23.06.2025 Stormy weather.

 ~o~

 Monday 23rd 60F/15.6C. Overcast with more rain on the way. Heavy with thunder possible. Better after lunch.

 Up at 5.45. I am fighting another nosebleed as my nose runs and stings. 5 minutes of uninterrupted squeezing seems to have stopped the blood. I keep sneezing like I have hay fever. 

 The greenhouse pond is still there. The water has risen to 60F/15.6C overnight. The dome shaped fountain is entertaining but much noisier than I would have liked. Lifting and lowering the spray head makes no difference to the noise level. It just stretches or flattens the dome. Some people find tinkling water relaxing. I find it irritating.

I forgot about an electricity supply to the filter pump. It has a nice long lead. Which easily reaches the front hall. Unfortunately this is my recharging station for my various batteries. With only one socket.

I have run out of another tablet. I foresee a visit to the pharmacy in the village. 

7.00 7.10 My walk had better be now. Before the rain arrives. 

 7.30 It was grey and rather threatening but failed to produce a single drop of rain. It seemed as if every tree and bush held a talkative warbler this morning. A Robin lay dead on the road. The traffic was busy and noisy. Even though most were electric. They haven't solved the tire roar problem yet. Did you see that the Chinese use green number plates for electric vehicles? Simple and clever. In the West it would just make the retarded paint scratchers lives even easier. And we wouldn't want that, would we? 

 7.45 It is becoming incredibly dark indoors. 

 8.40 It is raining and blowing. I have been experimenting with all the components of the Oase fountain set. The most satisfying and probably most efficient result can be obtained with no fitting at all. Maximum outlet diameter achieves maximum water flow. With minimum surface disturbance, lowest resistance and zero noise. 

 Does this necessarily mean maximum filtration of the body of water in which the pump is immersed? I need to find an object which can remain submerged with neutral buoyancy. So I can watch water movement at depth throughout the entire volume of the tub. I'll use a bit of plant uprooted by the fish. This moves effortlessly as the current sends it.  

 No lateral water movement. The plant drifted very slowly to the far wall and stayed there. I added a slight bend to push the water sideways. Instant movement throughout the whole tub. Though at the cost of a smaller orifice and much higher jet velocity. Which disturbed the whole water surface. When I wanted it to remains steady. I need an elbow with the correct thread for the Oase pump without loss of diameter.   

 9.00 Pouring with rain! The greenhouse leaks like a sieve! My tomato plants have come up. They were planted by my guest.

 Well, that was easy. Oase provide a splitter and regulator for a fountain and waterfall. This screws onto the pump and the horizontal flow instantly provided movent throughout the body of water. The bit of plant moves constantly at about 1cm second. As did a floating bit of wood. No surface disturbance or noise. I have placed the pump in a corner of the tub to make it invisible from most viewpoints.

 All of this may seem utterly trivial and even pointless to many. While I see it as exercising my brain to make physical changes to maximize results. That it costs nothing to try. Makes it all the more worthwhile and amusing. 

 I dropped the new plants into the pond. To try and get them going before the fish arrive. I have ordered more PVC fittings to experiment further with water movement and reduced friction. 

 16.15 Back from the village shops clutching three carrier bags and a refill of tablets. It lashed down on the way home. With strong gusts of wind. Stopped again by the time I had to carry the shopping in. 

The pond has cleared dramatically since before lunch. Currently 65F/18.3C. 

 Dinner will be toast. Cheese on toast with halved tomatoes. I forgot to photograph it.

    

  ~o~