366 Photos - 330 - Friday! (And Traveller's Joy!)

[byslantedlight]

I thought I was so sleepy last night, and then I couldn't sleep at all, so that I woke up all slow and unslept this morning (except that I obviously had slept, since I woke up, but you know what I mean!) So today started behind, and I knew I had a long-ish document and then another medium-sized one, adding up to more than the average bear for one day, and I'd rather stupidly booked a haircut today, cos I kept swiping hair out of my eyes yesterday and it really bugged me, and... ack! But actually, even though I only just finished work a wee while ago (and it's dot-on-midnight as I type this), things turned out okay... My long document turned out to be about dinosaurs - wheeee! And I got to my hair appointment on time.

And when I decided I'd have coffee and tiramisu slice because glump, my coffee came out looking like apple art. *g*

Then it turned out that they had a 3D printer demonstration at the library - and I've never seen one! They always seemed a bit magic - how do they do that?! - but actually they're sort of simple and make complete sense... *g* It doesn't look like a printer at all, mind - more like some piece of lab equipment. It was making snowflakes in the library, and you could have it make you one for just £1, which was fab - except that it took about forty minutes to make one, and my car park was due... but it was nearly finished one that no one else had asked for, so I watched it finish that one, and then paid me pound and brought it home with me. *g*

They did set it to making another one though, so I saw how it started too - and it was basically just selecting the right elements, just as you would on a printer. Only on this one you selected "snowflake". *g* So basically it's just using plastic from that big roll at the back, heating it up to melt it, and then spraying it out into the shape it's been told to make. It's the telling it that's the tricky bit of course - one of the shapes on display was a plastic orange about the same size as the snowflakes above, but inside it had four cogs/wheels that moved together perfectly - and the programme had told it how to do that, so that everything fitted and nothing got stuck! Ever so clever... *g* So that was fun. *g*

And then I headed home, and at about 3.30pm, this is what was going on in the sky... almost sunset!

And then, when I wandered down the track a bit looking for another view, I found these!

Ethereal little fairy-floss fluffs, all delicate pink with the sunset...

...and all curls and waves... I have no idea what they are, but I was rather taken with them!

ETA - it's Traveller's Joy (or Old Man's Beard), the seed-fluffs of the common clematis - thank you unbelievable2!

And then of course I had to come home and finish work, but actually that was okay too, cos I was looking out for Pros-y things at the same time, and all was good! And now it's le weekend! *g* This weekend there must be writing! And reading. Lots of reading. *sighs happily*

Comments

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

That was a long day for you! Especially after a slow start.

3D printing does seem rather amazing to me - I've seen some prosthetics made by this method which are so much more affordable than those made by the old method. It really opens up a whole world of practical uses.

I can't get over the "nearly sunset at 3.30pm" bit. Bad enough here when it sets at 5pm and I feel terribly deprived.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

It was kind of back-to-form unfortunately, doing most of my work later in the day. But it meant I had a nice three hours in the middle, so there was that! *g*

The 3D printing was fun to see, cos I could finally have the "oh-that's-how-it-works" moment! I gather the people up at the ISS used it to make a replacement part which they didn't have, which is properly useful and impressive, and I had no idea they were making prosthetics with it, which is also a good use! It'll be interesting to see how familiar it does become.

And hee - the sun does set early here in the winter. Oh - today it's apparently Sunrise 07:46, and Sunset 16:09. But then I guess we get lovely long summer nights which you guys don't have either, so it's that two-sided thing...! It feels cosy enough in November/December, but it starts to get a bit old after that.

[unbelievable2.livejournal.com]

Those are the seed-heads of the common clematis, aka "Traveller's Joy", or "Old Man's Beard". Little cream flowers in the summer. It's all over, especially hedgerows.
:)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ah, thank you! And Traveller's Joy - I like that! I've actually heard of Old Man's Beard too, but obviously never seen it (to identify). I don't particularly remember seeing the flowers in summer, but there's fluff all along this section of the road too, so I must have done!

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Someone at the K/S con made us all a Christmas ornament on a 3D printer. It really is amazing what they can do with them now.

I love the Old Man's Beards! So Delicate and otherworldly.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I'd never seen one before, and it was rather good having the magic made in to science. *g*

And science into magic too - the clematis puffs really are otherwordly!

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

Oh, how fab, a proper 3D printer demo - I've never seen one in the flesh, so to speak.

The pics are wonderful, too, thank you.

I hope you're having a nice calm weekend, to make up for squeezing so much into one day!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I'd never seen one until now either, not even pictures of one!

And thank you! I didn't feel like I was squeezing alot into Friday, except for working late - but compared to my usual dull days, I guess it was! *g*

[freetraveller15.livejournal.com]

I love the name "Traveller's Joy" :) and I'd never seen them before :)
Beautiful sunset light you've caught!
I've seen 3D printing 'at work', so to speak, actually today, at the new Design Museum, in London (Kensington High Street, right next to Holland Park); and once in the past, about two years ago, at the Milan Design Week where there was this demo in a workshop. "Printing" is probably a bit of a misleading word, though, as the object being created is not 'sitting' on a support/surface like paper for 2D printing... :)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Traveller's Joy>/i> is wonderful, isn't it - and just right, I think!

Right next to Holland Park (and presumably just around the corner from the Scarsdale *g*) seems like a cool place for a design museum - and how fab to see 3D printing there too! I guess it has to be a retranslation of "printing" though, because if it was sitting on a medium like paper it'd be less use to start with. I can see where they've come from with it, though!

[loxleyprince.livejournal.com]

That 3-d printer's fascinating! I've loved the technology since Verlaine used it in her BB story from last year. Really, really clever stuff.

Oh, pretty sunset! May I please grab the one of the Sunset with Tree and Tor, for future use in something arty and Pros-y? *looks hopeful*

The Traveller's Joy seed fluffs look wonderfully ethereal. Brava!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

The 3D printer was great - so interesting to actually be able to see how it worked, even if (presumably) on a fairly small scale.

And yes, do borrow the photos (credit would be nice if you do use them for a background - and of course a look at the pics you make! *g*)!