Friday (06-September-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Although we got a small amount of rain (0.26 inches) this week, the pond is very low. I am only seeing one or two frogs at this time. Not the dozens that were there a few weeks ago. I don’t know if they have moved onto another pond, or if there has been a predator. The ones that remain are very skittish and I can only get close enough to get pictures with the Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens. The field of view for this camera at 300 mm is equivalent to 810 mm on a full frame camera.


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Daily Electric Energy Used (36.9 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (14.9 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Very cloudy, and cooler for a net deficit of 22 kWh.

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Tuesday (20-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout, today with a Nikon D850 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens. This is the highest resolution camera in my collection, and the 200-500 mm VR lens light enough to shoot handheld for some time. Because of the heat, and lack of rain, the level of the pond has been shrinking. There a lot of skittish frogs. Two of them stayed still long enough to have their picture taken.

Kermit the Bullfrog. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (ISO 280, 500 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Kermit the Bullfrog. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (ISO 280, 500 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Kermit the Bullfrog. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (ISO 1600, 500 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Kermit the Bullfrog. Image taken with a Nikon D850 camera and 200-500 mm f/5.6 VR lens (ISO 1600, 500 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (62.3 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (61.2 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. The WaterFurnace geothermal HVAC had to work hard (25.6 kWh) because the temperature outside went to 90°F. Daily net deficit 1.1 kWh.

One note — the WaterFurnace Symphony software indicated the system used 14 kWh, however the Sense Energy monitor indicated that the geothermal heat pump used 25.6 kWh. I tend to believe the Sense numbers since they more closely the energy being recorded at the external power company (PSE&G) meters. I’ve asked the WaterFurnace folks in the past about the discrepancy, but they didn’t have a good answer. The Sense folks told me they thought that the WaterFurnace/Symphony system was only measuring one phase of the energy even though the system is powered by the 220V circut (using two phases). I wish an electrical engineer that understands this better would correct me here.

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Friday (16-August-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout: I was out putting up an electric fence around the Forsythia and Lilac bushes we planted earlier this spring, and came across this frog. The location is well away from the pond, and it looked different than the Bullfrogs that live in the pond. This new frog appears to be a Pickeral Frog (Lithobates palustris). The shape of the spots on the back make me think it is not a Leopard Frog. I will call it Kermit’s Cousin.


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Daily Electric Energy Used (58.4 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (48.6 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Less Sun, and I ran a load of laundry (2.7 kWh) today. Daily net deficit 9.8 kWh.

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Friday (12-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Daily Walkabout. American Goldfinch, Kermit the Bullfrog near the pond, Black Swallowtail Butterfly and Caterpillar. The Black Swallowtail caterpillars really like Dill plants on my Grow Tower. I harvested and froze the dill I wanted for the year so the Black Swallowtails can have the rest.

American Goldfinch. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
American Goldfinch. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Kermit the Bullfrog. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Kermit the Bullfrog. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)


Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.


Daily Power Use (54.8 kWh) from Sense and Solar Production (74.17 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More sun today, so more than doubled the amount of power generated than yesterday. Even though it was warmer out the Geothermal HVAC was able to keep up, and still send some energy back into the grid.

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Thursday (11-July-2019) — New Jersey

Summertime Backyard Nature in New Jersey.

Walkabout around the house to view the flowers and wildflower gardens. A Monarch butterfly, Bumblebees, and a Firefly in a Poppy Flower. Kermit the bullfrog in the pond and hiding in the grass, and an immature American Goldfinch eating the Bachelor Button (Cornflowers). The bird is blind in one eye. Then a variety of flowers.

Troll in the Garden. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Troll in the Garden. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens (DAVID J MATHRE)


Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.



Click on the above image to access the individual slideshow images in my gallery.


Daily Power Use (48.4 kWh) from Sense and Solar Production (35.0 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Lots of clouds today, especially in the afternoon so I used more power than was generated.

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