TwoDogNight

Living the dream in the little town of Mendon.

So...when I wrote this about the heating oil futures...it's up 10% or so in 9 or so days...looks like I should have been a bettor. It's gonna be a nasty winter for a lot of people if it's a cold one. :-(

On those of us that heat with fuel oil.... Trying to reconcile that article with the mid winter futures contracts... https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/future/ho.1 Big betters...buy Feb 2023 contract now and make 2.5x your money in 6 months? But either way my stove will be busy...

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/leaky-vaccines-enhance-spread-of-deadlier-chicken-viruses#:~:text=Marek's is caused by a,the disease the under control. Would the current vax for a virus that shall not be named be considered 'leaky'?

As I understand it, that program was replaced by SMART... Which isn't as advantageous.

SREC is replaced by SMART, right?

Regarding difference in solar pricing, I just learned that National Grid SMART incentives filled up compared to Eversource. $7000 is a lot of electric bills. Certainly not interested in a system with that kind of pricing differential. It's like Prius Prime (plug-in) or any plug-in hybrid. Massive incentives makes them cost less than regular hybrids. Not sure that is a good fair market driver. Prius Prime has a $4500 cash incentive from Toyota. Guess that tells me how well they are selling compared to SUVs. $4500 from Toyota, $4500 from Feds, and I think $1500 from MA. Not bad if you like the Prius.

tesla.com

Incentives are MUCH MUCH better for some in MA versus others...

in my case, snap goes the tree....shed was LUCKY...need to have some drip edge, trim, and shingles replaced, but could have been MUCH worse... https://photos.app.goo.gl/gY9J8sLQ4mgVkErL9

SAME! Too close!!! Time for tree guy. Heard one snap just into the woods behind the house. Grazed shed. Went out to investigate with flashlight and ran back in house. Too scary. Tonight's was larger than last one that snapped Feb 6th. That widowmaker was one that I had walked DIRECTLY under 5 minutes earlier with snowblower. (Fresh tracks in picture.) Pucker! https://photos.app.goo.gl/SBTc5GLLt5EG1EXs9

Seeking advice from this diverse group...COMPLETELY non-weather related...NON-car nuts can skip? Long time lurker but with the diversity of knowledge I've witnessed here for quite a few years...looking for thoughts/experiences...and yes, I know, first world problem here... I inherited a pair of cars from my Dad. The past two years they were winter stored at my Mom's house. That may be changing. I have a (too small for everyday car, but sized well for the (toy) cars attached garage (22x22). Options that have come to mind: A. both cars in the garage, and everyday cars live outside. no cost is great, but someday I'll be commuting daily again and sometimes it does snow , and my wife might hate the toys getting the garage and not her car and it's inevitable especially in winter that using garage as pass through from outside, putting snowblower in garage, shovels, grocery, etc. the toys are going to be in the way/bumped/etc...see car nut in first sentence. B: stacked in one bay with a 4 post lift (i.e. directlift.com) and one of the everyday cars (mine) lives in the driveway. happy wife, happy life, a lift would be really nice for working on the cars. C: B with one of those metal carports nestled in an area that would be too noticeable from the street. What's best here...extend driveway asphalt (driveway redo may be on the docket for this year anyway), pour a cement pad, anchor on crushed stone? advantage here is, not having to move cars (kids have cars as well, yes...our house looks like a used car lot) all the time to get cars in and out of garage, weather protection D: single car prefab garage (i.e. https://www.kloterfarms.com/page.cfm?p=45764) AND the lift stacking one of the cars above the everyday other everyday in other bay. partial man cave on a budget. E: dual lifts, dual stacking. (a car nut can dream, right?) Kinda wish my garage ceiling height was about 1' more to stack over my SUV, and about 3' longer for more room! F: time machine and build that 24x24 garage I had a GREAT quote for two years ago. :-( economically, a poor idea then, and more so now but if I could roll back the clock, I think I would do it because the price was THAT good...but would I love to have that space to setup a man cave for working on the cars. So...any thoughts or experiences on lifts, carports, prefab garages?

Renewal by Andersen...cha-CHING!

Analysis paralysis steered me to Okna. Harvey was a close second. Mathews Brothers hit my radar screen after the fact.

what about Maine made windows? Mathews Brothers. I don't live in Maine, and they weren't on my radar screen until after I installed new replacements. I did look at Harvey and they were in my top 3, but didn't go with them.