Saturday, May 4, 2013

Chapter 144...Taking The Old Solar Panels Down


Mike and I have finally gotten busy and it feels so good.  I am short on time right now as we just finished building some walls for the store this morning, I have been making food for the kids tomorrow including chicken parmesan, Italian sausage, a ham and potato casserole, chocolate chip cookies, and a cheesecake is in the oven.  Then this afternoon Mike and I have a wedding to go to for a very special and sweet girl we know so I will have to make this a quick story about Mike and I taking down our old solar panels.

So...let me take you back and we can almost finish up April:)

We have twelve 135 watt Kyocera solar panels mounted in top of our shipping container.  It was not fun getting them up there and I'm sure it won't be fun getting them down, lol.

Mike starts out by on doing all of the wiring in the disconnect box:


He gets the first panel off and hands it down to me on the ground:


The first row is the hardest because we can't "both" be on the roof.  Mike climbs under the first set of of panels to unbolt them:


Once the first set is sent down to me we can both work up top.   Mike is working on the last panel in the first section:


Our first batch of six are down and we store them inside the shipping container.


The next day Mike starts washing them.  They need to be cleaned before we can sell them:


It's another cloudy day:



We are determined to get the next six solar panels down.  We are now both able to be on the roof of the shipping container.  From the top of the shipping container:

And:


Mike unbolts the last set of three.  He will lift all three panels plus the rack.  Then I will hold the rack while he unbolts each panel:



I also decide to do a little yard work.  We have some bad sections so I need to rake up the bad stuff and get rid of it.  Then I can seed it and get some new grass to grow in.



Our little bull is getting big.


Mike is putting new wire connectors on the backs of the old solar panels because we had to cut the old ones off:




I help Mike wash the rest of the old solar panels down before we store them:




A couple days later we finally get some sun.  I bought some pine bark mulch to use around my blueberry bushes and fruit trees:)



My first seeds are starting to come up in my garden...peas, onions, lettuce and spinach.  I also planted a square of collard greens, mustard greens and kale.  I have no idea what those taste like but it's fun to try new things:)

My strawberries are looking healthy:



While I was playing in my garden Mike had to work on the motorhome.  When we took it to pick up our pool table we had heat but no blower.  Mike checked the fuses and that wasn't the problem.  He decided to take the dashboard apart to see if he could fix it:


Oh man...I really hope he can put this back together again, lol.




Yay...he found the problem:)  It was a loose connection.  I am so thankful that Mike can do so much.  If not we would have to waste so much money and time having other people do things for us.

Once again...I am very happy that Mike and I aren't normal, lol.


I hope you enjoyed this quickie story.  I have to get the cookies done, clean up and get in the shower.

Have a great day!!!

8 comments:

  1. Nice to see an update Lisa. I hope the store comes together quickly for you.

    Jerry

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    1. Thank you. Mike and I would have it done in no time...but we have to deal with Mother Nature...UGH!!!

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  2. I hope you plan on giving those strawberries a lot of room!!! That little planter box isnt going to make it...they really spread out a whole lot, and can take over a large patch of ground if your not careful.. Keep them in one row, or train them, or your going to be overrun in your garden patch :)
    I wish you well...

    Jesse

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    1. Any tips would be appreciated:) I know nothing about strawberries. I will be redoing my whole garden next year since my wood is rotting. At that time I will need to know more about the strawberries and how to deal with the runners.

      What do you know about the tiered planters? How does that work?

      Thanks...Lisa

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  3. Sounds like just another day in Mike & Lisa World...LOL!!

    Glad you got everything done!

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    1. As long as we are alive and working...it's a great day:)

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  4. Love it! *Sigh* I just wish y'all weren't such LAZY people! I mean really???? ;)

    Do you ever grow flowers...etc...? (Keep in mind that I have killed every single plant I have ever bought and tried to bring home. Seriously! LOL My Dad has the biggest green thumb.....it sure did skip me! BAD! )

    Take care and hug Niki for me! :)

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    Replies
    1. We are lazy today...it is pouring here. Oh well...forced break.

      I love flowers but know nothing about them. Maybe once the cows are gone I will grow some wild type flowers out front. I would like to see them:) My stepdaughter and I are going to the Garden Center this week for plants. I will be looking for "some" flowers to attract bees for my garden. Now if I could only learn how to keep Basil alive...sigh...

      Don't fel bad...no one in my family has a veggie garden except for my stepdaughter here and we kind of rub off on each other:)

      Hugs to Niki:) She says thank you.

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