I was in New Jersey last week to visit with friends, visit faculty and students at Ridge, and attend the graduation of my last class. I also got to attend an Eagle Court of Honor at Troop 15 in Glen Rock.
It was great to see all the bright and smiling faces of the students at Ridge I will miss you, so do stay in touch. It was also very gratifying that some alumni came to visit. It was great seeing Christina and Dean Roros, CaCarly ( it's a long story) Rosenberg and Ashley Wain ( my favorite - she says) and Kim Eng, as well as Sarah Bottini and Dan Marks who were there for their sisters' graduations. Because graduation was indoors there were probably a few more of you who would have been at graduation, whom I didn't get to meet.
I noticed the faculty and staff all looked in great shape, somewhat different from my recollection of previous years when we all were dragging ourselves around barely surviving 'til graduation. It seems to me that my absence has reduced the stress level at Ridge significantly.
Well I got home Saturday and went back to work on Sunday. By Tuesday I had the window installed the doorframe built and installed, the doors installed, and some more molding in place, and no interest in doing any more work. I'll post pictures soon. I also went with Jean into Greenfield and somehow spent money on stuff I didn't know I needed.
Wednesday was spent straightening things up, moving tools to my shop and lumber to the barn. I then went for a walk with Jean and crashed for much of the late afternoon. Long car trips followed by a couple of 14 hour carpentry days take their toll.
Also on Wednesday, masons began rebuilding and expanding our stone patio. They have made real progress since then. Imagine making a jigsaw puzzle out of large flat rocks using a chipping hammer. It would take me a month to do what they accomplish in a day.
Thursday was reclaim my life day. After loading some lumber scraps for Jean to take to the dump ( I know, but she really doesn't mind and they charge her less to dump stuff), I went for a bike ride of about 30 miles. After lunch Jean and I drove down closer to the Connecticut River where there are some flat roads and rode about 14 miles. We passed an amazing field of strawberries which I came back to on Friday.
Friday began with the dentist followed by more tool buying and then made much more rewarding, by stopping at the strawberry farm and buying some the best tasting berries I've ever had. Because of the mild weather crops are earlier and better than usual up here.
The guys who did our septic and foundation and drainage work are about gone and most things look pretty good. Two weeks of dry weather have hurt the new grass, but it will come in eventually.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Graduation and Yearbook
I plan to be at Ridge June 21 and 22 to say farewell to my last class. I'll try to not get too choked up and save us all some embarrassment, but it might be tough.
If anyone cares to sign my yearbook, Mr. Lee will have it. Just remember, you may write what you feel: positive or negative, but it must be in good taste. Anything you write has to be suitable for my grandchildren to read. In fact, make it suitable for your grandparents to read.
If anyone cares to sign my yearbook, Mr. Lee will have it. Just remember, you may write what you feel: positive or negative, but it must be in good taste. Anything you write has to be suitable for my grandchildren to read. In fact, make it suitable for your grandparents to read.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Nutrition
It has recently been called to my attention that I am suffering from a moderate to severe case of brownie deficiency. I need to start looking around for one of those baked good fund raisers.
Finally some dry days
After several rainy days we had some at least partly dry ones. Our projects are moving along. Our new system passed inspection and much of it is now covered. Final filling and contouring are yet to be completed. The contractor is moving along on installing drains in the basement and a gravel floor with membrane to keep the dampness down.
I am out of the basement for now. I tallied things up and it came to 11 temporary columns removed, 8 new footings and columns installed, supports for 42 joists ends installed and one new beam installed. Not a bad set of accomplishments, but I did start in early April so I didn't set any records for speed either.
Now I need to replace some 7 feet of house sill and repair some studs and walls and install gutters before I head back out to the barn for major repairs to underpinnings there. This effort will start in earnest tomorrow with installing beams and jacks to take the weight off the old sill.
My wife is in Washington, attending the League of Women Voters annual national meeting. I am on my own doing laundry and cooking and looking after cats. So naturally, I went on a bike ride.
Bike riding is less fun than it used to be because I keep noticing invasive species along the road side. Today I stopped 5 times to pull out patches of Japanese knotweed, a bamboo like pest that overruns sunny areas.
Physics is getting the short end in my life right now.
Next weekend we are going for training as volunteer welcomers at Tanglewood. Can you imagine me as a greeter? I hope I don't hurt their attendance too badly.
I am out of the basement for now. I tallied things up and it came to 11 temporary columns removed, 8 new footings and columns installed, supports for 42 joists ends installed and one new beam installed. Not a bad set of accomplishments, but I did start in early April so I didn't set any records for speed either.
Now I need to replace some 7 feet of house sill and repair some studs and walls and install gutters before I head back out to the barn for major repairs to underpinnings there. This effort will start in earnest tomorrow with installing beams and jacks to take the weight off the old sill.
My wife is in Washington, attending the League of Women Voters annual national meeting. I am on my own doing laundry and cooking and looking after cats. So naturally, I went on a bike ride.
Bike riding is less fun than it used to be because I keep noticing invasive species along the road side. Today I stopped 5 times to pull out patches of Japanese knotweed, a bamboo like pest that overruns sunny areas.
Physics is getting the short end in my life right now.
Next weekend we are going for training as volunteer welcomers at Tanglewood. Can you imagine me as a greeter? I hope I don't hurt their attendance too badly.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Projects, Culture, Local Color, Students
1) Things have been happening here at the top of Apple Valley ( aka 1180 Hawley Road). Our contractor, L&F Construction, out of Everett Mass has installed drainage around the house for me to connect gutters to if I ever finish with my subterranean efforts, and is about midway through the installation of our new septic system. They have also knocked down about 2/3 of some ugly walls leading to our basement entry way. So far, their work appears to be very well done.
Here are some photos:
Their next big task is to level the basement floor and install drains, a plastic membrane, and gravel as well as seven concrete pilasters to help secure the foundation walls. All this involves more digging and concrete work than I care to think about.
Masons will be in to restore the aforementioned walls and repair our patio. I'll be tackling lots of repair to rotted wood in the structure and siding of the house as well as the gutters.
The good news is that I may finish in the basement before 2050. I've put in seven new posts with footings, one more post to go, replaced an 18' beam, secured 24 joists with 3x3" angle irons, secured 3 more joists with hangers and brackets and installed rods and straps to tie sills together. I now have to replace about 7 feet of sill and install about 20 joist hangers.
Two shots of the new beam including an angle iron support and a tie rod:
I have moved a lot of the virtual forest of beams and posts that were temporarily holding things up out to the barn.
Jean's vegetable garden is going well; we now eat home grown spinach, lettuce, and broccoli, while enjoying home baked bread. Jean manages to garden, bake bread, look after grandchildren three mornings plus an occasional day each week, and substitute in the local elementary school. She is also taught an afternoon knitting class, is active in the local League of Women Voters, and in our temple's social action committee. Here's a shot of the raised garden plots................
Excuse that delay, I had to take a rest, just enumerating the things my wife does exhausts me.
2) On the cultural side, the Saturday before Memorial Day we went to a recital by four opera singers in the nearby small town of Huntington. They sang excerpts from Mendelsohn's Elijah, very accessible for an oratorio, and Puccini and Verdi arias. I am always impressed by how much talent there is out and about. It is sad that they do not have a bigger audience. Electronics make good music available without us having to attend local concerts. Also, the audience for the music I prefer seems to be diminishing.
This past Thursday we attended a concert by the Hartford Symphony including an excellent performance the mournful Shostakovitch First Violin Concerto and Carl Orff's very rousing Carmina Burana, a very powerful and entertaining setting of medieval songs for chorus. soloists, and orchestra.
Last night we attended a performance of Miller's the American Clock by the local Ashfield Theater Company. It was a good presentation of an interesting, if very unpolished, work.
3) Local Color: Ashfield has a Memorial Day Parade. It is small but the whole affair is done respectfully and done well. It ends at the local cemetery with short speeches and the laying of sprigs of lilac on the graves of veterans and the opportunity to offer thanks to the living veterans.
A nearby village, Shelburne Falls, which straddles the Deerfield River, is a local attraction. It has a former trolley bridge over the Deerfield River which has been converted to a linear garden maintained by local volunteers. It is a vibrant and beautiful sight from spring through early fall. I'll post some photos soon.
Also in Shelburne Falls on teh Deerfiled are some glacial potholes. These are created by the action of rocks trapped on the streambed eroding round holes in the underlying rock. In some places these type of holes were used for cooking by filling them with water and then placing rocks that were heated by fires in the water. It saved having to make pots to place on a fire. I don't know if that happened here. Here are some photos:
Note the lovely effect created by the waves of distorted layers of deposits forming the riverbed rock.
4) Students: I expect to be at Ridge part of the 21st and 22nd of June.
Still not heard from all of my students about where they expect to be next year.
I have been providing some guidance to a student who never was in my class who has become really interested in math. I thinks its working out well for both of us. I am now rereading George Gamow's One, Two, Three, Infinity as a result, and enjoying it all over again.
Here are some photos:
Their next big task is to level the basement floor and install drains, a plastic membrane, and gravel as well as seven concrete pilasters to help secure the foundation walls. All this involves more digging and concrete work than I care to think about.
Masons will be in to restore the aforementioned walls and repair our patio. I'll be tackling lots of repair to rotted wood in the structure and siding of the house as well as the gutters.
The good news is that I may finish in the basement before 2050. I've put in seven new posts with footings, one more post to go, replaced an 18' beam, secured 24 joists with 3x3" angle irons, secured 3 more joists with hangers and brackets and installed rods and straps to tie sills together. I now have to replace about 7 feet of sill and install about 20 joist hangers.
Two shots of the new beam including an angle iron support and a tie rod:
I have moved a lot of the virtual forest of beams and posts that were temporarily holding things up out to the barn.
Jean's vegetable garden is going well; we now eat home grown spinach, lettuce, and broccoli, while enjoying home baked bread. Jean manages to garden, bake bread, look after grandchildren three mornings plus an occasional day each week, and substitute in the local elementary school. She is also taught an afternoon knitting class, is active in the local League of Women Voters, and in our temple's social action committee. Here's a shot of the raised garden plots................
Excuse that delay, I had to take a rest, just enumerating the things my wife does exhausts me.
2) On the cultural side, the Saturday before Memorial Day we went to a recital by four opera singers in the nearby small town of Huntington. They sang excerpts from Mendelsohn's Elijah, very accessible for an oratorio, and Puccini and Verdi arias. I am always impressed by how much talent there is out and about. It is sad that they do not have a bigger audience. Electronics make good music available without us having to attend local concerts. Also, the audience for the music I prefer seems to be diminishing.
This past Thursday we attended a concert by the Hartford Symphony including an excellent performance the mournful Shostakovitch First Violin Concerto and Carl Orff's very rousing Carmina Burana, a very powerful and entertaining setting of medieval songs for chorus. soloists, and orchestra.
Last night we attended a performance of Miller's the American Clock by the local Ashfield Theater Company. It was a good presentation of an interesting, if very unpolished, work.
3) Local Color: Ashfield has a Memorial Day Parade. It is small but the whole affair is done respectfully and done well. It ends at the local cemetery with short speeches and the laying of sprigs of lilac on the graves of veterans and the opportunity to offer thanks to the living veterans.
A nearby village, Shelburne Falls, which straddles the Deerfield River, is a local attraction. It has a former trolley bridge over the Deerfield River which has been converted to a linear garden maintained by local volunteers. It is a vibrant and beautiful sight from spring through early fall. I'll post some photos soon.
Also in Shelburne Falls on teh Deerfiled are some glacial potholes. These are created by the action of rocks trapped on the streambed eroding round holes in the underlying rock. In some places these type of holes were used for cooking by filling them with water and then placing rocks that were heated by fires in the water. It saved having to make pots to place on a fire. I don't know if that happened here. Here are some photos:
Note the lovely effect created by the waves of distorted layers of deposits forming the riverbed rock.
4) Students: I expect to be at Ridge part of the 21st and 22nd of June.
Still not heard from all of my students about where they expect to be next year.
I have been providing some guidance to a student who never was in my class who has become really interested in math. I thinks its working out well for both of us. I am now rereading George Gamow's One, Two, Three, Infinity as a result, and enjoying it all over again.
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