Delivery

We just received a shipment of Suntech modules. We will take these to the site and unpack them tomorrow.

They look really well packaged. 

Diggy, diggy

In & Out arrived right on time, dropping off the mini-excavator yesterday morning, and we wasted no time putting the digger to work.

The only downside to all this hard work is that we have to take attention away from finishing up the second SunStation, which is due to be delivered in a few days.

After spending all day digging and scraping and leveling, et cetera, a storm moved in early in the evening.  

What seemed like just a small and isolated rainstorm ended up dropping a half inch of rain as it moved in and out of the area, and then back again? It was very confusing, listening to the storm, because a strong burst would hit, then taper off and end.  Then half an hour later, the rains came back.  And the lightning never went away.  There was a fantastic light show for hours, long into the night.

But even though there was plenty of rainfall around the mountain, our neighbor Dan got hardly any precipitation at his home which is nestled into the Northwest side of the West Corazón Peak. The weather here can behave in ways you wouldn't imagine.  

There seems like there is a chance of more rain in the forecast, which would make this the wettest October we've ever had if it comes to fruition. No doubt that will make hunting season even more active this year.

Metal delivery

We received a delivery of metal today from Hatco Steel out of Alpine.

These pipes and purlins will soon become the framework for the new porch on our Home/Office.  

We still need to acquire decking and roofing materials.

The planned expansion should add lots of living space as well as more rainwater catchment.

In a couple of days, some heavy machinery will arrive from In & Out Rental in Alpine.

We'll use it to dig on the properties, as much as possible.  We only have the machine for a short period of time, with a long list of things we would like to do with it.

Big plans, big machines, and big materials.  It's all part of living in the big Lone Star State.

Solar as usual

We recently helped our friends expand their solar power system. They added 1,400 watts of PV to their array, which doubled their power input.

Their new panels are mounted to the roof using a prefabricated IronRidge aluminum mounting system.

The SunTech PV modules come with a 20 year output warranty and are well matched to the battery bank voltage, which means the OutBack Power MPPT charge controller can operate at peak efficiency.

Our friends are happy to now have more electricity than they need, even during times of heavy electrical usage.




The 1.8 kilowatt SunStation was recently delivered to its new owners on the Terlingua Ranch.  The couple is pleased with the performance so far, and are able to run their Airstream travel trailer, including a hefty, roof-mounted air conditioner. 

Surprisingly, the brand new, modern AC (13k BTU) consumes 1.9 kilowatts per hour.  That's about 600 watts more than the similarly sized window unit at my parents' home, which dates to about 1980.


We received a large delivery of concrete blocks for some upcoming homestead improvements. 380 8x8x16" blocks, 20 bags of mortar and 20 bags of Portland cement.

We are adding a back wall on the shop in blocks up to 7' high, the remainder is framed in steel and covered by steel panels.

The floor of the chicken coop was also excavated and poured with homemade concrete this past week.  Just a little bit of ferro-cement work on the remaining wall, and our last surviving chicken Foxy Lady (who is doing really well, by the way) will be moving back in.

A Welcome Addition

Yesterday we were given a free, two-axle trailer for moving heavy items such as rock and water, thanks to our friend Dennis, of concrete-bubble home fame.


Dennis also donated three battery cores, which will help with our next trip to the battery supplier.

In other news, we finally received our PV order today, after MUCH difficulty.

UPS Freight and West Texas Freight had lost the pallet of panels for 24 hours, and then tried to double charge us on shipping, but we straightened everything out in the end. 

We are also proud to present for the first time, The All Energies SUN STATION!

We have designed and manufactured a ready-to-go power system for anyone looking for reliable renewable, quiet, clean power.


The prototype pictured above is rated at 1.8 kilowatts, and was made to run our client's Airstream RV including a powerful, aftermarket air conditioning unit.

The Sun Station 1800 will be on display at the 2012 Green Scene, actively providing power for the public address system and musicians' equipment.

We designed it with the goal of creating a self-contained power plant that can be easily expanded, and that will last a lifetime.  We will be offering the Sun Station in a variety of sizes, rated in watts. Come check out Version 1.0 at the Green Scene in Terlingua Ghost Town, April 7th.

Dear Murray McMurray

Dear Murray McMurray Hatchery,

I am very disappointed that the chicks were sent over the weekend. I live on the border with Mexico and all deliveries take at least one extra day to arrive, and sometimes more.  It seems impossible that the chicks will arrive alive.

I am especially embarrassed because this order contained chicks for multiple families, and I had bragged to everyone that Murray McMurray was the best hatchery hands down.

I should mention that before this email went out and a simultaneous robo-call (4 am phone call? really? thanks), I got a call from a very confused and worried postal employee.  That's how I found out that the birds had shipped early.  A postal employee in El Paso cold-called me to find out what he wanted me to do about the chicks.

We've been very stressed about this since yesterday afternoon, and I wish there were some way to call anyone at the hatchery when the operators are off duty.

Thanks for the tardy notifications.

Sara and neighbors


QUOTE:

[BOLD added by me]


On 2/12/2012 4:00 AM, McMurray Hatchery wrote:

Dear SARA COLANDO,



Your chick order has been hand-filled and mailed by US Post Office Priority mail.
Your delivery confirmation number is 94-----------------33. The US Post Office does not have detailed tracking information. If you look this number up on the Postal Website it will only show that the order has been shipped. It will not show you detailed information or where this order is now.

You can expect your chicks to arrive anytime from Sunday through Tuesday
If you have not already done so you may want to call your local post office and let them know you are expecting a chick order and have them call you as soon as the order arrives.

You can access details about your order, at https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/acct/login.html.
After logging in, click the Order History link then click on order number 871992 in the list.

To help you get your chicks off to a great start, here is a document that contains information on what to do when your chicks arrive.

Care of Baby Chicks

Thank you for ordering your poultry from Murray McMurray Hatchery.
If you have any questions or problems with your order, please call us at 1-800-456-3280 and refer to order number 871992.

The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia (CDC) has asked us to distribute an educational Salmonella Brochure. As a public service we are happy to comply. McMurray Hatchery routinely vaccinates and tests our parent flocks to produce the healthiest chicks possible.

Sincerely,

McMurray Hatchery

Sorry Murray McMurray hatchery, but my post office isn't open on Sunday.  Is yours?  Geez....