its been hot and i have been covered up...

[mobile_bob]

so i haven't had as much time as i would like to get on with the project, and spend as much time on the forum
as i would like.

however i notice that the forum is very slow lately, lots of folks popping in, but very few comments?

i can only assume folks are busy, getting ready for school, or just plain tired?

course the economy dragging on in its death throws is enough to depress even the most optimistic soul out there.

so how is everyone? 

what do we need to do to pick it up around here a bit, seems a waste to let it die on the vine?

as for me, i will try to get some pics posted, and add a bit more content over the remaining days of this month.

otherwise, i hope no one here is falling on really bad times, either financially or health related, none of us is getting any younger
and it is nice to know the likes of you guys.

so whats up guys?

bob g

[AdeV]

On holiday.... I will be occasionally reading but am unlikely to post much...

[billswan]

House remodeling here no time for much else......................

Billswan

[vdubnut62]

Temps here in  TN are running 95 to 100 plus with humidity comparable to that in Miami.  We have had the wettest summer in recent memory. Too hot and muggy to do much but sweat and try to keep the grass cut down below my knees! Plus replacing appliances, flooring, wiring telephones etc. after the lightning strike.
Ron

[Crofter]

Been occupied putting a new roof on the barn and a few new windows and siding on the shack. It gets disgusting how little I can get done in a day and the two days recuperating. It keeps me out of the pool room though.

Waiting for it to cool off and do some firewood. No real energy projects aside from the new con rod install for the Lister;  plain upper brng. shell and hollow dipper. It is all too easy to get over run with too many projects and complicated systems. Things that demand a lot of attention can get old after the novelty wears off. I still have the original wife though, so that has saved a big expense of trading them in on a new one from time to time!

I have meditated on putting together a more elaborate energy system but I dont want to become a slave to that either. I am getting to know myself a bit and know how many times I got enamored with something that became drudgery after a while. There is a local initiative through the micro fit program to get solar installed but I dont like all the strings attached and its non useability if the grid is down. I may put a small one in myself but the daily capital cost of a system and battery bank makes it expensive stand by power.

It would be nice to entertain the idea of preparedness for if TSHTF scenario but it may be a bit premature here. I surely think that a big shrink will come in energy consumption is just around the corner  but I dont know if you can insulate yourself from it all without being killed out of jealousy, lol! With the climate I live in (air cond. not necessary) and the availability of wood, I can cut my power bill pretty low without suffering much.
You guys in climates with temperature around 100 F. or so are in a different boat though.

[cschuerm]

Well, I have to admit that I have not touched ANY of my hobby projects since early this year.  I haven't even had my airplane out of the hangar since February!   I know I should not complain because the reason is that I've been absolutely and totally swamped with work.  I've been working 14+ hour days, 7 days a week since about March.  With the economic outlook and big tax increases next year, I think I need to take advantage of the work that's available and make the best of it.  The downside is that the pace is really starting to take a toll on me and I'm sure not going to be able to keep it up much longer.  I'm sure hoping to have a good enough year that I can ramp way back next year and turn my attentions to far more important things such as my family, friends, and hobby projects!

cheers,
Chris S.

[flywheel]

Its been very hot and humid here in N IL lately.  I suspect most everyone is busy doing whatever.  I've been repairing my sis-in-laws home from the tornado we had here a couple of months ago.  Then there are the weekly things that need to be done at at my home like mowing and fixing whatever breaks. 
I believe the forums are more active during colder weather when more time is spent indoors, at least in this climate anyway. 
I don't think this forum is going away anytime soon! 
                                                                              flywheel

[highwater]

Yeh, I check in once a day, and have noticed there's not much new by daily count.
Had been 104/106F until Sunday, when that cold front got here. Now 85 feels darn nice.

I think it will get some degree of worse before any turn around.

Not getting anything done as co-gen goes.
I still feel as my efforts are too little too late.
May have to go with some pre-built unit.
Been looking at NG for fuel.
Have 1 1/4 poly to gen pad. high flow meter.
will probably be 3 or 4 cyl. More heat than I would like. But like I said, it's getting late.

Randall

[mobile_bob]

been in the 92-95 range for several days now, today i think it backed off a bit, but i spent the day over
a hot 14 liter cummins with the sun cooking me from behind,, i feel like a tater chip!

thats way to friggin hot for an area where most folks don't have air conditioning.

the weather babe says it is to cool off starting tomorrow, and be mid 60's with rain come saturday,,, yahoooo!

back to  normal 

bob g

[mobile_bob]

i got my shop vac pointed north!



bob g

[vdubnut62]

Wow, mid 60's is "farwood cuttin" weather. I would seriously probably put on a long sleeved t shirt"  Yep, I'm allergic to cool weather.
Ron

[LowGear]

Good job, bob g

I'm going out this morning almost first thing this morning and put the lid on mine and point it North as well.  HouYah!

Casey

[Crumpite]

Busy, busy, busy up here...

Shopvac is pointed south to help bring cooler air down from Lake Superior - doesn't seem to be helping though... 

Piping and wiring run to the "Folly", finally - I just need to finish up all of the niggly little details like hooking everything up to their final destinations.

Health has not been good - I've spent over a month in bed.
Could be worse, I suppose. 

I was up to the Buckley Engine fair Sunday - More old running engines of every type than you can shake a stick at.

The jobs situation here in Michigan is very, very dismal. The local newspaper from a small town where my daughter lives in had two full pages of foreclosures on properties.
Likely they were mostly vacation cabins, but still...

Crumpite

[Westcliffe01]

Crumpite, I am close to the Napoleon/Brooklyn area in Southern Michigan and I bought in a neighborhood across the road from  some really nice lakefront properties.  Back in 2006, I thought 203k was a reasonable price when the market had been over 250k at the peak...  Well, a couple of weeks ago, a small and older foreclosed home 2 doors up the street sold for $18k after being on the market for over 2 years.  Original owner didn't even have a mortgage, but didn't pay property taxes and the county foreclosed on him.  One of the lakefront properties on a lot at least 4x the size of the one I have, recently sold for $120k after being on the market for 18 months.  Across the street from that house (not lakefront) there are some homes that have sold for around $23k.  Back in the day, $80k would not even get you a lakefront lot, much less a house.

I just can't see where the work is going to materialize from to induce people to move back to this state.  Our company, who has been hiring, has only employed contract employees since 2009.  They have not added any full time employees.  None of these people will be getting into the real estate market, other than to rent an apartment.  Some people I know in R&D have been contract employees for the last 5 years and no longer expect to be offered a salaried position - ever.