Sunday, July 31, 2011

Summer Days at Lake Megunticook



Lake Megunticook became our preferred swimming lake this summer.  Fun to meet friends and neighbors there.  Having the grassy area and the sand reminds me of the KAM beaches in Hawaii, especially since we often bring the BZ board with us.  The kids and I take turns paddling around on it.  Makana and Li stand and attempt to ride the board toward the shore (I give it a large push).  Fun!




Extremem close ups....

Friday, July 29, 2011

Dress Up Play 7/29/2011

Super Girl Makana
Kanao likes dressing as Spiderman
Makana helps Kanoa roll up his pant legs so he doesn't trip.  What a nice big sister!

Soup Li and Makana made (with very little help from me) - they used mostly veggies grown in our garden and were very excited to make this soup!  It was delicious! 


Kana's many faces 7/29/2011 - Age 5

Monday, July 25, 2011

Kana and Kanoa - 7/24 - 7/25

Makana

See Kanoa running...blurry...but captures how fast he runs and moves....a busy two and a half year old!  And keeping up with him is helping to keep me fit!


Thursday, July 21, 2011

VSI installs smart meters in our neighborhood (without notification - this is against the PUC ruling of May 19)

VSI tried to install a smart meter at our house.  I declined and said I had already opted out.  Li asked if radiaton would come into our yard from our neighbor's smart meters.  Yes...and dirty electricity can come into our home too.  CMP wants no holes in their grid.


The kids and I went door to door notifying those who were home about CMP coming to our neighborhood today.  Until Kanoa pooped - then we headed home.  Met a new nice neighbor and was pleased that many of the people I spoke to or called did decide to opt out. 


This is what the new smart meter looks like.  Any smart meter - even the receive only / one way / no transmitting devices still have switching devices in them and therefore still emit radiofrequency.  And they still cause all of your hard wiring to emit radiofrequency.  Not a good idea.


The notes that got left on people's doors when the meters were switched out.  No one had a chance to say no if they  weren't home. 


Our analog meter

Close up of our analog meter

Below is my letter to the PUC complaining about what happenned (deleted phone numbers). 
-------------------------------

21 July 2011






Derek D. Davidson

Director of Consumer Assistance

ME Public Utilities Commission

18 State House Station

Augusta, ME 04333-0018



Dear Mr. Davidson:

This morning, a VSI employee (Mike Szweck?) came to my home to install a smart meter. I told him that I was aware that the PUC requires CMP to give residents 30 days advance notification and that I had not received any notification that he was coming. I said that I did not want a smart meter and should already be on the opt out list. He said that a lot of people had told him they did not receive notification. He asked if he could take a couple of pictures of my meter and I gave him permission to take the photographs. He checked a paper to see if I was on an opt out list and found that I was not on it. He made a call to see if he could list me as refusing a smart meter so no one would come back and try to install one at a later date. He found out that my meter number was listed under “closed meters.” He asked the person on the phone what “closed meters” meant and was told that meant that VSI can’t touch my meter and only CMP can. VSI employees should have had my information as being on the opt out list.

Are you aware of this “closed list?” Why aren’t VSI employees supplied copies of the closed list so that they don’t attempt to install a meter at those homes? It would have been extremely upsetting to me if I had not been home and had a smart meter put on my house when I had already gone through the channels to opt out.

I want to be sure that my analog meter is left in. If VSI doesn’t have me on an opt out list because I am only on a “closed list” and if the VSI employees don’t know this means not to touch my meter, then by accident I may end up with a smart meter. This is not fair to me since I have gone through the proper channels to ensure I keep my analog meter.

I would like the PUC to follow up on this as if it happened to me, it is likely to happen to someone else.

CMP needs to follow the PUC requirements of notifying customers 30 days prior to installation.

All VSI installers must have the opt out and closed lists and be aware not to replace any meter on either list. They also need to understand what both lists mean.

I would appreciate it if you would let me know how this is handled.



Sincerely,



Laurie Wolfrum

26 Good Wind Lane

Camden, ME 04843


alohabun@yahoo.com



cc: Elisa Boxer Cook

Richard.Davies@maine.gov (Public Advocate)

Derek.d.davidson@maine.gov (PUC email)

Senator Chris Rector

Camden Select Board





Sunday, July 17, 2011

Unschoolers Rock The Campground 3


Thursday 7/14/2011 - We arrived at 9pm and set up the tent by the car headlights.  First time camping as a family ever!  (As kids, Jim used to camp in a pop up and I had a couple experiences, some in tents and some in pop ups or cabins.  Neither of us camped as adults.)  Our family camping experience was great and we will definately invest in an air mattress so that we sleep better - and get a cook stove too!  A huge thank you to Erika Davis Pitre for lending us her extra cookstove and to Jules for helping us find our site in the pitch darkness! 


Friday 7/15/2011 -


Katie sees her friends!  Awww...

Kanoa and Kana having something to eat.

Our site.

Emily Hodsdon

Heading to the lake for a swim.


Relax and finish that quesadilla first.

Lakeside

Daddy and Li went out in the kayak.  Now Makana and I will go.

Makana and I exploring in the kayak.

Kanoa wanted to try it too.

View of beach from the docks.


George and Eileen Mahowald and Marla Briggs relaxing in the shade.

Li returning the paddles to the camp store.  He loved that store, esp the snacks!


View on path from store back down to lake/beach.

Swimming..


Kanoa and Wolfie

Kanoa

Charlotte, Meghan, and Laura Enos (right to left)

Shan Burton

Eileen Mahowald

Katie Wolfrum and Echo Goff

Our site again

ditto


Field where nerf gun wars, baseball, face painting, hula hooping, singing and campfires took place!

Katie and Laurie Wolfrum, Echo Goff
Saturday 7/18/2011 - York Zoo is a three hour ride for us.  There are two zoos about an hour away from the campground.  Murph, who lives in MA by the Cape, suggested we go to William Rogers Zoo in Providence, RI as he thought it was a nicer zoo than Franklin Zoo.  We took his advice and enjoyed it!  Unfortunately, we missed getting back for the 4pm Nerf War, but there were yet more battles to join in on throughout the early evening and the next day too!


Jim and I always notice this bug whenever we have passed by.  It is still there!  Had to photo of it as we refer to it sometimes...."Remember that giant bug...?"














I just LOVE this picture!!!





Sunday 7/17/2011 -



Waking up in the tent...



Leftover face paint!



Another sleepy soul....
Laundry hangin' out to dry


Makana or Li took this photo



Kanoa and I playing in the sand at the lake



Annie Fisher Kessler playing a watergun/seaweed game with Joshua and Makana in the water

The beach at the lake



Makana Wolfrum and Joshua Kessler



Alana Monlea, another happy swimmer



Li plays splash with Kanoa





Time for donuts....



Mmmmmm........donuts.......









Our campsite




Our campsite again..

All in all....can't wait to do it again next year!!!  :)  With air mattresses!!