Solar System Check-In

Back in March I mused that summer production with the new inverter should produce a nice rounded curve with the sun higher up in the sky. And indeed it does.

After months of waiting, the Tesla Gateway has finally arrived. As much as I dislike the Tesla app, and Tesla's decision to make the app the only place where one can access the solar system's data, it is nice to check in on production from the comfort of the couch.

Yosemite

For Easter weekend we went on a two-night trip to Yosemite. We stayed at Curry Village and hiked the Mist Trail all the way to the top of Nevada Falls with the detour via John Muir Trail and Clarks Point.

Lunch on top of Nevada Falls never tasted this good.

The crowds were plentiful at Vernal Falls and the lower section of Mist Trail. We still enjoyed it the scenery and had some fun.

On the second day we hiked half of Four Mile Trail which offers spectacular views of the other side of the valley.

In the evenings we hung out in a meadow and watched the sunset. A great trip!

Coyote Ridge Hike

The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority opens the Coyote Ridge preserve at the east end of Bailey Rd only a few times a year. Normally, they only offer docent-led group hikes. However, due to COVID they switched to a reservations-only model and we got to enjoy a self-led hike with very few people around us. We used the opportunity to take it very slow and enjoy plants, animals, and the views. 

The climb from the parking lot to the top of the ridge via the switchbacks is strenuous, but spectacular due to the wildflowers in full bloom and the many Bay Checkerspot Butterflies.

The trail along the top of the ridge meanders between the rolling hill tops, and has some nice views. It's mostly flat and provides some welcome respite and variety.

A great way to spend a Sunday morning.

Morning Hike on Fortini Trail

We're using the last few opportunities of free entry to Santa Teresa County Park, before parking fees kick in again on April 6th.The park is particularly nice at this time of year. The grass is greeen, the poppies are out, and the wild turkeys are roaming around.

Solar System Refresh

Back in 2007, we installed our rooftop solar system. The SolarCity installer told us that we should plan on replacing the Xantrex Inverter after about 10-12 years. It lasted 13 years and finally died last fall. Tesla gave us a pretty good deal on a replacement inverter and in early February, our new Delta inverter went online.

I'm still waiting for the Tesla gateway to arrive so we can set up remote monitoring. Meanwhile, I'm checking in on the system from my phone using the inverter's Bluetooth connection. The app I use is called Delta M Professional. It is quite bare bones, but gets the job done. Our system is still producing 3 kW at peak, the panels are holding up well in year 14. In the afternoon we have some shading from one of the trees in the backyard, hence the uneven downswing of the power production curve. This will get better in the summer months when the sun is higher in the sky during the afternoon.

Yesterday was a pretty good day with clear skies and we produced over 18 kWh, which is roughly inline with March historic production.

Clouds

Cool clouds today

Morning Poppies

California Poppies close up the flowers overnight, and open again in the morning when the sun comes out. It was still quite cool this morning. Just right for a hike.

Hiking Fortini Trail with Friends

I met with the usual hiking group this morning for our first hike together since Santa Clara went into Purple Tier last November. It was nice to catch up and chat about model railroading and other topics. Oh, ... and the first California Poppies are out!

Santa Teresa County Park is very nice and very green at this time of year. Here's a view across the park towards the south end of Almaden Valley. Coyote Peak is to the left outside of the picture.

Lawn Restoration

The lawn in our backyard is not having a fun time. Since the fall, squirrels have been digging holes and hiding pine cones there. Over the winter racoons decided to dig further looking for grubs. Today I tried to repair some of the damage by cleaning up the damaged areas and plant grass seeds. Let's see how that works out ...

Joseph D. Grant County Park

We decided to go on a short hike at Joseph D. Grant County Park today. There were quite a few cars in the parking lot, but the park is large and once we got away from the crowds into the hills we didn't see that many people anymore.

It's nice and quiet in the hills.

Tatjana even found an alligator lizard.

The lizard is amazingly tiny, delicate, and very cool. After we took photos she put it back to where she found it. Have a good life my little friend.

Blown Away!

It doesn't happen every day that your neighbor stops you while walking the dog and says,

"Hey Bernhard, I think the winds last night threw something from your chimney into my backyard. Let me get it." 

... and he comes back with a large metal thing.

It turns out that the winds overnight did blow away our new chimney cap. I don't know if it was not properly screwed down or what happened exactly. However, it turns out that the bolts mounted to the mesh are 1/4" regular thread. I grabbed some wing nuts and 5 minutes later the cap was back to where it belonged.

In the Backyard

Morning Hike: Santa Teresa County Park

Photo Credit: Tatjana

Tatjana and Jasmine joined me for a morning hike along Rocky Ridge trail today. A bit cool and partially foggy, but it warmed up as we hiked up to Coyote Peak.

Contrary to last time, there were cows out on pasture. I'm not super-comfortable when passing cows on trails, but they are more interested in chow than getting annoyed over some random hikers.

We almost caught up to the fog on the upper part of the trail. 

Happy New Year!

S.S. Palo Alto at Seacliff State Beach 

As is tradition, we spent New Year's Day on the beach. We parked at Rio Del Mar, and walked along the water. First south to Hidden Beach, then north past Seacliff Beach to Potbelly Beach, and back to Rio Del Mar. An easy 5 miles round-trip and a great day.

New Year's Eve Visitor

Well hello there! 

One of our resident racoons decided to pay us a visit on the patio on New Years Eve throwing the evening conversation into a surprise frenzy.

Afternoon Hike: Santa Teresa County Park

Since Santa Clara County went into Purple Tier, our regular hiking group suspended hikes for the time being, so it was nice to hike Fortini Trail with the family today. The weather cooperated and the trail had mostly dried out after the recent rains.

Morning Hike at Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve

It's time for a morning hike. We need to get out of the house, preferably a place where we can minimize being around other people. California is still in the middle of a pandemic after all.

Our choice today is the Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve, a small park in the western foothills of rural Coyote Valley. 

This early in the morning we saw only a few people, but very nice views.

After hiking up the ridge towards the scenic outlook, we descend into fog for a few minutes.

The temperature dropped noticably, and I was happy to wear my warm jacket today.

However, around the next corner it was all nice and sunny again.

The trail is a one-way loop. This early in the day the park was quiet, except for the cows, a couple joggers, and a mountain biker. When we got back to the car, the small parking lot was full with cars and several families getting ready to hike the loop. Just the right time to leave and head home for a second breakfast.