Tag Archives: insulation

Thinking and Invention

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I had some time to think today. Having changed blood testing days. and gone in earlier than usual,  I was surprised to find myself seventh in the queue. However, I used my time profitably and I’ve designed a new cycling suit for Tootlepedal. He had a fall from his bike recently and I think he needs some help from technology.

Basically, we are talking bubblewrap. You need something that is going to cushion a fall but not cause an unfortunate bounce, as rolling down a hill out of control is likely to do more damage than just falling flat on your face.

It will insulate him from cold and protect him from injury but will burst on impact without bouncing.

I have quite a lot of old bubblewrap put to one side, as I always think it will come in useful, so now all I need to do is ship it up to Scotland and get Mrs T to do the wrapping before she lets him out again.

I’m thinking that the ultimate development will be thermal bubblewrap underwear, and an appearance on Dragons’ Den. Hopefully I can persuade them to part with a large down payment and spend it on a Caribbean cruise before they catch up with me.

Next time I have a blood test to wait for I’m going to work on The Trolley Problem. It’s Number 6 on this list. I’m particularly keen on working out a solution to the part where they throw a fat man onto the tracks. It seems a touch unfair on the more portly amongst us (though I must obviously admit to a personal interest in the welfare of fat men).

However, it’s time for tea now. I made a fish pie last night, including dill, and I’m looking forward to eating it.  Philosophy is all very well, but fish pie is better.

Hectic Day

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It’s a windy day and the first thing we had to do on arrival was put chickens back in one of the coops where the top had blown off. One had managed to get 200 yards away. Then we had to drive the guinea fowl of of a neighbour’s garden where they had taken shelter from the wind – not everyone likes guinea fowl as much as I do.

They are currently hidden out of the wind somewhere in the trees behind the pizza oven. That’s not the best place for them because the trees are meant to conceal us from the man across the road who keeps complaining about the noise. Twenty guinea fowl calling and a howling wind will not be improving his day, or his thoughts about the farm.

After that it was time for a cup of tea, taken in a miserably cold centre. I suspect someone left the doors open this morning because thelights were on and the temperature was only 4 degrees higher than outside (14 degrees C compared to 10 outside). Normally you’d expect 18 – 20 degrees, which is a good temperature to work in. We used the boost, and the fan heater, but it took four hours to get up to 18 degrees.

The insulation is so good that although we have now had the extra heating off for three hours the temperature is holding, despite the outside temperature dropping. That is despite us opening the door around a dozen times – as long as you are quick about it there is no significant loss. In colder parts we’d have to have better arrangements but it’s OK for an English winter.

Strange as it sounds we were warmer in the barn wire-brushing an old fertiliser spreader we have been given. It’s going to make a grand centre-piece for the entrance. Current plans include flowers and a sheep sculpture. If you say it quickly it doesn’t seem difficult. If you say it slowly the flowers don’t sound difficult, but I’m not so sure about the sheep sculpture. We saw some great ones when we were in the Lake District in autumn, but most of them were inside. The only one I recall seeing outside was made by putting pieces of stone together, but we don’t have much stone round here. We have bricks and wood and willow.

I can’t see bricks being successful, though they do make a superb train in Darlington (admittedly one that doesn’t use many curves) and my attempts at a wooden reindeer were unimpressive so it looks like we will need to source some willow. On the other hand, I’ve just looked up “brick sculpture” and find myself thinking of LEGO…