At this time of the year, I often get to see colorful dawn clouds before the sun rises. The following are composites of 41 images showing a 360 degree view of my backyard at dawn transformed into a flat (2D) image. The images were taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens (ISO 100, 15 mm, f/5, 1/30 sec), then processed with Capture One Pro and AutoPano Giga Pro. Some of the images are over 1 GB in size, and even with a Surface Studio Pro 2 computer and dedicated video processor with lots of memory took a long time to process.
Autumn Dawn Clouds. Panorama 360 View. Composite of 41 mage taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens (ISO 100, 15 mm, f/5, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and Autopano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)Autumn Dawn Clouds. Little Planet View. Composite of 41 mage taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens (ISO 100, 15 mm, f/5, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and Autopano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)Autumn Dawn Clouds. Little Planet View. Composite of 41 mage taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens (ISO 100, 15 mm, f/5, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and Autopano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)Autumn Dawn Clouds. Mirror Ball View. Composite of 41 mage taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens (ISO 100, 15 mm, f/5, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and Autopano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)Autumn Dawn Clouds. Tunnel (Inverse Little Planet) View. Composite of 41 mage taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens (ISO 100, 15 mm, f/5, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro and Autopano Giga Pro. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Daily Electric Energy Used (78.5 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (34.8 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Sunny, but cooler outside. Overall a net deficit of 33.7 kWh.
Snow is forcasted for early next week. I finished assembling the DR-Power leaf vacuum and connecting it to my John Deere lawn tractor. I added ~ 1.1 L of 5W 30 Mobil One oil and filled the gas tank. It took a few minutes to start the engine. I am happy I got the electric starter option. Between the noise from the tractor motor and the leaf vacuum motor, I decided I needed to be wearing hearing protection. Even though the grass and leaves were a bit damp, the majority were picked up. I also learned the hard way to check to see if the leaf collector was full. I kept going until the leaves were not being sucked up. Then when I checked found that the trailer was not only full, but over full. Compare the 2nd and 3rd video… It was very difficult to empty the trailer, and I had to dig a good portion out. I managed to collect three trailers full of leaves that are being used to start a new mulch pile. I will go out again tomorrow to finish the job, and to assemble the snow-blower attachment for the DR-Power Field and Brush mower.
Daily Electric Energy Used (74.1 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (9.4 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Cloudy all day. Overall a net deficit of 64.7 kWh.
Snow is forcasted for early next week, and I still have some outside end of season projects that need to be completed. While using the DR-Power Field and Brush mower a couple of weeks ago, two bolts holding the disk brake pads fell off. Since it was only the 2nd time I had used the mower, the company sent me replacement parts. I needed to get this fixed so I can install the snow-blower attachment. I also needed to make a custom attachment to connect the DR-Power Lawn Vacuum to my John Deere lawn tractor. They provide a generic attachment that needs to be cut to fit my mower. Some assembly required. I spent the afternoon in the garage working on these two projects and used a Garmin VIRB-360 camera to make a Little Planet view Time-lapse video. Tomorrow, I will connect the lawn tractor to the leaf vacuum and make sure it works.
Daily Electric Energy Used (70.1 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (30.6 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Overall a net deficit of 39.5 kWh.
Gone to See Cuba 2011 People to People Cultural Exchange. Day 7 of a Street Photography Workshop led by Steve Simon.
While leaving Cuba, I noticed this old 3-engine jet on the side of the runway in Cuba (L-1011, MD-10, DC-11 Boeing 727?). It looks like it is used for emergency evacuation practice. No engines, and black soot on the fuselage.
Jet (shell) Parked at the Havana International Airport. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 23 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 23 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec) (David J Mathre)
AeroGarden Farm 08 Left (Day 33). L01 Plug; L02 Bok Choi; L03 Arugula; L04 Bok Choi; L05 Plug; L06 Arugula; L07 Bok Choi; L08 Bok Choi; L09 Arugula; L10 Plug; L11 Plug; L12 Arugula. This Farm was originally all Bok Choi. Those plants that didn’t spout or thrive were either plugged or replaced with Arugula from another Farm. At the last update (day 14): pH (5.44) and TDS (575 ppm). The tray has been consuming 1-2 L of deionized water every other day. On day 27: pH (6.25) TDS (370 ppm) so added 12 mL of Miracle Grow/AeroGarden (4-3-6) plant food. The new pH (6.15) and TDS (669 ppm).
AeroGarden Farm 08 Left (Day 33). L01 Plug; L02 Bok Choi; L03 Arugula; L04 Bok Choi; L05 Plug; L06 Arugula; L07 Bok Choi; L08 Bok Choi; L09 Arugula; L10 Plug; L11 Plug; L12 Arugula. Image taken with a Leica TL-2 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 400, 35 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
AeroGarden Farms 09 Left and Right (33 Days). L01-L06 Broccoli (Botanical Interests); L07-L12 Cauliflower (Botanical Interest); R01-R06 Swiss Chard (Botanical Interest); R07-R12 Arugula (Botanical Interests). At the last update (day 14) Farm 09 Left: pH (5.60) and TDS (650 ppm); Farm 09 Right: pH (5.20) and TDS (520 ppm). The trays have been consuming 1-2 L of deionized water every other day. On day 27 Farm 09 Left: pH (6.80) TDS (245 ppm) so added 16 mL of Miracle Grow/AeroGarden (4-3-6) plant food. The new pH (6.59) and TDS (680 ppm). On day 27 Farm 09 Right: pH (4.90) TDS (309 ppm) so added 1 mL of Buffer and 14 mL of Miracle Grow/AeroGarden (4-3-6) plant food. The new pH (5.85) and TDS (635 ppm).
AeroGarden Farms 09 Left and Right (33 Days). L01-L06 Broccoli (Botanical Interests); L07-L12 Cauliflower (Botanical Interest); R01-R06 Swiss Chard (Botanical Interest); R07-R12 Arugula (Botanical Interests). Image taken with a Leica TL-2 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 250, 35 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
AeroGarden Farm 10 Left (Day 33). L04-L06 New Mexico Hatch Pepper; L07-L09 Small Red Hot Peppers. The seeds planted in positions L01-L03, and L10-L12 didn’t make it (mold). It looks like after the first 14 days, the AeroGarden Farm pump cycle goes from 1 hour on and 23 hours off to either 1 hour on and 1 hour off or continuously on. As a result the seed substrate is always wet, not just moist. At the last update (day 14) Farm 10 Left: pH (5.33) and TDS (720 ppm). On day 27 Farm 10 Left: pH (5.85) TDS (697 ppm) so left as is (no buffer or plant food).
AeroGarden Farm 10 Left (Day 33). L04-L06 New Mexico Hatch Pepper; L07-L09 Small Red Hot Peppers. Image taken with a Leica TL-2 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 160, 35 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
AeroGarden Farm 10 Right (Day 33). Positions R01 Cinnamon Basil (Tiny Greens); R02 Dark Opal Basil (Tiny Greens); R03 Genovese Basil (Tiny Greens); R04 Holy (Tulsi) Basil (Tiny Greens); R05 Basil (Tiny Greens); R06 Lemon Basil (Tiny Greens); R07 Sweet Basil (Tiny Greens); R08 Thai Basil (Tiny Greens); R09-R12 Cilantro (Botanical Interest). Some of the Basil plants are starting to do well, but a few didn’t make it. Same problem as above where the pump cycle program changes. At the last update (day 14) Farm 10 Right: pH (5.74) and TDS (620 ppm). On day 27 Farm 10 Left: pH (3.79) TDS (695 ppm) so added 4 mL Buffer. The new pH (6.10) TDS (695 ppm). I think the brown/red leaves are due to the solution becoming too acidic. In the six days since the pH adjustment there has been a burst of new green growth.
AeroGarden Farm 10 Right (Day 33). Positions R01 Cinnamon Basil (Tiny Greens); R02 Dark Opal Basil (Tiny Greens); R03 Genovese Basil (Tiny Greens); R04 Holy (Tulsi) Basil (Tiny Greens); R05 Basil (Tiny Greens); R06 Lemon Basil (Tiny Greens); R07 Sweet Basil (Tiny Greens); R08 Thai Basil (Tiny Greens); R09-R12 Cilantro (Botanical Interest). Image taken with a Leica TL-2 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 35 mm, f/8, 1/80 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Daily Electric Energy Used (69.4 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (31.9 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More sun and warmer. Overall a net deficit of 37.5 kWh.
