Breakfast is served.

I think these daylily photos I took this morning are technically better than the roses I took yesterday. Sharper. It's funny how much steadier you hold the camera when you don't have to pee.

I much on the unopened flowers.

I wonder if the girls would eat them if they picked them? Going to try it.

In album 6/18/15

Even though I tried not to, the flower ended up nearly in the center.

I think I was trying to compensate for the flower facing right and leaving room in the frame for this.

You spot the spider web? Feeble web.

Just a tad bit more flower. Not liking that they just touch the edge of the frame.

Not sure the composition is right on this one. Maybe step back and leave lots of green above and to the right?

I think this is my favorite of the set. Wishing it wasn’t a street and sidewalk in the background though.

The whole flower, but it’s just a flower picture. Uninspired.

Roses in my rose garden

I get my wife roses every year for mother's day. Eventually there will be lots of roses in my yard.

I will need to practice taking better photos of them.

In album 6/17/15

This climbing rose is a few years old. It dies back every year and keeps coming back.

Not quite great, but pretty good for a cell phone photo.

I wish the morning rain popped a bit more.

The caterpillar was a surprise. I didn’t see it when I was taking the photo.

Too bad the photo isn’t sharp.

I have a trip on the calendar for the 4th of July for a trip with a buddy (who isn't…

I have a trip on the calendar for the 4th of July for a trip with a buddy (who isn't a ULer). My wife sent me to Aldi's for some ground beef, and I saw a few things I just had to have. A 40oz stainless water bottle and the Adventuridge Lightweight Foldable Backpack.

The backpack really reminded me of a small version of the G4 DIY ultralight bag. I've been meaning to make that bag for a few whiles. Just no time and a lack of ambition.

This bag is $10 and folds into itself. The back is padded, and the straps are double layer, but not padded. I figure I can rip open the seam, add my own padding, and sew it back up as good as new. Suggestions on a padded shoulder strap material?

There was also a black and red version. I picked this bright (like bright blue car bright) blue and silver one because I have some 'twilight grey' fabric dye I like to use to tone down bright articles. It should match my Kelty Hip Bag I posted here a few months ago.

I stuck it on the scale and it comes in at under 11oz or a touch over 300 grams. It claims 7.9 gallons which is 30 liters or 1825 cubic inches. A kids bag in size, really, but I suffer from fill-er-up-itis so a small bag is just what I need. I also have kids… so when I start going with them, they will have a bag to use as well.

I do plan on mating it to my Kelty hip bag with some clips so they function as a single bag. The Kelty is a great hip bag and will do the load bearing bit. This new bag is for the lighter stuff like the sleeping bag, hammock and such.

In album Aldi’s Ultralight backpack

This photo is pretty close to the true color of the light blue. It’s actually brighter yet to the eye than to the camera.

10 3/4 oz for a 7.9 gallon backpack. The best part? $10!

306 grams (including the cardboard tags). It folds up into itself nicely as well.

Turn it over, and you see it’s a backpack that really looks like that DIY G4 backpack I’ve seen plans for online. And it folds into itself so I can stash it nicely when I am not using it.

The outside is nice and simple. The over-flap has a zipper pocket like is very common. The color is very bright. Florescent lighting doesn’t really capture it.

The back is padded, but the straps aren’t really padded. I figure I can open up a seam, add some padding, and re-sew the seam on the straps.

I gave the brand new bag in a dye-dunk to try to tone the brightness down and make it more closely match my Kelty Oriele bag. The gray is a tad purplish, but this dye does that. I think a second round and I may have it tinted quite nicely to match. Also check out that big 40oz stainless water bottle for $5 at Aldi’s as well.

The hip pack has clips for shoulder straps. I plan on clipping the new bag onto the hip pack and using the hip pack like the waist belt. The heavy stuff can go into the lower bag, the light, bulky stuff can go in the new bag.

I think I just had an invention idea for an internet of things Oven

Stick a borescope or two into an oven so we can watch what's cooking. Cell phone to monitor the image, you can tell if the item is done without opening the oven door from another room when the timer goes off.

Add a vent to the outside, and you can trigger a speed-cooling cycle by venting the oven heat out of the house. Now we can 'turn off' the oven from the other room and not need to remove the item cooking from the oven immediately without risk of burning the food.

Add computer vision and now you can set a timer for the browning of the item. If you want it golden brown, you can time for that. A little extra smarts, if you are in the kitchen, it triggers at the shade, if you are further away, it can trigger a shade lighter.

Perfect pizza, bread, and muffins every time!

Thoughts?

It's wonderful what happens when you help others

Something amazing happened this week. A group that I participate in was just given an amazing gift.

http://enablingthefuture.org/ was given a $600k grant from google.org.

Having printed and given away the parts for a prosthetic hand, helped with a fundraiser for getting a 3D printer, and spent some time writing a bit of software leveraging other people's work, I know how far this money can be spread in this group.

Hundreds of people have worked hard to get e-NABLE to this stage. 

Great work for everybody involved, and thanks to Google for recognizing the potential of this group.

Enable Community Foundation Awarded $600,000 Google.org Grant
      We’re excited to announce that the Enable Community Foundation (ECF) has just been awarded a $600,000 grant by Google.org to support the mission of the e-NABLE community!  The grant is part o…

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