Category Archives: social

Coming ‘Round Out West

places, social

As a young boy I can remember Dad bringing home random arrowheads and stone rock Indian artifacts from out on the range. While I never witnessed one of his lucky chance finds, I was with him once when he pointed to another piece of western history — ghostlike narrow tracks through dry hard packed alkali ground. From out of nowhere and scattered tumbleweed these parallel impressions were the dirt markings of the old Butterfield Stagecoach he explained. This seemed so incredulous to me that day and I retained the memory.

That was 60 years ago and even at the time the trail remnants would have been dated by a century. Local knowledge. I categorized his factoid as legend or folklore.

Present day and watching an old James Stewart/John Wayne cowboy western re-run (1962 and available on streaming media), I spied a stage. This movie prop rekindled my early intrigue, for barely legible on the side of the coach roof in faint paint was Butterfield.

for movie timeline purposes they tried [unsuccessfully] to obfuscate the name

This prompted a deep dive [web] search. There was in fact a stagecoach express so described: The Butterfield Overland Mail Company. Accordingly, it operated between St. Louis and San Francisco funded by a 4 year U.S. Postal Department contract. Recalling the glimpse of rutted arid San Joaquin Valley tracks gives one pause; it would have been a rough tough dusty ordeal and how far we’ve come…

Full circle. Dad was onto something! Excepting that reproduced historical map creations are not necessarily precision navigation and that evidential proof has been obliterated by agricultural progress the mapped area of trail discovery does happen to highlight the territory of my one time visit. I like to think that Dad was spot on.

California segment

The Sticks

places, social

A 1971 USDA historical aerial photo from UNC Chapel Hill libraries showing the neighborhood now known as Charleston Woods. Before the houses were built, Charleston Woods was actual woods! The point location was determined by taking angles from the Bond Lake Dam (under construction), the White Oak Creek and a transmission line which transits. It is a general estimate.

annotated snippet copy of the original neighborhood

There are also aerial photographs of the county from 1959 and 1938 that also show pine and hardwoods here. The farmland fields that are present in these images are limited to low flat areas of Crabtree Creek; what is now Bond Park Baseball Diamonds 5 & 6 and the Prestonwood Soccer Complex northward. The survey depicts rail tracks and 2 public roads that precede these dates — Highhouse Rd. and Old Apex Rd. None of the streets that we enjoy today had been built yet. The actual full resolution photo file taken on February 24, 1971 can be retrieved easily from here.

The same perspective (via satellite and incolor) today!

After measuring the [29″] diameter of a particularly large Loblolly Pine in the backyard it can be assumed that the area has not been recently cultivated. A 36″ tree is considered mature and that size equates to about 150 years age. There have been people in the area since before the Civil War so it is of course possible that the area had been logged, farmed, or burned. The 1938 shows faint trace remnants of bare dirt that may have been encroaching trails. These are no longer noticeable in subsequent surveys.

Developers had there way made progress and this area has forever lost its out in the sticks nature. It would have been easier to clear cut but to their credit many of the trees were spared.

Update: (according to this source) Before the first Europeans set foot on the [North Carolina] Piedmont Plateau, the land was 99.5% covered by Old Growth forest (oaks, maples, pines, hickories, poplar and tulip poplar, persimmon, elm, hemlock, beech, magnolia, cedar, ash, willow). Some scholars write that the Old Growth was harvested entirely by 1750. All agree that these magnificent trees had been taken down by the start of the Revolutionary War in 1776. When the Old Growth was gone, they started in on the secondary growth. This greatly over-simplified history explains the proliferation of fast-growing pine trees common today.

Connected Home

social

The older style HVAC thermostat while programable was a P.I.T.A. requiring a learning curve with flashlight and small printed diagram each time. So, I bought a cloud connected unit that promised easy scheduling and operation along with simple DIY and compatibility.  All very fine until installation time that required a fifth wire between wall mounted device in the hallway and furnace upstairs. While it was trivial to connect the existing coded 4 wires I was able to sleuth an explanation online for better understanding of the meaning of the codes and how the system operates. This would prove useful.

 

For Reference:

  • W – Heating (white wire)
  • R – Continuous 24 v ac Power (red wire)
  • G – Fan (green wire)
  • Y – Cooling (this wire is yellow in the diagram)
  • C – Common (this wire is blue in the diagram)
Closing R and W will initialize the heating cycle. The blower operates independently as determined by a separate furnace heat exchanger mounted temperature controller. In other words, once the heating chamber is properly warmed up the blower will come on. Similarly, when the thermostat shuts the gas valve, the blower continues to run until the furnace has cooled. Closing R and G will initialize the blower (FAN only) Closing R and Y will initialize the cooling cycle AND the blower. The schematic shows a diode (one-way) between Fan and Cooling function so that operating the Fan in manual mode doesn’t run the AC but running the AC will run the [blower] Fan.
That blue wire coded “C” in the diagram is the 5th wire mentioned for the installation. It is not used in my old tech thermostat but required to power the WiFi in the new one. Fortunately it was available as part of the existing cable bundle at the wall mounting point and quick to attach to the new thermostat.
 Not so fast was connecting the other loose end of that wire in the furnace room. The example furnace in the instructional video  was modern and straightforward with printed circuit board and nicely labeled terminals. Mine looked very different and I was faced with this:
I believe the term is Spaghetti. No worries. Just tracing the wire color back to the thermostat gave understanding of the terminal to which it was connected.  Finding the “C” terminal was a process of elimination but to be certain I applied the probes of my pocket multimeter and looked for voltage and/or the absence thereof.  I hit a roadblock when the meter showed excessively high readings (60v) and on every terminal?! I was sure I was looking at a defective transformer. I spent an embarrassing length of time Googling a replacement part in between back and forths for Voltage checks and rechecks. Something was amiss.  It was a classic Red herring until I saw the error of my ways. The multimeter setting defaulted to DC and I erroneously believed that was the output I was looking for. The transformer drops the 115v AC to 24v but doesn’t convert it. i.e. the Current was still AC. 24v AC. I changed the function switch from DC to AC and suddenly everything was all good!
I completed the installation and buttoned things up. Works perfectly and I can program intuitive heating and cooling schedules to heart’s content – instruction manual not required.

Grape Picking

social

…for the Wine Making Industry.

“MOG” is material other than grapes. i.e. stems, leaves,

The harvester machine [ Korvan 3016 ] straddles a row and utilizes a set of longitudinal Nylon Picking Rods, Metal Rod Holders and Wings  to shake the entire vine.  In this fashion the grapes are separated from the vine and fall by gravity onto a cupped conveyor. Along the journey to toward the hopper gondola which collects the harvest for transport, MOG is extracted by powerful fans and jettisoned overboard. The entire procession moves along at 2.67 mph

longitudinal rods to shake
longitudinal rods for shaking
 

It’s a Goner

computers, social

My initial concern was one of monetary loss ($750). My connected device was gone. Misplaced. Standing-by in the left front pocket of my trousers, normally, it lends a sense of form against my thigh. An occasional pat or  brush of hand reassures that it is secure. Previous experience told me that this was a good location. Too rigid for a hip pocket and prone to spill from an open shirt pocket; it had only slipped a very view times when seated within the soft confines of sofa or pillow chair. One naturally makes a wallet / phone check upon exit.

The last reaffirmation check revealed that the usual location was empty. Confounded, I checked the other pocket possibilities. Nope. It was missing.

Recovery would be a puzzle. I would have to recollect when last handled as well as account for all events and movements since. A window of confidence was roughly 45 minutes but then you realize that a general summary recollection is clear but all of the small ‘witness’ details insignificant at the time, are brain stored in short term low level memory. Initially I was assuring myself that my phone was likely safe and would “turn up” but no; it took hours of revisualization and introspective thought to reconstruct.

The other pilot and I were leaving the airport on foot for an impromptu round trip to Cooper’s Island but not before a quick pit back at the jet to retrieve hat and sunblock. I reckoned that while crouching beside open suitcase in the bag compartment perhaps it had deposited there (False hope.  It hadn’t ).

Early on along our route we encountered two young girls opposite direction who were keen on our uniforms. We side stepped clear of the road and had a pleasant chat on the shoulder  with one being a Londoner and the other a Local. Before carrying onward there was a FB friending and group Selfie. Did I withdraw my (camera) phone and mis pocket opening? Did it fall silently into the deep grass? I would later retrace this 1/2 mile stretch trying unsuccessfully to recall the exact spot we all stood. Sweep scanning blades of  green for a glint of case or reflection on gorilla glass a dark thought occurs. Pickpocket! (Possible I suppose but a stretch)

Having arrived at the park entrance and while stalling for a bit while the other fellow captured some white sand beach setting photo I angled my leg to retie shoe lace. (squeezed from pocket opening) Was it the first beach or the next? Which fence railing?

24 hours had elapsed and I had gone back twice to search replaying everything but to no avail. I had to exhaust the possibility that it wasn’t just laying there undiscovered. After all, an opportunist would surely have attempted to access and the clever Find-my-Smartphone feature would broadcast its coordinate location. Alas, being out of country as I was the phone’s antenna was in airplane mode and therefore off network. A thief would merely have to wait it out knowing that the owner would probably remotely erase the device contents eventually after losing hope.

In fact, I was seriously poised to do that very thing. A data breach would be ugly with personal information of every kind risking exposure. The phone is locked by 4 digit PIN but with time and sophistication a good hacker might succeed. I learned that while the data wipe feature would allay these concerns, this option would also kill any possibility of tracking or easily identifying the device. In fact, it would make it possible for the discoverer to activate a fresh install — finders keepers.

Disgusted that I lost control of my property, resigned to writing off the asset as a loss, disappointed in having failed to find it, soul searching; why I am such a slave to the thing in the first place. Like so many by habit, I find myself staring at the small screen during every possible moment. How to go about replacing? Perhaps now is a good time to go cold turkey and kick this addiction?  I’m part way there.

By the next day I’ve traversed many states of mind; bummed, gloom, depression withdrawal but I’m less frequently checking the empty pocket or having phantom sensations. I’m actually gazing about spaces and at people during the idle moments.

By now the lost phone should be at lo-batt or nearly depleted. Seriously ready to Nuke…

Reunited

computers, social

[spoiler alert: review the previous post first]

The CSR behind the desk at airport FBO doubted that I’d ever see it again. It had not shown up at their lost & found. I hadn’t expected it to. Whoever picks it up will keep it, she says. Just the same, I was wondering if perhaps an honest citizen might  turn it in. I had asked a Park Service  maintenance employee if they knew and the suggestion was floated that I try the local Police Substation. The CSR was dubious and I was primed to agree but then somehow we decided; let’s try.

She picked up the phone. I was only party to the one sided conversation but when she started relaying bullet questions from the other end such as: What color is it? and: What is the screensaver? (Sailboat) and then: What is the name on the boat? it became crystal there was going to be a happy outcome.

The CSR personally drove me over to claim it. I would have liked to have rewarded the soul who turned it in. My faith in humanity is restored. May that individual enjoy their good Karma.

I credit good police work. The officer had actually called over to the Bermudian Maritime Authority and determined that the yacht pictured from the lock screen was not in country. I explained that a year ago that it had been and the official confirmed this to be known.

property receipt
BTW, I’m off the wagon but trying to be diligent about usage. It goes without saying I’m installing a collar and chain 😉

office chair historian

social

It is a personal mission to discover and understand, validate and maintain family heritage.  A family tree is an obvious means and method. Civic ledger books and Church records are commonly used to validate the verbal recall of relatives during generational passdown. This printed historical documentation has been digitized and access enabled through personal computing.

An example is the military experience of family members who were engaged by World War. There are those who kept memories alive and told all; going so far as to write memoirs,  books, and reminisce at social reunion with others who also shared in the experience. They re-live those years which they consider to be an important part  (if not the highlight) of their lifetime.

Those family members that I knew who served, had vivid memories as well but there was a difference. They didn’t wish their lives to be defined by this particular event and in an effort to move on, their war stories were seldom a topic of casual conversation. Those of us eager to know “what it was like” gathered the anecdotal tidbits over time.

With the internet and the availability of declassified military reports it is now possible to the retrace events as a virtual itinerary.  This timeline validates the first person recount and adds clarification to bigger picture understanding.

yorktown war diary

Browsable portals such as the WWII Archives Foundation and this enthusiast collection contain reams of raw data.  The above view is a snapshot sample of a war diary of a naval warship observing the hour to hour defensive or offensive exploits in the Pacific Theatre.  Another example illustrates an Army Air Force sortie in Europe. This becomes especially interesting knowing that family relatives were involved during these recordings. Putting it altogether as a retelling the memory can be preserved.

America’s Cup

social

When everyone sounds like a Kiwi, it is amusing for our ears and sounds quaint to hear the TV announcer proclaim a win for “the Americans”. Some sleuthing  on Team USA reveals a bio. Of the 24 crew members listed only 2 of these 24 are from the United States.

Some background: In 2003 Bertarelli’s team representing the Swiss yacht club, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), beat all her rivals in the Louis Vuitton Cup and in turn won the America’s Cup 5–0.  For the 2007 Cup, SNG rescinded all interpretive resolutions to the Deed (rules), essentially leaving “constructed in country” as the only remaining nationality requirement.

Thus, a land locked country with limited sailing resources can recruit from a competitive pool.
The athletes from which they draw are all mostly professional contractors making a living from the sport much like individual tennis players or pro golfers.

Where as the early day races were all about Yacht Club pride and which wealthy yachtsmen owners could out spend whom; the current focus is on letting more countries and nationalities participate for the benefit of the sports genre and for community in a commercial venue sense.

I guess team spirit is part of any sport as spectators need someone to root for. More people can support a team if we reference them to a place, albeit city, state, country.This is something that they can latch onto and identify with. i.e Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys. Its about $$$ and growing the franchise.

Yay! Americans. All part of the game.