California Poppy

Last weekend we took a trip towards Yosemite to the Indian Flat Picnic Site on the Merced River and, surprise, had a picnic.

But the main reason for the trip was to see all the California Poppies blooming. A friend of Jan’s at Idlewheels told her about the seasonal poppy show so we took Flirt and the Jeep up the road.

The weather was outstanding. Mild 70s all the way. Not the kind of Wisconsin Spring we’re used to. Much of our trip up was alongside the Merced River, and we got to see a party of rafters coming down the river.

However, the highlight of the trip were the orange poppies, fields of them on the mountain sides. The photos really don’t do them justice, but here they are . . .

AND, OF COURSE, THE POPPY MOVIE

J Neal DIYer – Episode 1

Bosch Dishwasher Error 25

Total dishwasher failure! Panicked thoughts of returning to hand washing dishes.

THE PROBLEM: POSSIBLE CLOGGED DRAIN PUMP

THE SOLUTION: REMOVE THE KEY, REMOVE THE FOOD DEBRIS

Starlink vs AT&T, Verizon, & Microwave

Our current wireless Internet setup allows me to compare two of the major providers in addition to microwave Internet service with Starlink.

Keep in mind the following tests are our own and limited. However, to me the speeds reported below are representative:

Well, Starlink is a slam dunk to me even at $99/month + a $500 equipment investment. In addition to download speed, Starlink’s latency is low (31 ms) plus Starlink is unlimited – there are currently no data caps.

After a month or so of testing, we’ll say goodbye to unWired, but we’ll keep our Verizon and AT&T set ups because we need them when we go RVing. As of today, Starlink has no mobile RV solution.

Moderna Vaccine – Shot #2

Both Jan & I were given the second Moderna COVID vaccine shot yesterday.

There were few side effects after we had the first Moderna shot about a month ago.

However, after the second Moderna shot, we woke up this morning hurting – chills, sore arm, sore body, plus a little nausea. Not that we’re complaining. Well, maybe just a little.

This vaccine has an effectiveness of 94%. Incredible when compared to yearly flu vaccines which run between 40% to 60% effective.

Anywho, we’ve postponed all our activities today with the exception of breathing and watching TV.

And now this . . .

My Sister Mary Asks . . .

Tom… what a find!!! I’m wondering if this would work for Patty & Brad .. in Whitewater and in Waupaca ?? Is there a monthly fee or what ??
Mary

Short Answer – You betcha!

But first, Starlink is a satellite Internet service created by SpaceX and Tesla’s Wonderkind Elon Musk. His plan is to eventually offer worldwide Internet service using over 40,000 (yes, Forty Thousand) low-orbit satellites.

As of today, there are only about 1,200 Starlink satellites aloft . . . so Internet coverage is currently limited to folks living between latitudes 36.9 and 54.9 degrees. Our latitude in Mariposa, CA is 37.4 – so we “just” made it. However, as more Starlink sats are launched, this range of coverage will increase. By the way, use this link https://www.get-direction.com/address-to-lat-long.html?place=whitewater,%20wi to check your city’s latitude.

Or, just go to the Starlink web site (https://www.starlink.com) and enter your address. Be advised, you may have to try different variations of your address.

NOTE: Starlink is intended to be a rural Internet service as large cities would provide traffic congestion problems. Besides, city dwellers typically already have access to high-speed Internet service.

Cost?

The Starlink kit (Dish, power supply, router, mount, cabling) costs about $500.

Starlink Internet service is $99/month.

Starlink Internet service is Unlimited. There are currently no data caps.

Starlink Internet service is Fast. Users report speeds over 100 Mbps. Just tested my speed: 100 Mbps.

For More Information

I was going to include a bunch of links, but just Google (or YouTube) “Starlink”. There’s plenty of info out there.