What do you need to be prepared for winter weather and emergencies?
What do you need to be prepared for winter?
Winter is often one of the most disruptive times of the year. Weather begins to worsen, and temperatures begin to drop, which can lead to a wide range of issues for many people, especially for those who aren't fully ready and prepared.
Ensuring you're as ready as you can be for whatever winter brings your way is important so that you can stay safe and comfortable until it passes and things settle down. With that in mind, what do you need to be thoroughly prepared for winter?
The winter period often brings with it harsher weather conditions that you should be ready for. A big part of being ready will be how well prepared your home is if the weather takes a turn for the worse and temperatures begin to plummet.
For example, one of the main things you should do is to check the insulation of your water pipes. Without insulation, prolonged colder temperatures could freeze up the pipes.
At a minimum, this will cut off your access to clean, safe tap water until they thaw. However, there's also a risk these frozen pipes could burst, which could lead to flooding and water damage.
Staying warm during the winter months is vital. This is why it's also useful to inspect your home and look for any ways you can lock heat in while keeping the cold out.
Changes like this will help ensure you can stay warm through the colder periods. It can also be helpful to consider small, portable gas heaters in the case of a power cut.
In some cases, you might find yourself stuck on the roads. It might be that you're evacuating to more suitable accommodation, such as a relative's house, due to unexpected damage to your own home. It might be that you're driving to stock up on further emergency supplies.
Whatever reason you have for being on the road, it can be hard to predict what might happen during the journey. The weather might take a sudden turn for the worse and cause severe traffic backlogs, or an accident might happen that's linked to the hazardous driving conditions.
This is why it's so important to ensure you're also prepared during the times where you're on the move. You can't be sure if you'll be waylaid, nor how long you'll be waylaid for.
Having an emergency kit like this prepared means that you'll be better able to manage and see through any unexpected disruption safely while travelling.
Some areas of the country can be more at risk than others during the winter. For example, if you live in a more isolated area, you might want to consider that it'll be harder for aid to reach you in the event of an emergency, disaster, or injury.
You might live out in the countryside, or you might live on an island off the coast. In situations like this, you should think about how effectively you'll be able to manage the colder, more extreme weather.
If you're in a situation like this, it can be worth making sure you've got more than you strictly need in your emergency prep. Stock up on extra food, water and fuel than you usually would, and you'll be better prepared for the weather suddenly turning worse.
This can be especially helpful if you can't leave to get additional supplies or aid. Harsh weather might make roads unsafe, or turbulent weather cuts off access to ferries and bridges back to the mainland.
Winter weather can turn on a moment's notice, and it's difficult to predict exactly how much disruption it can cause across the country when it does. Making sure you take the time to thoroughly prepare yourself and your home for the colder periods means you'll be able to see through any disruption as safely as you can.
With a wide range of meals and ingredients to choose from, we're sure to provide you with exactly what you need to see through winter more comfortably.
To find out more about our range of freeze-dried survival foods, take a look at our meals page or contact us to speak to a member of our team.


Howdy readers! Welcome to our new troubleshooting page designed to address various problems affecting any of the latest Samsung Galaxy devices available in the market. In this page, you will see a list of device issues and errors encountered by owners while using their brand new Galaxy smartphones including the Galaxy Note 7, Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, as well as the latest Galaxy tablets.
We would do our best to keep this page updated with new contents containing potential solutions to a specific device issue. You may consider this as a free reference should you be willing to try to fix errors or resolve certain issues you may encounter while using any of these new Samsung Galaxy devices.
Again, we will do our best to update this page regularly so as to uphold our commitment of providing significant and useful contents to our online readers. Keep posted.


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Home > Home & Garden > Light Bulbs > Light Bulbs Sources
Light Bulbs : Ratings of Sources
By: Amy Livingston on October 20, 2016
Best Light Bulbs
LED Light Bulbs Our Sources
Light Bulbs: Ratings of Sources
1. TheSweethome.com
Casey Johnston, Sept. 15, 2016
After hours of researching bulbs and speaking with experts, reviewers at TheSweethome.com test 18 top-rated bulbs in an alcove with a light meter and a dimmer switch. They evaluated each bulb's brightness on the highest and lowest settings and checked to see if the numbers changed after five minutes. They also tested for light distribution and listened for humming or buzzing noises. Nearly every bulb was acceptable, so their recommendations depend largely on price.
2. Consumer Reports
Editors of ConsumerReports.org, September 2016
ConsumerReports.org subjects 74 light bulbs, including standard, floodlight and specialty (chandelier) CFL and LEDs to "life testing." The process includes cycling them on and off repeatedly after 3,000 hours in the "on" position. Editors measure how well each bulb holds up and compare that to its claimed lifespan. They also measure brightness, efficiency, light distribution, light color, and the time it takes each bulb to reach full brightness after being switched on.
3. CNET
Ry Crist, July 22, 2016
CNET names its favorite LED bulbs for different uses, such as floodlights and enclosed fixtures, and different features, such as color accuracy and smart technology. There's a brief one-sentence write-up for each bulb here, followed by a link to a full-length review that evaluates design, performance, and value. CNET editors test each bulb and analyze its efficiency, light quality, light distribution, and tendency to buzz or hum.
4. Digital Trends
Nick Hastings, June 19, 2016
Digital Trends recommends the best LED bulbs for specific uses. The choices range from an all-purpose white light that costs around $5 per bulb to a $38 color-changing smart bulb that can be controlled via Bluetooth. However, it's not clear whether Hastings has actually tested the bulbs or is just recommending them based on their specs.
5. Home Depot
Contributors to HomeDepot.com, As of October 2016
LED bulbs are the most popular type at HomeDepot.com. There are more than 1,750 listings for this type of bulb, and several models earn strong reviews from 100 users or more. Bulbs from Philips, GE, Cree, and TCP all earn good user reviews. Some CFL bulbs get good ratings, too, but that's generally based on much less feedback.
6. Walmart
Contributors to Walmart.com, As of October 2016
Walmart.com offers light bulbs in every category: LED, CFL, halogen, and smart bulbs. However, most of its products don't receive much feedback from users. This site is useful mainly for finding reviews of LED bulbs from Walmart's house brand, Great Value.
Contributors to Amazon.com, As of October 2016
There are hundreds of thousands of listings for light bulbs at Amazon.com, including CFL, incandescent, halogen and LED bulbs. Several bulbs have hundreds or even thousands of reviews, but many of them are unusual brands that aren't widely sold in stores and aren't covered in any professional reviews. So rather than look to Amazon for recommendations, we've used this site to find feedback for bulbs that are well-rated elsewhere.
8. Lowe's
Contributors to Lowes.com, As of October 2016
Like most sites, Lowes.com has more user reviews for LED bulbs than for any other type. However, even in this category, few bulbs receive more than a handful of reviews. The only bulb to earn at least 4 stars out of 5 overall from more than 100 users is from Utilitech, a brand sold exclusively at Lowe's.
Light Bulbs buying guide
What every best Light Bulbs has:
Adequate light output.
Low energy use.
Good light quality.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


***Great opportunity*** 10 acre lot just minutes away from town. The lot is level and ready for building plans and horses are welcome. For a private showing, contact Tanner Myrick - The Beevers Real Estate Team @ 307-251-6993 or visit Tannermyrick.com.


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"In 1492 columbus sailed the ocean blue."
Above: Discovery of America, May 12, 1492. Christopher Columbus. Jacob, P. L. Moeurs, usages et costumes au Moyen Âge et a l'époque de la Renaissance. New York : Frederick Ungar, 1874.
But Christopher Columbus was no solitary visionary. His project rested upon a long medieval tradition of exploration. He sailed caravels and a carrack, vessels that capable of sailing the Atlantic because they combined the best features of northern European cargo ships with the refinements of Mediterranean construction. He knew there was someplace to sail to because he was well read in ancient and medieval geographical and travel literature (contrary to "flat earth" misinformation introduced by Washington Irving in his 1828 Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus, Columbus's contemporaries all recognized, as the ancients had, that the world was round). He knew that well organized expeditions might find gold and other treasures because, from 1415 on, the Portuguese had been systematically expanding their presence in Africa and undertaking voyages of discovery geared toward its circumnavigation, a project that would culminate in Bartolomeu Dias rounding the southern tip in 1488 and in Vasco da Gama's successful voyage on to India in 1498.
Piety as well as profit impelled Columbus. His goal was the wealthy East Asia described by Marco Polo and other medieval adventurers, and in his contract negotiations he took care to itemize what ought to be his personal profits and rewards. But, as a letter he wrote in 1500 reveals, he came to see his mission in cosmic and apocalyptic terms: "Of the new heaven and earth which our Lord made, as St. John was writing in the Apocalypse, after what was spoken in the mouth of Isaiah, he made me the messenger and showed me where it lay."
Columbus's sponsors, Ferdinand and Isabella, were crusading rulers who in 1492 had just conquered Spain's last Muslim territory. They also were devoted to piety and profit. Theologians had agreed that Christianity could not be advanced by force. But free evangelization was nearly impossible when facing Muslims who executed those Christians who stubbornly persisted in attempting to convert them. As a result, crusading theorists developed the idea that armed force, although insufficient and ill-suited to secure any sort of sincere interior conversion to Christianity, could help "level the playing field" by providing the military security that would allow missionaries to preach. The result was a "one-two punch" of conquistadores and padres, men who could advance the kingdom of God on earth, and, not coincidentally, the Kingdom of Spain.
It was soon recognized that Columbus had found a "New World," not the outlying lands of Asia. In 1522 the final proof came from the circumnavigation of the globe by Ferdinand Magellan's expedition (or at least by the one of his five ships that actually managed to complete the voyage). Galleons systematically brought European soldiers, missionaries, and colonists, first to bases in the Caribbean islands and then to the mainland. Map makers sketched the new shores. And expeditions marched into the interior, looking for treasure and for people to evangelize. Within a couple of generations of Columbus's first voyage, European explorers had surveyed an amazing amount of the Western hemisphere. In 1541, with the expedition of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, they would even venture onto the High Plains of Texas.
The Age of Expedition -- Expedition -- Coronado -- Flora and fauna
Free, guided tours of the exhibit are available by calling (806) 742-8675
or by emailing the webmaster.


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HomeapiaryManuka Honey
New Zealand Visitor December 28, 2020
Methylglyoxal | Leptosperin | Dihydroxyacetone | Unique | Why Buy?
Manuka honey is a uniquely New Zealand product that is associated with health, healing and rich, delicious, natural sweetness. But what exactly is manuka?
Manuka honey from New Zealand
The Manuka Tree
Manuka ("ma-NOO-kah") (Leptospermum scoparium) is a tough scrub tree, i.e., one whose branches start from ground level, that flourishes even in poor soil. It is usually the first tree to grow on cleared land, and acts as a cover for other species to grow under. Its small, pink-white flowers grow in clusters and resemble cherry blossom.
While New Zealand is now the main habitat of manuka, it actually seems to have evolved in Australia, and can still be found in Australia's south-east. It is theorized that manuka evolved in the arid climate of Australia and, sometime in the last 20 million years, was carried over the Tasman Sea to New Zealand on winds. Manuka still prefers dry conditions, so is found more on the sunnier east coast of New Zealand than the west coast.
Manuka is also known as "tea tree" in New Zealand, because Captain Cook (1728-79) and his crew used the leaves to make an infusion. There can be no doubt that local Maori taught Cook the value of the manuka as a tonic. Besides using manuka extensively for its tough wood, the Maori also used it for its oils. They would drink an infusion made from manuka leaves to reduce fever and apply the gum of the tree to burns.
Manuka trees in the New Zealand forest
Although New Zealand has 28 species of native bee, none of them produce honey. So, it was only when honeybees were introduced to New Zealand, in 1839, via Australia, that manuka honey came into being.
Manuka honey is claimed to have health-giving properties, just like manuka oil. The three substances most closely associated with manuka honey are methylglyoxal, leptosperin, and dihydroxyacetone.
Methylglyoxal (MGO)
MGO is a naturally occurring substance with antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Manuka honey contains about 38-761 mg/kg of MGO - much more than any other honey. Taken in isolation, MGO has some negative associations, being implicated in facilitating the aging process, in neurodegenerative disorders, and diabetes. However, as part of what makes up the incredibly complicated chemistry of manuka honey, MGO has been proven to be not only safe but beneficial. As is the case with many medicines, a tiny, controlled dose (administered by Mother Nature herself) of what in larger doses may harm you will cure you.
Be warned that not all manuka nectar contains high levels of MGO. So, if you are buying manuka honey for its health benefits, make sure that it has an MGO level of 250 mg/kg, guaranteeing the honey's vaunted antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Know, though, that in the case of a wound, for example, manuka honey's antibacterial properties are effective only if the honey is smeared on the wound itself. Eating manuka honey in the hope that it will disinfect a wound is ineffective.
Leptosperin
Manuka honey, from the nectar of manuka flowers, is a difficult honey to produce, not least because the manuka tree flowers for only two to six weeks per year. The weather during those weeks affects bee activity, as does the presence of competing species of flora whose flowers might have a higher sugar content, and which therefore keep bees away from manuka trees.
This means that manuka honey supply cannot keep up with manuka honey demand. For this reason, manuka honey is more expensive - often much more so - than other kinds of honey. So, the temptation for unscrupulous apiarists to label their honey "manuka," when in fact it might not be, is therefore very strong.
That's where leptosperin comes in. Leptosperin is a naturally occurring chemical that is found nowhere else in nature but the nectar of the manuka flower. Unlike MGO, no health claims are made for leptosperin. However, its importance is as a marker identifying a particular honey as manuka honey. Therefore, if the honey doesn't contain leptosperin, then it ain't manuka.
Dihydroxyacetone (DHA)
Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is a substance best known as the active agent in sunless tanning products, because on contact with the skin, it turns the skin brown. We can speculate that DHA may be what contributes to the distinctively dark golden brown of manuka honey. This may also be one of the attractions of using manuka honey for a face mask, which some leading actresses, among others, have made a well-publicized habit of doing.
However, the main significance of DHA in manuka honey is that it is a precursor chemical of MGO. So, after a year or two of putting manuka honey in storage, DHA actually transforms into MGO. For this reason, manuka honey with higher DHA levels will, if left on the shelf for a long time, turn into manuka honey with even higher MGO levels than when it was purchased, further enhancing purported health benefits.
Unique Manuka Factor
Put the above three substances together and you come to the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). UMF is not a substance; it is a grading system for manuka honey, administered by the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association. The UMF system is based on the measured levels of the above three substances in the honey.
The presence of a UMF number on manuka honey proves that it is genuine manuka honey, and not fake. The UMF is an industry-wide standard, but not all manuka honey producers follow it. Therefore, considering manuka honey's high price, it is more reassuring for consumers to buy UMF-certified manuka honey.
Simply having a UMF number on the label reassures consumers. However, the higher the UMF number, the more MGO the honey contains, and, therefore, the greater the supposed health benefits. Any manuka honey which is UMF +5 or greater has at least 263 mg/kg of MGO. The highest rank is MGO +26, with at least 1,282 mg/kg of MGO.
Manuka blossom, New Zealand.
Why buy manuka honey?
Finally, when it comes down to it, if manuka honey weren't a great-tasting product, it wouldn't be so popular, whatever the health-related claims for it might be. (Anyway, no none's arguing that manuka honey is intrinsically better for you than, say, kale or cod liver oil!)
What matters most is that manuka honey is delectable, a must-try flavour. It is dark-colored with a rich, clean, somewhat nutty, aroma that speaks of thick forests and well-fertilized gardens, and perhaps a faint ghost of that pungent, piquant, no-nonsense cough mixture that perhaps mum used to administer you a spoonful or two of.
On your tongue, the initial jammy sweetness is balanced by an almost citrus-like aftertaste that slowly transforms from sweetness, heading in the direction of what you could imagine as sourness. In other words, the flavor of manuka honey has real depth (and is therefore very difficult to accurately describe!) Manuka honey is truly a foodstuff in a flavor class of its own.
Note, too, that nearly all New Zealand honey is creamed. Unlike in many countries where honey is a runny, translucent liquid, New Zealand honey is opaque, very thick, and almost solid when cold. Manuka honey, therefore, is also creamed.
Manuka honey - a flavor experience
To conclude, manuka honey is worth the price for the flavour experience alone. If it makes you healthier as well, then that's an added bonus. A tablespoon of manuka honey adds a sweet, rich, earthy je ne sais quois to any fruit smoothie. And of course it is delicious on a slice of bread or toast. But eating it as-is out of the jar is not recommended, simply because you might not know when to stop!
Books about New Zealand
apiary bee delicious food honey manuka new zealand


text:
class CourseUserTable < BaseTable
  table_name 'user_courses'
  scope { |ids| within_courses(ids) }

  def migrate_batch(batch)
    batch.each do |old|
      new = ::CourseUser.new

      migrate(old, new) do
        column :user_id do
          store.get(V1::User.table_name, old.user_id)
        end
        column :course_id do
          store.get(V1::Course.table_name, old.course_id)
        end
        column :name
        column :is_phantom => :phantom
        column :role do
          case old.role_id
          when 3
            :owner
          when 4
            :teaching_assistant
          else
            :student
          end
        end
        column :last_active_time => :last_active_at
        column :updated_at
        column :created_at

        skip_saving_unless_valid
        store.set(model.table_name, old.id, new.id) if new.persisted?
      end
    end
  end
end

# Schema
#
# V2:
# create_table "course_users", force: :cascade do |t|
#   t.integer  "course_id",      :null=>false, :index=>{:name=>"fk__course_users_course_id"}, :foreign_key=>{:references=>"courses", :name=>"fk_course_users_course_id", :on_update=>:no_action, :on_delete=>:no_action}
#   t.integer  "user_id",        :null=>false, :index=>{:name=>"fk__course_users_user_id"}, :foreign_key=>{:references=>"users", :name=>"fk_course_users_user_id", :on_update=>:no_action, :on_delete=>:no_action}
#   t.integer  "role",           :default=>0, :null=>false
#   t.string   "name",           :limit=>255, :null=>false
#   t.boolean  "phantom",        :default=>false, :null=>false
#   t.datetime "last_active_at"
#   t.datetime "created_at",     :null=>false
#   t.datetime "updated_at",     :null=>false
#   t.integer  "creator_id",     :null=>false, :index=>{:name=>"fk__course_users_creator_id"}, :foreign_key=>{:references=>"users", :name=>"fk_course_users_creator_id", :on_update=>:no_action, :on_delete=>:no_action}
#   t.integer  "updater_id",     :null=>false, :index=>{:name=>"fk__course_users_updater_id"}, :foreign_key=>{:references=>"users", :name=>"fk_course_users_updater_id", :on_update=>:no_action, :on_delete=>:no_action}
# end

# V1
# create_table "user_courses", :force => true do |t|
#   t.integer  "user_id"
#   t.integer  "course_id"
#   t.integer  "exp"
#   t.integer  "role_id"
#   t.datetime "created_at",                          :null => false
#   t.datetime "updated_at",                          :null => false
#   t.integer  "level_id"
#   t.time     "deleted_at"
#   t.boolean  "is_phantom",       :default => false
#   t.datetime "exp_updated_at"
#   t.string   "name"
#   t.datetime "last_active_time"
# end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Chaos reigned supreme Saturday as #2 Clemson, #3 Michigan and #4 Washington all suffered defeats at the hands of teams to whom they were all double digit favorites. Just as surprising however is that it really changed very little in terms of rankings or projections for the college football playoff. All three teams are still in contention and control their own destiny….win out, and they are in. What is most interesting is that the weekend results hurt Ohio State more than it helped them, in spite of the fact it temporarily vaulted the Buckeyes to #2 in the nation. Had Ohio State won out by defeating an undefeated Michigan team, they would have cliched the Eastern Division title of the Big 10. With Michigan losing, it creates a potential 3 way tie in which Ohio State would lose to Penn State in a tiebreaker (the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes earlier this year). All is not lost for the Buckeyes however….if Penn State wins the division, but loses to Wisconsin (assuming the Badgers are in), then the CFP committee is faced with choosing between an 11-1 Ohio State and a 11-2 Wisconsin with the Buckeyes holding an edge because of a head to head win by Ohio State. Would the committee choose a two loss conference champion over a one loss team they had lost to in the regular season? Who knows, but it would be a tough choice and a very interesting scenario. A true nightmare for the committee.
Of all the losing contenders, Clemson still has the easiest path. The Tigers are virtually a shoe in not to lose another game. Washington on the other hand must still face a very hot Washington State in the Apple Cup, and a good team (Colorado, Utah or rematch with USC) should the Huskies reach the Pac 12 Championship game. Michigan must still contend with Ohio State, in Columbus no less.
Still a lot of football to go and as we know…..on any given day.


text:
The Safest Hands
Haden Tye
AN end-to-end encounter against Accrington Stanley ended in a 1-0 victory for Argyle...
...and Derek Adams praised his goalkeeper Luke McCormick for several superb saves, lauding him as the best in the league.
Argyle had to call upon their goalkeeper several times against Accrington, as the Pilgrims recorded their sixth clean sheet out of 13 games. Argyle have conceded the fewest out of the 24 teams in League 2, with the Pilgrim defence leaking just nine goals.
Derek said: "I thought we did have a lot of chances for and against; both teams went for it today. Luke's made a number of very good saves and we've obviously had opportunities on goal as well.
"We've had a lot of clean sheets this season and Luke's made a number of important saves for us today - that's why he is the best goalkeeper in the league and he's shown that today.
"It's a difficult period for us and it has been since the start of the season. It's not an easy league we are in, it's a competitive league and we are happy with the start we have had.
"You have got to be resolute, and you have got to be able to score goals, you have got to be able to keep clean sheets and we've done that today. It's another game where we've had a clean sheet."
Not only can Luke's defence boast conceding the fewest in League 2, the Pilgrims haven't conceded a goal in the past three games in all competitions - meaning the last goal Argyle conceded was five-and-a-half-hours worth of football ago.
Argyle's defence has remained the same all season, except for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy victory over Exeter City, where Ben Purrington stood in at left-back for suspended Gary Sawyer.
Derek Adams also praised a Curtis Nelson tackle that saved Argyle from going behind when Josh Windass went one-on-one with Argyle 'keeper Luke.
"Jake Jervis probably should have scored to make it 1-0 to us, then up the other end we make a mistake, and Curtis goes back and makes a great challenge," said Derek.


If you're like me, you have a few containers of wine corks in your home that are on the verge of overflowing. I enjoy keeping the corks in apothecary jars as mini memories of bottles of wine shared with friends and loved ones (or Netflix), but needed a new way to contain them. This easy Wine Cork Wreath was a great project! It cost around $5 and took about an hour to assemble.
The first, and most time-consuming step is sorting through your wine corks! I tried to separate the corks into two piles – one for corks that were not as interesting to use in the back row, and one for corks that were more interesting to use in the front.
Next, begin laying the corks in one of the wreath forms. I tried to arrange them so they weren't super tight, with the bottom of the cork flush with the bottom of the form. I tried to make sure all of the corks had the side that was in the bottle facing out so the wine-stained ends would peak through.
Once the first layer was complete, I started layering the second layer. For each cork, I used a small amount of hot glue to hold it in place without making them super rigid.
The next step is to lay the second wire wreath form on top of the corks. This definitely requires some finagling. I found that leaving the corks a little loose allowed me to move them around to get the wreath form fitting snuggly. Use the floral wire to connect the two wreath forms.
Finish the wreath with grapes, ribbons or any other decorative item you like. I like the look of the grapes, and left them a little loose so they would have a more natural draping feel.
Looking for more wine cork projects? Check out my Wine Cork Angel Ornaments, Wine Cork Snowmen Ornaments and Wine Cork Mouse Ornament.


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Product Idea | Feb 18, 2015
By tech_engin889
The Steam Engine, an invention that's over 2000 years old, is now presented in Lego. I've produced a cut-away version revealing the piston and valve, and arranged them so that they align, showing how the steam is diverted as the piston reaches the end of its stroke.
I've color coded the pipework, with orange indicating the gas supply, blue for water, yellow for pressurized steam and white for used steam. Green was traditionally used for the water supply, but I couldn't use it due to color palette limitations. I chose to use gas as a fuel supply rather than coal as it was more aesthetically pleasing to put in more structured pipe work, and easier to draw than randomly placed pieces of coal.
The model contains 426 bricks and is designed to move, allowing you to rotate the flywheel and see the movement of the piston and valve. And to be safe, there's even a safety valve on top of the boiler.
I wanted to capture the sheer brilliance of the inventors and those that have improved the design over the years, showing its ingenuity and strength, captured in one compact model.


A meeting between two dangerous adversaries, with only one survivor.
Gabriel Flynn slipped like a ghost through the dark shapes of the tortured and twisted trees of the forest, his beamer at the ready. He dodged between the hanging razor vines and avoided the acidic secretions of various bushes. The sounds of the forest din pulsated around him. The pungent smell of rot and decay filled his nostrils. He dropped to one knee and scrutinized the spore left by the predator. It wasn't far in front of him.
Entering a circular clearing over 200 meters wide, he was confronted by a massive, dense thicket of needle bush resting within its exact center. Slowly and carefully he circled around it; his reconnaissance revealed only the one entrance. The strong, ripe smell of fresh blood emanating from the opening indicated that the creature was inside. He reached over his shoulder to pull the 'trembler', a small box like shape out of his pack. When activated it would send vibrations down into the earth and alert the Slithadon that prey was at hand. Carefully choosing a spot, Gabriel set the timer and moved 5 meters back to prepare for the creature's emergence. He removed his pack and raised the beamer to his shoulder in one smooth movement, just as the device commenced its rhythmic call. With the activation, all surrounding sounds ceased.
Gabriel sensed a stirring within the bush. It began to shudder and shake as the enraged Slithadon moved into view. The creature itself was born of "nightmare"; the head of a dragon, the fluid grace of a snake of insane proportions and the color of midnight black. Light seemed to be absorbed rather than reflected from it. In one sinuous movement, it raised itself erect. Balanced two meters above the ground, its horned head moved with deadly grace from side to side. Its tongue flickered, senses working to pinpoint the source of its annoyance. Gabriel waited with studied patience for the perfect moment to take up the slack on the trigger and slowly close the contact. The Slithadon froze and Gabriel felt the weight of its gaze centered upon him. Now was the time. A blast of red pulsating energy erupted and entered the creature's mouth as it started its downward strike. A red nimbus erupted around its head, causing the eyes to flame and glow eerily. A frenzy of movement and a high-pitched scream pierced the air as its death throes tossed it from side to side.
"A clean kill," Gabriel thought to himself.
He moved towards the trembler and flicked it off. Laying down his weapon, he drew his knife to strip the creature of its valuable skin.
From behind him a second Slithadon crashed through the surrounding forest and into the clearing, drawn both by the vibrations and shriek of its mate. In that instant, time seemed to stand still. He gauged the distance between the monster and the beamer. A quick mental calculation showed that there was no time to attempt to retrieve the weapon. Gabriel quickly drew his knife from his boot and faced the approach of the creature. His luck had finally run full measure and it was time to face the inevitable, but he had no intention of going meekly to his final rest.
The Slithadon moved forward and quickly positioned itself to strike at the interloper. Head back, mouth wide, it threw itself forward. There was no way to avoid its inhuman speed. On reflex Gabriel swung upward and felt the sharp, long steel point strike home within the mouth of the beast. The knife worked its way through the tough tissue of the palate and through the bone into the brain. The razor sharp teeth continued though to close with unstoppable power and certain finality. It severed his arm cleanly above the elbow. The creatures' wild spasms and convulsions of death finally overcame it and threw him roughly to one side. The Slithadon was dead and he knew he would be too if he did not act quickly.
The shock had so far negated the pain. Lurching back to his feet, he fell towards the discarded beamer. Gabriel fumbled the controls to a lower power setting whilst the blood that pooled around him grew alarmingly. He held the contact down. An agony previously considered unimaginable sent him reeling. The wound had to be cauterized if he was to survive. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours, but still he managed to keep the weapon trained on the stump of his arm. There was nothing but the endless pain of the moment. He passed out.
Consciousness returned quickly; awareness and actual lucid thought took forever. The smell of cooked meat was all pervading in the air. Glancing down, he discovered that the beamer lay dead in his good hand. The firing mechanism still engaged, but the energy pack exhausted. Willing his eyes to focus, he surveyed the remains of his arm. The stump was blackened with a slight seepage of fluids, but mostly contained. He pulled himself towards the discarded pack whose contents had been scattered by the gyrations of the dying beast. A small silver sphere lay half buried in the earth. Retrieving it and bracing it between his legs, he used what little strength he had left and twisted sharply clockwise. The emergency beacon fell apart and activated. He knew he had only a slim chance, but that did not matter. After all, he was a survivor.
Nicely told. Plenty of action, a lot of detail, well written....Good job!
Thank you for your comments, they are much appreciated. Regards and best wishes.
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text:
Termenul Parthenope / Partenope se poate referi la:

Mitologie greacă
 Partenope, o sirenă din mitologia greacă;

Localitate antică
 Parthenope era unul din numele antice ale orașului Napoli de astăzi.

Opere
 Partenope de Domenico Sarro, pe un libret de Silvio Stampiglia, creat la Napoli în 1722 ;
 Partenope sau Rosmira fedele de Leonardo Vinci, pe același libret, creată la Veneția în 1725 ;
 Partenope de Haendel, pe același libret, creată la Londra în 1730 ;
 Partenope de Johann Adolph Hasse, pe un libret de Pietro Metastasio, creată în 1767, la Viena.

Astronomie
 11 Parthenope, un asteroid care poartă numele sirenei Parthenope.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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You never loved me, no.
And can you tell me was it worth it?
Really I don't want to know.
But you won't forget me.
But you would not let me.
Of the woman that loves you.
What is the meaning of Silver Springs lyrics?