Retrieved the game camera pictures (finally). At least one bear hanging down by Mine Run, likely wonder where all the corn went.

The good folks at Brooke Farms started harvesting the corn here today. Got the drone out and made a little video.

Have always wanted some cameras up at the front gate and finally got the link setup and the cameras installed. I used two Ubiquiti Networks Nanobeam AC devices to provide either end of the barn/gate link, about 1/2 mile apart. Product information here: https://www.ui.com/airmax/nanobeam-ac-gen2/

The setup was incredibly simple, Ubiquiti provides a mobile app that allows you to basically configure one device as a typical WiFi access point and the other device as a client. You can change power, bandwidth, etc. Ubiquiti also provides a very helpful web page tool that allows you to place each device on a map and given the location and height they will tell you exactly which direction to point each unit and how many degrees to incline/decline. Below is a screenshot of that page for my link.

Once the antennas are installed you use the mobile app to fine tune the pointing. You can also use the app to test the speed between the two locations, below is the best I’ve gotten, but I believe once the corn is harvested this will be better as I think the Fresnel cone is hitting the top third of the corn at one point. If I had put the gate antenna on a pole about 10 feet higher I think I could have gotten closer to the theoretical bandwidth of 544Mbps. Below is a screenshot of the speed test from the app, 100Mbps is quite adequate for two cameras.

Finally, here are some shots of each end of the link and of the views from each of the cameras. Checking this morning my server hasn’t lost connection to either camera since I installed.

The hummingbirds really are going crazy over the wild dagga flowers Patty planted in the garden. Its really neat to see the insects and birds respond to all of the flowers in the garden.

First morning they could the guineas came out for about an hour and then went back in the coop.

Built the temporary guinea run today. The goal is to get them trained to go in and out of their hutch. Once they go in and out consistently I will remove the fence.

None have ventured out yet.

Emily likes to do ‘walkabouts’ down here, look what she came across. Haven’t seen a non-snapping turtle this big at the farm.

Moved the guineas into their permanent quarters in the barn after installing the automatic door and a roof over the opening. Quite an upgrade from their current brooder.

Plan is to setup a small fenced in area outside the door in a few weeks and try to get them to start going out in the morning and back in when it gets dark.

The big landscape/hardscape project has begun. Expecting a good month or even two months of disruption. New yard, sidewalks, driveway, plants and pool deck. Here are some before and after pictures from the first week.