Some Solar Projects are Cool

A living roof garden next to a small array was an interesting and challenging project as it required a lot of work with the home owner and his daughter who designed the project.

A little concern with the sprinklers placing mineral deposits on the system - but that's something they'll work out.


















This very large array we did not install, but were so impressed by the size and ingenuity behind getting this thing on a curved roof that we had to stop and inquire. You're only seeing about a third of the system. The owners were VERY happy with it and the inverters you see on the wall are there for expanding the system. It's unlikely that they'll ever be used here as the system has exceeded the expectations of the businesses using the electricity.

















My good friend and fellow solar wrench turner JB!!

These types of things makes me feel good about what I'm doing for a career. I wish everyone felt moments of gratitude such as this!

Sense of Place

Well it's been a month since Annette and I have moved into our new 3 bedroom home on the San Lorenzo River. Plenty of room for guests and good times to come. Leaving the old, small (illegal), converted, two-car garage had it's bitter-sweet moments, such as pictured here with the growth of RJ documented next to the bathroom door jam. Strange as it may seem, I wanted to strip off that part of the drywall and attach it to some new place here on Lazy Woods Road. But reality set in with so much to do here - and it's looking positive for a house warming party happening here soon. And Ruby's already looking for a new place here to have us track her growth.

We had her last weekend while her Mama was out of town and of course, she was sick, flu and fever. Lots of quiet time and we had the "stay in bed because it's good for you" talk, which she co-operated with quite well - we'll see about that when she's a teen.

Easter time and moving

Well I'm hoping that you've had a great transition into Spring, aka Easter. The family unit of Ruby, her Mom and I, plus several friends gathered at the Sloans for a brunch time bbq and potluck. Really nice day. Ruby and her friends had fun hunting for eggs. She had to be taught the concept of egg hunting, but was quickly getting the idea. Too young for cheap chocolates or processed sugar, the goodies inside were none-the-less yummy or fun.



And now for something completely different:

This boy's done packed up his home near the ocean and moved it up into the Santa Cruz mountains. Just between the towns of Felton and Ben Lomond is Lazywood Drive and I'm now overlooking the San Lorenzo River. I'm happy to be back where the conifers dominate, yet in a riperian zone of lush hardwoods and shrubs. The cats are having a time of acclimation and just made a break for the outdoors. This is on day 3 of living here, so hopefully my critter Mancha will come back for chow!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Hello Everyone! We've been very busy here. Work, for me, is always demanding, about 12 hours a day is committed to getting me to, at and from work. Not too fun and I'm looking to improve that situation. But it's only 4 days a week. Fridays are for Ruby and I to explore our world.

Last Friday we and a friend Annette went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We didn't realize that it was the premier of their new display of Seahorses, Pipefish and Seadragons. Ehw's and Ah's all around! Annette, having spent part of her career as an underwater archiologist was particularily thrilled.



















And though Ruby had some interest in the creatures inside the tanks, she had more fun with a pigeon which was after our brunch break snacks.










































Of course the big aquarium was an interest as was the deep sea exhibit






































Now that was Friday's fun. But Saturday ended up with some big news:
We've got some place new to live. Our little studio is just too small and
the stairs up to the loft sleeping area was too steep for my sanity when
the Rubester was wanting to climb or go downstairs. Moving will be
happening the second week in May, so if you're not doing anything, we
could use your help!! Have a great weekend!

A Long Weekend With Ruby

It's difficult to say how things are going at any given moment. If you'd asked me Saturday, "Challenging" would have been a polite response as the day consisted of trying to visit the Bonny Doon Ecological Preserve, only to discover that it was completely closed due to a massive fire.

In route to Plan B, Henry Cowell State Park, we had a rear tire get shreaded (literally punched open) and thus had to limp to the Sears Automall to get two new tires - oh those Rice-burning Subs can only have sets of tires replaced, not just one! And then, when we're out of the mall, its raining.

Through it all, Ruby is a champ. Sure she wasn't too thrilled to be put back in her car seat shortly after our arrival near the park, but she didn't mind the mall's food court and children's play area. Kinda like a dog-park for many of my older siblings out there. Sit back and watch what kids will do with each other in a relatively safe environment. Of course, with me there, there's one kid who's just too big to jump on things, so I get to spot some of Ms. Ruby's more ambitious climbings.

Now if you were to ask me today, well, despite the hang-over of yesterday - Ruby's angelic resemblances seemed to have disappeared after sundown - today was great. The weather was very chaotic - very sunny, with darkly scattered clouds, which the wind freely, and very strongly, blew about (with some rain!), and Ruby and I had a blast with friends and neighbors and each other.

Ruby's Mama and Nana arrived from their trip late Sunday to smiles, hugs and kisses. A happy ending. Now I get ready for my work week....

Ruby explores Henry Cowell State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Okay, they do have SOME big trees here...

The Ravages of Time

The Weather's really been taking quite the presence on the stage that is Santa Cruz this last couple weeks. With wave surge, the sand makes grand changes to our beaches here. These old piers made their appearance last weekend. Now what do you suppose they used to do?

The storm also dropped three large branches from the neighbor's towering Monterey pines into the back yard, encouraging the homeowner to hire a crew to clean up the remaining branches over the property and the additional sunlight is very nice to have here.

A few months ago, I installed a solar tube (aka fancy skylight) into my kitchen area. Wonderful illumination and a more pleasant place to be in then the place it was which was an over-shaded kitchen cubby.

Today I just finished a nice long mountain bike trip into the Santa Cruz mountains. 26 miles and lots of elevation moved through. The bike's been a great machine, but I can tell it could sorely use a tuneup. I may be pooped, but it feels great!

Got money will power...

Revisiting the world's largest residential solar array, now complete. 150 KW, 720 modules all on a copper standing seem roof, which covers a riding arena. Ah to have mega bucks... All this and MUCH MUCH MORE for a family of 4...

'tis we call 'green washing'...

disgusting.

If you're potty-training a toddler...

... you gotta show her how it's done right!

Yep, she's taking after her old man, though she's still
a little stinker - her diapers don't allow her the liberty to drop her drawers when she needs 'em to, but one thing at a time!

Frosty Morning to you!!

These days I've been carpooling over to San Jose area (aka the South Bay) to work on the world's largest residential pv solar installation. 150 Kilowatts! That's huge, Huge! All on a copper, standing seam roof - about a million dollars to keep the ground below dry - and the 3,000 landscaping lights powered. This place is obscene in its ambitious opulence, but the carbon offset from this install won't change much overall, but every bit helps. We arrive to a very frosty job site, but it soon gets bearable. This picture shows the array about half done, not counting all the wiring - saving that for Monday... Everywhere the modules sit - their all frosty white - is on copper, with each one foot section from rain gutter to peak costing about $700 dollars. Must be nice to have money, A LOT of money...

Good Morning!!

Ruby says hello from the beach. We're having our weekend time a little more concentrated as Daddy's schedule has become a bit more complicated. Changes are affecting so many of us these days. I hope all changes in your lives come to a positive place, even if they look challenging at first!!

You Get What You Need...

I have many stories from my three week visit to Guinea. Some harrowing, others boring to endure in both the experience and in, perhaps, the telling.

These photos are from the village Oroko (or Woroko or Ourouko) I visited. My drum teacher Wadaba and his family call this place home. I am glad to finally see this place. It is an extreme place and the lifestyle here demands everything and in doing so, the interconnections between family and community become paramount.

To get there we had to cross the Niger River, which is very wide, yet very shallow.


Forgive some of the focus problems on this video: low lighting and smoke gave me a challenge, but I hope the fun and mystery of the village Fet, or celebration, is conveyed. The hosts were so generous, they even performed a mask dance, which is unheard of according to many who've ventured to haut Guinea in these modern times.

Bye-bye, I'll Miss You Little Ms. Ruby most of all....

This will be my last post for about a month.
Yeah, I'll miss that playful side, attitude and words will all be grown more when I return in a month. Africa's going to be a great adventure, but I think after a few days I'll be missing someone...

I hope You ALL have a great holiday, whatever your faith, and that the new year brings you all that you require.

Peace, Love, and Playfulness,

Wil

Who Needs TV...

when you've got a terraquarium!

Ruby is very fixated on Harold the snake and his aquarium buddies, which are two fat goldfish and two snails. We get home and the first thing she wants to see is Harold, so I pull up a chair, get her a sippy-cup of goat milk and she entertains herself for a good 10 to 20 minutes. Sometimes we pull Harold out to slither around and Ruby's a little timid about him, but she's still fascinated. It being really cold lately, Harold's taken to hiding a bit more, but when Ruby's asking for him, sometimes he's just gotta make an appearance....

A Fine Trip to Sequoia

Fall has definitely come to the Sierra's as my visit over Turkey Time weekend showed me. A wonderful road trip to see friends and family, eat good food and visit old stomping grounds up in the park. I just cannot get enough of these mountains, no matter how much I'm in Santa Cruz, my heart's in these mountains. I only have one Love that trumps it, and you gotta know what I mean.

Thank You Aunt Sis....

Hey Everybody!! Another Friday, another set of adventures with Ruby. She's exploring her world. Sometimes with both hands free, yet still carrying things (you should see her impression of a parent *a-hum!* talking on the phone while multi-tasking. She's got the phone-shoulder cradle action down to a science - scary! ).

Anyway, her Aunt Sis, aka KJ or Kim to us sibs, and her cousin Jess, sent her this really nice purple outfit recently. She looks great in it and of course her mama likes it with its shades of color and polka-dots.

Hope everything's good in your world!!

Ruby checks in Sunday afternoon...

Another blessed day in the Sierras! Last weekend had me visiting my old stomping grounds around Three Rivers. Originally I was going to Mineral King, but a sitting with the sky informed me that rain was likely, the day short and my hiking partner not necessarily up to a uber-demanding hike (sometimes just what I like....). So we stopped at the fire road up to Case Mountain, which something I've been wanting to explore for more than a quarter century (no joke folks). It was worth the wait with beautiful vantage points, excellent weather for the altitude and great connecting with my buddy Jon. You never know what else you might encounter.......

Keio, Mamady, and I are going to Africa!!

Keio, and Mamady "Wadaba" Kourouma came to Santa Cruz about two weeks ago. It was great to see them again. They have both been West African drumming teachers for me of the Malinke tradition, and that Sunday, Wadaba taught a new, and somewhat complicated, rhythm. Please don't ask me to recreate it - my memory's SO bad!

About a month ago I decided to go back to Guinea with them on their annual visit to Wadaba's village of Oroko. I leave December 12th. And while I'm gone, I've got a friend staying with the critters and keeping the plants alive. I'll be in Casablanca for 12/13, my birthday. Unfortunately I won't get to see the city as I'll be waiting for my connecting flight to the Guinean capital of Conakry. I'll stay there for a week or so, and then we travel to Oroko, about 10 days there, more time in Conakry, and then return mid-January. Wish me luck!!

Happy Halloween y Dia de los Meurtos.

Friday started out with Ruby and the rainy coast that is Santa Cruz. Her ladybug raincoat and booties were perfect - roomy enough for this winter season for her to grow into.







And after the beach and her nap, there was time for play indoors, where Harold the Cornsnake had a chance to come out and socialize. He was full of mouse and very docile.























And finally we went to downtown Santa Cruz to meet up with her Mama and Nana.
The bunny and carrot -
quiet endearing.....