The grandfather style pendulum clocks looks so much better than the prototype, and the clock in the great hall below the mezzanine can be seen from both floors. Beside one in the staffs common room, we've also placed one in the guest mansion, and the inside isn't the prettiest, but looks good enough on the outside. It's slightly ironic that I don't want pendulum clocks in any of my rooms as the ticking will be annoying, but I still have a wristwatch or mobile phone. If I really want to set an alarm, I can via the mobile phones or the wristwatch, but usually Caecilia, Ciara or Elvira wakes me up or check in on me.
The pendulum clock is still a 24-hour model, with the short hour hand having a sun at the other end, but we've upgraded with a long minute hand as well. There is still a separate hand and face for seconds above the center, with 00 at the top. There is room for a future strike-sound mechanism, but with a 24-hour clock it means an impractical number of strikes for the afternoon or evening to count, so I will have to make some kind of a creative solution with special strikes marking every three hours or something. As far as I've been able to calculate, it should be more than 4 days before the plumb with its small block reaches the bottom and the movement stops. Just to be sure, the staff will wind the clocks every two days. Admittedly, I'm way to please with small but what I consider to be important details, like the internal plumb line to make sure the clock is standing exactly vertical, and the height adjustable feet to line it up. I love having screws, threads and such available. It is such an awesome innovation.
The staff common rooms pendulum clock is special, because in addition to outputs for various electrical timing signals, it also has a variable alarm output that can be selected via a dial on the side of the clock. It's an all electrical system where the hour hand gear makes electrical contact, and I'm going to run wires and set up a bell inside the maids bedroom. So when the contact is made, a small bell will start ringing until they turn it off or the gear have moved enough to break the contact after about 5 minutes. At least they will wake up at a specific time in the morning, instead of now when they sometimes wake up way too early, especially in the summer, or way too late which easily happens in the dark of winter and they have to hurry. A clock in the staffs common room is just practical for planning meal times etc.
Elvira and Jalida will take care of the clocks and dust the outside, but only gently wipe the clock face once a month if it is dirty, otherwise leave the clock be. I show them how to wind up the mechanism, but ask them to fetch me or Iselin in the next few weeks when it is to be done, and also let others watch and learn. I've let them know that it will annoy me if the clocks move too much out of sync, and setting the time is no more difficult than pushing in the center of the minute hand and rotating it back or forth. Pushing in disengages the arm from the drive gear at the back, and the hour hand is driven by the minute hand and remains in contact. When they let go, the minute arm should spring back out and start working. The second hand needs to be set separately in the same way. If one clock is constantly fast or slow, the pendulum arm will have to be adjusted.
The staff is so impressed by the clocks, and that I let the staff common room not only have its own, but it also have a special alarm function to make their life easier. My sambos and guards are getting hardened by all my creations, and most are just accepting it no matter what. But, of course, light without fire that can be turned on and off, transmitting voice and speech instantly over a vast distance, and a machine that moves and does work by itself, is probably more impressive than a brass mechanism in a wooden box that slowly ticks back and forth with pointers that slowly move to showing the passing of time.
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What I haven't told them, is that personally, I'm mostly looking forward to having fixed times for meals and general time management. To be able to say that I want to be awaken at 5, and then I will be. I look forward to fixed meal times such as 1200 for dinner, 1800 for supper, etc. Clocks makes it easier to plan work and activities. I go to bed much earlier now than in my previous life, and get more sleep, because I used to be a night owl and I prefer the evening and night, but even with LEDs and lots of oil lamps, it's unnecessary and was just another thing to getting used to. The oil lamps also gives bad illumination compared to what I'm used to. I will probably stretch the day and sleep less when the days become longer and brighter in spring and summer, as I like to be awake in the summer twilight, or go to bed after the sun rises after taking a morning walk in light fog at dawn around three or four in the morning.
Actually, I go to bed earlier, but it generally takes half an hour to a couple of hours before I fall asleep because I'm rarely alone in bed. I miss spending time alone, but it would be silly to complain and my sambos deserve attention, even if we just lie and cuddle and talk most of the time.
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We are installing the alarm bell for the maids bedroom, when a messenger comes running to tell us that a ship has docked and Jarl Skiringe is on her way ashore. So I send Ima to run and warn Elin at the guest mansion, and the guards to send a telegraph message. They lit the fireplaces in the guests houses two days ago, to make sure that the houses would be warm when the guests arrive, but we couldn't be sure exactly which day they would arrive. Since a few days ago Elin lives in the guest mansion and visits for meals and lessons, so the guest mansion is absolutely warm and ready.
The sun have set, so we take some lanterns with us and go to greet Myrun, Siri and Liv, and their two maids and three guards. Liv hasn't gotten pregnant, and I'm ambivalent about that. It is both good and bad, but for the future it is predominantly bad. We walk along and show them to the new guest mansion north of the small lake, and the mansion looks nice with the light from the windows glistens on the lake. Sure, it is not big, and hardly what I or Jane would call a mansion, but they are very impressed by the house, partially since it is just for guests. Elin looks proud to stand in her new maid dress and be of service. Siri definitely feels important when she gets her own 'luxurious' bedroom, and Myrun doesn't complain about the nice big bed in the main bedroom.
We invite them to supper, and then leave so they can make themselves at home and shower and bathe. The guards and Elin will let them know when it is time for them to leave.
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We finish the installation of the maid bedroom bell, and have time to try it out before Myrun's company is called for supper. It is damn practical to be able to send a short message via telegraph to Elin at the guest mansion.
During supper, it becomes clear that Myrun, Liv and Siri heard the telegraph, but since it is inside the guest mansion hostess room, it muffled the sound, and they have not seen the mechanism. They don't know how or why it rang, but they were looking at the grandfather clock while Elin gave a simple description of function and purpose. Myrun had understood that it might be an 'indoor sundial' that ticks very rhythmically, and congratulates me on already solving the problem I talked about last summer, and she assumes that the indoor clock does need any compensation. I have to admit that the clocks are still early prototypes that have just been finished, so they have a few issues, but not that issue. Myrun and others have of course noticed the wooden shoes and clogs, and I take the opportunity to let them try it and get a pair of the nicer shoes while I again explain the purpose and thoughts, and point out that socks are meant to be used if you don't go barefoot. Nitted long wollen socks might be a thing that perticularly women in dresses might appreciate during winter.
Myrun is glad to hire some people on my behalf to cut down trees for my future farm in Skiringalr, that I hope to build this summer and pile the logs up so that they have time to dry, as well as transport stone for masonry and other things, and she will get a list of the estimated amount. With a margin.
Iselin whisper that we should take advantage of the opportunity before the remaining guests arrive tomorrow, so I have a sweaty moment with Liv, and Liv is grateful to both me, Iselin, Ciara and Kari. Many of us are hoping that Liv actually gets pregnant this time.