Staircase lighting

I had grand plans for staircase lighting that illuminated whenever you stepped on the first steps. I carefully engineered a board and had it all working on the bench using IR reflecting detectors to sense the footsteps. But upon installation I discovered that the sensors sucked -- their practical range was only a few inches and they generated a lot of false positives. So, until I can find a new sensor system the lights are just boringly connected to an old-fashioned light switch. But, at least I can tread safely on the stairs at night now!

Side gate complete

Finished up the side gate. Thanks to Angel for the help!

Pics from Hawaii

Right after Spain, I flew across 12 time zones to Hawaii. Here's a few random pics.


Looking towards the caldera at Kilauea.


A lovely little fiddle head in Volcanoes National Park.


We rented a plane and flew out to see where the lava reaches the ocean.


Yes, I still remember how to fly!

Pics from Spain

A few pics from Spain...


Inside of Casa Batllo. The inside had been closed off when I lived there so that was a pleasant surprise. Bruce, just look at that staircase!


This is a scale model of the attic of La Pedrera. Each of the slats is in reality a ~14ft brick catenary arch. It's stunning inside.


Roman aqueduct still standing in Segovia.


This is a model of the roof of the school house built next to Segrada Familia. It was from this roof line that I was inspired to make my porch roof.


Oh my god, the face on mars has moved into the light fixtures at the Reina Sophia! :-)

Gate

Today I built another gate for the backyard. I don't think I could have designed a much more labor-intensive gate design; it took me about 5 hours to mill all the 2x2s. Next, trim the edges and hang it.

Sagrada Familia sketch

A little tiny piece of Sagrada Familia. There's no place to sit down outside so I had to hold the pad in one hand while drawing which made things all wobbly!

La Pedrera attic sketch

Apologies again for the bad contrast.

This is the attic of Gaudi's La Pedrera in Barcelona. It is a twisting series of hundreds of catenary aches (the shape of a hanging chain but upside down). It is a magical space, like being on the inside of snake with windows. I think it is one of the most, if not the most, beautiful space I've ever been in.