Post Irene Report and Recommendations

Post Irene Report and Recommendations

1) Storm Report: We survived Irene without too much damage. The little stream that runs between our house and barn which about dried up this summer became a 30 foot wide torrent and flooded the basement of the barn to a depth of 6 feet and pushed the back wall off its foundations a few inches so it could make its way through. It also left about 300 cubic feet of mud behind. The towns in the valley below us suffered some real damage. Many roads were just eaten away in places by the rushing water. We lost power for about 30 hours because the water washed away some poles.

Still it was much worse elsewhere. We had only moderately strong winds. My old street in Glen Rock lost several big trees.

I spent much of Monday cleaning out the mess with the substantial help from my older son, Chris. I'll have to repair the barn sill and some sever erosion spots. Oh well, I was looking for something to do [ not really]. Today I spent much of the day trying to repair a starter motor for a Gravely tractor we used yesterday. I did not quite succeed [ that means I failed to get it to run well].

Let me know of any adventures you've had.

2) Recommendations: I sent a brief note out to everyone I have on my list for college recommendations. If you should be on the list and did not get a message by Thursday, send me an email to that effect.

3) Hope you guys are having a great summer and are looking forward to learning and getting together with your friends. I do miss the anticipation and excitement of a new year and the chance to work with the likes of you. I do not miss the chance to get up at 5:30 every day.

Scholarship Opportunity

Questbridge is a program that provides high performing students with low family incomes up to full scholarships at many of the best colleges and universities in the nation.

Find out about it at

http://www.questbridge.org/images/stories/pdfs-documents/cm11_bw_flyer.pdf

Scholarship alert and Pre Hurricane Irene Post

Actually not quite pre since we have already had an inch or two of rain so far.

Hope you are all riding out the storm in peace and safety.

Questbridge is a program for high performing students wishing to attend truly top schools whose family income is below something like $60,000. Awards of full tuition and room and board are available

August 22 '11 Update

Social Report: Had some friends and relations for company.

Academic Affairs: If you asked me for a recommendation, you should be receiving an email from me in about a week covering the materials I would like from you, including the maximum denomination you should include in the plain brown paper bag full of cash. If you do not hear from me by say September 8, email me immediately. Both the Bernardsboe and the gmail address work, but for this use the bernardsboe.

Cultural Report: We've been enjoying the cultural events around here again. While managing to miss two of the Shakespeare plays I planned to see we see a play by Goldoni: The Venetian Twins Ca 1700s. It was done by some of the younger actors with Shakespeare and Co. in Lenox. They hammed it up throwing in lots of musical and almost slapstick features. There were several modern touches including this dire threat "If you bother me again I'll cut your heart out and sell it on Ebay." The timing and juxtaposition with the late renaissance play context made it seem much funnier than it does just in cold print. They had a great time doing the play and we had a great time watching it. I could imagine many of you rascals playing similar roles.

Live musics and theater is all around you. Get involved as performer, stage hand, scenery constructor or AUDIENCE MEMBER. Stop looking at screens and get out there. [ I know many of you already are]. We, who have no performing arts talents ( actually my wife can sing pretty well), signed up as volunteers at Tanglewood for next year.

The evening before we heard Schuman's piano concerto and Beethoven's Third Symphony ( one of the great achievements of civilization) at Tanglewood.

House report: Much time has been devoted to installing lighting fixtures and a fan.

My workshop at the west end of the house is pretty functional. I finished the work bench, including making four new drawers.

The barn loft is now usable and holding a fair amount of stuff. The working spaces of the barn are almost there. The new electrical panel and some circuits are in, I need to add several more. Hung up some of my many spare wheels and bikes today. I'll need to replace some sills by next summer.

We bought the house knowing it needed a new sceptic system. We are awaiting Mass DEP and local conservation committee rulings on our application as well as estimates from potential contractors. Things don't move at a lightning pace up here.... except for the lightning, of which we have had plenty.

Personal report: Been getting some good, but not epic rides in . Mostly 20-30 miles with about 2,000 feet of climb. I'll be looking to do some longer, harder ones as soon as my latest tooth problem is solved.

Today, after a dentist visit, we walked up to a fire tower overlooking the Deerfield River Valley near Shelburne Falls. Nice walk, nice views.

Early August Update

Wow, August 8th already. I celebrated my birthday on the 4th by taking Walter, my 9 year old grandson to buy a bike and also ended up buying my wife car rack attachments for her kayak. It's a good thing my birthday only comes once a year. I couldn't afford it any more often.

Finished the master bedroom, including painting, setting up a grandfather clock and hanging curtains. It does look pretty good.

Did a little more work in the barn, got a few more supports in. With the lumber racks complete and most lumber stored on them the barn almost is useful. A few more supports and moving some stuff to the loft and some more to the basement, and moving some of the larger tools and a few more cabinets and benches, and running some more circuits [ if the electrician gets the new power installed in the barn] and I'll be ready to start work ....... or totally exhausted and unable to work.

In the last few days replaced the exhaust header and catalyst on my blue volvo, repaired the door handle and then sold it today! Still having withdrawal symptoms. We had some friends up from New Jersey, and went to my son's annual summer party at his home about four miles away on Saturday. About 75 people showed up despite intermittent rain.

With the blue car being for sale my maroon Volvo has been acting up, looking for attention I suppose. I'll try replacing the engine speed sensor/ ignition impulse generator Wednesday and see if that clears up the problem.

Speaking of looking for attention, our upstairs cat ( has come down only twice in the the two months she's been here), stands at the top of the stairs and meows at 9 PM every night insisting we come up and keep her company. She has a peculiar voice and often sounds almost human. Her name is Natalie and she is nominally my younger son, Daniel's, cat. His new digs in Ft Collins, Colorado do not allow cats, so she is ours for now. She is very territorial and every time our cat Sally tries to come upstairs Natalie chases her back down.

Been talking to plumbers about a new boiler and engineers, commissioners, and excavators about the required new septic system. . The electrician is supposed to return tomorrow and install our new connection with the utility and our new circuit breaker panel. We'll see.

Its a little frustrating not having important things directly in your own hands, but it will probably all work out.

Heard from several students which is always nice, and Mrs Mitchell's visit was a highlight. We are open to visitors most of the time.

Physics, or at least reading physics, has taken a back seat to all of the above. Am almost finished with An Old Man's Toy, which discusses cosmology at a " popular" level, but leaves many fundamental issues unaddressed. For example he writes about the rapidly expanding universe expanding so rapidly that light from one region can't reach another, without addressing the apparent contradiction with special relativity's limit on the speed of material object's to less than c. Expansion velocities are sort of not true velocities, but are the result of the enormous energy of the big bang. This is to my mind a contradiction. Oh well, I'll keep trying to get a fundamental understanding of this and I'll keep you posted.

Have gotten a few bike rides ( all hilly ones around here) and a little walking in.

So long for now.