That blows!

Doing some work on our furnace, I had the opportunity to take a picture of the blower.1Yeah, I know–it’s dirty. That’s why I removed it. And, thanks to this work, I now have a much better understanding of the sensors, switches, blowers, and valves, and how they all interact. So cool!

I’m looking forward to spring when I get to do the same sort of maintenance on the air conditioner.

  • 1
    Yeah, I know–it’s dirty. That’s why I removed it.

United States Flag SVG Image

Feeling patriotic during the election count, I decided to handcraft an SVG of the United States flag. How hard could it be? Red background, white stripes, blue canton, and white stars. Wikipedia lists the specifications.

Creating the stars was a challenge, but I used a spreadsheet to calculate the vertices’ coordinates, which I then cut and pasted into an SVG path. From there, it was creating the backgrounds and placing the stars. Easy peasy.

Here’s the image and its brute force code:

US Flag
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 190 100">
  <symbol id="star" width="6.477" height="6.477" viewBox="-3.2385 -3.2385 6.477 6.477">
    <path fill="#fff" stroke-width="0" d="M0.000 -3.080, 0.691 -0.952, 2.929 -0.952, 1.119 0.364, 1.810 2.492, 0.000 1.176, -1.810 2.492, -1.119 0.364, -2.929 -0.952, -0.691 -0.952, 0.000 -3.080" />
  </symbol>

  <rect width="190" height="100" fill="#C1133D" />

  <rect y="7.69" width="190" height="7.69" fill="#fff" />
  <rect y="23.07" width="190" height="7.69" fill="#fff" />
  <rect y="38.45" width="190" height="7.69" fill="#fff" />
  <rect y="53.83" width="190" height="7.69" fill="#fff" />
  <rect y="69.21" width="190" height="7.69" fill="#fff" />
  <rect y="84.59" width="190" height="7.69" fill="#fff" />

  <rect width="76" height="53.85" fill="#002663" />

  <use href="#star" x="3.0915" y="2.1415" />
  <use href="#star" x="15.7515" y="2.1415" />
  <use href="#star" x="28.4115" y="2.1415" />
  <use href="#star" x="41.0715" y="2.1415" />
  <use href="#star" x="53.7315" y="2.1415" />
  <use href="#star" x="66.3915" y="2.1415" />

  <use href="#star" x="9.4215" y="7.5215" />
  <use href="#star" x="22.0815" y="7.5215" />
  <use href="#star" x="34.7415" y="7.5215" />
  <use href="#star" x="47.4015" y="7.5215" />
  <use href="#star" x="60.0615" y="7.5215" />

  <use href="#star" x="3.0915" y="12.9015" />
  <use href="#star" x="15.7515" y="12.9015" />
  <use href="#star" x="28.4115" y="12.9015" />
  <use href="#star" x="41.0715" y="12.9015" />
  <use href="#star" x="53.7315" y="12.9015" />
  <use href="#star" x="66.3915" y="12.9015" />

  <use href="#star" x="9.4215" y="18.2815" />
  <use href="#star" x="22.0815" y="18.2815" />
  <use href="#star" x="34.7415" y="18.2815" />
  <use href="#star" x="47.4015" y="18.2815" />
  <use href="#star" x="60.0615" y="18.2815" />

  <use href="#star" x="3.0915" y="23.6615" />
  <use href="#star" x="15.7515" y="23.6615" />
  <use href="#star" x="28.4115" y="23.6615" />
  <use href="#star" x="41.0715" y="23.6615" />
  <use href="#star" x="53.7315" y="23.6615" />
  <use href="#star" x="66.3915" y="23.6615" />

  <use href="#star" x="9.4215" y="29.0415" />
  <use href="#star" x="22.0815" y="29.0415" />
  <use href="#star" x="34.7415" y="29.0415" />
  <use href="#star" x="47.4015" y="29.0415" />
  <use href="#star" x="60.0615" y="29.0415" />

  <use href="#star" x="3.0915" y="34.4215" />
  <use href="#star" x="15.7515" y="34.4215" />
  <use href="#star" x="28.4115" y="34.4215" />
  <use href="#star" x="41.0715" y="34.4215" />
  <use href="#star" x="53.7315" y="34.4215" />
  <use href="#star" x="66.3915" y="34.4215" />

  <use href="#star" x="9.4215" y="39.8015" />
  <use href="#star" x="22.0815" y="39.8015" />
  <use href="#star" x="34.7415" y="39.8015" />
  <use href="#star" x="47.4015" y="39.8015" />
  <use href="#star" x="60.0615" y="39.8015" />

  <use href="#star" x="3.0915" y="45.1815" />
  <use href="#star" x="15.7515" y="45.1815" />
  <use href="#star" x="28.4115" y="45.1815" />
  <use href="#star" x="41.0715" y="45.1815" />
  <use href="#star" x="53.7315" y="45.1815" />
  <use href="#star" x="66.3915" y="45.1815" />
</svg>

Then it was time to optimize.

  • Correct the size of the stars
  • Better, more realistic, colors
  • Use of g and use to decrease file size

Here’s the resulting image and its code:

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 190 100">
  <symbol id="star" width="6.477" height="6.477">
    <path fill="#e3ded4" d="M3.2385 0.1585, 3.9300 2.2867, 6.1678 2.2867, 4.3574 3.6020, 5.0489 5.7303, 3.2385 4.4150, 1.4281 5.7303, 2.1196 3.6020, 0.3092 2.2867, 2.5470 2.2867" />
  </symbol>

  <rect width="190" height="100" fill="#9b1c2c" />

  <g id="two_white_stripes">
    <rect id="white_stripe" y="7.6923" width="190" height="7.6923" fill="#e3ded4" />
    <use href="#white_stripe" y="15.3846" />
  </g>
  <use href="#two_white_stripes" y="30.7692" />
  <use href="#two_white_stripes" y="61.5384" />

  <rect width="76" height="53.8461" fill="#33335f" />

  <g id="four_rows">
    <g id="two_rows">
      <g id="long_row">
        <g id="five_stars">
          <g id="two_stars">
            <use id="first_row_star" href="#star" x="3.0915" y="2.1415" />
            <use href="#first_row_star" x="12.66" />
          </g>
          <use href="#two_stars" x="25.32" />
          <use href="#first_row_star" x="50.64" />
        </g>
        <use href="#first_row_star" x="63.3" />
      </g>
      <use href="#five_stars" x="6.33" y="5.38" />
    </g>
    <use href="#two_rows" y="10.76" />
  </g>
  <use href="#four_rows" y="21.52" />
  <use href="#long_row" y="43.04" />
</svg>

Finally, judicious use of SVGOMG to:

  • Eliminate whitespace
  • Convert shapes to paths
  • Decrease unnecessary precision
  • Shorten ID names
  • A bunch of other stuff

Seriously, if you’re into optimizing SVGs and you’re not using something like SVGOMG, you’re working too hard.

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 190 100"><symbol id="c" width="6.48" height="6.48"><path fill="#e3ded4" d="M3.24.16l.69 2.13h2.24L4.36 3.6l.69 2.13-1.81-1.32-1.81 1.32.69-2.13L.31 2.3h2.24"/></symbol><path fill="#9b1c2c" d="M0 0h190v100H0z"/><g id="b"><path id="a" fill="#e3ded4" d="M0 7.69h190v7.69H0z"/><use href="#a" y="15.38"/></g><use href="#b" y="30.77"/><use href="#b" y="61.54"/><path fill="#33335f" d="M0 0h76v53.84H0z"/><g id="h"><g id="g"><g id="i"><g id="f"><g id="e"><use id="d" href="#c" x="3.09" y="2.14"/><use href="#d" x="12.66"/></g><use href="#e" x="25.32"/><use href="#d" x="50.64"/></g><use href="#d" x="63.3"/></g><use href="#f" x="6.33" y="5.38"/></g><use href="#g" y="10.76"/></g><use href="#h" y="21.52"/><use href="#i" y="43.04"/></svg>

Only 783 bytes! Not bad, considering my first version is 3.08k.

Feel free to download and use without limitations.

Update. Code is never done, and this is no exception. Looking at another flag’s SVG code, I realized that I could eliminate the decimal point with appropriate scaling.

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 19000 10000">
  <symbol id="star" width="648" height="648">
    <path fill="#e3ded4" d="M324 16, 393 229, 617 229, 436 360, 505 573, 324 442, 143 573, 212 360, 31 229, 255 229" />
  </symbol>
  <rect width="19000" height="10000" fill="#9b1c2c" />
  <g id="two_white_stripes">
    <rect id="white_stripe" y="769" width="19000" height="769" fill="#e3ded4" />
    <use href="#white_stripe" y="1538" />
  </g>
  <use href="#two_white_stripes" y="3077" />
  <use href="#two_white_stripes" y="6154" />
  <rect width="7600" height="5384" fill="#33335f" />
  <g id="four_rows">
    <g id="two_rows">
      <g id="long_row">
        <g id="five_stars">
          <g id="two_stars">
            <use id="first_row_star" href="#star" x="309" y="214" />
            <use href="#first_row_star" x="1266" />
          </g>
          <use href="#two_stars" x="2532" />
          <use href="#first_row_star" x="5064" />
        </g>
        <use href="#first_row_star" x="6330" />
      </g>
      <use href="#five_stars" x="633" y="538" />
    </g>
    <use href="#two_rows" y="1076" />
  </g>
  <use href="#four_rows" y="2152" />
  <use href="#long_row" y="4304" />
</svg>

The resulting SVGOMG-optimized code is 738 bytes small!

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 19000 10000"><symbol id="c"><path fill="#e3ded4" d="M324 16l69 213h224L436 360l69 213-181-131-181 131 69-213L31 229h224"/></symbol><path fill="#9b1c2c" d="M0 0h19000v10000H0z"/><g id="b"><path id="a" fill="#e3ded4" d="M0 769h19000v769H0z"/><use href="#a" y="1538"/></g><use href="#b" y="3077"/><use href="#b" y="6154"/><path fill="#33335f" d="M0 0h7600v5384H0z"/><g id="h"><g id="g"><g id="i"><g id="f"><g id="e"><use id="d" href="#c" x="309" y="214"/><use href="#d" x="1266"/></g><use href="#e" x="2532"/><use href="#d" x="5064"/></g><use href="#d" x="6330"/></g><use href="#f" x="633" y="538"/></g><use href="#g" y="1076"/></g><use href="#h" y="2152"/><use href="#i" y="4304"/></svg>

Wildwood Trail hike with Gilligan

Gilligan on the Barbara Walker Crossing
Gilligan relaxing at home
Wildwood trail map

This morning, Gilligan and I hiked the Wildwood Trail with Rich and Bowie. We started at the Vietnam Memorial and hiked to the Barbara Walker Crossing over W. Burnside Road, where we took a few pictures. Then we turned around and headed back.

Since we’ve been home, Gilligan has been very relaxed. It’s a good day!

Wingspan Center

Headed home in the morning, I stopped by the new Wingspan Event and Conference Center.

Summertime mowing

One of my summertime joys is mowing my backyard. As optimizing processes is what I do, I’ve figured out the proper order for mowing. Actually, depending on the season and thus soil moisture saturation, final desired pattern, existing lawn length, bag vs. mulch, etc., I’ve figured out the various preferred orders for mowing my backyard.

With today’s mowing, near the end of the growing season,1With the summer equinox in late September, this is no longer summertime mowing, but fall mowing. mulching seemed right. As the lawn was nine days long, a double pass with side discharge the first pass was going to be necessary. And as the soil was not too dry or wet, I didn’t need to worry about the Oregon wetness that can make the left side too muddy for multiple passes.

A podcast through sound-canceling headphones made the time fly amidst the blades. And 5,522 steps later, the lawn was mowed and the mower cleaned and put away.

Gilligan reckoned it the perfect time for toss.2As humans call the game “fetch” it only makes sense that dogs would call it “toss.” Smart doggie!

  • 1
    With the summer equinox in late September, this is no longer summertime mowing, but fall mowing.
  • 2
    As humans call the game “fetch” it only makes sense that dogs would call it “toss.”

Jamison’s first day of school 2020

One last time, Jamison posed for our traditional first day of school. And because I’m not there to have taken it myself, he emailed it to me.

Well done, Jamison! We’re so proud of you.