Creating picture books

Purpose
Create a picture book after a trip OR for a special event like milestone birthday

Service - Blurb.com
Experience - Created ~ 5 books with Blurb. 
Quality of book - Is very good.  
Tools to build - Free software is flexible but very slow (example, inserting a photo)
Cost - Good - $40-$100
Delivery time - 2 weeks (a little long)

Service - Aperture using Apple.com

Experience - Created ~ 2 books with Blurb.
Quality of book - Excellent
Tools to build - Fewer templates but interface is faster.  Requires a Mac and $75 Aperture software
Cost - High - $40-$150
Delivery time - 1 weeks (as expected)

 
Workflow
1. Use a tool to select photos to use
2. Find a way to sort the photos - Aperture used keywords
3. Create a book template in tool
4. Use Autoflow function to add all of the photos
5. Go back an modify captions, photo sizing
 
Tips
Doing selecting photos and page formats page by page can be agonizingly slow
 
Alternatives
CVS (tool and quality concerns), Lulu (tool concerns)

Home Weather station to send data to Weather Underground

Requirements
1. Weather station should be reasonably priced but of acceptable precision - met
2. Data wiring to weather station - prefer wireless - met
3. Power wiring to weather station - prefer none - met
4. Weather station should not be unsightly (like placed in middle of the yard) - well
5. Preference is not to have a computer running 24x7 - met
6. Data should be sent to the WeatherUnderground.com - met
7. If software required, should work on Windows or Mac - met, not required

Solution (bundled for about $460)
1. Davis 6250 Vantage Vue weather station with console/receiver ($395) 
2. Davis 6555 WeatherLink IP ($295)
3. home made mounting pole and base

Siting
Siting the station near trees or structures lowers wind measurement quality.    No location was available that met the tree guidelines.   The station is mounted on a 5 foot steel pole.

Installation
The console sits inside and is attached to an Ethernet cable and AC adapter.
Register the station on Weatherlink.com using the included ID and key.
Register a new weather station on WeatherUnderground.
Go back to Weatherlink.com and add the WeatherUnderground station ID and your account password to the Upload section of WeatherLink.
It takes about 15 minutes for the WeatherLink site to send data to WeatherUndergound.com.  
Follow a similar set of steps if you want data sent to Citizens Weather.

Note - The installation requires no software install even though the marketing materials suggest a Windows computer is needed.    An internet connect web browser is all that is required as the Weatherlink.com site actually sends the data to other sites.

The Weatherlink IP package does include Windows software to do local analysis but is not required.