Sunday 15th Storm in [an inverted] teacup!

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Sunday 15th. A storm passed over in the afternoon with rain in the morning. I noticed the south facing dome trying to turn out of the wind during one, fierce gust around 1 o'clock. So I went over to turn the shutters into the SW wind. It was a bit noisy up in the dome. Mostly from the rubber skirt flapping. I added three long F-clamps to the upwind side of the base ring. Though the eight hold down disks have been good enough until now.

Being round, they allow the base ring to slide effortless beneath them. Without having to worry about the truth of the base ring causing digging in. Each disk sits on a strong, SS shelf bracket bolted to each, of eight,  7" industrial roller metalwork stands. With the steering rollers, just below on the same axle, it makes for an efficient and tidy system.

The wind was supposed to peak mid-afternoon with gusts to 50mph+. It seemed like a good idea to park the telescopes horizontally for a change. Low down on the north side of the pier seemed more sensible today. Than sitting up high, parked horizontally, on the south side. If the dome were to move sideways [however unlikely] it won't scrape the telescopes along with it.

The huge, old, plum trees behind the dome are swaying wildly. I hope they don't drop any branches on the dome or workshop! The balance of the massive branches is all wrong for amateur felling. It would need a big tractor in the field behind. With a long chain, or very strong rope, to pull the tree, or individual branches away from the garden during each cut. With the perfect hindsight [of a woman] the tree should have been removed twenty years ago. Now it hangs right over my buildings but I'm too afraid to climb up there to try to shorten each 40' branch in turn. My tallest, 20' ladder hardly reaches up a third of the way! 

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