2 Engineers Retired

  As most of you know we are on solar power at the lake There is a back up propane generator but most of the time we exist totally on what shines from the skies.   Our lifestyle there is not compromised, although perhaps not exactly what we have in the city.   For instance we do not have A/C, dishwasher or laundry.   On the other hand I use a hair dryer and a vacuum cleaner, and all measure of other stuff including and electric fridge with no worries. old battery So far we have been managing with a biggish (technical term) lead acid battery.   Think similar to one that might be used on an electric fork truck.   That is our old battery above.   This has worked well for us over the years but is a bit of a science project.   Some of the shortcomings with the lead acid were issues around the amount of water it liked to drink and issues around the state of charge vs freezing temperatures in the winter (plus all sorts of checking of this and that...

Hobbies, a particularly relevant thing in the era of COVID-19.....   I spend my time puttering about in a couple of gardens, which poke along with varying degrees of success.   So what is this you may ask ????   We have 2 main areas where gardens have been attempted.    The first was a raised bed type that we installed by the solar panels when they were located at the lake edge.   The idea at that time was to plant raspberry bushes to soften the appearance of the panels if one was on the lake in a boat.    Plus, who does not like raspberries ?? Our first step was to build the frame that would support the soil for the bed.   This was straightforward as we had plenty of left-over used cedar from the cottage build.   Next was to fill it with soil.   For this we headed off to our local sand and gravel guy (no idea why we did that rather than go to a garden center, but I digress).    I have never ...

(For the record this is all from the perspective of a wife who is not even slightly a car person) So – most folks know that my husband has a serious car hobby.   Like really, quite serious. One of my husbands toys is a 1984 Porsche 911 – at 34 years old, its older than any of our children. Now normally his hobby results in weekends off to track … events which are run by a car club and called Drivers Ed (I guess that’s true, he is an instructor….).   Now missing a fairly important piece This year however was different.   After 15 years and many kilometers on the track, the engine and transmission were showing signs of wanting some TLC. So, instead of the budget going to gas, tires, brakes, hotel rooms, etc. it would be spent on a rebuild. To rebuild an engine requires that engine and transmission be removed from the car and held by a specialized rack. Normally removal involves a floor jack, but Bob has a Kubota and so why not use that? ...

Most of you probably know that Bob has a major car hobby.   Our garage is twice the size of the cottage – which apparently results in sighs from other car obsessed people (not me I’m afraid ….). One part of this hobby is a 1984 Porsche 911  mostly the shape and colour that one pictures if you say the word Porsche.  Oddly, as an older car, it is more a time pit rather than a money pit.  The depreciation is long over and the internet has allowed part replacement to be easier and cheaper than ever. Over the 15 years it has been in the garage, Bob has had it almost totally apart – engine rebuild, replaced suspension, etc. While in the past Bob raced and did some other competitive things,  for the past couple of decades he has focused on track events., which are non-competitive events held at racetracks to provide an opportunity to drive fast in a controlled environment.  He takes the 911 to Porsche Club events, where he is an instructor, coac...