Old Wives’ Tale

Springtime in Minnesota Just like Christmas, spring comes to Minnesota just once each year. This year spring arrived on March 6th and promptly left on March 7th. Temperatures reached 63°(F) on March 6th—a one day heat wave. Since then, Minnesota has been in its second...

2004-2005 Heating Season Statistics

From June of 2004 through February 2005, the 4.2kW solar PV array has produced 3,213 kWh. This is below the predicted value of the PV Watts program, but weather does vary year-to-year. January was way below the expected output and has put us in the hole from a...

What a Hoot!

Karla Kinstler and Alice This weekend was Houston (or should I say “Hoooston”), Minnesota’s Festival of Owls. The festival is in honor of Alice the Great Horned Owl. Alice fell out of her nest in the city of Antigo, Wisconsin eight years ago and was...

Busy, Busy, Busy

Where does time go? I must apologize for my lack of journal writing as of late. February has been one crazy month for me—editing CoCoCo Papers, working on the NWS project, running for the local utility’s board of directors position, answering emails and letters...

January Thaw

We seem to be having one of those old fashioned winters. The kind where it snows and it’s cold? Remember those? Today just happened to be one of those clear, weather-free days and it was good to get out and do a little snow shoe hiking. Temperatures were near...