Welcome to my channel. I am retired and live on Mount Desert Island, Maine. I make videos about various aspects of life on the island. My topics include reviews of lobster rolls, sailing the waters around the island, the solitude of winter, dealing with the hordes of summer tourists, housing and the cost of living here and videos about the towns on the island. For example I go to Bar Harbor pretty much every month so you can watch my Bar Harbor videos and see the town on crowded summer days as well as quiet snowy winter days and everything in between My cat Blackie also sometimes agrees to star in a video. I hope you enjoy my channel.
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Thanks as always for taking us along, it's always nice to see what's going on.
My pleasure.
the upper deck restaurant formerly known as head of the harbor in the early 90's to early 2000's was owned by steven and alan hartling of newington connecticut then was sold out to gilley's and now known as the upper deck restaurant alan and steven hartling are my mom's brother's the restaurant started inside of a house that used to be across the street which was knocked down a few years ago when steven hartling passed away in early 2002 his brother alan took over along with anthony toce of berlin connecticut my parents maryellen and christopher toce of berlin connecticut i lived part time at 433 main street which is now the upper deck on top of the wash room with my uncles alan and steven hartling and along with my parents christopher and mary ellen toce it was a family owned and operated restaurant from the mid 80's to the earlier to mid 2000's i was first in southwest harbor at 2 months old july 6th 1991 my parents met in southwest harbor at the upper deck in 1988 steven and alan hired my fathers brother anthony toce to be the lobster cook
Thanks for the history. I ate there once or twice a year when it was the Head of the Harbor. Dysarts owns it now, but they lease it to someone who operates it. I haven't eaten there for quite a few years. It does have a great view.
@@todddunn945 I probably met you a couple times you ate there because I was there every summer from like the mid to late 90s to the early 2000s
@@championmoose Small world. It doesn't seem like that was 20 years ago. I remember enjoying the view.
Seawall looks nicely patched up. I was hoping you would take a video of 102A, and sure enough you did. Anyways thank you for the update as always. I will be there in a few weeks or so.
Yes they did a very good job repairing the road. I am happy to be able to show you.
Good day Sr. I just don't know what those settings mean. Float, absorption and bulk?
With reference to lead acid batteries. Bulk is the charging stage where the charger puts out maximum current into a significantly discharged battery. During bulk charging the battery voltage gradually increases as charging proceeds. Absorption is the charging stage that occurs after bulk charging has brought the battery up to is full charge voltage (typically about 14.3 volts for a 12 volt battery). When that happens the charger provides the current needed to hold the battery at the full charge voltage. As the absorption phase proceeds the charging current decreases until the "tail" current is reached. At that point charging current drops until if reaches a level needed to hold the battery at about 13.7 volts (float voltage). This final stage of battery charging is the "Float" stage. Float stage holds the battery at full charge and will last as long as the charger is connected to the battery and no current is drawn from the battery.
@@todddunn945 Thank you Sir. I guess my batteries were very low because I used my device for a little while and it died. Does it stop charging automaticaly?
@@1EQUALS-INFINITY It does turn off at night and the power will drop to a very low level when the batteries are fully charged.
@@todddunn945 Thank you Sir. I very much appreciate your time. God bless.
Thank you for sharing Todd I am going in for my knee replacement next month sept 2024 . Glad to hear you not much pain . God bless you with a speedy recovery from Scotland
Thank you. I hope your surgery and recovery go well.
Thank you for posting your knee replacement diary, I’m 65, and going to have knee replacement surgery in probably 2 to 3 months, having my left knee done first, and then my right knee, your videos are very informative and helpful, how many days after surgery where you able take a shower? Thank you again for posting this, I appreciate you doing this. hopefully I can go home the same day, I plan on watching the rest of your videos, thank you again.
I think it was about a week before I was able to shower. I still had a water proof bandage at that point. I am glad you found the videos interesting. I hoped that sharing my experience would help others know what they might experience. Do remember that the videos show my personal experience, not what you can expect.
All the best in resolving it.
Thanks, I tried a lidocaine patch today and it helped.
Some great upgrades.... Beautiful vessel!
Thanks. I try.
@@todddunn945 .....I was interested in these because I have an opportunity to pick one up out here near Seattle from a couple in their 80s who have decided it's time to retire from the water. Very well maintained over the years,. With a few upgrades too. Most of my sailing has been in Catalina's and in a friend's IP 40 over last several years. The Princess a few slips down from him is available and he thinks I should jump on it. Low 30s and if I can work out mooring for the next few months I think I will go for it.
Looked like a beautiful day for a ride. Thanks for taking us along. We're looking forward to going up there on September 7h for a few days.
I hope the weather is nicer. We are having a heat wave right now. It was over 80 yesterday and hit 82 today. Fortunately we were able to escape the deadly heat by taking the boat out. I hope you have a good trip.
Wow! They fixed the seawall road? I knew they'd fix it. 😊
Yes it is fixed, but the state didn't do it. Local contractors did and paid for the work.
@@todddunn945 that's just awesome!
@@nikkivenable73 They did a better job that the state has done in the past too.
Have you tried Salapas patches or their liquid 4% lidocane or even Biofrezze roll on. I find that any of those can help with discomfort for nerve pain. That way you can tell dr it doesn't or does help some or not at all. Then he knows lidocane patch rx is way to go.
P.s. Good luck
I haven't tried anything yet. I will look into the availability of over the counter lidocaine patches. Thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks.
I can understand the limit on cruise ship passengers, but the businesses in town do depend on them, how wiill this hurt business? townspeople must realize that the value of their properties, and the services they receive depend on a healthy business environment.
Cruise ship passengers do help the stores selling souvenirs and the companies that run tours of Acadia National Park, but they also absolutely jam the town with people. The Main business section of Bar Harbor is about 4-5 blocks long, so you can imagine what putting even 1,000 cruise ship passengers does to that area in terms of crowding. Also, even on days when Bar Harbor doesn't have a cruise ship in the town is packed with tourists. During the high season the island gets 50,000+ tourists a day and almost all of them visit Bar Harbor. The Bar Harbor village only has a year round population of 3500-4000 or so. Basically, the business community is healthy without the cruise ship passengers.
Wait, 50,000 tourists a day? 😮 Yeah, that's why I'm steering clear of BH until November when i have it all to myself.
@@todddunn945 not really Todd, that extra income they receive from the cruise ship passengers goes a long way ;in paying salaries and taxes. like I said I understand why the llimit. but likewise I understand have tourists. yest it is crowded. we go in october, the best reason is it is less crowded, we live in a country where one goes we all want to go. yet the business community needs to realize winter and spring and fall are great times to visit. but keep the business folks healthy. and the cruise ship passengers do eat also. I only hope the town is not sorry for this.
@@nikkivenable73 first place not 50,000 cruise ship passengers, you can also arrange to have cruise ships not spend the day, do half in the morning, half in the afternnon, 4 to 6 hours each. gives them time to shop, tour, etc. you all are not thinking.
@@williamthawley9251 no, I know that. I’m saying 50,000 ppl in total(all tourists). That many ppl crammed onto that tiny place blows my mind.
I mean the picnic area at seawall, thanks
The picnic area is fully open although the last time I was in there about two weeks ago they hadn't opened all the picnic tables. In other words, 40% or so of the picnic spots were not fully cleaned up and those tables were still where the storms put them.
@@todddunn945 thanks Todd, by the time we get there in october should be good.
@@williamthawley9251 Yes all should be well by then, plus nicer weather that we are having now. It went over 80 at the house today. Fortunately we were able to escape the heat by going out on the boat.
@@todddunn945 I would imagine sailing would much cooler, still you are cooler than us in the lehigh valley, in the 90s today, and tomorrow etc.
@@williamthawley9251 It is always cooler out on the ocean because the water temperature is only about 55F now. We went out about 8 miles, but turned back because the wind was dropping and my wife hates motoring. You have my sympathy for living in a place where it gets to 90+. I couldn't live in a place like that.
Todd, is the picnic are part of the park open? a friend of mine will be camping next week in bass harbor, sewall was filled up. thanks
All of the Park in the Seawall area is open.
You did something similar to what I did. I bought four 24 v 100 ah lithium batteries, but I had just bought four 31 series lead batteries, so I used them too. I used twelve of the lead acid batteries that used to be on my solar to my 600 watts wind generator.
When I set my system up 6 years ago I went with 8 grp 27 105 amp-hr 12 volt lead acid batteries because lithium was insanely expensive at that time. In January I bought 2 24v x 200 amp hour LiFePO4 batteries and ran them in a parallel, but separate system to the lead acid batteries. What just did was to get rid of the lead acid batteries and replace them with two more 24v 200amp-hour LiFePO4 batteries. As of today I have the LiFePO4 batteries in two separate banks. I have a switch on my solar output to select which bank to charge. I also have them set up to discharge separately.
Todd - I developed chronic pain in my right hip some time after my right TKR 14 years ago. A PT measured that leg to be ~3/8" longer than the left, recommended 3/8” lift pad in left shoe. In time the pain went away and hasn't returned. So you might try a PT rather than the surgeon.
I have been to PTs twice since finishing the initial post surgical session. What they did didn't change things. I am going to buy some new shoes in about two weeks the next time I go into the city.
I'm having a right knee replacement next week. Im in lots of pain. And a bit nervous about the surgery. I pray your knee gets better. And I really appreciate you sharing what you're going through after your surgery. The good and not so good.
Thanks, I am glad you find my videos helpful. I hope your surgery and recovery go well. In my case the surgery itself was not a big deal, at least for me. I had a spinal block and minimal sedation, so I felt completely normal right after I woke up. If you have the option I would go for a spinal with minimal sedation. If you check my KZread playlists you will find one with all my knee videos. The first one was just before they took me into surgery and the second one was about an hour after surgery. Those two videos will give you a good idea of how it went for me.
Have a great day.
I tried to, but it was too hot.
I hope you get a much “knee-ded” rest and recover. Godbless!
I hope the surgeon can do something.
Hopefully the surgeon can offer some insight on the continuing discomfort.
I hope so. If is nerve damage at least he can give me a prescription for pain patches.
Well great for you. But not reality for us all I'm still on pain medication. My pain is excruciating. I'm still on oxys and norcos. Physical therapy is excruciating. The nerves are waking up in my leg which makes it painful to sleep at night. And it's very uncomfortable during the day. This has been the most painful surgery. I had a spiral fracture 4 years ago in the same leg. They had to remove the titanium rod in order to do this surgery. That was done 3 months prior to the knee replacement. The impression you're giving it's going to be a walk in the park is unrealistic..😢 the reality everyone is different. But knee replacements hurt. I just thank God my doctor was young she listened to me that I would need medication after this surgery. I have had a lot of trouble with the anesthesia part. It took the anesthesia forever to get out of my body. I always fear surgeries. The nightmares coming off of this stuff is horrible. That's another thing I never hear people talk about. Maybe I'm just a rare few ?
I am sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time. It sounds like you had a much more complex case that I did. Mine was a straight forward total knee replacement. I have always had very strong legs, which I am sure was a factor in how my recovery went. Pain is also generally not an issue for me. I had abdominal surgery 6 years ago and still had most of the Oxy they gave me after that surgery(28 pills). In this video I was simply reporting how it went for me, NOT, I repeat NOT, what anyone else can expect. Personally, I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I recovered, but I did push very hard on the exercises and particularly on flexure.
Thanks for taking us along.
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
Very pleasent day out sailing, thanks for taking us along, really enjoyed it.
You are very welcome. Unfortunately the weather looks poor for the next week or so (rain and fog), so I won't be doing any sailing videos for a few days.
Good morning Todd Dunn, Congratulations you, enjoy the happiness of the very good life you are living. The dream of many people, including me. Let me admire your successes. Thank you for the videos you shared. Have a great day.
I am glad you enjoyed the video. My life now is the result of lots of hard work when I was young. Anyone can do it is they work at it.
It looked like it was decent weather for a sail, much better than here since it was 90 degrees again.
It was pretty hot on land Jeff. It hit 77 at the house, but once we were out on the water it was in the mid to lower 60s. Just right. Take care in that extreme heat.
As a fellow offgrid solar enthusiast with aging lead acid batteries in rural Australia, I've been keenly watching the battery revoution and the only concerns I have are safety related, cost and life time wise its a no brainer. While I realise Lithium Iron Phosphate type batteries are much safer than earlier ternary lithium types and there are sophisticated internal BMS, electronic systems do fail and frankly I'd be nervous about having even LiFePo batteries inside an attached part of the residence. There has been ample media coverage of electric scooter and car fires (eg Chevy Bolt) which could not be extinguished easily liberating huge clouds of toxic smoke, inside a cramped building space would be deadly. Maybe a a fire proof vented battery storage compartment say as part of an unattached workshop might be a good idea...just saying.
Those scooter and car fires all involve Lithium ion batteries not LiFePO4 batteries. I have had LiFePO4 batteries in my house for 19 months with zero issues and have been cycling them daily since early May of this year. They work flawlessly.
You have a nice system and with the new lipofe4 batteries 🔋 and more PV modules being maintenance free .Keeping it ole school and original is what’s being a prepper do . 😉Is that an original Schneider inverter ? Keep it up and running.🤙we survived Hurricane 🌀 Beryl in Houston Texas so Check out my DIY solar videos , hit like , leave a comment and subscribe.May the solar be with you .🤗
Yes, I like to keep it simple. My system is not grid tied so I can use it any time. Yes indeed that is a Schneider 4024 split phase output inverter. We are on a well so the 240 VAC was needed to be able to run the well during outages. As I mentioned with the solar and 20 Kwh of battery capacity we can run the house from about May through September and almost zero out the electric bill. The only thing not on the system is the clothes dryer. I will check out your channel.
You must not run an air conditioner?
I live on the coast of Maine. We have air conditioners in every room. They are called windows. We consider 80 F a really hot day. This summer we have had one day during which the temperature went to 81. I couldn't/wouldn't live in a place where air conditioning is required.
I ran mine for about three hours today. I usually run it when the sun is out, but it was some clouds and it was late when I turned it on today. Most of my panels were in the shade. My voltage is 25.5.at 3 a.m. Both my freezers are probably running. Yesterday morning, same time, was showing 26.1v. Fully charged is 26.6 v. My batteries will be ready by 9 a.m to run the air conditioner, if I need it. It's not a big deal if I need to run it longer. It's just a little 6000 btu unit. Uses 600 watts. That was my original goal for my off grid power system. To be able to tun the air conditioner, the freezer, and have enough to cook. I figured that would be enough power without costing a mini fortune. There are days when I don't have to run the A/C very long , so it's not changing things that much. One day I left it on from 11 in the morning until 8 p.m. that evening. The thermostat thing is broken so I have to switch the compressor off every hour or so. The batteries were a bit lower voltage , it took two days to get them fully charged back. But I ran the air conditioner , just for awhile then let the batteries charge. I've been running it every day, but if its cloudy, I may not run it as much. It sure was nice this afternoon to have one, and it doesn't cost anything to run it...😊🥶
@@todddunn945it was 95°here. Been turning mine on around noon
@@DavidPotter-k1d It is great that you can run your AC from the batteries and solar. We are in for another hot day today (about 80). The windows are already open, but there isn't much wind. We will spend the hot part of the day out on the boat sailing on the Atlantic ocean where it will be in the 60s. Thanks for the info.
@@DavidPotter-k1d Acckk! I would die if it went to 95. Fortunately we live next to the ocean which is still in the upper 50s, so that tends to keep us cooler.
I just wanted to say that's it's very exciting to hear that the road in Seawall is now open again!
Yes it is definitely nice to have the road open again. In fact I just drove back from Southwest Harbor via Seawall. Very pleasant.
That’s a great upgrade for the system.
I think so too. I have been very happy with the two LiFePO4 batteries I bought in January 2023. This doubles my battery bank and gives me a minimum of three days run time for the house in the dead of winter when our power consumption is highest. That assumes we get zero solar, which does happen when the solar panels are snow covered.
@@todddunn945 Always better to plan ahead.
@@naturescritter4691 I agree completely.
That's definitely a nice upgrade to the system! It's hard to believe it's been that long since you installed the system, i remember the videos well. I guess i've been watching alot longer than i thought.
Yes it has been a while.
Hey Todd, thanks for this video. I have a prostate biopsy scheduled in 3 days and this really helped me understand what to expect and allayed some of my fears! Having the lake in the background was a nice touch, much better setting than a home office! 😊
I am glad you found the video reassuring. From the response I have had to this video, the experience seems to be strongly related to the skill of your urologist. I hope it goes well for you and that the biopsies come back negative. By the way, that isn't a lake. It is the Atlantic ocean.
I'm scheduled for my knee replacement surgery in less than 2 weeks. Thank you so much for this valuable advice!
You are welcome. I hope your surgery goes well and that you have a quick and low pain recovery.
Well you were wrong. Felt like someone shot a bb gun in my rear 12 times. Very unpleasant!!!
Sorry to hear that. I believe I did say it depends on the skill of your urologist. It is was that painful, I would look for a new urologist. My biopsy, as I said, was pretty much pain free.
Congrats! But i think your accelerared recovery (ie after only 3 days: no pain/ 70degree bend, walking) very unusual. Usually you would be near the 4 week mark)
I didn't say no pain. What I had was manageable pain. My pain threshold is also very high. I have always had very sturdy legs so even after the surgery my leg was strong enough to stand on, plus I was able to fully straighten my leg immediately after surgery. Yes I did have a very good recovery. Finally, My video reports my experience, which very much surprised me, and is not in any way a statement of what anyone else could expect. I regret if it came across that way to you.
The lettuce is to prevent the bread from getting soggy.
Thanks for the pointer, although I think most lobster rolls don't last long enough to get soggy and only then if the mayonnaise is overdone.
That used to be McLeod Ice Cream Shop and trailer park run by Whitey and Jackie McLeod. It looked a lot different back then. The McLeods have passed away in Florida. They ran the Ice Cream Shop each summer and returned to Florida for the winter.
I think I remember when it was an ice cream shop, although I never stopped there. Thanks for the history.
Hello Todd, In one of your recent sailing videos you mentioned a B and B on Cranberry Island. When I was out snooping around the Duck Islands, I noticed a large home on the north end of Little Duck Island. Do you happen to know anything about that place? I had read an article saying that it was a B and B - they bring the guests in by boat with a week's supplies, drop them off and then pick them up a week later. But I never learned who the owner is or any further details. Quite the B and B adventure, however, with that whole island to roam for a week. Lots of history there.
The house on Great Duck Island has been a weekly rental for quite a while. Acadia Sailing had the contract to drop off and pick up the renters. I don't know if the house is being rented this year. Here is a web site I found for it: greatduckislandhouse.com/ Here is a link to the site for the old life saving station on Little Cranberry Island. Although it is not as much of an isolated adventure, it is a very cool place with the added amenities of Little Cranberry Island. There is only one house near it and there are lots of beaches to explore, plus you might even see me out sailing. Another plus is that it is much easier to get to/from.
@@todddunn945 We've only been gone two years and I've already got the Ducks switched around. I would have bet that it was on Little Duck. We have no intentions of renting the place, unless I hit the lottery, that is. There is the rumor of buried treasure possibly on the south end of Great Duck ... that would give us something to do when we aren't otherwise exploring the island. There is another KZreadr that we've been talking to. He is coming to Maine in October to see all the lighthouses possible. Currently he is on The Great Loop and seems like a very nice guy. His channel is Back Waters and Back Roads. Thanks for the info, Todd. By the way I had both of my knees done at once back in 2004. The left one is problematic lately do I might be doing it again. I'm 76 and not sure if I want to go through that again. Tom Rood ps. Regarding Gotts Island, have you read the book Gotts Island Maine, It's People 1880-1992 by Rita Kenway?
@@upanchor No I haven't read that book. What I know about Gott's Island is from chatting with people I know who own property there. Mostly Thurston Pettefrows and Gotts. I have only been to Gotts once. It is all private property except for the small public dock, so you need an invite.
@@todddunn945 I don't know if I told you but my wife and I had the mail contract to Gotts Island from 2011 until 2022. When I felt unsteady walking the docks out to our boat, we retired. So I am familiar with Gotts Island and most of the folks out there. It's a good and interesting book - there's been a fair amount of tragedy in the history out there and also some funny stories that there is much disagreement about among some of the residents who've been there for decades. They are quite a bunch!
Beautiful day for a sail! Looks peaceful. I heard the Seawall Road is gonna be fixed! I bet a lot of people will be happy about that!
I saw the news about the road being fixed yesterday. The state plans to make a repair next Spring. However, it sounds like the towns of Southwest Harbor is going to make a temporary repair soon. Yesterday they moved a piece of heavy equipment out there, so I expect them to start work maybe as soon as Monday. So the road may be open by the end of this coming week.
Really good explanation thanks ❤
You are very welcome.
I’m supposed to have both knees replaced (I’m 54). I’m trying to decide which type to have, traditional or robotic. Which type did you have? I know it’s been a while & you are fully recovered by now I’m eat your entire journey.🤩
I had a traditional surgery. I have zero experience with the robotic surgery. Sorry I can't be of more help.
These videos really clear up what the future will be like.. thanks.
You are welcome. Do remember that the videos show my experience. yours will certainly be different.Thanks for watching.
Still trying to tell me that #fiberglass_boats ARE NOT #inflatables 😑
I have no idea what you are talking about.
Looks like a nice area
It is pretty nice, but it could use some mountains. Needless to say I am from the west coast.
@@todddunn945 How did you end up in Maine then?
@@gailnovak2593 After grad school I went to where I was offered a job. That happened to be on the east coast.
@@gailnovak2593 From the perspective of staying on the west coast I made the tactical error of doing my Ph.D. in a narrow field. I ended up getting a job offer on the east coast, so I moved east. While working I bought a boat in Maine and kept it there so it made sense to move to where the boat was when I retired.
@@todddunn945 What did u get a doctorate in?
Thank you
Glad to be of assistance.
5th day for me if TKR. Thanks so much for sharing your story. Following you.
I am glad you found the video interesting. I hope your recovery goes well.
Thanks for taking us along, i hope that you enjoyed your evening aboard.
My pleasure Jeff.
It's good to see Blackie out for another adventure.
Blackie loves his walks. He is very much a stay at home cat except for his walks.
Looked like a great day out there.
It was definitely a good day out on the water. Thanks for watching.