This is kind of the payoff.
Productive day today, with some frustrations that I was able to overcome.
I got the secret to resetting the Kwikset lock from a lock-picking web site. Kwikset's helpline won't give it to you, but count on the hacker mentality to share valuable information. Our model wasn't listed on the page I found, but the procedure worked anyway. Factory reset achieved, new access code successfully installed.
The Ambient weather station is mounted on the shed instead of the garage. Too much overhang on the garage roof. Two trips to the lumber store for lag screws, first ones were too short. Used a satellite TV antenna mount. Lost one of the lock nuts getting it set up while on the ladder, but one should be adequate until I can get another nut.
Got two Aqara web cams installed and connected to HomeKit. Another exercise in frustration, and I couldn't tell you exactly how I did it, except to say it had little to do with what the instructions actually say. Took probably four times as long as it should have. And it's just another aggravation that one device defines what your whole network password can be. Had to change the password to omit certain characters for the cameras, which meant re-entering it on everything else.
This place has radiant heating in the slab, and an electric boiler of some kind. I read the manual and it's quite intimidating. It was long on installation instructions and short on actual operation. In the end, I just turned it on and hoped for the best. So far, nothing horrible has happened.
When we come up here for a longer stay, I'll try and get someone who installs these things to give me a tutorial on how to ensure it's working properly.
But the weather was gorgeous today, and Mitzi and I spent a couple of hours sitting on the porch just looking at the landscape. She's negotiated lawn mowing service with the seller's parents. A bit pricey, but it's two acres, so maybe it's reasonable.
I hope we can spend several months up here next year, from sometime in May to sometime in September.
Tomorrow's our last day. A few more preparations to complete. We're thinking of coming back up for Thanksgiving, but we've got two more trips coming up and we may be over traveling in November.
Originally posted at Nice Marmot 20:03 Tuesday, 10 September 2024