Just clearing out some photos on my phone

The fall colors were amazing this year. This is from a Japanese maple planted 14 years ago. It was a welcoming gift from a groundskeeper at Lake Shidaka.

My favorite time of year to take images. The nights are clear and cold and the sky is full of interesting objects.

Panel 3 of 4 is ready for foil and solder.

The water lily will have some highlights added as soon as the panel is soldered.

I love this thing! I'm able to improve my riding technique as the weather turns from great to not-so-great. So far, my cadence has increased from 72 to 92 and my heart rate has decreased. On the road, my pedaling is much smoother and riding farther distances is a breeze!

Simple design, but very effective. The unit has magnets inside the rollers. As speed increases, resistance increases resulting in a very good workout.

 

First snow on the volcano and some thoughts

It's been cold around here. Seems like autumn is quickly giving way to winter. Nice fall colors this year. I've noticed this happens when the summer is unusually hot and humid. When the summer is long and hot, the winter is long and cold. It's a good time of year to do some astrophotography. The nights are crisp and clear. Well anyway, that's the weather update for this autumn. I've been busy with chores around the house. I'm trying to play "catchup" since the summer was too hot to get much done. Being just about caught up means it's time to do some glasswork. I've been triking just about every clear morning. It's cold, but lots of fun.

 

I had a couple of those rare moments recently. You know, the kind of moment where you feel that you would not want to be anywhere or doing anything else than just what you are doing at that particular moment. One of those moments occurred when I was lying on the hammock with Erika and the doggies. It was late afternoon and the sun was slowly fading to the west. A magnificent autumn day. The moment was incredibly peaceful and calm...almost surreal. Another time was when I was triking. I had just climbed a long steep hill and before me lay the Tsukahara plateau in all of its glory. I coasted down the hill banking through the turns at close to 50km/hr. I felt in complete control as if I were flying. I carried that feeling with me for the rest of the ride and the day. If only life were made of these moments tied end to end. I guess that's what makes these moments rare and precious. Wishing you all moments like this along with a safe and enjoyable holiday season. Cheers

 

Getting back to normal

 As things start to get back to normal, I have a chance to post some pics of a lamp I started a couple of months ago. Not much has been done since these pics were taken, but hopefully that will soon change. Panel one and two are ready for copper foil. Panel 3 is in work and should be finished before December comes' round. 

Holly is recovering remarkably well. The swelling has subsided and the operation to have her left eye removed has been cancelled. She still needs to grow fur on her face. That will take a few months to completely heal. The only medication she is being given is an antibacterial ointment for her eye. She can close her eye lids which is a huge improvement. The biggest news is that she doesn't have to wear an e-collar and she can go on rides with me again! I've been riding every day since her e-collar came off. Holly loves to go and I love to take her riding. She's the best bike buddy anyone could ever have!

Difficult couple of weeks

 It's been...difficult these past couple of weeks. Holly was bitten in the eye by a mamushi (poisonous snake) in our backyard. She was hospitalized for a week. We thought she was going to die. Her head swelled to the size of a basketball. She lost her left eye. The swelling has come down, but more hospital visits are required. She started eating again and she is being weaned off of steroids and pain pills. Holly is starting to show signs of her old mischievious self. I'll update her health status as the weeks (months) progress.

This has given me an opportunity to process images as I need to be in the same room with her around the clock. These are images of M27 Dumbell Nebula. One is processed in RGB and the other in narrowband. M27 is the first planetary nebula discovered and is a popular target for astrophotographers. The Dumbell Nebula is basically a star shedding off it's outer layers and it slowly dies. As far as the image itself, nothing special here. I took the images late in the season and I did not have enough integration time to get the outer rings...maybe next time.

Image in Red, Green, and Blue

Image in Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Sulfur

Videos

 https://www.facebook.com/reel/1444183136643833    

Please click on the link.  This 5 min. video shows the hill to the house in Tsukahara, Japan. A better description is included in the video. Enjoy! BTW I would have posted the video here, but only 100mb is allowed. These clips are 1.1 GB.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1308895317367806  

The second video includes a ride to Rick Spring Valley which is also in Tsukahara, Japan. Here, you can get a different view of Mt. Yufu. Again, a better description is included with the video.

New riding partner

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better...Holly loves going for rides! She just jumped right in! I've been riding just about every day, weather permitting. I'm trying to go further and longer with each ride. It's been great!!!!! I have to remind myself not to smile while riding to keep the bugs out of my teeth. Seriously, the drivers (even trucks) give me lots of room. My radar detector warns me of oncoming vehicles way before I can see them in my mirrors, giving me time to slow down and move to the side. I'll be planning more trips with my new riding partner. Sky is still not sure about this trailer stuff, so I won't rush him. He'll come around. Stay tuned for videos...

Test Ride

 

Ok, now we're having fun. I finally had a short ride around the neighborhood. First time riding a trike. The terrain just off the property is all downhill. Not the best way to get introduced to riding a trike, but holy cow that was fun! My plan was to go down the hill and turn around to get an idea on what needs to be adjusted. Well, so much for that. I ended up touring the neighborhood and wanted to go further, but Erika pulled the plug on that. First impression: Should have purchased a trike a long time ago. A "Lazyboy with wheels" fits the description just about right.

So why on Earth did I purchase a trike? Let's just say, I sorely missed the activity I loved the most. Sure, I've ridden short distances with the tandem and mountain bike. I always worried about straining my neck. Way back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth, I was hit by a bus. Actually, the wheelwell of the bus sucked me into the rear wheel and my head just missed the wheel as I fell. My helmet saved my life, but I broke my arm and injured my hip and shoulder. This was in 1984. Soon after (two days), I was back on the bike with one arm in a sling.

Yeah, I loved cycling. My brother and I would ride all over the West Coast. When I was 16, I rode in the Davis Double Century, 212 miles. I toured from Canada to California. I would often ride from Reno to Lake Tahoe and back when I lived in Reno. My commute in Sacramento was 38 miles each day, rain or shine, night or day, on the American Bike trail. I only used the car to transport the bike to go on some bike rides for the weekend. Cycling was what I identified with.

After marraige, the cycling took a back seat. Rarely, I would go for rides more than 50 miles or so. Work and life soon made those rides disappear. In my heart, I knew I would ride again.

When I was in Seattle (2010), an MRI revealed the extent of my injuries from 1984. My age was finally catching up to me and so were my past injuries. I experienced numbness along my entire right side due to a severely impinged nerve. I was in physical therapy for over three months. Eventually, I required cortisone shots up my spine...fun! That was the longest needle I have ever seen! The neurosurgeon could not operate as it was considered too risky and dangerous. At this point, Erika and I decided it was time to make some life changes.

Well, here we are. My neck is stable provided I don't do anything stupid. I came across an article about people who experienced trauma to their spine. To my surprise, cycling was part of rehab. Not regular cycling...cycling with a trike. A trike places the neck in a very relaxed position while riding. I was intrigued and excited about what I discovered. I must have spent a thousand hours researching which trike to purchase. One problem though...I lived in Japan. Only two dealers in the country and one dealer did not respond. The only dealer is in Osaka ( Recumbents HC Works )The owner ,Yoshi, can speak English. Hey, it was meant to be. Well after a few hundred emails and lots of anxiety, frustration, and work, the ICE trike became a reality.

I'm taking it slow. There is no hurry. I've made it a point to learn as much about this new form of exercise as I can. The muscles used to ride a trike are different than a regular bicycle. I quickly learned that on my first short ride. Give me another 1000km of training and I'll be buzzing all the hills around Tsukahara and beyond. Glass is temporarily on hold for the moment, but will resume after I get some things straightened out. Please stay tuned...

And the answer is...

 https://www.icetrikes.co/products/sprint-x-tour-recumbent-trike     

I believe this is called 100% fun!

It's here! It's here!! It's here!!!

 It's here!!! After an excruciating three month wait and countless emails, I present to you...what is it?

Hint, it's bigger than a breadbox. Please stay tuned...

Pacman Nebula

One more post before I crawl back into my creative cave. Here's what is known as the Pacman Nebula. It's about 50 light years across. The dark clouds inside of the blue area are known as Bok globules. Stars are formed there. The horizontal pillar on the left is evidence of very strong winds shaping the structure of gas. I just like it because I used to repair video games after I first learned electronics...way back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. Sure have come a long ways since then. Well anyway, these photons were taken in December 2024. I sure am impressed with the resolution of this new camera (QSI 683). Makes processing simpler compared to my other camera. More images to come so please stay tuned.

 

The Calla Lily lamp is complete

Who is this old guy? He must be doing what he loves to do.

A look under the hood

This is dedicated to my wife, Erika. She has supported and encouraged me to do what I enjoy. It's about time I made a lamp for her.

Ventilation holes, but not needed since the LED bulbs don't get very warm

This is the look I was after, soft and warm. The lamp will go on Erika's night stand complete with a remote controlled on/ off button.

The base construction is covered in an earlier post. The top cover is easily removed to access the bulb.

Last, but not least, the 25 year old koi will be used in the next lampshade. I'm designing it right now. Please stay tuned...

 

Almost there...lamp wise

This is the layout for the lamp base glass. Just using the same colors used in the lampshade. The center glass mimics the stem of the calla lily.

Here are the basic parts of a lamp. The wooden spacer is made from a 40 year old shovel handle I had kept over the years.

Ready for install into the lamp base.

This is the lamp socket for the base. It's ready to be wired.

This is my very sophisticated wiring diagram...I mean a reminder not to get my wires crossed.

Wow, it looks like I know what I'm doing.

This rats nest is ready to go and be tested.

Whew! It works. Time to finish this project up.

 

Thors Helmet

 I haven't posted an image in awhile. I took this image of Thors Helmet last winter. I do most of my imaging from late autumn till early spring. The nights are long and cool plus I'm not interested in "galaxy season". The rest of the year is either too hot to image or too much rain. Thors Helmet is an emission nebula that has a special kind of star (Wolf-Rayet) near the middle of the helmet. The star is creating a very powerful wind that is blowing away dust and gas creating the helmet. Eventually, the star will go supernova. I just like the shape of the nebula and I think of it more as a samurai helmet...since I live in Japan. Very scientific! Well anyways, I'll be processing more images very shortly as these typhoons passing through make it hard to do much else. It's been a very hot and humid summer.

Panels 3 and 4 are complete along with "something a little extra"

Just as the title reads, "Panels 3 and 4 are complete." The next step is foiling all the pieces (Erika's speciality). Soldering the individual panels then the entire assembly soon follows. Been taking my sweet time with this one. It's been unusally hot and humid this summer. Nice time to sit in front of the A.C. and read a book (Casting Forward by Steve Ramerez) or do some astroimage processing (future post) or watch some movies (too many to name, Amazon Prime is a good thing) or planning the last phase of my life...whoa, that's a big one!

Now, I don't want to just mention this tiny bit of information in passing. I'm almost 64. The males of the Kimball family have a history of expiring in their 60's. I'm a "just-in-case" kinda guy so, I've been planning what I will do before my demise, you know, a bucket list. I've already experienced my midlife crisis. That's why I'm in Japan having the time of my life. Nope, nothing like that. There has been something missing in my life that "was" part of my core identity. Life has a way of getting in the way of things that you used to enjoy. Actually, enjoy isn't the word I should be using. It's more than that...much more. When I was a kid, I loved to ride bicycles. This grew into an obsession as I got older. I rode everyday and everywhere. One hundred miles was a routine ride for me, exhausting, but no big deal. I didn't want to learn how to drive in high school. As a matter of factly, I didn't get my license until I was 19. It was out of neccesity. The urge to bicycle to new and exciting places required a car. Well, that lead to all kinds of mis-adventures. Washington, Oregon, the California Coast, and the Sierra Nevada. Sometimes I would travel with my brother, John and sometimes with my best friend John C.. Often, I would explore on my own. In Sacramento, I purposely commuted an extra 25 miles to work so that I could ride on the American River Bike Trail. I would ride day or night, rain or shine. I absolutely loved the feeling of getting outside with nature and challenging myself under my own power. I was in control of myself. Does that make any sense? 

Eventually, I had to get a "real" job and everything changed. I moved to the Bay Area, went back to school, found my career and got married, and bought a house with furniture. You see, up until that point, I could put all of my life's belongings into the back of my Toyota pickup truck. Easy peasy. Life became complicated with bills and responsibilities. Cycling was out of the picture. Sure, I went on occasional rides with my brother, but eventually we went on our own seperate ways. I guess we grew up. During this hiatus, I grew old. My previous cycling accidents were catching up to me. I was almost run over by a bus in Sacramento. The rear wheel of the bus nicked my helmet. Good grief. Well any hoot, those injuries finally caught up to me. While living in Seattle, I had an MRI that revealed a severe impingment of my spine near C1 and C2. Erika was extremely worried about my health. I was in physical therapy for 3 months and eventually I received a cortisone shot up my spine...fun! Holy crap that needle was long!! I knew deep down inside that my cycling days were over. Eventually, I had to leave my job with the airlines. We moved to Japan and the rest is history. 

To get to the point after this long and drawn out story, I've found a way to cycle again. Much more on this development in another post (Don't you hate when someone ends a story like that?")

 

This is how I make lamps shades out of glass

 I was asked by one of our guests, "How do you do that? You know, make those lampshades out of glass?" 

I confess that I have no idea of what I'm doing. It's just how I thought it should be done. I'm sure there is a proper way, an accepted method, a way that everyone else does it. For me, who cares. If it works for me...just do it. So, I'll shed some light on my deep dark secrets of doing stained glass lampshades, ready? 

It all starts with an idea. In this case, I wanted to design a lampshade for Erika. She told me that she likes pink calla lilies. Pink! That's not my favorite color to work with, but I happened to have a sheet of pink glass that was hidden for many years. I received that glass as a package deal when I purchased some glass on Yahoo Auctions. Glass is very expensive in Japan. That sheet of pink glass would easily go for a couple of hundred bucks in Japan...if you could find it. Which brings up another point. I hate to waste glass especially if I can't find another piece of the same color/ manufacturer in Japan. So, I'm forced to find, in this case, a design that will fit the texture and grain of the glass that I have on hand. The glass determines the design if I don't have very much glass. This makes things more challenging, stressful, and fun. One false break in the glass and there goes the design. Okay, that's a primer of what is to come for this project.

I'll just post some images and let the pictures tell most of the story. I won't cover plating and painting. I have to have some secrets kept to myself. 

I start with making sure the design with fit within the parameters of the lamp shade. Since I already figured out those parameters when I made Sky's and Holly's lamps (see previous posts), I just placed my design over a computer screen that had an image of the cardboard cutout of the previous lamps. Of course, it just a general idea since the image is 3D and the design is only 2 dimensional.

I redraw the image after placing it on a cardboard lampshade to make sure everything is balanced and is acceptable for glass. This means no impossible cuts or weak points for breakage.

Once everything looks good, it's time to map out the cuts. This is the step that takes time, experience, and some creativity. I used several images of calla lillies to get a firm idea of how the flower "looks". After loading that idea into my tiny brain, I can then visualize what grain and color I need to make the flower look somewhat like a calla lily. In this case, the grain and color of the glass dictates where the cuts will be made. It's a lot of trial and error with a marking pen...not a glass cutter! Sometimes the grain or color you are looking for just isn't there. That's when paint and plating come into play. I try to keep the individual cuts as close as possible to prevent wasting precious glass.

I've started the cuts on the easier to reach pieces.

On the more difficult to reach pieces, I draw the cut lines in red and number the cuts in the order I want to make them. The lines can't be too wavy or curved or the glass won't break as planned. That's a very bad thing! Numbering the cuts in the correct order helps to prevent that from happening.

Nothing special for tools. Knowing how to use them, well, that's another story. Pictured are a glass file, two types of cutters, running pliers, and a red marker. Simple, right?

When the cut line is very close to the piece that I want to save, I mark the top side, score it, lightly start the break on each end,  then mark the back side.

With the back side marked where the score is...

...I can then gently tap the glass to help the break.

Piece of cake! I then file the edges and move onto the next cut line.

This cut is very close to the pieces I want to keep. Same procedures, score, light break on the ends (if possible)...

...look for the score on the back side...

...mark the score, gently tap

Sorry this picture is out of order. This is the piece being broke on the ends

Here's the piece after the break.

Repeat until there is a pile of broken glass.

Pieces ready for final scoring and grinding. After that it's time to 

make a lamp shade panel. I foil, solder, and patina the flowers first and then add the leaves and background. When all the pieces are complete and checked for fit, the rest of the pieces are foiled and assembled.

These flowers are foiled and read for solder and patina. I'll then cut the glass for the leaves and background using the steps previously described. There you have it, mostly. This is my method of doing panels for lamp shades. If I have time, I might show how I put the panels together...we'll see how it goes. Thanks for looking.