FROZEN IN TIME

Not having been out for a walk for a couple of days - I decided as it was sunny, I would go out quite early, so popped down to the garage to see if they had any sprouts, as Waitrose didn’t have any earlier this week when my order was delivered.  They were a tad more expensive, but then this is an M & S store, but I do love them so treated myself to two packs.  Whilst I was wandering around, two packs of Hot Cross Buns jumped into my basket.  I got home and Mr. HCB was still working in the garden, so I called him in and we enjoyed Hot Cross Buns, a cup of coffee and a chat in the conservatory, which was very pleasant.

You may remember that last week I tried freezing a carnation in water, but it didn’t work out how quite how I wanted it to - well, I tried again a few days ago and I think this one is much better, but still not how I envisioned it.

I wanted to see more of the ice around it, but perhaps I wasn’t patient enough when adding the water to the container.  I did it in three lots - the first lot just touching the flower, which I let freeze for about an hour, and then I added more so that it was halfway up the flower, and then after another hour, I filled the container to the top then left it in the freezer for a couple of days.

In the instructions I found on Google, it said that distilled water should be used.  I mistakenly thought that boiled and distilled water were the same - I was wrong but then, physics and chemistry were never my strong point at school! 

Apparently, and this is something else I have learned this morning, distilled water is almost entirely pure because of the process it has been through to remove its impurities, but boiled water still contains mineral salts, such as calcium, so although boiling water removes bacteria and germs, it does not have an effect on other impurities like minerals, so these remain in the water.

So I may not have got the photograph that I wanted but I have learned something today and my boys will testify that I always told them when they were younger that “You can learn something new every day of your life”!

I took the container out of the freezer, let it defrost a little, then took lots of different shots.  Having got the shot I wanted, I then used an App on my iPhone, PhotoToaster - mainly just to put a vignette around it - I liked the one above, which is SOOC, taken with my Panasonic camera but Mr. HCB preferred the one I have put in as an extra, taken on my iPhone.  

Now it’s back to the knitting - I still haven’t quite sussed out the pattern - Mr. HCB was quite amused last night as I read it out loud again and again to try and make sense of it but hopefully all will be well - I shall know as soon as I have finished the part I am now doing.  

“Knowledge is when you
     learn something new every day. 
Wisdom is when you 
     let something go every day.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson