According to esahubble.org, M82 is a starburst galaxy. Literally the stars are bursting from this turbulent and very active galaxy. The red plumes of hydrogen appear to be blasting out from the central core. New stars are being formed 10 times faster than our own galaxy. I find this galaxy to be quite unusual in appearance and I have always wanted to photograph it since I was a kid.
It's funny how life works. When I started this project I wanted to lighten the darkest area of our home with a colorful stained glass. Soon after I cut holes in wall I learned that Lucky (my dog) had a tumor that would end his life. The glass took on a whole new purpose. I desperately wanted to express my feelings I had towards all of the dogs I have shared my life with...Jeff, Sunny, Windy, Kiley, Lucky and all the rescues I have known or yet to know. Each flower displays its own personality which I tried to express in the pattern and color choices. I think each dog's character has been respectfully represented with each flower.
The project started in August of 2021 and was completed in February of 2023. I tried to use every color of the rainbow. I ended up using 32 various colors of glass from five different manufacturers. The entire mural is six feet wide by four feet wide (190cm x 130cm). Several guests have commented that the mural made them feel happy. One person said it was breathtaking and uplifting. I think I accomplished lightening the darkest area of our home, but most important, I managed to lighten my spirit at a time when I felt the darkest. As a footnote, the day I completed and installed the last panel of the mural, I received the news that two dog rescues were available for adoption. One of the rescue workers commented that it felt as if my previous dogs were giving me permission to open my heart for those rescued pups. I could not have asked for better news.
Well, first the big news. Yesterday our new rescue doggies arrived. The girls name is Holly and she is 8 and the boys name is Sky and he is 6. They were rescued from horrible conditions. Holly was only 4 kg with severe digestion problems. Sky is missing two toes from his rear foot along with some psychological problems. Both doggies are in need of training. Dog walking is an entirely new concept for them. The only home they knew were cages for their entire life.
While finishing up the installation of the sunflower stained glass mural I also finished up a project that involved turning a 25 year old bed back frame cabinet thingy into something more useful and updated. The main problem with that the old cabinet is was made of oak. Unprotected oak in a humid environment equals mildew. No thank you. I applied several coats of gloss urethane, but the mildew would form on the urethane. I also didn't like the dated look of the cabinet. So... rather than tossing the cabinet out the door I decided to convert it into something more useful, add updated hardware, and protect the whole thing with mildew resistant paint that matches the rest of our home.
We've also been making biscotti. Here's how we make them:
Erika's has been busy in the kitchen, well we both have been. She makes the most wonderful scones. Moist and slightly sweet on the inside and a light crunch on the outside. The scones go really well with Earl Grey tea. I can't stop eating them...
Here's Erika's second "clunky" candle holder. She is thrilled that she sold the first one.
This is the final post about our conversion over to solar power. First we had solar panels installed. Then we purchased an electric car (Nissan Leaf). To tie the two together we finally received the EV Power Station. It was a good deal since the government covered almost half the costs. The power station purpose is to use the battery from the car to power the house in the event of an outage. Depending on usage that could be up to four days. The power station can also provide power when sunlight is not available via the car battery. In Japan, energy is hard to come by and it's expensive. During peak periods in the summer, power can be shut down due to shortages. I only see the problem getting worse in the future. So, rather than wait for an emergency, we decided to be proactive and take advantage of these government rebates. The offers have all been used up and that's why we are finally getting our power station after many months of waiting. The pictures show the main overhead power lines being replaced with underground lines (yeah!!). The meter was moved to the garage. All of the wiring was moved to the garage. Very clean installation with no wires bothering the house. The unit took a full day to install with a crew of four. Certainly not a DIY project. The whole thing can be operated from a smart phone As far as the solar panels, we are averaging about $100 a month applied to our bill. Some months more, some less. No problems so far. The car had some irritating squeaks that Nissan finally fixed after several trips to the shop. The car is quite a step up from our previous car that we owned. I never get tired of passing those gasoline pumps.
