Saturday, January 21, 2012

We've Got Power!

This morning we woke to steady rain.  The horses were all standing outside their stalls, getting drenched, while they waited for us to feed.  Silly boys. (that's the neighbor's house and cars behind them).
Kalvin, Flash, Jackson and Winston

After feeding, we changed into dry clothes and got our breakfast.  I settled on the couch with my coffee and my laptop - to read blogs of course!

We watched the movie "Buck."  Wow.  Amazing horsemanship.  Sign me up for one of his clinics!

We went to yoga mid day -- what else is there to do when it rains?  Besides, I'm trying to get myself in shape for training Winston.  It's not fair to expect him to be an athlete if I don't do my part too.  I joined a gym.  Shocked myself.  You know, the hamster on a treadmill places?  I hate them.  But a couple times a week, I am going to go after work and do elliptical and also take a yoga class once a week.  Maybe my hips will shrink.  I can hope, right?

This afternoon, the call came in that we have been waiting for months to get.  Edison, our electric company, finally made the decision to allow us to turn on the solar power we installed months ago.  FINALLY!  To say we were irritated with Edison is an understatement.

In September, we decided to switch to solar.  It took a few months to get all the permits pulled and then in early December the panels were installed on our roof.  All 24 of them... or 26... some number like that. 


I was pleased with the end product.  We have a black roof so they don't stand out like a sore thumb.

The County came up the following week (mid-December) and did their inspection.  Then we waited for Edison to flip the switch.  We waited and waited and waited.  Finally, today we got a phone call with authorization for Brett to flip the switch to "on".  Yippee!! Solar on a rainy day!!

We will use solar for our electricity needs during the day on sunny days -- which is most everyday in Southern California.  The excess electricity generated by our panels will be sold back to Edison.  Electricity we use at night and when the sun doesn't shine, will be offset against what we provided to Edison.  We should net at pretty close to zero based on our usual usage -- it's how the number of panels on the roof was determined. 

Side note in response to some comments on my previous posts:   Yes, Jackson is a bit of a bubba boy.  I have reduced the amount of hay he is getting which is all I can adjust since he doesn't get any grain.  The poor boy isn't in work anymore so he just isn't burning the calories.  And to think, once upon a time I had trouble keeping him in good weight! 


9 comments:

  1. Those solar panels are of great interest to me. If we had the bucks I would do it in a heartbeat. Please let us know if they do the job you expected. Speaking of Buck, I also loved the movie...what a sweet man and fine trainer. Gary even liked it and he is not a horse person...thought the message was equally important for people in general, not just horses.

    You look pretty comfy on that couch.

    Yes! We do like a lot of the same things. It sure would be fun to have dinner together. You're invited!

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  2. oh, excited for you on the solar power! yay!!!

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  3. We've been off the grid for many years. Yay solar power! Congrats to you for installing it.

    I hear you about it being hard to get weight off a horse sometimes. Very small feedings three times a day is the best solution I know. I'm not sure what hay you feed but a lower feed value hay is sometimes possible. I just think/hope Jackson might be more comfortable and perhaps have less laminitic flare ups if we were thinner. Obviously I don't know, and I hope you didn't take it as a criticism. I just am touched by how much you love him and how hard its been to see him in pain. I know I would feel the same and wanted to offer the insight that came to me--just in case it helped.

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  4. YAY solar power - how lucky are you! New horse, new power, comfy blankie with coffee and blogs! LOL Enjoy.....

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  5. Good luck with the solar. I'm interested in them too and have plans to look into using them.

    That looks like miserable weather. We've got snow for now. I've thought about joining a gym but don't know if I'd really go so that's what's holding me off. I've definitely got to do something too.

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  6. Why the delay from the electric company? Considering how much solar panels cost, that seems unreasonable long to wait to use them.

    I liked "Buck", too. I liked his straightforward yet gentle approach. I also liked how honest the movie was about the dangerous horse. I think that all horse owners would benefit from at least watching that segment.

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  7. I need to watch Buck. Love the alternative energy solution!!!

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  8. Hip Hip Hurray! So glad you finally got to pull the switch. What an exciting week for you :)

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  9. I too am wondering why the delay with Edison. Don't you just love yoga. It is usually the highlight of my day. Then again, I don't own a horse.

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Thanks so much for commenting!