Dan Antion

One More Week?

This makes 11 weeks in a row that I’ve enjoyed a weekly break. I’ve been enjoying these writing-free Sundays, but I am getting anxious to get back at the keyboard. Sometimes, when people start a temporary change, it becomes the new normal. Don’t look for that to happen here.

For today, please enjoy a few photos from this weekend.

Ooooh – ducks!
I guess I’ll go a different way.
These guys look like they’re enjoying this little pond.
Swimming through the sparkles.
Just bobbing around in the sunlight.
Hi Peter!
We’re walking a little later and the sun is still a little lower.
Smokey!
This guy was waiting in the driveway when Maddie and I returned from our walk.
This is a proper looking sea monster.
It’s no longer under shade cloth, but they’re still growing tobacco in Connecticut.
Tobacco on its way to the barn.
Chill
“What the ***? Who said you could use the flash?”
Maddie has had this turkey for 6 years. Today she decided to remove the squeaker (and all the stuffing).
Who wants the drumstick?
The new lamp is working well. It won’t be long until Maddie’s last visit to the yard will depend on these.
It wasn’t than long ago that we would have had sunlight when I took this picture.

Published by Dan Antion

Husband, father, woodworker, cyclist, photographer, geek - oh wait, I’m writing this like I only have 140 characters. I am all those things, and more, and all of these passions present me with opportunities to observe, and think about things that I can’t write about in other places. I have started this blog to catch the stuff that falls out, overflows and just plain doesn’t fit the other containers in my life.

72 comments

  3. Hi Dan – love the black squirrel … but also the notice saying poison ivy … a tale could be told there. Bu glad the lamp is going to help Maddie … everyone and everything looks cool – enjoy your week – cheers Hilary

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  4. I am cracking up at Maddie’s turkey tale…..so reminiscent of what Murphy does. It just boggles my mind! Lol. MiMi and the flash…..guess she told you what for!!

    Love the ducks and bunny shots. So, do the ducks cross at the sign and keep on going, or do they catch the bus?

    Glad to see the Sea Monster back, and with mysterious fog to boot!
    🐾Ginger 🐾

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    • Thanks Ginger. We have no idea what the turkey did to deserve this. It’s been an on-and-off toy for years. Saturday, she started swinging it and throwing it. Sunday she dug in and removed all the stuffing. Then, later on, we discovered the drumstick and a wing. It’s reassuring to hear that she’s not the only toy-destroyer.

      MiMi was not happy with the flash. I didn’t know how bright it would be. I felt a little bad. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the ducks taking the bus. They seem to be pretty laid back, I doubt they fly anywhere.

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  5. Who wants the drumstick? Oh, that made me laugh. A sign for poison ivy…..that is a really smart thing. I’ve since learned to just look at leaves–no touching! Good photos,Dan. Have a great week.

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  6. Hi Dan. Once again thank you for tagging me. Three transformers on a single post is quite a rare scene these sides of the planet! We use the bulky ones that require at least two posts for support. Those cylindrical transformers make me very curious. They are compact and neat. Even the cabling is neat.

    The compound in the picture where the sun peers through the tree is welcoming. It looks serene.

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    • Maybe after I retire, Peter, I’ll do a walking tour of the local grid. These are pulling in from the high-voltage lines above and feeding the lines that then feed the houses. From this point, there are periodic single transformers that feed 3-5 houses. Our service is two 120 volt lines and a common neutral wire. Our lighting and most appliances are 110-120. Heavy-duty appliances (stoves, A/C, electric heat) are wired for 220-240. Typical homes have 100 or 200 amp services.

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      • That’s a fine breakdown you have given there. Believe me, I have met engineers who can’t do that. We had an interview soon after my graduation and one of the questions asked was to give distribution voltages in Kenya. A guy I met imported an expensive speaker from the US without first understanding the voltages used in the two countries. We use standard 240V for single phase distribution. If you have an equipment requiring less than 240V, you have to get an adapter. As soon as he plugged his speaker into the socket outlet and turned it on, the speaker blew up. And that’s I came to meet him, asking me for a solution.

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        • Back before laptops came with universal adapters, one of our engineers took his laptop to Europe. He plugged it into an outlet using an (outlet shape) adapter, not a transformer and fried the machine. This was a guy that inspected power plants for a living.

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          • That is possible. Your country’s electrical system is quite different from those in Europe. Even the manner in which earthing (grounding in US) of electrical equipment is carried out is different too. For my own information, (just so that I don’t specify wrong equipment for the client) I have some NEC standards, and I’m conversant with UL, ANSI, AASHTO, and a few others. I like AASHTO’s Roadway Lighting Guide, 7th edition. It is detailed and simple to follow compared to the BS EN 13201 series which is a bit convoluted but it’s what we use. Electricity is dangerous, equipment expensive, so being a consultant in the field requires that you know a lot of stuff and is able to advise your client on the spot. Thanks for this conversation, Dan.

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            • I always like when you post one of the educational articles on Facebook, Peter. I am comfortable with home wiring. I have installed new breakers and even a sub-panel in my garage, but I have a very healthy respect for the danger involved. I don’t take any chances and if I don’t understand it, I don’t touch it.

              Liked by 1 person

            • I didn’t see this comment till now. Thanks for the appreciation of my FB posts. I always find something new, even about things I thought I already knew. The technical field evolves all the time. We just have to try and keep up. I like that you do your own installations. You are quite handy. I admire and respect that a lot. Domestic installations are not too complex. With a little determination you can always do them yourself. Your principle of not touching what you don’t understand in relation to electricity applies to me too. It is a very safe thing to do. Thanks again.

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  7. I’ve never seen a Poison Ivy sign before, but I’m guessing that manufacturer could get rich. You know the cover you have on your snowblower? I’m thinking Maddie is going to need some plastic drop shades on her porch so she can sit out in the winter. It would cut the wind and hold some heat. Yep, I think she’d like that. :-)

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    • Thanks Judy. We’ve talked about sun shades, but we haven’t mentioned drop shades to stop the wind and snow. I’m sure Maddie appreciates the suggestion. The area under that roof stayed mostly snow free last year. Of course we didn’t have much snow. I’m sure I’ll be keeping the deck clear.

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  8. We occasionally have a black squirrel in the backyard. I’ve always wanted to snap a pic as proof of said. I try to not do anything socially mediated on Mondays… but as this comment suggests, I’m not doing so well with that goal.

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    • Our black squirrels seem to be more skittish than the grey ones. We used to have two that visited our yard every day. This one is in the park. I appreciate the comment. You can go back to radio silence mode ;-)

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  9. The ghost of Sharukh is back..ha ha ha. Apologies for my sudden disappearance. I was terribly sick (104) last month and was on the bed for almost a fortnight. When I recovered there was a ton of work to write so I couldn’t really focus on commenting and reading blogs and so on. I never knew you wrote on Sundays as well. I never work on Sundays (except if I’m unemployed and I need job) because Sunday is for mental recovery. Glad that you are getting into a new schedule. I believe two more months to your work retirement?

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    • It’s good to see you, Sharukh. I’m sorry you were so sick. I just figured you were busy. I don’t usually publish on Sunday, but I write Monday’s post on Sunday. Yes, a couple more months are all I have left.

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  14. Maybe the ducks catch the bus sometimes? 😂 The signs are funny together I thought.

    I think Maddie’s trying to tell you she’s a bit bored with that toy and ready for something new. Diva Dog only had one plush toy she didn’t kill buy pulling out stitching, stuffing, and the squeaker toy. It was a stuffed pig. All others ended up like Maddie’s drumstick in a matter of weeks.

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  17. Sometimes it’s a break to just tell a story with mostly photographs, and you do it well. No one says every blogger has to post every day or every week, whether it’s writing or photography. But I must admit that I always feel a little nervous if I go a couple of weeks without posting anything at all – I’m always afraid everyone will forget me. The world spins too fast these days.

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  18. Ducks are much nicer than geese!! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed your break but when you get antsy, it’s time to get back to it. I post every day, but I do like taking a break during vacations even though I do feel as if I’m dropping off everyone’s radar.

    Enjoyed the photos.

    janet

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    • I’m guessing the poison ivy is growing up the bank of the pond. Maybe it’s too hard to remove. I’m just glad they put up the sign.

      Historically, tobacco was a major crop up and down the Connecticut River valley. They grew tobacco under shade cloth to achieve temp/humidity conditions similar to the Caribbean islands. It was used as the wrapper leaves for fine cigars. Much less tobacco being grown today.

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  20. well 11 weeks sure went fast
    and I am moving into some new mode with my blog – not sure what it is but feel it unfolding and a break is coming soon
    – and nice photos – the one of maddie and the now ruined turkey – awe – guess it was time.
    and my dog Cody would never let a stuffed animal last = they would be ripped open in a few minutes – hahah

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