Every year, around this time, we head up to the North Shore of Lake Superior for a few days to walk sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. We stopped in Duluth for a night, then continued on to our usual destination, Bluefin Bay, a resort on the shores of Lake Superior at Tofte. Our two… Continue reading Superior Hiking Trail: Fall 2021
Author: Tom Wilson
A Trip to England: Covid Risks and Responsibilities
In November I’ll travel to England, my first overseas trip in over 1½ years. This will be the first time I’ve flown eastbound across the Atlantic on a daytime flight. But, enough of firsts. The trip isn’t assured. It’s possible Covid travel restrictions to the UK could be tightened and I would have to cancel… Continue reading A Trip to England: Covid Risks and Responsibilities
Backpacking in Japan With Our Nephews: Day of Arrival
Next summer, we’re exploring Japan with our teenage nephews and their dad. In a previous post I wrote about the backbone of our trip: flights from Minneapolis to Tokyo, Fukuoka to Sapporo, and Tokyo to Honolulu. I’m now starting to flesh out our journey within Japan. Arrive Haneda Airport We’re scheduled to arrive 1:45 p.m.… Continue reading Backpacking in Japan With Our Nephews: Day of Arrival
Backpacking in Japan with Our Nephews: Flights
We’ve been traveling long-haul with our nephews since they were babies. In this photo, the taller one, C, is almost 4 and the smaller one, sitting in a car seat, D, is 2½. I almost called this post “Backpacking in Japan with Kids…” but thought better of it. Next summer, when we travel with C… Continue reading Backpacking in Japan with Our Nephews: Flights
Cycling Walker, Minnesota
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
Chicago Day Trip
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
Burger Journey
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
How to Control a Houseplant Irrigation System
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
How to Build a Houseplant Irrigation Manifold
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
My First Great Ball Contraption
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