Weekend Mar 14-15, 2026

[Dave]

Happy weekend.

I'm not superstitious about Friday the 13th; in fact 13 has always been a favorite number. But yesterday turned out not so good...

Around mid-morning I was washing my hands in the master bath when a valve in the pipe carrying water to the sink failed. Water began spewing about 2 feet high. I tried turning the valve to stop the geyser, but no luck - it was broken.

So I grabbed a wrench and rushed outside to: 1) turn off the water where it entered the house; and 2) close the master valve owned by the city. No luck there. So I called both a plumber and the city water department, then spent the next 2 hours carrying every bucket and pail I could find out to yard as they filled up.

Eventually we discovered that closing a valve just above the water heater stopped the flooding. And finally the plumber arrived, and later a crew from the city water department. The plumber replaced the  broken valve leading to the sink, and the city crew determined that their shutoff valve was broken and they replaced it.

So far $500 to the plumber (and another $900 to come) plus a new wet vacuum., Next will be many days of cleanup.

Last week I found some more old watercolor sketches and exercises and posted two in the Other Art thread.

[Rich]

Oh Dave, so sorry to hear of your plumbing troubles! What a mess and expense! Will check out your watercolor paintings when I get back from Grocery store. Need to get a few things as the weather service has set a winter storm watch for heavy snow and 60 MPH winds. Will se what happens. Wind for sure but they are waffling on the snow. First 6-10 inches now 2-3. Depends on the tracking. Will be 50 degrees next Wednesday and all week with those temps! Typical March in South Dakota!

[Dave]

Hi Rich. How are you doing?

Sorry about the coming winter storm.

It's been the opposite here - a few days ago my thermometer n the shade topped out at 87; probably 4 or 5 degrees hotter in the sun. Today is milder - a max of 74 in the shade.

[Rich]

I'm doing fine Dave, thanks for asking. I like your watercolors. Very colorful bush with good detail. The Nuke bomb test is frightening! I have seen B&W photos of  tests, and had a friend that was in the Navy and was a wittiness of one of them and had photos. I don't want to see one in color at all. Good one!

I was poking around on my saved photos I did with photoshop adjustments. Hope it is OK to post one.  Made to look like a watercolor painting. Here is one in your backyard. The 18th hole at Pebble Beach. From a trip a loooog time ago.

EDIT: Nice temps, would melt our snow in a hurry!

[Dave]

Beautiful photo manip, Rich..

I'm thinking the viewpoint is behind the green, looking down that famous fairway toward the tees over 500 yards (around 460 meters.

Have you taken any photos of the iconic 17th?

Any of the famous lone Cypress just off of scenic 17-Mile Drive?

[Man From Ironbark]

Nice work from both of you. As for weather, it is slightly milder at the moment. It only got to 35˚C(95˚F) today but a couple of weeks back we had eight consecutive days above 44˚C (111˚F) and there were several at 46 and 47˚C(116˚F). Not the hottest as several places reached 49 and 50˚C(122˚F)

[Dave]

Thanks, MFI.

Brutally hot temps there!

I hope the Mrs. is mending well.

[Rich]

Thanks Dave! No photo of the 17th but I do have the Lone Cypress. Will post later.

Thanks Peter! Yikes, that is HOT!! Maybe this will cool you off A shot out  my condo balcony door this morning. Blowing snow 16F, -9C. Wind chill -4 F, -20C with 40 mph, 64 Km.

You also see "progress?" The owner of the empty lot since 1995 decided to build 2, 4 plex's on the property. Not quite done yet. They will be renting for ,$2000.00 a month. Only 1000 square feet, three bedroom 2 bath. Pretty small. There goes the neighborhood.

[Rich]

Dave, here is cypress point in 2006. Did some faux IR also.

[Man From Ironbark]

Thanks, MFI.

Brutally hot temps there!

I hope the Mrs. is mending well.

We are having cooler weather atm.  Maximums in the high 20's˚C. Autumn is here. Though the long hot summer has left its mark. The rainfall up until last night for the entire year, was 10.2mm. Last night we got 8mm. so in one night we got most of what we had got all year.

Mrs is dying to get away from having to use a walker. Said, "I don't want to be using this thing for the rest of my life". But she has a few weeks yet before she will be using a walking stick.