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The Welsh Heron

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:13 am

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Just returned from a mini-break in Wales, staying at a friend's 100 acre sustainable pine forest. What an excellent few days! Walking the estate, (kilted most of the time), soaking up the beautiful rolling far reaching scenery high in the hills.




And of course time as well for playing some good old Celtic songs on the accordion...especially on my last evening, as we enjoyed the warmth of a roaring bonfire.

An excellent memento of my visit was a piece of wood found which highly resembled a heron. This now stands proudly (and snootily) beside my pond.


Last edited: Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:07 pm

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Sundial

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:52 am

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Laterally thinking, it needs the rain to be lashing relentlessly against the window to inspire, of all very unlikely things, a sundial.
I found a photo of a large sundial where the viewer becomes the 'bit' that sticks up to cast the shadow.

I was thinking previously of a more usual design, but as there is a ready made part circle of paving behind the pond, this could very easily become the scale of time - just requiring a shadow to fall across it.
The paving, as it happens, starts about where the shadow will hit in the morning (actual time not noted yet), and finishes well into the afternoon. So it won't provide a great proportion of time measurement, but enough to be able to read during the day for a rough time check(if the sun's out of course).
The question is, how will the increments of time be displayed on the path? It needs to be 'arty' I think.
I could use the narrow gaps between the pavers (currently grass) and inset something designy.
This won't tie in very well with actual hour increments - I would be extremely lucky for one slab to equal an hour. But there are nine gaps, so it might work.
Also my circle is much smaller than the one in the photo, so a human's shadow would be far too big to provide any accuracy.
A conventional pointer is therefore required in the centre. Perhaps something a bit Celtic looking - whatever that might be.
I shall have to swat up on how these things work, and at what angle the pointer projects. Unlike most other things, this IS rocket science.

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That's another job done.

Category: Miscellaneous | Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:19 am

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I'm delighted with the new pond edging effect of cobbles, which I think has worked a treat. I had to raise the ones by the path a little to maintain a less dangerous flooding situation, and after refilling the pond checked that the excess water run off was still under the patio slabs as before.
I like the almost flushness of the pond to the surrounding terrain, and as I shot it this morning there wasn't a whisper of a breeze about, so the water is like a perfect mirror.
There are no fish in the pond at the moment, and any change in the water's condition through the cementing will be left now to restabilise as it's gradually replaced with fresh rainwater (- heaven knows there's been enough of that lately!)
If I do eventually add some fish I'll need a heron deterrent too.


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