BrianW

Its really strange. Literally havent seen a single one. Heard from many other people in CT the same thing. Something must have wiped most of them out. I have seen a huge increase in red tailed hawks?

In the meantime you can just drive to MA.... Billboard on 91 in New Haven to remind you...

Anyone else notice there are like zero chipmunks this year? I usually have like half a dozen terrorizing my yard. Havent seen a single one yet this year.

What a great weekend coming up...

Where are the MA residents ganja garden pictures? If I heard correct you can grow up to 6 plants legally now? I know a few on here probably have some crops growing...

I am on public water but all I ever hear about from friends is headaches with wells. Do you guys test your well water every year? How do you know lawn chemicals/pesticides, old inground oil tanks leaking, etc aren't getting in your water?

Are these climbers using oxygen bottles like the entire time they are above a certain altitude? Seems like you would need an insane amount of tanks. I am thinking how quick a scuba tank runs out are there like piles of tanks stashed?

Almost all their power is hydroelectric and wood biomass. Washington state has the 2nd cheapest electric rates on that chart because they use almost 100 percent hydro. I know someone in the power industry and its just going to get worse in New England. We are switching over to natural gas plants here with not enought pipeline capacity to bring the gas in. New pipelines aren't happening anytime soon as the permits, right of ways, would take years with all the people fighting them. Natural gas for heating is also getting more expensive. I dont think people realize that on hot high demand days all over New England they fire up oil power plants. They sit idle 99 percent of the year and when they turn them on the power cost 10-15 times more. Same thing happens on record cold days as the gas is diverted for heating from power plants.

Window ac's are a joke with efficiency. The average seer rating is like 8 or something. Some mini splits have seer ratings of like 40. Take a look at what we are paying for electricity in New England. MA is approaching almost 25 cents a kwh. Any energy efficient appliance has a huge quick payback here. https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a

For those still using window units LG now has a inverter window unit on the market. This is the same technology used on ductless mini splits. The compressor output speed is variable unlike a regular unit that is on or off at full output. The payback with New Englands insane electric rates would be quick. CT/MA have the higest electricity prices in the US outside of Hawaii. LG'S New Room Air Conditioners Blow Away Competition With Advanced Cooling, 40% Increase In Energy Efficiency https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lgs-new-room-air-conditioners-blow-away-competition-with-advanced-cooling-40-increase-in-energy-efficiency-300684328.html

What a dew plummet the last 24 hours.

Working down in Stamford today and my work van was showing 86 driving on 95. Already well above uptons forecast high of 80 for here.

Look like another great sunny day on tap.

Emerald Ash Borer completely killed my 2 green ash trees my uncle planted in 1958. They were awesome old trees with cool low branches. Its insane how quick they die once they are attacked. Ash trees will be extinct soon as there is no defense against them except treating with insecticide.

This has been like the ultimate lawn growing weather. Lawns everywhere look like Ireland or the Pacific northwest. I read this Pacific Northwest type weather has been perfect for grass. Cool temps, ton of rain and a day or two of sun here and there. Most grass thrives in cooler temps in the 40-60 degree range. Look at your bag of grass seed and I bet the seeds are from WA or OR. Its like the ultimate grass growing climate. Get that seed down. Stuff I seeded last month has exploded in growth.

Congrats Vegas.

Been really fascinated with the law of thermodynamics.. Sort of weather related I guess.. I no longer use any fossil fuels to heat my house. Pumping heat at 560% efficiency is where its at...

Crazy how localized they are. I have never seen any around here in the New Haven area. If the fungus doesn't kill them this year there are going to be massive amounts of them. Look at the egg mass increase.

http://www.sercc.com/perspectivesmap?region=CONUS

Been a crappy crappy April down here on the CT shoreline. According to my station 20 of the last 31 days have had measurable rainfall. I am also having terrible solar production with my panel compared to prior Aprils.

Was working in Norwalk right on the water today. There was sleet and freezing rain around noon. Van said it was 35. Landscapers were putting mulch down. Tons of stuff sprouting including some forsythia. Felt weird.

Sort of weather related.... Thermodynamics is going to be the future of heating and cooling. Moving heat and not creating it using zero fossil fuels is where we are headed... The theoretical efficiency has major room for improvement. You can now buy a mini split/heat pump with almost 500% efficiency. I just installed another mini split and combined with my solar panels I am aiming towards 100 percent heating/cooling using the sun... Thermodynamic heat pump cycles or refrigeration cycles are the conceptual and mathematical models for heat pumps and refrigerators. A heat pump is a machine or device that moves heat from one location (the "source") at a lower temperature to another location (the "sink" or "heat sink") at a higher temperature using mechanical work or a high-temperature heat source.[1] Thus a heat pump may be thought of as a "heater" if the objective is to warm the heat sink (as when warming the inside of a home on a cold day), or a "refrigerator" if the objective is to cool the heat source (as in the normal operation of a freezer). In either case, the operating principles are identical.[2] Heat is moved from a cold place to a warm place.

The old stoves are nice but the new stuff destroys the older stuff on efficiency and emissions. If your stove doesn't have air tubes or a catalytic converter your using way more wood and sending 5-6 times the amount of smoke/particulate into the airm My newer insert literally has zero smoke coming out of it once its up to temp. The tubes on top inject air and burns up the smoke like a blowtorch extracting even heat from the smoke. Some studies have shown a reduction almost 50% in wood consumption as well. Today’s wood stove models feature improved safety and efficiency--they produce almost no smoke, minimal ash, and require less firewood. While older uncertified stoves release 15 to 30 grams of smoke per hour, new EPA-certified stoves produce no more than 4.5 grams per hour. https://www.epa.gov/burnwise/choosing-right-wood-burning-stove

Its a saltbox roof. I forgot the slope but I think its 4/12. June 2018 data.