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Re: Full Timing in Alberta Foothills [Re: OldRebel] #579 02/02/15 06:54 PM
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I have forgotten to mention that even with the duct fan off I get a fair amount of convection heating up the pipe from the heat battery. Once the fan gets the air circulating out of the coach, down into the battery and then back up and into the coach that circulation continues even with the fan off being that heat rises of course. This morning as I left for work I put about 5 decent sized split wood pieces into the stove and hot coals. I dampered down the stove and went to work. I have the programmable timer set to gradually be on less and less throughout a weekday as I am not home to stoke the fire. Tonight when I got home there was still pretty warm air (75-80F?) wafting out of the duct into my coach. Not bad as it was a fairly cold day today---about -10C.
I need to cut down some more dead trees as my summer stockpile is dwindling. This weekend probably.

Re: Full Timing in Alberta Foothills [Re: OldRebel] #580 02/04/15 08:02 PM
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This post tonight is in recognition of what is THE most important thing I have discovered....well maybe ever. This month it will be two years since I quit smoking. As mentioned in my previous "winter" blog I was able to do it by switching to electronic cigarettes. Using electronic cigarettes is not smoking--period. There are no tobacco products involved. Nicotine is not a tobacco product. It is a drug in the same class as caffein. There can be nicotine in electronic cigarette liquid and there is in mine. Nicotine is not what will kill you from cigarette smoking----it is the tar and noxious gases and chemicals. I feel great---my breathing and stamina is as good as a non-smoker in my opinion. For some strange reason the best answer to quitting smoking that has ever been invented keeps getting a bad rap in the media and by non-smokers. This is pure insanity. PLEASE don't let misinformation about this product ruin its availability to smokers. It really is a matter of life and death. From my heart I believe this product has saved mine.

Re: Full Timing in Alberta Foothills [Re: OldRebel] #582 03/23/15 05:17 PM
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Ok, I know I have been guilty of negligence again! Therefore I will start off with a real treat. I have had a couple of visits from a Great Grey Owl in the last week or so and last evening I was actually able to get some nice pictures. After the following pics I will tell you how I got them and supply some info on this magnificent creature.

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]


Re: Full Timing in Alberta Foothills [Re: OldRebel] #583 03/23/15 05:36 PM
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[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

The Great Grey Owl is the largest owl in the world. The length of his tail is what helps him achieve this status. An adult GG Owl has a wingspan of 5 to 5 1/2 feet. They are the official provincial bird of Manitoba, Canada. I read somewhere that the GG Owl is in the top six of the list of fifty desired sightings by bird-watchers. They have very acute hearing that is aided by the shape of their face. They can hear mice and voles under the snow and will dive hard into sometimes very hard, crusty snow to snatch their prey.
I originally saw this owl about a week ago. I was sitting on my couch facing the opposite window that looks out towards the trees and I saw him swoop in and land. I got a good look at him before he left so I went on-line and figured out what he (or she) was. Last evening I was again on my couch and saw him come in and perch on a fence post out by my forest patio. I had my binoculars handy so I sat there on the couch for a good five minutes watching him. Head turning all round, watching and listening intently. I thought it would be cool to get some pictures but I thought he would fly away. Anyways I grabbed my camera and exited the coach quietly. I poked my head around the front of the coach and waited for him to look the other way. Then I would move up about five paces and stop motionless. His head would spin around in my direction to scope out his surroundings and then he would turn away again. Up another few paces. I kept doing this until I was only about 40 or 50 feet away! I was taking pictures the whole way. It was quite exciting and I got to a point that I didn't want to get closer. You can tell in the last picture that he finally spotted me. Now I know what "looks a little "owly" means, LOL!

Re: Full Timing in Alberta Foothills [Re: OldRebel] #584 03/23/15 05:51 PM
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I took the lid off my heat battery a week or so ago to check things out. The styrofoam board insulation had melted away to almost nothing on top and partially on the sides. I topped up the sand again as it had settled some more mostly due to the disappearing styrofoam. Remember that 1/4" concrete board that I used for a heat barrier around my wood stove when it was in the old mobile home? I cut it up and fitted it onto the top of the sand. Then I laid R12 pink insulation on top of that and then put the plywood top back on. The heat battery retains heat extremely well. I can get by with one good fire a day in most cases this time of year. If you let the fire go out it will continue to convect heat up into the coach for 3 days or more afterwards!
I have also been busy setting up a few surveillance cameras on the property so I can keep an eye on things/weather when I am not around.
It was a very mild winter here this year---the complete opposite of what I had last year.

Re: Full Timing in Alberta Foothills [Re: OldRebel] #585 03/24/15 08:02 PM
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I went for a ride on the ATC tonight and took a few pictures. A different perspective on things to start us off.

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

Next up is a picture of the small meadow with the raspberry patch. All that redness on that big hump in the middle is raspberries in the summer.

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

Re: Full Timing in Alberta Foothills [Re: OldRebel] #586 03/24/15 08:09 PM
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I found a fair number of freshly broken saplings at the overlook of one of the big meadows at the back of the property. I "think" it was deer that broke these over to access the tips of the branches to eat. It is very early spring here so maybe those branches are tasty when preparing to budd(???). I can't think of another reason these are all broken. The tips of the broken tops are broken off and gone also.

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

Re: Full Timing in Alberta Foothills [Re: OldRebel] #587 03/25/15 05:13 PM
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Fresh owl pictures--just taken this evening. This time I didn't try to sneak up on him. I just slowly walked over to a vantage point and started snapping.

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

Re: Full Timing in Alberta Foothills [Re: OldRebel] #588 03/25/15 05:20 PM
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This picture was taken just as he crouched and was about to take off.

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

Here he is in mid-flight as he swept by me.

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

And this is where he flew to. I left him alone after that.

[Linked Image from i1288.photobucket.com]

Obviously he wants to hang around here and I don't want to bug him too much. I feel very lucky to have such a fantastic bird staying here. Plus, he can keep the mouse population down!

Re: Full Timing in Alberta Foothills [Re: OldRebel] #589 03/25/15 06:06 PM
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I'm still thinking about those broken saplings I posted about. I think I'm wrong about it being deer. How could a deer snap a 1 1/2" thick sapling like that? They were broken off approximately 5 feet off the ground. There had to be a dozen identically broken saplings in that one smallish area. The bears are just coming out of hibernation. Maybe. You would think I would have looked closer for tracks in the snow there but I didn't at the time. I will revisit the area and post.

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