flowers are fading
the butterflies come and go
the image remains
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Friday, July 3, 2015
How Fireworks work,, guest blogger
I am just an old wrinkly " kid", but you knew that if you have been reading my blog for any length of time. Fireworks after the town carnival were a big part of my " little kid year", like fireworks anywhere are a big part of my "wrinkly old kid year". So for anyone who doesn't have a chance to see some this 4th of July.........
Hiroyuki Matsumoto/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images
Firecrackers are small fireworks consisting of gunpowder that has been wrapped in paper, with a fuse.
Jeff Harris Photography / Getty Images
Sparklers are a type of firework that produces a shower of glittery sparks, but does not explode.
Simon Battensby, Getty ImagesAds
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Fireworks have been a traditional part of New Year's celebrations since they were invented by the Chinese almost a thousand years ago. Today fireworks displays are seen on most holidays. Have you ever wondered how they work? There are different types of fireworks. Firecrackers, sparklers, and aerial shells are all examples of fireworks. Though they share some common characteristics, each type works a little differently.
Firecrackers
Firecrackers are the original fireworks. In their simplest form, firecrackers consists of gunpowder wrapped in paper, with a fuse. Gunpowder consists of 75% potassium nitrate (KNO3), 15% charcoal (carbon) or sugar, and 10% sulfur. The materials will react with each other when enough heat is applied. Lighting the fuse supplies the heat to light a firecracker. The charcoal or sugar is the fuel. Potassium nitrate is the oxidizer, and sulfur moderates the reaction. Carbon (from the charcoal or sugar) plus oxygen (from the air and the potassium nitrate) forms carbon dioxide and energy. Potassium nitrate, sulfur, and carbon react to form nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases and potassium sulfide. The pressure from the expanding nitrogen and carbon dioxide explode the paper wrapper of a firecracker. The loud bang is the pop of the wrapper being blown apart.
Sparklers
A sparkler consists of a chemical mixture that is molded onto a rigid stick or wire. These chemicals often are mixed with water to form a slurry that can be coated on a wire (by dipping) or poured into a tube. Once the mixture dries, you have a sparkler. Aluminum, iron, steel, zinc or magnesium dust or flakes may be used to create the bright, shimmering sparks. An example of a simple sparkler recipe consists of potassium perchlorate and dextrin, mixed with water to coat a stick, then dipped in aluminum flakes. The metal flakes heat up until they are incandescent and shine brightly or, at a high enough temperature, actually burn. A variety of chemicals can be added to create colors. The fuel and oxidizer are proportioned, along with the other chemicals, so that the sparkler burns slowly rather than exploding like a firecracker. Once one end of the sparkler is ignited, it burns progressively to the other end. In theory, the end of the stick or wire is suitable to support it while burning.
Rockets & Aerial Shells
When most people think of 'fireworks' an aerial shell probably comes to mind. These are the fireworks that are shot into the sky to explode. Some modern fireworks are launched using compressed air as a propellent and exploded using an electronic timer, but most aerial shells remain launched and exploded using gunpowder. Gunpowder-based aerial shells essentially function like two-stage rockets. The first stage of an aerial shell is a tube containing gunpowder, that is lit with a fuse much like a large firecracker. The difference is that the gunpowder is used to propel the firework into the air rather than explode the tube. There is a hole at the bottom of the firework so the expanding nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases launch the firework into the sky. The second stage of the aerial shell is a package of gunpowder, more oxidizer, and colorants. The packing of the components determines the shape of the firework.
Firecrackers
Firecrackers are the original fireworks. In their simplest form, firecrackers consists of gunpowder wrapped in paper, with a fuse. Gunpowder consists of 75% potassium nitrate (KNO3), 15% charcoal (carbon) or sugar, and 10% sulfur. The materials will react with each other when enough heat is applied. Lighting the fuse supplies the heat to light a firecracker. The charcoal or sugar is the fuel. Potassium nitrate is the oxidizer, and sulfur moderates the reaction. Carbon (from the charcoal or sugar) plus oxygen (from the air and the potassium nitrate) forms carbon dioxide and energy. Potassium nitrate, sulfur, and carbon react to form nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases and potassium sulfide. The pressure from the expanding nitrogen and carbon dioxide explode the paper wrapper of a firecracker. The loud bang is the pop of the wrapper being blown apart.
Sparklers
A sparkler consists of a chemical mixture that is molded onto a rigid stick or wire. These chemicals often are mixed with water to form a slurry that can be coated on a wire (by dipping) or poured into a tube. Once the mixture dries, you have a sparkler. Aluminum, iron, steel, zinc or magnesium dust or flakes may be used to create the bright, shimmering sparks. An example of a simple sparkler recipe consists of potassium perchlorate and dextrin, mixed with water to coat a stick, then dipped in aluminum flakes. The metal flakes heat up until they are incandescent and shine brightly or, at a high enough temperature, actually burn. A variety of chemicals can be added to create colors. The fuel and oxidizer are proportioned, along with the other chemicals, so that the sparkler burns slowly rather than exploding like a firecracker. Once one end of the sparkler is ignited, it burns progressively to the other end. In theory, the end of the stick or wire is suitable to support it while burning.
Rockets & Aerial Shells
When most people think of 'fireworks' an aerial shell probably comes to mind. These are the fireworks that are shot into the sky to explode. Some modern fireworks are launched using compressed air as a propellent and exploded using an electronic timer, but most aerial shells remain launched and exploded using gunpowder. Gunpowder-based aerial shells essentially function like two-stage rockets. The first stage of an aerial shell is a tube containing gunpowder, that is lit with a fuse much like a large firecracker. The difference is that the gunpowder is used to propel the firework into the air rather than explode the tube. There is a hole at the bottom of the firework so the expanding nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases launch the firework into the sky. The second stage of the aerial shell is a package of gunpowder, more oxidizer, and colorants. The packing of the components determines the shape of the firework.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Under the Full Farmers's Moon
How long have I been writing about the full moon? I am really not sure. Even long before I started this blog I wrote about it. It is a subject that is as near to my heart and my life and even my beliefs as anything could be.
The last few nights the waxing moon has been hidden by storm clouds, it seems it rained every day in June and certainly every night. Very late , and only briefly did the clouds part enough to see the orb of the moon, and the cloud quickly drew their curtain of cloud layers back over its face, until not even a faint glow was visible. But even though it was much too brief, I saw it.
Buck Moon, the bucks antlers, though still covered with "velvet" are growing, and I have even seen a few of late with the awkward looking beams, divided into clubbed points, and well on their way to becoming distinctive antlers. The Haying Moon, it will be haying time soon, if there are ever three dry days in a row, the Farmers Almanac even predicts the most likely days for you. Hay to feed the animals is most often cut and bailed on the first 3 dry days in July, hay that hasn't dried will mold, or worse yet start to compost, there by generating enough heat to ignite itself. Which brings us to the Thunder Moon, so named because of the many, many thunder storms lighting up the night sky , kinda makes one wonder about fireworks and the 4th of July, doesn't it? Full Mead Moon, I will raise my glass to that, I have made mead, and can attest to it's wonderfulness. It is also called the Cherry Moon, the Fledgling Moon, and this year there will be two full moons in July.
Winter wheat is also harvested now, and I have a vivid memory of sitting in the grain bin while the wheat was being brought in, I couldn't have been more that 4 or 5, It was great fun to "help" the men. This year, a friend sent me a poem, that reminded me of those long ago Julys. And of just how much work July is on a farm. And how the longer daylight hours of The Moon After Solstice make it possible to get it done.
Yes, July's full Moon is The Full Farmer's Moon, anyway the name I hhave chosen name for it.
My father could not make a poem,
but setting his course by yonder pine,
straight and true he plowed a line
across the field.
My father could not juggle words,
but with the birth
of golden wheat in summer sun,
he coaxed a poem out of the earth.
- Mary Ferrell Dickinson
The last few nights the waxing moon has been hidden by storm clouds, it seems it rained every day in June and certainly every night. Very late , and only briefly did the clouds part enough to see the orb of the moon, and the cloud quickly drew their curtain of cloud layers back over its face, until not even a faint glow was visible. But even though it was much too brief, I saw it.
Buck Moon, the bucks antlers, though still covered with "velvet" are growing, and I have even seen a few of late with the awkward looking beams, divided into clubbed points, and well on their way to becoming distinctive antlers. The Haying Moon, it will be haying time soon, if there are ever three dry days in a row, the Farmers Almanac even predicts the most likely days for you. Hay to feed the animals is most often cut and bailed on the first 3 dry days in July, hay that hasn't dried will mold, or worse yet start to compost, there by generating enough heat to ignite itself. Which brings us to the Thunder Moon, so named because of the many, many thunder storms lighting up the night sky , kinda makes one wonder about fireworks and the 4th of July, doesn't it? Full Mead Moon, I will raise my glass to that, I have made mead, and can attest to it's wonderfulness. It is also called the Cherry Moon, the Fledgling Moon, and this year there will be two full moons in July.
Winter wheat is also harvested now, and I have a vivid memory of sitting in the grain bin while the wheat was being brought in, I couldn't have been more that 4 or 5, It was great fun to "help" the men. This year, a friend sent me a poem, that reminded me of those long ago Julys. And of just how much work July is on a farm. And how the longer daylight hours of The Moon After Solstice make it possible to get it done.
Yes, July's full Moon is The Full Farmer's Moon, anyway the name I hhave chosen name for it.
My father could not make a poem,
but setting his course by yonder pine,
straight and true he plowed a line
across the field.
My father could not juggle words,
but with the birth
of golden wheat in summer sun,
he coaxed a poem out of the earth.
- Mary Ferrell Dickinson
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