Horology

Today I took Jon for a CAT scan. Afterward we returned to the farm for a leisurely perusal of QST magazines, an ARC-5 transmitter and his Boiea plants. Jon has figured out how to easily make the Boieas clone themselves by simply peeling off a piece of "leaf" and placing it on the soil. I conjecture that wind in its native desert does the same thing. But on to other matters.

Jon built a grandfather clock using a fine quality mechanism and a homebuilt case. The important aspect of this clock is its wonderful timekeeping ability and why that is possible. The secret lies in the pendulum. It is made of seasoned wood. Wood is temperature stable in the longitudinal direction. Wood also has a low thermal diffusivity. The result is that the thing is surprisingly accurate over long time periods.