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Earlier this month, we drove Up North for a few days of cycling. At Garrison, on Mille Lacs Lake, we turned left at the Giant Muskie without stopping. Another 80 miles to our destination, Walker, Minnesota. The absurdity of the muskie promoted an earworm. As we approached Walker, I downloaded a hit from 1964: “Gonna… Continue reading Cycling Walker, Minnesota

This week, it felt good to be standing on MSP carpet after a long absence: I’d last seen the inside of an airport back in March 2020. It felt even better to be on an early morning flight to Chicago. 1. ‘L’ from Chicago Midway Airport to the Chicago Loop From Chicago Midway Airport, I… Continue reading Chicago Day Trip

I love to travel, whether it’s by plane, train, bicycle, or on foot. The destination may provide some purpose, but it’s not necessarily the main point. Such was my search for hamburger parts these past few days. I say “parts” rather than “ingredients” as a burger is largely an assembly operation requiring few cooking skills.… Continue reading Burger Journey

I’ve just finished building an irrigation controller supporting two watering zones for a rolling houseplant rack. As I learn and experiment, I’ve changed the design of our irrigation controllers several times. Currently, the focus is simplification, reliability and autonomy. With the previous design, the Internet had to be available for plants to be watered at… Continue reading How to Control a Houseplant Irrigation System

Different plants have different watering needs, including the volume and frequency of water that is delivered. It’s therefore convenient to divide an irrigation system into watering zones. Each zone delivers water to plants with similar water needs. An irrigation manifold distributes water to multiple irrigation zones. After experimenting with various designs for irrigation manifolds, I’ve… Continue reading How to Build a Houseplant Irrigation Manifold

A great ball contraption (GBC) is a [LEGO] machine which receives soccer balls or basketballs from one module and passes them to another module, rather like a bucket brigade. Modules built according to the GBC standard can be assembled into a collaborative display without pre-planning or modification. greatballcontraption.com GBC’s are a whole LEGO subculture, complete… Continue reading My First Great Ball Contraption

It felt strange, this past week, to pack our bags then drive up the interstate to Duluth. This was only the second time we’ve been away from home in almost fourteen months. In Duluth we headed for the hills to walk part of the Skyline Trail before checking into a hotel for one night. Next… Continue reading Superior Hiking Trail, Spring 2021

It’s over a year since I last set foot in an airport. Now, thanks to the miracle of Covid vaccines, I can allow my mind to drift towards thoughts of international travel. I was hoping I’d had a mild version of Covid when I posted an earlier version of this infographic in May 2020; a… Continue reading Visualizing International Travel