Author: Low Wattage

Expat Welshman, educated (somewhat) in UK, left before it became fashionable to do so. Now a U.S. Citizen, and recent widower, playing with retirement and house remodeling, living in Delaware and rural Maryland (weekends).

Quiet Here Too!

One of those days.

Yesterday it was 16C at about this time, this morning (7 am) it was -17C (-28C with the wind chill), colder than Fargo  in springtime and a record low for us.

IP1

The North wind blew all our water away during the overnight freeze so we now have ice  mushrooms on the pilings.

Continue reading “Quiet Here Too!”

Not Physics, but Fun.

I was leafing through the October edition of Physics World this morning (well we do don’t we?).  I get it here about a week after it is mailed in the UK.

Neat puzzle in this months edition in partial celebration of 25 years in print (for a hundred years before that it was called “The Physics Bulletin”).  Anyhow I thought the puzzle was fun and the answer was a treat.  Here it is.

Can you crack the code?

TNVERI SMH EG ZSMRNPMUD: M SLRN PYMP VERRNVPT M ZSMRNP PE PYN TQR THNNZT EQP NXQMS MUNMT LR NXQMS PLKNT

There is a word missing from the above.  Please provide the word in encrypted form as the answer.

Cabin full of Diesel Exhaust? – No Problem.

First Mate:   “Does this boat have a Carbon Monoxide detector?”
Bilge Rat  “Yes of course, I bought one especially for this trip”
First Mate “Where is it?”
Bilge Rat  “Well it is in the bin under the V- berth, I did not get around to installing it yet”

Don’t let the presence of diesel exhaust fumes, soot and high levels of Carbon Monoxide in the cabin distress you.  A cracked exhaust elbow on your diesel generator is easily fixed with common household items.

Continue reading “Cabin full of Diesel Exhaust? – No Problem.”

Backyard Invaded by Aliens.

I was poking around the property yesterday and listing all the jobs to be done, trim this, cut that wash this, oil that.  All the result of long absence and hired lawn care, when I came upon two giants in the side yard. Image

Trees, or at least large bushes, about five feet tall and five or six across.  They were definitely not there when I left.

Continue reading “Backyard Invaded by Aliens.”

Home – August 16 – (Day 73)

Planned to start from Cape May Harbor at low tide (9:30 am) and let the incoming flood wash us swiftly up Delaware Bay.   When I checked the depth at 7:30 we had 3.6 feet of water (just enough to float)  rather than wait for LOW tide we decided to get going while we could.

 Out of the harbor, through the Cape May Canal (about four miles, no locks), past the ferry terminal, always wise to be cautious here, the ferries are big, and when they back out you get one sharp blast of the horn and they are moving, this one was still pushing in against the ramp..

 1

Continue reading “Home – August 16 – (Day 73)”