#13 - "Hydrant Cover"

#14 was gunpowder! Well done Elaine, Milt, Mike, Peyton, and Joani!

"Hydrant Cover"

I can't tell you how many times I heard judges, presenters, and workshop instructors remind me to look behind, look up, and even look down! As I was meandering my way through the sub-basement of the Boston Waterworks Museum, I noticed the covering under which housed a hydrant. 

Have you ever appreciated the craftsmanship of older generations? A simple plate would have served the purpose! But someone thought not only to have the company and the object under it on this cover but also finished it with a balanced design! Kind of reminded me of the details on our vehicles from the past - chrome, decals, emblems, etc. - the work of many was readily seen all over these automobiles. 


Greatest Inventions of All Time!
Recently I came across an article about the greatest inventions as determined by a large group of scientists, philosophers, educators, and other professions. Their task was to create a list of "the Greatest Inventions of All Time." Conveniently, the final list numbered fifty! so, I'm starting with #50 and working my way down to Numero Uno in December.

Fear not as I will offer you some hints as to what the invention was.

#13

“Discovering how to make cold would change the way we eat - and live - almost as profoundly as discovering how to cook.” 

History behind #13: The seasonal harvesting of snow and ice is an ancient practice estimated to have begun earlier than 1000 B.C. However, little is known about the construction of these ice cellars or what the ice was used for. 

The next ancient society to harvest ice may have been the Jews according to the book of Proverbs, which reads, “As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them who sent him.” Historians have interpreted this to mean that the Jews used ice to cool beverages rather than to preserve food. 

Other ancient cultures such as the Greeks and the Romans dug large snow pits insulated with grass, chaff, or branches of trees. 

In the Australian outback before a reliable electricity supply was available where the weather could be hot and dry, many farmers used a “Coolgardie safe". This consisted of a room with hessian "curtains" hanging from the ceiling soaked in water. The water would evaporate and thereby cool the hessian curtains and thereby the air circulating in the room. This would allow many perishables such as fruit, butter, and cured meats to be kept that would normally spoil in the heat.

Murphy's Laws

Kafka's Law. . .

In the fight between you and the world, 

back the world.

Leaving You with a Laugh, I Hope. . .

"Best of Friends"