Category: Technology

Views of science and technology from around the world

Monday (23-March-2020) — New Jersey

Indoor Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

I harvested about two quarts of Strawberries from my indoor AeroGarden hydroponic farm. I then made Strawberry jam using just the strawberries and Wild Girls Honey from my sister using an Instant Pot recipe I found on the internet. Later in the day I found a Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. I know they say that the Stink Bugs are vegetarian, I still consider them a pest.

Indoor Hydroponic Strawberry Harvest. Image taken with a Leica TL-2 Camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 800, 23 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Indoor Hydroponic Strawberry Harvest. Image taken with a Leica TL-2 Camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 800, 23 mm, f/8, 1/60 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Stink Bug on a Pepper leaf. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1600, 80 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (67.9 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (6.4 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of rain and colder outside. A deficit of 61.5 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions


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Thursday (19-March-2020) — New Jersey

Indoor Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Today is the “First Day of Spring”. I read somewhere that this is the earliest first day in over 100 years. Something to do with this being a leap year and that 2000 had a once every 400 year leap day. Two indoor hydroponic flowers today — an Orange Gazania and a Dianthus blooming in one of my AeroGarden indoor hydroponic farms. Soon I will be able to start planting seeds outdoors in my wildflower meadows.

Orange Gazania. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1000, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Orange Gazania. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1000, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Dianthus Flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1000, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Dianthus Flowers. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 1000, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Orange Gazania. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 640, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)
Orange Gazania. Image taken with a Fuji X-T3 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (ISO 640, 80 mm, f/11, 1/60 sec) (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (65.4 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (17.3 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cloudy and rainy most of the day. A deficit of 48.1 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions


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Saturday (14-March-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Under the weather. Even though the sun was out, no images for the day

Daily Electric Energy Used (57.0 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (61.3 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of sun. A surplus of 4.3 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions


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Friday (13-March-2020) — New Jersey

Backyard Wintertime Nature in New Jersey.

Under the weather. Even though the sun was out in the afternoon, no images for the day

Daily Electric Energy Used (59.3 kWh) from Sense Home Energy Monitor and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (41.0 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Sunny in the afternoon. A deficit of 18.3 kWh.

Current Weather Conditions


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Four Years Ago (06-March-2016) — Indian Ocean

Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 61: Neptune Day while crossing the Indian Ocean.

Neptune Day celebration. Time-lapse video of the shellback initiation for those crossing the equator their first time. Over 50 of the students and life-long learners had their heads shaved.

I feel for the Semester at Sea voyagers this year as they miss several ports to avoid the COVID-19 virus. I wish them well, and hope the program is able to continue in the future.