Solar Panels for the North Side

*The Giant tries to create a capital "N" with his fingers like all the gangstas do with "W" and heart shapes*

As many know my house, built in the 1950's, has no regard for North/South alignments to catch the sun. My house faces East, which gives great sunlight in the living room in the morning, and great light in the bedroom in the evening. The exact opposite of the times I am actually in those rooms. Further, I have very large oaks on the south side of my house which, while shading me quite nicely from the scorching Suburbia, VA sun, affords me no option to put up solar panels to reduce my carbon footprint. That may soon change.

I was reading a CNN article that spoke about solar panels that don't need to be placed in a certain orientation to get sunlight. Well, its just the coating on the panels, not the panels themselves. Basically, the layering on the coating allows sunlight to be absorbed by the panels no matter what angle the sunlight hits. It also allows for absorption of UV, and IR light, not just visible. Essentially, you can put the panels anywhere as long as light hits them, and they will absorb almost 96.21 percent of the light, better than the 35% or so now. :)

Hmmm, I'm seeing a great little stand with a few panels on it next to the garden in a few years. Unless the Bambi Brigade/Squirrel Squadron task force does something to it.

Requiem for a Garden

As most have read, The Giant has had a difficult time with the local fauna in his Suburbia backyard. Squirrels have been the major culprit, scampering about with their cute little tails and noses, frolicking, if you will, in the bounty provided by this glorious planet. We all know of their darker side, sinister rats with puffy tails, waiting to prey upon you and your family while you sleep, destroying all that every red-blooded American holds dear. Now they have a new conspirator: Bambi. He and his brethren skulk about in the night, doing unspeakable acts that squirrels can only dream of doing: eating corn stalks to the ground!

OK, this might be a little bit of a digression, and although I have strong, no, giant-sized opinions on game hunting, this blog is not about that. Its about trying to live with nature, no matter how she confounds me.

The garden, eventually ended up being a mere shadow of what I had envisioned. Here is a tally:

Lima Beans: 24 plants plated, number of beans: 0
(plats sprouted, never set fruit)

Corn: 8 stalks planted, number of ears: 0
(stalks mowed to the ground by clandestine deer just as the stalks had at least 2 growing ears each)

Summer squash: 8 vines planted, number of squash: 3
(5 vines crushed as stealthy cloven-hooves dine on corn, 2 vines set fruit yielding 4 six-inch long fruits, 1 disappears, possibly stolen by joint deer/squirrel task force)

Sunflowers: 8 stalks planted, number of flowers: 0
(6 seeds dug out of the ground by squirrels, 2 sprout but then disappear, deer/squirrel brigade suspected)

Tomatoes: numerous plants planted, number of fruits: 0
(4 fruits set, Giant waits with baited breath as they grow almost to picking, tomatoes disappear off vines. Again, deer/squirrels suspected)

Pumpkins: 8 vines planted, number of fruits: 1
(7 crushed during Odocoileus virginianus raid. The 1 remaining vine sets 1 fruit, which the Giant guards with the passion of an expectant father. the fruit is gnawed on shortly after turning orange, the Giant harvests early to save what he could. The sole battle scarred orb sits alongside large commercially grown Jack-o-lanterns during Samhain. Days later develops mold, retired to new garden location to return to Gaia.)

All in all, not a very good crop. Thankfully I don't have to feed my family with it. I'm moving the garden to a new spot on the north side of my house. Ironically, during the summer months it gets the most light when the sun is high in the sky for most of the day. So far, the perimeter is set out in a rectangle with dirt and bricks recovered for the construction of the screened-in porch. I will also be surrounding the perimeter with 5 foot chicken wire fencing to deter Bambi's Brigade (which my wife saw wandering around the hood only last week). And obtaining rain barrels to save water to provide for the garden daily. Next years crop will also have its more tasty members grown in the screened-in porch to start. I am determined to get the sunflowers going.

Crops planned for next year:
Corn: Again, Bambi's Brigade be dammed
Sunflowers: ibid
Tomatoes: in secondary cages to further dissuade Squirrel Squadron
Pumpkins: in the same spot as the old garden. I think they had a shot, just needed at least 25 feet of vine before setting fruit. With no other tasty morsels in the area, the Bambi's Brigade should leave them alone
Potatoes: Hopefully Squirrel Squadron wont find them underground.
Chili Peppers: Capsaicin baby! Squirrels apparently hate it
Cucumbers: Yes a new one, neighbors have great success with theirs, hopefully I can share more wealth.

Battle plans are being draw. Thank you old garden, I mourn your passing and look froward to your rebirth.

The Giant Awakens

Sorry for disappearing folks, The Giant has been pretty busy learning from the Higher Mind at Haavad these past few months. That and the whole "Yes we can!" thing was pretty gripping down here in Suburbia, VA (a blue state finally!).

So speaking of that, the President Elect has given his outline for his energy plan. I love the fact that it is completely absent of the phrase "drill, baby, drill."

Its outlined here. Its a terse read at the moment, considering they have only been "official" for a few days now, but it does have some interesting points. One that I think is a little "safe" is this one:

• Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't 20 percent already come from renewable (hydroelectric)? Maybe I should drop them a line and mention that little tidbit. Wouldn't want politicians taking credit for something that has already happened now would we?

This point I loved:
• A “Use it or Lose It” Approach to Existing Oil and Gas Leases.

That huge push to "open up" areas for offshore drilling just made it possible to acquire more drilling rights. These rights are not being reserved because we are running out of places to drill, but rather to make sure that oil companies can stake their claim, and only use it when they want too. 70%-80% of possible areas to drill are already bought and completely unused. I like to call this the "shit or get off the pot" point. This will cause the companies to actually develop the plot, or let it go back, unused.

• Weatherize One Million Homes Annually.

How does he plan to do this? Show up at my house with caulk and insulation?

Anyway, just some musings. I promise I will carve out more time.