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

[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!