Oven. It starts out as batter in the bottom and rises to heights above the container while cooking. When done, it is golden brown on the outside and soft and light on the inside, much like a popover. Typically you would squeeze some fresh lemon over it and dust it wish powdered sugar (...or bury it in powdered sugar!)

The next photo shows it on the counter being served.

The last photo was taken with the kitchen "sky cam" and shows our friends having the Dutch Baby for breakfast. Deb has mastered the creation of this breakfast treat, and we look forward to our special weekend breakfast.

Now if a certain friend in Utah could just come over and share breakfast and a few days with us...

I'm Going to Kanab!

2009-05-13T11:15:00.003-07:00

It's time for the annual Greyhound Gathering in Kanab, Utah. This year we had to pick the trio that would attend with us. That's a tough choice! We decided on Parker (featured here), Kingman and Bella, or as they are affectionately known, "Gimpy, Limpy and Kingman".

We opted to let Tillie and Figgy remain in their lounge-a-beds at home, since Tillie at nearly 13 doesn't have the endurance for all day events and parades, and Figgy at 10 gets bored just standing around (she'd rather walk somewhere or be on a couch). Besides, five hounds in the van is a little cramped, and we don't want anyone to get their tails in a twist!

So off we shall go to beautiful Kanab tomorrow morning. We'll meet up with friends and hundreds of other Greyhounds. This is our third year attending, and it is always a blast.

So stand by for photos upon our return, there should be some good ones!

Solar Production - April 2009

2009-05-01T09:10:00.003-07:00

April is behind us, May on the horizon. As we close out another month of being a solar-powered home, I thought I would share our production stats:

Last day results:

The longer days are giving us between 60-63 kWh per day. This is roughly two to three times our current usage, with all the surplus being banked with the utility as credits for upcoming months. The lifetime total is since the system was commission in February. We're into our fourth megawatt of generated power!

This next chart represents the daily production for each day in April. You can see a few days where we were at about 40 kWh for the day, these were cloudy days, yet we still made more than our usage for the day. The vary short bar was a day of clouds, rain and dark skies. Not bad overall!

Finally, here's the clip from the utility bill. For the second month now, our bill is $8.54, which is the charge to be a customer (administration, billing and meter reading fees, plus all the taxes). Our credits of kWh last month were 349, this month we are at 955, nearly a megawatt of credit. The bill for this month last year was $128. Stay tuned for the next update!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-10T14:54:00.003-07:00

Parker
Kingman
Figgy

First Billing for Total Solar Month

2009-03-31T08:20:00.005-07:00

We just received the March bill from APS. This marks the first bill where we generated our own electricty for the entire month. At the time of the meter read, we had 349 kWh in credits (now over 480 just a few days later). The total bill is for $8.54, with the breakdown being: (click on the image at right to see the details)

Basic service charge $1.74
Metering $2.48
Meter reading $1.71
Billing $1.92
Regulatory assessment $0.01
State sales tax $$0.44
County sales tax $0.06
City sales tax $0.18

At this time last year we used $3.71/day, this cycle was $0.27, and it is all admin charges and taxes. The days are getting longer, and we generate more each day. Last month we got about 44 kWh out of a day, yesterday it was 58.8 kWh. I'm curious to see what the peak amount per day can be.

Stay tuned....

Parker survives an odd incident

2009-03-26T16:07:00.003-07:00

It was back in early February...I was in my office working and Parker ran in and bounced onto his bed. He had just come in from the back yard, and was his usual happy self...and then I looked over and saw the gash on his nose! He had blood all over his face, but didn't seem to mind. OMG! What happened?

We never did discover what the cause was. We treated the wound at home with a mix of powdered sage and styptic powder. It formed a large covering like a scab over the wound. It wasn't pretty, but it stopped the bleeding and protected it.

After a week or so the powder began to flake off, and we began using warm compresses on the wound to help the remaining powder to wear off. Once it was gone, we used vitamin E oil to cover and soothe the area. Now, two months later the wound has healed and there's barely a scar to show. The fur is grown back, and he's as handsome as ever!

Hopefully we won't have anything like this again.

Production Numbers are UP!

2009-03-02T17:50:00.003-07:00

We have crossed the 1 megawatt line in our production. This took just about one month. Today was the highest single day's production as well--over 53 kWh! We have a "bank" of over 110 kWh with the utility now. This will help in hot summer months when we are running all the air conditioning units. For now, it gets stored as credits on the account.

First Billing Cycle - Post Solar Installation

2009-02-28T08:10:00.002-07:00

This is the first bill from APS (the electric utility) since the solar grid-tie system was installed. The first image below is the breakdown of usage prior to install. The second is the breakdown post-install. That's the kind of bill I can live with now!

Post-install:

In that time period we had a net usage of 6 kWh. Currently we are sitting on a credit of nearly 51kWh as of 8am...and we're already selling back. Probably will be a credit of 80kWh by end of day!

Solar Production Update

2009-02-12T19:39:00.003-07:00

Here's the current production number:

Today was another day of some sun and some clouds, on the one really sunny day we've had in the last week, we did close to 43 kWh. So we are waiting for good, full sun days, maybe in a week or so...there are storms forecast for this weekend.

APS (the utility) changed our meter yesterday to the new digital meter. No more "spinning backwards", just numbers--boring.

Second sunny day...

2009-02-07T21:09:00.002-07:00

Production stat's for day two:

Not too bad considering it was cloudy today. This more than meets our average daily usage, and puts credits in with APS. Bummer is stormy weather ahead for a couple of days. Upside, rain will wash the solar panels!

We're online!

2009-02-06T12:07:00.003-07:00

As of 12:00pm today, we are officially "online"and generating power. And yes, the meter is spinning backwards! We'll see how much we contribute by evening today, I'll report again then. In the meantime, current production is about 6500 Watts. Bruce Rogers (B.W. Rogers Electric) and Sylvia Cedillo (APS) were the team that inspected and turned on the system today. The whole event lasted about 15 minutes. Thanks to Bruce for the clean install that was so easy to inspect and approve.

Electrician and Inspector

Meter in action (first meter is solar production, second is utility meter running backwards)

Day's summary

Overview for today

Today should be Sun-Day!

2009-02-06T09:10:00.002-07:00

According to my reliable source, today is supposed to be the day that APS (our electric company) comes out and commissions our solar electric system. Stand by for news!

Can you draw the Greyhound?

2009-02-02T09:40:00.003-07:00

Hounds!

No, I can't take credit. A local artist came by for dinner the other night and sketched some images of the hounds. Now if we can convince him to do a group portrait...

Tillie (above)

Figgy (above)

Parker (above)

Still waiting for APS

2009-01-31T08:25:00.002-07:00

Well, here we are 3 weeks later and still no date from APS, our utility, about when they will commission our system. They have to inspect the installation and allow us to turn it on, then they have to replace our electric meter with new bi-directional unit. They have 2 inspectors for their entire region, though they are (wow) training a third. According to them, in 2005 they had about 200 requests for solar system inspections. Now, they get about 200 a month. Do you think that might tell them something? How about outsourcing the inspections until they can get properly staffed?

And it's not just us as the end user who suffers. The installation company in many cases gets the APS rebate assigned to them as part of their payment. A significant part. Plus, they don't collect the final progress payment until it is complete and online. That can easily represent several hundred thousand dollars to a busy company.

So, here we are with cool, sunny days where we could be over-producing and banking credits for summer. Instead, we watch the trackers do their daily sunwatch, with no benefit.

Stay tuned...

Parker is cast-free

2009-01-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Finally!

After three long months, Parker has the cast off his leg. He ruptured the calcaneus ligament on November 9 and as of January 29, he's finally done with the ongoing visits. He's been such a great guy throughout this ordeal...weekly bandage changes, countless trips to the doctor's office--both local and in Phoenix (90 minutes away).

Now all we need is for that little chicken-leg to grow fur again and get strong. He's supposed to have limited activity for the next month, so no running around yet, except to the couch.

Below is Parker with Dr. Gilson, his orthopedic surgeon in Scottsdale. This is the day of cast removal.

Finalizing the Electrical

2009-01-07T20:27:00.002-07:00

The electrical work is now complete. The only things pending are the installation of the monitor console and the final inspection and commissioning by APS (the electric utility). Our request for inspection is placed, and hopefully it happens ASAP! We want to start making power.

The monitor is a wireless display that will be placed inside so that we can see statistics on the system such as kilowatts generated and other parameters. The system is also going to be monitored by the manufacturer through an Internet connection. There will be a web page that shows our production info, and if things are running properly, they will notify the vendor.

All the equipment on the outside wall as needed by APS. From left to right you see our main electrical panel, the kilowatt hour meter showing what we generate and the AC disconnect from the inverter to the utility panel.

Close-up of the PV kilowatt hour meter. We're at zero now...but that will change.

Front view

One of the array disconnects mounted inside the garage, this shuts off the DC power from arrays 1 and 2. There's another for arrays 3 and 4. There's between 380 - 420 volts DC at 29 amps coming in from the arrays...deadly if you contact it!

The back wall showing the 2 disconnects and the inverter. The box at the bottom of the inverter is another DC disconnect. This one cuts off all power from both arrays to the inverter. All the wiring is run in the grey metal box below. I guess I should paint that plywood...

Parker update

2009-01-05T20:01:00.004-07:00

For those of you wondering what is going on with our boy Parker...here's the latest. It's been two months since the break. After numerous bandage changes and trips to Phoenix we're still not out of the woods. A recent X-ray (12/31) shows that the bone is shifting. The pin appears solid into the main structural bone, but the piece we are trying to secure is shifting across the pin and the attachment wire appears to be cutting into the bone. We're waiting for a response from the orthopedic surgeon and have a trip to Phoenix planned for Wednesday.

There's still a real chance that he may lose the leg if we can't get this to heal. We hope that he can retain the leg, but we will do whatever is needed. The ultimate goal is a long, pain-free life. If it's on three legs, we can all deal with it. Frankly he gets around on three now, and I'm sure he would adapt quickly.

Keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer for the boy.

Current X-ray, note how the heel bone is turned to the left much as it was in the first X-ray. It should be straight out from the main bone. The calcaneus tendon keeps it under a lot of tension, and the bone appears to be weak.

Original X-ray

Sparks are flying!

2008-12-29T10:30:00.002-07:00

Christmas is behind us now, and a little work still ahead. Perez Welding came today to weld the supports on for the disconnects. They previously were here to do the structural welds for the poles, but each time they came we were in Phoenix with Parker. Finally got some welding photos now.

Attaching a piece of Uni-Strut to hold the disconnect switch.

Check out the sparks from the welding! We'll have none of these when the electrical is connected--I hope!

Change in plans...

2008-12-23T10:00:00.003-07:00

View from the driveway

Well, the past few days brought a few changes to the installation plans. First we found out that the original design for the fourth tracker to hold 9 panels had a flaw. The tracker manufacturer indicated we could mount the ninth panel at the top and center (everything has to be balanced for proper operation). When everything was being setup we found that they were incorrect, our make and model of panel would not allow this type of mount due to size and weight constraints. Oops.

So our supplier had to reorder an entirely different track rack to hold 9 panels. This also required that they disassemble the existing rack and replace it. That's a fair amount of work! It was completed yesterday and you can see the difference in the appearance. The panels mount at a 90 degree angle to the other racks. It's also a little bit larger...sorry neighbors.

Tracker number four showing the difference (#4 in foreground)

Close-up of number four

The other change was related to the inverters. We originally specified 2 4-kW inverters to accomodate the 7.5kW design. After further inspections were made to the house electrical panel it was determined that we could not use two inverters without major rewiring due to panel design. So one 8-kW inverter will be used instead. Downside is we lose some redundancy. If one failed we would still run on the other. Now it's a single point of failure. I'm assured that reliability is high and a replacement could be installed in a day or two if needed. Arizona Solar Power is giving me written guarantees of service levels and replacement plans to make it all acceptable. So we press on with one inverter.

Starting the electrical work

2008-12-20T07:22:00.003-07:00

We are starting the next phase of the installation, the electrical work. Bruce Rogers added the disconnects to each array (mounted to the poles - see below) These disconnects are for safety in the event we need to work on the system. Each array runs at over 400 volts and there has to be a way to shut them down.

Next a backboard was installed on the garage wall in the space I had previously cleared. This will serve as a mounting area for the photovoltaic meter that records all the electricity we produce, the additional disconnects required and the inverter that converts the direct current (DC) from the solar arrays into alternating current (AC) as required to power the house.

Here's the outside garage wall showing the master AC disconnect and the conduits that bring wires from each array to a central point.

Next week we continue with electrical...

Newest website project

2008-12-17T20:37:00.002-07:00

The latest local client, the F-Stop Restaurant & Gallery went online today. They are located in Old Town Cottonwood and offer a wonderful dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. Weekdays they are a great sandwich shop. If you're in the area you have to try them!

Check out the new site...fstopfood.com

Our little HGTV (or is it HDTV?) Project

2008-12-17T20:24:00.002-07:00

Well it was inevitable, we finally upgraded to HDTV. The problem was that our entertainment center wasn't adequately sized to accomodate the new TV. Our old 30" CRT unit fit fine, but the 52" LCD was never going to make it. The entertainment unit was a "gimme" when we bought the house, we just repainted it to get rid of the dark red color.

Debbie had a vision of what we could do, and I had to make it happen. So we separated the three pieces and took the center main piece out to the garage for "surgery". I cut the top section off first. Then I took the top half and cut it down to make two side storage areas (one for the sub-woofer speaker and the other for the Mac that serves as a media center). Next was to add a new countertop. Deb painted the whole thing in black.

Next it was returned to it's center spot and reattached to the side units. Then a new "bridge" was placed at the top. Decorative mouldings were added top and bottom. LED lights went into the top display areas on each side and behind the screen.

The photos below show the before and after. Net cost was about $150 to convert instead of about $2000 to buy a new unit that wouldn't have had the custom features. All the A/V equipment is in the lower are behind the doors, remote control is via radio so the doors can stay shut. A cooling fan keeps it all comfortable and happy.

Below is a "before" view of the unit. The area with the two closed doors was cut off...

Here's the "after".

A more direct view.

Time for a movie...

Panels are attached!

2008-12-11T21:07:00.002-07:00

Today marks another milestone in the solar project. All the Sunpower panels have been attached to the trackers. And the tracker work! I was out around 8am and watched as the sun started shining on the trackers, slowly I could see them start tilting towards the sun, and in about 20 minutes they were facing East. Throughout the day they continued to track the sun across the sky. Of course it's winter and the sun is low on the horizon and sets early, but even so, they are working. Can't wait til spring!

Front view of tracker with 8 Sunpower panels

Side view showing several of the trackers

Rear view (panels are not yet interconnected)

"Tracking" the progress

2008-12-04T16:38:00.003-07:00

Today brings the start of the tracker installation. There are four units total. Three will have 8 solar panels and the fourth will have 9. Each panel is rated at 230 watts of power. These things are BIG. You can see below as three people work to assemble the first tracker. The principle behind how these operate is interesting. You can read about it on Zomeworks site.

Here's the first unit completed. They did two today and will do the other two tomorrow. Next week we should be adding panels.

Here's Hank, the installation supervisor (Chad's dog). He's a cutie and watches for any errors...

Landscaping the solar farm

2008-12-02T21:21:00.006-07:00

Now that the poles are all in place it is time to redo the landscaping of the area. Plants are trimmed, soil is leveled, gravel spread. We added a new mound using the excess soil and placed large boulders around it.

Looking to the left, near the house, you can see what looks like a dark strip on the ground. That's the beginning of the Greyhound exercise area. We wanted a nice place where we could get them to run a bit without having to take them to the dog park. So as part of this project we did some more "construction". We cleared back all the rocks, gravel and cactus in that area and brought in 30 tons of sand. This was spread into an area 110 feet long and 25 feet wide. We will have matching fencing put in to enclose it (3-rail pasture with welded wire), with gates at either end.

With that in place we won't have to be up at daybreak to run them at the park before anyone else shows up. It will also minimize the driving to and from each day. And in times of "weather" we can use it when the weather is best for them.

Here's before and after the cleanup.

Before

After

Solar progress 12/1/08

2008-12-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

Parts arrive!

Today the Zomeworks trackers arrived (boxed). They placed them nicely in front of the garage door...oops. We'll need to move them in the morning.

Also, the welder came back and removed the support braces now that the concrete is cured. The poles are now free standing.

Parker update

2008-11-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you following Parker's progress...he had a little setback. Thanksgiving evening we noticed that there was some leakage on the cast and a foul odor. We called the e-vet in Phoenix and they said to bring him in. Mind you it's almost 9pm and by the time we got the others fed, it was 9:30p before we left. We arrived in Phoenix at almost 11:30p, and they opened the cast to inspect. We found that there was a pressure sore that revealed a little piece of bone through the skin.

They suggested we leave Parker overnight so Dr. Gilson (his orthopedic surgeon) could check it out in the morning. So Parker stayed over and we drove home. Got back at 2:45 am.

We went back on Friday to pick him up and they had re-dressed the leg. He's now in baby blue. He needs to go back on Monday for a recheck...thank goodness gas isn't $4.00 a gallon now.

Concrete arrives!

2008-11-28T20:40:00.005-07:00

It's the day after Thanksgiving and we had rain almost all day yesterday. That made for a muddy install area. Since the ground was soft and the septic system is in that area as well, it was decided to use a concrete pumper so that the heavy truck could be on the road and not in the driveway or install area. Lots of heavy hose to manuever, but the concrete team and Chad and Paul Winton were up to the task.

It took about 90 minutes from arrival to departure. About 11 cubic yards of concrete were used. These poles aren't going anywhere...if they needed to be removed it would be a task of cutting them off and burying the foundation.

The poles are nearly 16 feet in length. The photo below shows a 16 foot survey pole that has been put into the hole and runs the length of the pole.

The next photo shows Chad and the concrete man pumping into one of the holes. That takes about 350 psi of pressure to force that stuff through the 100 feet or so of hose.

Below is a filled hole. On Monday they will remove the support steel, clean up the poles and repaint them. Then the gravel will be moved back into place and the area should look like it hadn't been attacked by 60 foot gophers!

Later in the week the solar arrays should be installed. Stay tuned...

Here's a shot of the concrete pumping in action!

Still waiting...

2008-11-25T21:56:00.001-07:00

Not much progress on the solar install this week. The building inspector came and signed off on the structural steel so that the concrete can be poured. The electrician has placed a bunch of material on the shelf in the garage. Grounding rods have been placed in the holes to be bonded to the monopole mounts for the trackers.

Concrete may be poured Friday or Monday. Stay tuned...

Solar Install update

2008-11-22T09:07:00.002-07:00

We're currently waiting for the next phase, which will be the concrete pour for the tracker foundations. The poles and steel have been inspected and we anticipate that the concrete may be done Monday or Tuesday. I'll post an update when there's new activity...

Solar install- Day 3 (...and the whining begins)

2008-11-20T07:34:00.006-07:00

Day three brought us the monopoles for tracker/panel mounting. They have been set into the holes and braced into a vertical position. We were in Phoenix with Parker for a leg check, and so I didn't get the chance to get photos of the install and welding that happened. I got photos early this morning of them set in place.

Each pole is in the ground about 7 feet, with another 9 feet or so above ground. I haven't measured, I just did a "stare check". In the one photo I am next to a pole to show scale.

About the "whining". I got a message from a neighbor all worried that these trackers are going to block their view. Well, I'm assuming he thinks that more are still coming, because if the lineup continued to the West, they would be visible to him (though there's nothing he can really do about it, everything is approved, permitted, and legal). The units that are in place are all that will be installed, and they provide no more visual blocking than our existing trees and shrubs, and besides these folks are out of town half the year, and the "view" is from the patio towards the valley. The houses across the road block more. Anyway, I'm betting he drops in today to voice his concerns and I'll reassure him.

Looking West down the line at pole #1

Post in the hole showing temporary bracing

Me next to pole #3, neighbor's house behind

Solar install- Day 2

2008-11-18T19:58:00.003-07:00

The second day of the install project was mostly more trenching. The four holes have been dug for the tracker foundations. Each hole is roughly 3' x 3' x 6" deep. Conduit is in place from each tracker site back to the side of the garage where they will enter. From my perspective it was a lot of work today and yesterday--I moved several thousand pounds of boulders and rocks that used to be in the areas being cleared. I also cut down several large bushes and a tree that needed to go. The excavators pulled the stumps with a backhoe for me.

A few photos from today:

Inside the garage where the inverters and other equipment will be located

More trenching and digging down the line

One of the holes, hard to tell but this one is almost 7 feet deep!
You can see the conduit that will take the wires back to the garage

The Solar Power Installation Begins...

2008-11-17T21:34:00.003-07:00

We decided to install a 7.5kW grid-tie solar electric power plant at the house. Today was the beginning of the installation process. We will be installing 4 dual-axis tracking units, each with 8 solar panels. By using the trackers, output is enhanced by about 30% over a fixed array. This meant we could get by with 7.5kW vs. 10kW. So in a sense this will be our "sunflower patch". Once the trackers are placed, the panels will be installed, the necessary metering, disconnects and inverters will be placed in or on the garage, near the existing power meter.

The installation should be completed this month, but due to some major tax law changes regarding renewable energy, we will not "commission" the power plant until after 1/1/09. The change takes the tax deduction from 30% of cost with a $2000 cap to a 30% with no cap. This is big $$$, so waiting is the right thing to do.

Keep watching for progress photos.

First photo is of the trenching for the conduits that will go to each of the four arrays. This portion of the trench is from the power panel to a point near the first array. Only about another 75 feet to go to reach the fourth array! Our installation company is Arizona Solar Power, and the equipment is manufactured by SunPower Corporation, an industry leader.

Parker's Home!

2008-11-11T20:40:00.002-07:00

Parker came back from Phoenix today--four legs intact!!! He does have a cast that he will wear for about a month, and the fun part will be keeping Mr. Parker from running around and being active for 6-8 weeks. The ride home (almost 2 hours) was uneventful, he stood part of the time, slept the rest. He is so happy to be back home, first thing he did was get a big drink and flop on his bed. Welcome home sweet boy!

Parker's Crisis

2008-11-11T12:05:00.004-07:00

Parker, our number 5 Greyhound, had a crisis this past Sunday. It was about 7am and we were at the park for a morning run. He was in his second or third sprint when--POP! We could hear the horrible sound and then his cries of pain. He pulled up his back leg and went to Debbie. Seems his right rear leg, which was already damaged due to an old racing injury, was now lame. We knew that he had a broken bone that was not properly set from two years ago, and someday would probably need corrective surgery. What we didn't expect was a ruptured calcaneus ligament (like our Achille's tendon).

So a quick trip to Airpark Animal Hospital on an early Sunday morning. Fortunately Dr. Flannery was wrapping up an earlier emergency and took us right in. After some pain meds were on board and the preliminary assessment was made, we took a digital x-ray of the leg. (see below). Dr. Flannery referred us to the specialists in Phoenix and off we went for a 2 hr drive down to get him evaluated.

That portion of bone at the upper right (it faces upward left at the top of the foot) is the talus bone. It should be straight and not bent like that. That's the old break that had left him mostly lame in that leg. It's the bone structure that the ligament attaches to. The ligament must be at just the right length and tension for the leg to function. Because it was not taut, there was limited motion for the leg. Now the ligament was snapped.

Concerns were raised about whether or not we could get a good strong repair to the bone to attach the ligament. If they could not, then the leg should be removed. Since he has been mostly operating on three legs for two years, it would not be a major adjustment for him. Of course we prefer that our young boy have 4, but we would not have an issue with three if needed.

Surgery was Monday 11/10. Results so far are that surgery went well, reconstruction looks good and hopefully in a few months with some physical therapy, he should be OK.

We're waiting for the word that we can drive to Phoenix (Sonora Veterinary Specialists, a great 24/7 emergency facility with the latest in high-tech vet equipment) and pick him up and bring hom home. I'll post an update when he's back!

The Offending Sign

2008-10-12T07:20:00.004-07:00

First a little background: We live in a rural area with dirt and gravel roads. It's been this way since the first person built a home in the early 1930s. Naturally there is dust when it's dry (and hey, it's Arizona so it's dry a lot). The people who bought the house behind our property came from the city. Nothing has changed about the area they purchased in, but now they are on an anti-dust campaign. Seems they have to dust and vacuum, and she is allergic. The road in discussion is an easement across our acreage, and though we have to allow traffic to pass, it is still private property.

So a neighbor had a garage sale which brought more traffic than usual to the area, and being non-residents, they drove a little faster than they should have. More dust. So the "anti-dust" neighbors (we'll call them Jean and Gary to protect their identity), posted a number of signs on their trash cans and placed them along the road. They had messages like: "Dust is awful" "Slow down please, pretty please" and similar words. Apparently another neighbor who will refer to as "Tim" offered to help them by placing a "real" sign along the road. A kind act, since he donated his time, his sign and the energy needed to poke a hole in hard soil. The only problem, Tim decided that the best place for his sign was on our property.

He selected a place in direct sight of our patio, as we look out across the valley, and about six feet in from the edge of the road into our "back yard". He gathered his digging bar, sign, post, shovel and a bag of cement. What he didn't bother to gather was permission. He dug and cemented it in place. We happened to notice it the next day. At the time, we had no idea who had done this, so I printed a brightly colored notice and attached it over the sign. Simply stated, it said the sign was placed without consent, and we would like to know who put it there. I also added that if no contact was made in 3 days it was subject to removal without further discussion. Basically I didn't disagree with the sign's message, only with the method of installation and location.

The notice was up and I got several contacts curious what was going on. One neighbor said he saw Tim with the tools earlier in the week, but assumed he was going to remove a large rock from the roadway. Then an envelope appeared clipped to the sign. A note that indicated how dusty their home was, and the sensitivity to dust that Jean has. We were then chastised for being such "astonishingly bad neighbors" to not want this sign in place. It went on for a full page of hate and discontent. Amazing, since all I asked was who put it in, and could we discuss the location.

When we went to Jean and Gary to discuss the note, we were met with a defensive attitude, and they wouldn't say who did the installation. I told them I knew who it was. They proceeded to defend him for doing such a kind deed. No regards was given to the fact that he trespassed without permission and set the sign in concrete. Further, he had talked to them about it after my notice was posted, and never contacted me. We were then told "how busy Tim is and it would be a real hardship for him to move it, and he would be out of town for two weeks but would move it to their side of the road when he got back. Well, he was back and after another week, went on vacation without contacting me or moving the sign.

So after waiting a month since the "installation" I removed the sign and post and relocated it about 150 feet up the road (still on my property) and reinstalled it. It is now more visible to traffic before they are right in front of the house. It also isn't in my direct view. I would have helped Tim install it there in the first place, had he asked.

Do you think Jean or Gary have sent another note? When they drive past us walking the dogs do you suppose they say "Thanks"? And better yet, do you suppose they drive slowly down the road not to stir up the "awful dust"? If you kept thinking "No", you would be right on all counts.

It's tough being the awful neighbor...but looking at the "good" ones, I'll stick with my awful tactics.

I'm open to opinion and comments.

Hidden Meadow Ranch

2008-08-19T19:37:00.002-07:00

Here's our cabin up near Greer, AZ where we stayed this past weekend. There are 12 cabins available, 3 that have dog runs attached (for safe, late night potty trips). The whole experience there was wonderful. Check out their website at http://www.hiddenmeadow.com

The food was phenomenal, and plenty of it. The place is serene and scenic, and we never left the grounds the entire stay. Everyone was friendly and helpful and loved the Greyhounds! If you have the opportunity, go there!

Yes, it was tasty!

2008-08-19T19:33:00.002-07:00

The boys savor a tasty treat on their mountain holiday.

Sweet Parker

2008-08-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a month, and the new kid is doing pretty well. He got to go on a mini-vacation with Nick, Deb, Bella and his idol, Kingman. We went down to Greer AZ and stayed in a very nice mountain lodge. He and the rest of the pack had lots of fun!

Here he is, tired from a big play day. Stay tuned...

7-Up?

2008-07-13T15:54:00.006-07:00

P
A
R
K
E
R

Does this boy look familiar? No you say? You're right--he's new! Parker arrived yesterday and is still less than 24 hours in our home. So far accepted by all and no complaints from Parker either. He had a broken hock two years ago, and since then he has lived at the kennels and hasn't had a lot of physical therapy. He's shown improvement in the last 2 weeks, and we'll allow a few more before a decision is made for any further surgery to correct the mismatched bone. So for now, he tends to limp on the right rear leg.

He made himself comfortable in short order, taking less than an hour to begin "roaching" and throwing stuffed toys around.

If all continues to go well, we will finalize his adoption shortly. It's odd going from a "6-pack" to "7-Up", but I think we will adapt quickly.

He has quite a personality, loves to give kisses (he can't hold his licker), and is a tail-wagger.

Finally, some remodel photos

2008-07-12T15:12:00.001-07:00

The remodel of the kitchen was completed in late-April. It has taken longer to post the photos than it took to do the work! Here are several views of the new kitchen. Click here for more detailed photos.

Looking in from the "main entrance"

Looking in from the Great Room

Looking in from the side entrance

Closeup of a cabinet front and display

Looking out over the counter to the Great Room

Remodel Project Starts

2008-03-15T07:44:00.003-07:00

Well, we are finally getting our project underway. All the hard surface flooring needs to come out. That's about 1400 sq ft of tile and laminate. We have about 95% of it out--the exceptions being under the major appliances (waiting until we're ready to move them), under the toilets, and Deb's office.

Next will be the removal of kitchen cabinets...

Winter Solstice at the V-Bar-V

2007-12-24T17:18:00.002-07:00

We visited the V-Bar-V historical site on December 22, the Winter Solstice. Though we didn't stick around to see what the "light show" would be, we did get some nice photos of the petroglyphs and ancient solar calendar.

You may view a slideshow by clicking here

Miss Tillie's Portrait

2007-12-15T18:46:00.001-07:00

Just to add something new, a portrait of Miss Tillie

Beaver Creek Campground

2007-11-20T08:34:00.001-07:00

Debbie, Sparky and I went camping last weekend to Beaver Creek campground, just outside Sedona. Fall colors are in, and Sparky was again the ultimate camping dog. He loves to travel, doesn't mind napping in the T@B when we go visiting neighbors, and at night he serves as a heater. He crawls under the covers and sleeps next to us providing warmth without a generator running! Best part is he doesn't toss, turn, kick, or need to go out in the middle of the night. Too bad you can't say the same for Deb or me!

The Patio Kitchen Project

2007-11-08T09:06:00.003-07:00

Here is a link to the photos of the patio kitchen project this summer.

share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2BasnLlyyZOMg

Life Imitates Art?

2007-08-31T11:48:00.001-07:00

What do you think?!? Sparky poses with a toy.

We now have a 6-pack...Welcome Tillie!!!

2007-06-01T10:04:00.002-07:00

I never thought we would have six dogs, but it has been an easy transition from the pack of 3 we originally had, to the current "6-pack". Miss Tillie will be 12 years old in August. She was found wandering the railroad tracks in Congress, AZ in March. A brief stay at the local shelter, then several weeks with a great foster family (Jan & Bud) have worked to help return her to good health and happiness. She is a doll, and is very bright. She has blended into the pack without so much as a growl from anyone.

She is in the final stages of recovery from heartworm, and is a bit arthritic, but we'll work on both of those. Figgy couldn't even jump on the bed when she came to us, and now she runs and jumps like a pup. As a matter of fact, her age was recently guessed to be about 4 by a Greyhound group. They were shocked to hear that she is really pushing 9!

So, welcome Miss Tillie. As Debbie so well put it, "It wasn't much difference to us, adding one more...but it sure made a difference to her!"

Put it on my T@B!

2007-05-22T12:59:00.001-07:00

We purchased a (slightly) used T@B travel trailer recently. It's just too cool. It's big enough that you can stand upright in it, but small enough that it fits in the garage. You can seat 6 people around the dining table, which later folds down to combine with the seating to make a queen-size bed.

Other creature comforts include: Air conditioning, a heat pump, furnace, 2 burner gas stove, 3-way refrigerator, sink, powered roof vent, double-insulated windows, and tons of storage. We added in a microwave and a 2000 watt Honda generator. Planned additions include a hot water system and an ice maker (who says you can't have it all!?!)

Our maiden trip was without dogs and just an overnighter up on Mingus Mountain. Next time we'll add a "navigator", probably Sparky or Tasha.

It's been awhile...

2007-04-24T07:19:00.001-07:00

Yes, it has been awhile since the last posting. It's hard to believe it's been over three months since Mom passed away. Life is getting back to "normal", whatever that means. We have been quite busy with many projects, and active in the Greyhound adoption world, as well as the fund raising for the local Humane Society.

We are going to Kanab, Utah in May with the Greyhounds to attend the "Greyhound Gathering" event. Imagine around 300 Greyhounds all in town for a convention! We will report back on this one.

Here's one of my latest "art pieces" for the Greyhound world.

Lydia Christine Hunseder

2007-01-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Lydia Christine Hunseder, 73, of Cottonwood died January 21, 2007 at Country Care, under the kind care of Northern Arizona Hospice.

She was born Feb. 22, 1933 in Tehran, Iran to Russian parents. The family came to the U.S. in 1946, where they became naturalized citizens. Lydia attended Hollywood High School.

She met the love of her life, Fred, while on a train going to California. They married in 1952 and lived in Goodyear, AZ while Fred was stationed at Luke AFB. Later, they moved to Southern California, and she remained there until 1993, when she moved to Las Vegas, NV. Lydia came to Cottonwood in Nov. 2006.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 33 years, Fred Hunseder, who passed away on Jan. 26, 1985. After 13 years alone, she met her second love, Brooke Blackwood, and they were married in 1998. Brooke passed away on Feb. 7, 2004.

She leaves behind her only son, Nick Hunseder and his wife Debbie, of Clarkdale.

A memorial service will be held Friday, Jan. 26 at 2pm at Westcott Funeral Home in Cottonwood. A video slideshow tribute may be viewed here

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the Verde Valley Humane Society building fund or to Northern Arizona Hospice.

An online guestbook is available at www.westcottfuneralhome.com

Halloween Dogs

2006-10-31T08:46:00.001-07:00

It's Halloween and time to torture the pups. Below you'll see Figgy in her cat suit, well at least her cat ears. The rest is a black coat and neck cover, she looks very cute. Below her is Kingman as the "Halloweener Dog", need I say more?

Happy Dog

2006-10-18T08:25:00.001-07:00

Sparky wishes you a happy day!

Sparky Updates!

2006-10-16T12:08:00.001-07:00

Sparky news. Cannot believe it has been nearly 5 months since we got this pup. Here are a couple of new photos. Below is Nick and Sparky up near Perkinsville. Sparks is wearing his safety vest that allows him to be secure in the back of the Jeep while riding off road. He's buckled in and gets to ride on the custom bed that Debbie made.

Dogs behaving badly...seriously, table manners?!? Sparks overlooking the Verde Valley, high atop Mingus Mountain. Note the storm clouds in the background. This was near the beginning of a 4 hour trail ride around and down the mountain. Lot's of fun!!! He's wearing "Doggles" to keep the dust out of his face.

New Jeep

2006-10-16T12:05:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile, but finally some new postings! We sold the old 1989 Wrangler last month and bought our neighbor's 2004 Wrangler. We've made a number of changes to it, and here's the latest view of it. The back drop is Sycamore Canyon, AZ.

Fire in Sedona!

2006-06-19T10:18:00.001-07:00

On Sunday June 18 at about 1:00 pm a fire broke out in the Brins Mesa area of Sedona. It quickly spread and they called for the evacuation of numerous residents in the uptown area. Later they called for the closure and evacuation of the Oak Creek Canyon area as well. At present, they project that the fire has covered 3000 acres and is at 0% containment. Hot, dry, windy weather isn't helping at all. Below are some photos taken yesterday afternoon/evening showing the fire and fire control efforts.

View from our patio--20 miles away

Fire on the hillside

Helicopter with water bucket on the way to fill up

Tanker starting a chemical drop

Tanker continuing to drop retardant

Specialized helicopter with suction hose and water dump tanks

Evening view showing numerous hotspots

Sparky - One month later

2006-06-09T17:31:00.001-07:00

What a sweet boy! Sparky has integrated into the pack very well. There were a few rough spots with Tasha, but that was based on her issues and not his. Everyone gets along very well and Sparky has fit into the daily routines. He loves his walks, chasing lizards in the yard, and especially his Jeep rides. He sits in the back--harnessed in for safety--and watches the world go by. He rides like a pro and doesn't move around a lot. If it gets too bumpy or windy, he lays down. Seeing other dogs doesn't trigger any reaction...it's his ride and nothing will ruin it.

Hard to believe that he was in the shelter for all those months without anyone seeing his potential and adopting him. Of course the shelter staff knew he was a great dog...they all loved him and he was a mascot around the place. Like Bella before him, everyone else's miss was our big hit! His personality is a mix of our beloved Sam and Boris, hitting the best parts of both of them. We're convinced that they've sent him with instructions on how to live here.

Stay tuned for more!

"No Quiero Sparky!"

2006-05-01T21:20:00.001-07:00

Sparky got a hold of the Taco Bell dog today...I think he was fed up with all the Mexican protesting. Sparky prevailed and Mr. Taco won't be advertising anymore...

Uncanny Coincidence

2006-05-01T14:44:00.001-07:00

We are still trying to get over the loss of Boris. Through an odd set of coincidences, we have found another dog who now lives with us. This boy was found wandering stray late last year, and has been in dog jail (the Humane Society kennel) since December 2005. "Vader", as they called him, hasn't been able to find a home. Maybe it's the breed (Pit), maybe it was the sad photo on the Humane Society website. In any case, here's how we ended up with "Sparky" as we call him.

Debbie happens to be looking at petfinder.com and sees his listing. She thinks he is cute, and shows him to me. No expectation of doing anything about it, just showing the resemblance to Boris. Several days later, a neighbor calls and asks if I have the newspaper for that day. "There's a dog in there you should see", he says. It was "Vader". As the paper stated it: "The pet of the week is, once again, Vader..." He's been in before, no luck.

So last Friday we decided to go and see what he was like. He was great! A big headed, brindle pitty boy. Recently neutered, he was all kisses and wags. Whomever raised him did it right, he knows "sit, down, wait, come" and is very well adjusted. He has no problem laying at your feet for 45 minutes while you dine outdoors. He doesn't beg. When you open his crate and say "crate", he goes in and lays down. We currently crate him when we leave him home, and at night. He has to earn his points to be sure he is as well behaved as he appears. In time, he will have full run of the household, but for now, he is supervised closely.

He is also very good at just hanging out. While Nick works in the garage or front yard, Sparky lays down and watches or sleeps. No wandering off!

Stay tuned for more info. We're thinking of making him a bandanna that says "Ask about my Greyhounds" and letting him wear the backpack carrying their water.

In Memoriam - Boris 4/5/95 - 4/17/05

2006-04-20T20:48:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends;

It is with a heavy heart and a mind full of sorrow that I write to let you know of the loss of our dear sweet pup Boris. He left our world to continue his journey on April 17th and we miss him so much. He was our loyal companion and taught us many lessons during his time with our family.

He joined our lives 11 years ago as a small puppy. He taught us that we needed a little boy in our lives even though we were looking for a little girl. He was very persistent and picked Nick out, which was the start of a lifelong love affair with our “twins” Boris and Tasha.

Boris taught us to always enjoy life, take a walk every day, savor each meal to the fullest, greet your loved ones with much joy and appreciation each time they return home and finally seek out the most comfortable place to take a nap especially if it is the lap of someone you love.

We have prepared a very special pictorial tribute to Boris that I would like to share with you, it is a large file and on some computers will begin playing almost immediately, while on others it will have to download first and may take quite awhile. Please be patient. Click here to open it.

We are thankful that he was a part of our lives.

The Dogs of Easter

2006-04-14T07:52:00.001-07:00

OK, some of you will think it's just wrong...but they had a lot of fun with this! We've taken our three Grey Hares out to a meet and greet event and everyone loved their outfits.

"It's tough being handsome and cute at the same time!"

"Being a bunny is hard work, let's rest!"

"What are YOU looking at?!?"

We Adopt another Greyhound - Welcome Figgy!

2006-03-31T14:29:00.001-07:00

OK, so we're suckers for dogs in need. There was a sweet 7 year old female who had been adopted and living with a family for a couple of years. They decided to adopt a chihuahua (why?!?) and the two dogs didn't get along well. So, they dumped Figgy.

We didn't want her bouncing around from one foster to another, so we adopted her. She's very sweet and gentle and all the other dogs get along with her. It will take awhile for her full personality to blossom (as it did with Kingman), but she is already showing that she belongs with us!

We Finally Get A Little Rain...

2006-03-12T06:52:00.001-07:00

After over a 140 days with no measurable rainfall, we finally got some yesterday. This morning, we awoke to a little winter wonderland! It will probably melt away in a couple of hours, but for now it's quite a desert treat!

Nice Kitty!

2006-01-01T13:37:00.001-07:00

What do you get as a Christmas present for someone who already has everything? Why not a baby tiger? OK, so we didn't really "get" the tiger, but we got to spend 15 minutes playing, petting and holding it. I was the mainly the photographer, but got to pet as well. Debbie was the guest of honor spending the whole time playing. Hmmm, what to get next year...

Visitors from Austin, TX!

2005-12-28T09:32:00.001-07:00

Our friends Shayna and Jenny are visiting us from Austin this week. We've been out exploring a bit...here's a photo taken at the Grand Canyon yesterday evening. Photo is (L to R) Debbie, Shayna, Jenny. I'm the smart one...hiding behind the camera!

Gentle Greyhounds?!?

2005-12-01T21:23:00.001-07:00

We think of Greyhounds as gentle dogs...until they demonstrate what they are capable of doing! We made the tactical error of leaving the pizza screen in the sink to cool off after a reheat of leftover pizza. A little cheese was stuck to the screen...Miss Bella decided she needed more cheese in her diet and grabbed the screen while we were out.

When we returned home we found the remains of the screen...torn like it was paper! And Miss Bella has the most ghetto fabulous silver-coated front teeth!

The New "Classic" Look

2005-11-21T18:12:00.001-07:00

I wanted to work on replicating the style of vintage postcards so that I could recreate the look and feel using some modern digital photographs that I have taken. Above is my first attempt of the "old" look. I photographed the Clarkdale Classic gas station this past weekend. The station has been around since the early part of the 1900s. The overall look hasn't changed much, but the trained eye will see that the gas pumps are too new, and other items are of the wrong time period. Still, an interesting effect I think. Post your feedback!

Tarantula!

2005-11-10T08:16:00.001-07:00

By request, here's one of our friendly tarantulas that sometimes come to the house. This one was at the back patio door and wandered around for awhile and then left. They are really not as scary as they look, they aren't aggressive and you can let them walk onto your hand and pick them up. It takes a bit of provoking to get one to try to bite. And as large as they are, you aren't going to find one in your shoe...like a scorpion. (Shoe shaking is a standard procedure here, just in case!)

Hey, I Like it Here!

2005-11-05T21:45:00.001-07:00

Well, Kingman has been here for over a month now. He has done a great job of adapting to the home environment. He loves to play with his stuffed toys and is quite the companion. We can see why he washed out of the race circuit early...he has no prey drive! He doesn't want to chase rabbits when we're on a walk (unlike Miss Bella!), and is content to just walk alongside at whatever pace we keep. Though for his safety he is always on a leash when we are on walks, he shows no inclination to wander off and prefers to be right next to his people.

We have to get a good photo of Kingman and Bella together because we won a silent auction recently to have an oil painting done of two animals by a local artist. Bella and Kingman will be the subjects, as Boris and Tasha are already in family portraits.

Watch for more soon!