This year, our youngest offspring invited two college friends to come home with him for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a pleasant change from the last few years, when the table held only me, Melissa and our two children. Thanksgiving, being a festive occasion based on gratitude, is definitely better celebrated with a larger group. Another […]
Today, while completing the chores, I noticed that the chicks are now all fully-feathered. There were a few who still had downy feathers on their heads even a few days ago, but, thankfully, they have ceased procrastinating. As the chicks have grown in size and their feather cover has improved, I have been reducing the
Chicks Fully Feathered Read More »
This afternoon, I had the good fortune to witness one of the most vivid sun dogs I have ever seen. Sun dogs are an optical phenomenon that occurs fairly often in Fairbanks, though I don’t recall ever before seeing them so early in the winter season. Unfortunately, I had only my phone camera available and
First Sun Dog of the season Read More »
The chart accompanying today’s post shows the temperatures measured in the biomeiler at a height of 4’ above the ground. This height marks the boundary between the existing biomeiler and the recent extension. The data were collected by a thermocouple buried in the pile at that height at the very center of the inner core,
October Experimental Results, part 2 Read More »
In early October, the outdoor air temperatures were low enough that it seemed prudent to reconfigure the ventilation system for the chicken coop. During the summer, the air was drawn from beneath the coop in order to cool the air as much as possible for the benefit of the birds. The ground beneath the
October Experimental Results Read More »