Monday, July 25, 2016

Passing Time

I've taken a very keen interest in watches over the last couple of years. This is partially due to my affinity for toys....a way to collect interesting mechanical wonders without needing a whole lot of space. 
It also reminds me to pay close attention to time. Actually, it's mostly to the passage of time. There is something so tactile about winding the crown of a watch to set the time, and then playing with the crown in its different positions to adjust the date, day or whatever complication I may have on my current treasure. 


What I have really noticed about Starbase is that the passage of time doesn't happen due to the cycle of the seasons. Rather, it's our existence in these cycles that marks events in our lives. For instance, Teddy obtained his first experience with the Jolly Jumper. This was a moment spent at the doorway of the first floor bedroom, giggling at his own ability to move vertically with just a twitch of his legs.



I also notice how Sebby has gone from being a baby, to a little man. His personality has really come out, and he has traits of both Catherine and I.... that is intelligent, strong willed and extremely mischievous. That being said, nothing makes him happier than a nice meal and time spent with friends (pictured below with Nam). 


The most wonderful part about all of this is the backdrop to our lives that Starbase provides us. The view is perfect.







Monday, July 18, 2016

Gratitude

Last weekend, we had our friends from Shanghai over at StarBase. They reminded us to be grateful for the things we so easily take for granted.  The small things like nature, fresh air, and blue skies are not readily available everywhere in the world like it is in Canada.  Especially in a time when there are so many terrible things happening around us, we should take time to reflect and show gratitude.  Be happy for friends and family. Enjoy life and truly live.

Grateful to share precious memories with the people closest to us.
Grateful to enjoy a tasty meal with friends old and new.

Grateful for the moment of reflection during the twilight hours.


Sunday, July 3, 2016

Finally found our groove

It feels like after 3 years, we finally found our groove with StarBase. A big part of that is the new battery bank.  We recently replaced it with 16 Surrette 415ah deep cycle AGM non maintenance 6 volt batteries. The house originally came with 12 flooded, industrial lead acid batteries.

Now on to why the new batteries are better than the old ones.  The two primary risks from charging lead acid batteries are from hydrogen gas formed when the battery is being charged and the sulfuric acid in the battery fluid. With hydrogen, there is always a risk of explosion which is the last thing we want to happen at anyone's home. The corrosive sulfuric acid also posed a risk for Nick when he was required to water the battery every few weeks. The previous owners wore gloves when water just to prevent skin burns.  All those worries went away when we replaced the battery bank with a non maintenance one. So now we can enjoy ourselves even more when we are there.

Here are a few pictures over the last few weeks in the County with friends (not worrying about our battery).

Enjoying some grilled meats in tube form.
Having a few local brews at the new County Beer Company.
Picked up a few souvenirs at Norm's.