New module is at the dock.

Our weather had been pretty nasty over the weekend, but the wind and seas died down quite a bit yesterday.  So Crowley delivered the barge with our new module to our dock face last night.  There is still a lot of prep work to do, but I believe the current plans is to move the module from the barge, to the island tomorrow.

In order to move it off the barge and put it in place, we've contracted a specialty heavy lifting company, Mammoet.  These are the Scheurerle Trailers they shipped up to move our module.  These are specialty trailers that raise up a bit.  And each set of wheels can be turned independently from the others.  So the end up with a lot of control for making small adjustments and they maneuver the mod into place.  I've been looking at the Mammoet web site, it looks like the driver attaches controls to the front of the trailer(s) and controls them with a joy stick.  That would be intersting to see.

However, I'll be here on shore.  I'll just have to rely on Guy to send me pics, like these he sent me today.  Thanks Guy!

Europe 2011 Trip

Well, it's been a long time since I've blogged a big trip.  That last long trip I took was to Italy in 2006.  But here we go again.  We're headed to Italy & France 2 weeks from today.  We've been planning this trip for months.  But it's almost time to start enjoying the results of all that planning.

And I'm looking forward to some good weather.  We've had a cold & cloudy summer.   In fact it's 40 degrees and foggy here at work.  But it's HOT in Italy & France.  YAY!!!

http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Florence+Italy+FLR:9
We'll start out in Florence on Aug 31st, so I've added the weather forecast, which I'll keep track of these next 2 weeks. And I'll be posting more info as our departure time gets closer.

New Module - Northstar Island

Our new module arrived on a barge last night.  It's a 6 story, 7 million pound building that contains a 50 man camp, office, control room etc.  It will probably sit a few miles off shore for the next few days to a week while we finish getting the island ready to receive it.

I won't get to go out to the island and watch the off load from the barge, but I'm sure I'll be able to scam some pictures from the crew on island (like I did with this picture).  

It's a VERY busy time, lots of people going back & forth.   Once the module is unloaded from the barge and set in place, it will take several months to get it all hooked up to our existing facilities and ready to be occupied.

Propane & Propane Delivery...ARGH!

When I built my house, I put in a high efficiency Buderus propane boiler to provide hot water for my in floor heat, etc. There were pro's & con's but I liked that exhaust is mostly water. Since I do roof catchment of rain water for my drinking water, I didn't want a furnace smokestack dumping ash and other contaminates on my roof.

But I certainly didn't do enough research on the propane provider. I just went with the one that convenient. They're office is located on the main road into Homer, so I drive past them when ever I go into town. But it really hasn't been easy. They can't set up an auto pay, which is really a pain since I travel a lot. Though I have to say they've never let me run out of propane. But the cost really keeps going up. I know all kinds of fuel keep rising, but this is getting ridiculous.


Anyway, this years lock in price for winter deliveries is $5.09 per gallon. My last fill up was in May, I'm 99% sure I paid $3.89. So this is a big jump. I was grousing about it to my neighbor, who used the other propane company. She said her lock in quote was $4.37 for this winter. And that's a big difference. So I've been doing some research trying to figure out why. Here is what I've found:


1. Propane delivery companies don't post their prices. I'm so used to gas prices being posted & competitive that I didn't realize that propane prices aren't regulated. The delivery companies can charge what ever they want. And since they don't post their prices, most people don't realize that there can be quite a bit of difference. Shopping around can really pay off.


2. I did some Googling and ran across some documents from the Gas 4 Alaska conference last April. Approx 30% of the propane sold in AK comes AK sources. From what I can tell, mostly from the Tesoro refinery in Nikiski (about 100 miles from my house, not really that far). The rest is shipped up from either Edmonton, Canada or Washington. Argh! This is ridiculous too. We shouldn't have to ship propane, gas, jet fuel or diesel into AK from 'outside'.


And I did a bunch of looking for retail propane prices, but without much luck. The Federal Government posts weekly prices for the East Coast & Mid West, but not for the West or AK. These are only reported Oct-March. March 2011 the average weekly rate in Kansas City was $1.90, up from $1.403 in 2010. That's a LOT less then we're paying up here. I found a posting on a tracking forum for a residential delivery in Seattle, for $3.55 per gallon. That's still a lot less than $5.09.


While I can go on & on about how crazy it is that AK is paying such high propane prices, it still doesn’t tell me why the 2 local companies have 2 such different prices. As far as I know, propane is propane and it should burn the same in my furnace, no matter who I purchase it from. Am I paying $.72 per gallon more because the customer service is better? Boy I hope not.


If anyone can shed some light on this for me, please do so. I'm very seriously considering having my rented tank (another rip off) removed and replaced by the 2nd company. So I'm also interested in any pro's or con's for either propane delivery company on the Kenai Peninsula.

Steel Support Painting Part 1

I've been meaning to get these steel support beams painted for 2 summers.  Last summer it was just to wet, and earlier this summer was just too cold.  So I finally got started yesterday.  It's not going as quickly or as well as I'd like.  So if anyone has suggestions, I'm looking for help.

Starting Out

Friday I stopped at the Gear Shed and purchased some Ospho, which is supposed to convert the rust on the beams to something or other, so I can paint over the top.  Yesterday, following the instructions from the guys at the Gear Shed, I scraped down the rusty beams with a couple of scotch brite scouring pads to get all the loose paint & rust off.  This went fairly well and I used a brass brush on the weld seams & other hard to reach areas.  Then I mixed the Ospho about 40/60 with water in a spray bottle, and sprayed the mixture on the beams.  As you can see, it looked to me like it was working.  After a bit I was getting the white powdery residue that I was expecting.

Rust Close Up

However when I looked at it this morning, there was a LOT of rust still visible.  I thought I'd have to put on a 2nd coat.  And I'd used up all my Scotch brite scrub pads so I got out the sanding paper.  Every pass with the sanding paper revealed rust.  So I spent hours sanding & scraping and re-applied the Ospho full strength. 6 hours after I finished, it still not dry.  So the rust conversion should still be going on.  But I can see orange rust spots all over, though not as many as this morning.

1st application of Ospho

Sunday Morning

Close up white residue

I'm now wondering if the beams were covered with something besides scratched paint that didn't react as I expected with the Ospho.  Anyway, if you have any ideas on how to proceed, please let me know. I really don't want to spend another 6 hours tomorrow sanding and re-applying the Ospho, but I don't want to paint over the rust either.

Sunday afternoon after 2nd application.

Security System

I finally got around to getting a security system installed.  Then it set for a couple of weeks, I just sort of ignored it.  Today I finally got on line and set up my account and practiced with the alarms.  It's pretty easy to use.  And I downloaded the app that lets me arm it, dis-arm it and monitor it on my new phone.

Deck Extension

Paul got to started on the 2nd 1/2 of my deck last week.  The railing system is on order, so I should have a finished deck in a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, here are a few pics of the current progress.

New support poured.

Support beam added.

Decking being added.

Stump Planter

Since I'm not home all the time, I don't plant too many flowers.  Just 2 small planters with some Petunias & Nasturtiums.  Those I can usually grow without killing them.  But I ended up with a bunch of extra Nasturtium seeds today that I'd already soaked.  And I have this stump next to the driveway.  So I took my garden tool and chopped a hole in the stump where the center is rotting.

Then I filled it with potting soil and Nasturtium seeds.  I'm afraid it's not deep enough, Nasturtiums like to put down long roots.  But if it works, it could be really pretty.  I'll let you know how it goes later this summer.

Cook Inlet Belugas

I know we have a small population of Beluga whales that live in Cook Inlet.  I drive down one side of the inlet when I'm driving between Anchorage & Homer.  Every once in a while I'll see a little ripple but I don't usually stop to take a good look.

Last Thursday I was driving up to Anchorage and slowed down because there were cars stopped all along the road.  It was a beautiful sunny day, so I decide to pull over and take a look.  There was a small pod of Belugas headed back up to the entrance.  I counted 9 a one point.  They were great to see, since they were actually very close to the road.

Unfortunately my camera doesn't have much telephoto power, so in these pics they just look like specs.  And shooting into the sun meant I couldn't see what  I was capturing with each picture.  But if you click on these to enlarge them, you should see a couple of whales.

Blinds, part 2

I finally got around to buying blinds for the 2nd guest room.  I really liked the ones I put in the first guest room, so I ordered a 2nd set.  Bali sent me the wrong blinds, they were too short and not wide enough, so I went through the whole exchange/re-order thing.  The 2nd set arrived while I was at work, so they've been setting in the house for 12 days.  I started to put them up before my guests arrived last Wed but ran into some problems.  Finally today I couldn't procrastinate any longer.  I needed to get them installed.  And it actually went OK.  Took a couple of hours, lots of trying to understand what the instructions actually meant.  And now that they're up, I think I should take them down and move them back on the extension brackets, about 1.5 inches.  BUT, I'll save that for a later date :-).


Valda & Sharon came up to help me hang them up because they're so long (128") and are hard to handle.  Though they're not particularly heavy.  I like that the cover the wall & door and can be opened/closed from either side.

Brackets finally secured to the wall.  I only broke through the sheet rock once :-)

Sharon & Valda

Finished!

Refrigerator Repairs - is my Samsung (RB215LASH) a Lemon?

I got home tonight and started putting away my groceries.  The carrots I'd left in the vegetable crisper were frozen solid with frost all over them.  At least nothing else in the fridge was frozen, which has happened.  I've been having trouble with my fridge/freezer ever since I moved in.  While it was under warrenty I had the guys from Homer Appliance Repair working on it.  After a couple of house calls, they'd ordered some parts for it, but then they went out of business and since the warrenty is expired, I haven't pursued fixing the problem.  But after putting the groceries away and doing some other things around the house, I realized that the freezer compressor was still running and probably wasn't going to shut off.

So I decided to try a temp fix myself.  I figured that he cooling elements were all iced up again, so I moved all the frozen stuff from the freezer into a cooler and unplugged the whole thing.  I'd watched the repair guys, sort of the last 2 times they'd been here.  So, armed with my electric screwdriver I removed a few screws and took the panel next to the ice maker off.  Then I got my hair dryer out and started blowing hot air in to the air vents.  After a bit I could see ice melting when I looked though the vents.  I know the repair guys had removed all the plastic shielding inside so I figured I could do it too.  

I managed to get the fan shroud off, and yep, the elements were totally iced up. 

Drain Hole - so the melt water has a place to go, but where?

Ice all melted.

Oops, forgot to put the fan shroud back on.

After a couple of tries, I got it all to go back together.  I must have put it back together correctly, because it seems to be working.  The temp is down from 65 to 52.  Hopefully I can get it down to freezing in the next hour so I can put the food back in there and go to bed.

But here is my question.  Does anyone have a good idea what's wrong?  I only have a vague knowledge about how the freezer works.  This freezer is supposed to be frostless, which actually means there is a short heating cycle that's supposed to melt the frost and let it drain down to the bottom and evaporate.  Obviously this isn't working correctly, but I don't know why.  But I sure could use some ideas on how to fix it once and for all.  Going though this disassembly and thawing process every few months is really a pain.  But so is it when it makes everything in the fridge freeze.  I've actually had club soda in can burst and spray all over the inside.

Radiant Heat Floors

After yesterdays storm it's pretty nice today.  Party sunny and 39 outside, so I have my heat turned down.  Normally I wear slippers all the time, but when I was changing I realized the floor in my closet was really COLD.  So I went and got out my handy dandy new toy, an infrared thermometer and checked floor temps around the house.  At the back of my closet it's 58.  In the back hallway it's down to 56.  Rather chilly on my bare feet.  But along the front of the house, where the sun is shining on the floor, it runs 80 to 84.  That's a very nice heat gain that warms up the thermal mass of the concrete.

Entry Bench

I really am having a hard time finding furniture, or at least furniture that I can afford :-).  I've been looking at benches for at least a year.  I wanted something industrial and metal that would look good with my concrete floor.  Plus it needs to be practical and sturdy.  I finally found one on CB2.  It's galvanized metal that's been clear coated.  It's very sturdy and I like the way it looks. 


It arrived just as I was leaving for work and spent the last few weeks in it's shipping box.  But Patty came up to visit for a bit last night so I had her help me put it together.  


So now, back to looking for chairs for the living room :-)

Anchorage Weekend

I spent last weekend in Anchorage, catching up with old friends.  I really had a great time, it's something I should do more often.


On Saturday we went out for lunch.  I hadn't seen Babs, Lisa or Lanie in at least 25 years, maybe longer.  In fact I don't really want to figure out how long it's been.  Shelley & Clyde & Paula were there too, but I was too busy talking and didn't take many pictures.  Lisa & Paul both posted some great pics on their Facebook pages.

Then on Sunday I had breakfast with George & Amy.  They couldn't join us for lunch because they were busy at the Sportsman show.  Babs & Lanie joined us too, but I left my camera in my car.  I guess it was too early :-)


And Sunday night a group of us went out to dinner.  We used Penny's birthday last week as an excuse to have dessert :-)

Owl House

Yesterday was just an amazingly beautiful day.  By noon it was 37 and melting.  Valda & I went for a walk up my road, though it was getting pretty icy from the melting.  And then we had lunch on my deck.  Before she left she held the ladder and took some pics of me putting up my owl house.  I hope to attract a nesting pair of Saw Whet owls.

http://www.birdingak.com/2009/12/12/northern-saw-whet-owls/

I finally bought a ladder, it folds up which I like.

Haul Road Storm Aftermath

I've had these pictures e-mailed to me by several people.  So I don't know who took them.  But they're pretty spectacular.  We had a several day storm and the haul road (or Dalton Highway) between Fairbanks & Deadhorse was closed because parts of the road were 'blown in'.  I heard that at one point there were 90 trucks waiting to come north.  Anyway, someone flew from Prudhoe Bay down the road to see how bad it was.   Here are some the pictures that have been circulating.  Thanks to whoever took them!

Ice Cut View North 1

Ice Cut View North 2



Ice Cut View South



DOT Snowblower Nside Atigun

Galbraith Airport View North

Galbraith Airport View South

Pump Station 3

Travel Planning

Look what arrived in today's mail from Amazon.com :-).  Our trip planning is well underway.  10 days in Italy then 10 in France the first 3 weeks of Sept.  I can't wait to go!