The gods too are fond of a joke

Monday, 3. March 2008, 13:57:18

weather, Kilkenny, Ireland, winter

So said Aristotle

They must be as, after a couple weeks of spring-like weather, the following greeted me this morning.

hungry asked for a picture of the inside of my car, but the snow was too heavy

We had a flurry while I was getting those pictures ready, then the sun came out and started to melt things, now it's snowing again.

Gotta love the Irish weather.

In other news...

I'm in the middle of a two week mid-term break from college. No classes, but a couple of papers, a presentation, and a tricky-ish Java programming assignment due when I get back. I'll have to make a trip in tomorrow to get some books from the library. The weather should have improved by then.

Have my tickets to Vancouver booked. The travel agent found a direct flight, non-stop Dublin to Vancouver. Usually you have have to go through Heathrow, so this will make things easier. Got a good price too, which doesn't hurt.

And Finally

Came across this amazing machine in my wanderings on the web. Located in Russia, this "ship tram" piggybacks vessels over a dam.

Here are some interesting facts i’ve found about this boat lift:
it has 78 wheels and moves with a speed of 1 metre per second; the turntable is 106 metres in diameter with angle of 140 degrees; the level difference is 104 metres, full length - 1510 metres, on-ground part - 1180 m; carrying capacity - 8100 tons.

I've been tagged Batten Down the Hatches

Comments

You have a nice site and interesting photos and stories.
I especially like your banner and background!

By BitzyMe, # 3. March 2008, 15:49:42

Thanks

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 3. March 2008, 16:43:13

Eeek. THe snow. The snow....the snow!!

By hungryghost, # 3. March 2008, 19:05:20

I know I know I know

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 3. March 2008, 19:17:37

must be the all powerful sanshine again...you must have done something to annoy her

never mind, it's sleeting here right now

By hungryghost, # 3. March 2008, 22:40:09

Who, me?

The weather was mad all day. It snowed, then the sun was blazing and it started to melt. Then we had rain, which turned into snow, more sun, more snow, the only constant was the temperature - bloody freezing.

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 3. March 2008, 22:55:10

We were experiencing a balmy 40F today.. Absolutely Gorgeous!
Comfortable without a jacket.
Ohhhh btw .. in North Central Vermont (New England) USA
About 1.5 hrs. from Montreal.

By BitzyMe, # 4. March 2008, 00:45:40

Snow ... ahhhhhh ...

(I long for snow when it gets to 45 degrees (celcius)).

By clean, # 4. March 2008, 00:56:27

You like snow.. I got SNOW!

Vermont Winter
http://my.opera.com/BitzyMe/albums/show.dml?id=416182

Twilight Shots
http://my.opera.com/BitzyMe/albums/show.dml?id=483112

By BitzyMe, # 4. March 2008, 01:04:50

Ahh!

I'll bookmark that one to come back and look at on the next ridiculously hot day!

(That poor clydesdale must be so cold!

)

And those twilight ones are astonishing!

By clean, # 4. March 2008, 01:11:50

Thanks clean

Glad you enjoyed them

She seemed completely oblivious to it.
On the other hand, my fingers and toes were frozen from being out for about an hour. Someday I'm going to find a pair of gloves that allow me to work with my cameras.

By BitzyMe, # 4. March 2008, 01:58:30

Sleeting? Here? Not in West Van. You must've upset the Black Squirrel Goddess.

By sanshan, # 4. March 2008, 03:20:31

Loving your photos! snow can make you have a joyful winter, only if it's not so heavy.

By kiyoshi, # 4. March 2008, 07:03:17

Much nicer today. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the snow is melting. There's still a good bit up in the hills though.

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 4. March 2008, 11:34:43

we too have snow on the mountains - where it belongs. The black squirrel thingy is doing its thing properly finally....

By hungryghost, # 4. March 2008, 20:26:58

Normally though, all that would be green.

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 4. March 2008, 22:09:59

WHA? So much snow that you can't get IN your car?!

By galadriel, # 5. March 2008, 12:14:26

That is a lot of snow there

Do you enjoy?

I can see some beautiful hills in your new photo. Do you walk there sometimes?

By ALLY_G, # 5. March 2008, 16:58:52

Kim,

Yeah,

that sounds believable

Elke,

It's a lot of snow for Ireland, but not for Canada. Can't say that I enjoyed it. I must be getting soft.

I love the view from my front door. Sometime I do go walking up in the hills. I haven't been for a while though.

I should go soon.

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 5. March 2008, 19:23:29

When you lived in Canada, there wasn't snow or were you just too used to it then, MJ?

That boat-lift is amazing! I would have some trepidation walking under the bridge when a huge barge is being transported above!

People are so clever to build such things.

That list photo in your comments section is spectacular! You really live in the country.

Are there any standing stone near you?

By momable, # 5. March 2008, 20:42:32

Oh, there was snow. (And snow and snow and snow

)

You're not the only one to wonder if the supports were strong enough, it was in the comments of the page. I guess they know what they're doing.

I am in a good spot, far enough out to make it seem rural, but only a few minutes drive from town.

No stones, but there is a rath nearby.

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 5. March 2008, 22:48:45

I read all the comments about the boat transporter. I still would be hesitant!

You are so happy in Ireland!

Oh, those raths are called Indian Mounds here. Here in Indiana they are usually in shapes of snakes. How cool, the same kind of thing, two different continents!

By momable, # 6. March 2008, 03:49:21

You should go, when the snow is melted. I think you will find some first little signs of spring.

Btw: what's with your broken hand? Is it healed again?

By ALLY_G, # 6. March 2008, 07:01:08

Poor thing... Are u still covered with a blanket of snow...?

By sugarwinx, # 6. March 2008, 13:00:18

The snow is completely gone now. It never lasts more than a day or two. This bit hung on for a while longer that usual.

When I get some time I think I'll go up to the rath. I've never actually been there

And the hand is fine now, pretty much back to the way it was before.

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 6. March 2008, 14:11:06

By ALLY_G, # 6. March 2008, 16:26:15

What's a rath?

It's going to be 38 degrees, or 100 F here for the next 4 days

By galadriel, # 6. March 2008, 22:03:11

Hot

It's another name for a Ringfort.

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 6. March 2008, 22:23:04

Wow amazing machine indeed! 1 metre per second, it's quite fast for the weight it has to carry

By volkuro, # 7. March 2008, 04:01:47

I thought it sounded fast too, so I worked it out Louis. 1 m/s is 60 m/min or 3600 m/hr. So that's 3.6 km/h or roughly 2.2 mph. Which I think is about walking pace. Whcich doesn't sound that fast.

But then the NASA Crawler-Transporter only goes 1 mile an hour.

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 7. March 2008, 12:20:26

Oh, I actually saw the NASA Crawler-Transporter -- it is sooooooooooooo huge! It goes very, very slow. I would say it is less than one mile an hour.

By momable, # 9. March 2008, 04:15:06

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel
Have you seen this, doesn't lift ships of that size. But still a rather elegant solution to a similar problem

By sprogger, # 9. March 2008, 13:14:38

I saw the Nasa crawler too when I was about 10, Yes it's big!

Nice discovery Richard, a very stylish machine.

By volkuro, # 9. March 2008, 13:20:30

You're right Elly, I think 1 mile per hour is the top speed. It used to go 0.9 mph until they found that there was less vibration at 0.8 mph.

I saw a documentary about the Falkirk wheel. It is elegant, not only in looks. An engineer explained how the two arms are always balanced, even when only one side is carrying a boat.

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 9. March 2008, 16:52:00

All to do with the boats displacement of the same weight in water...or some such:D

By sprogger, # 9. March 2008, 16:55:44

Yep, but I still had to think about it before I understood exactly how it could work.

By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 9. March 2008, 17:05:07

Wow, that Falkirk wheel is something else.

By momable, # 9. March 2008, 23:37:48