Greetings chaps!

Been back here for over three weeks now. Left with mixed feelings but can see to more things while I'm here and there is a little more going on socially. Chances are I will return to Pembs at some point but nothing definite about it.

Weather here in the Peak District much colder as can be expected with some hail just a few hours ago.

Had to get a new PC because the other one didn't like the 200 mile trip back to Derbyshire. Not sure what went wrong but I was going to get a new one anyway. Could be the hard drive. If it's the PSU (cheapest option to replace), the fans wouldn't be working - right?

Checked all connections but keep getting 'no signal' on the screen. If I can fix it at low cost I'll hand it over to a friend who has an ancient thing with XP OS. He tells me it is one of the earlier ones powered by butane gas.
my loss could be his gain.

Folks,

Dux:

You made it over the mountains after all. That's great news. We'll keep your secret location of course. Lest there be a major clog on those same mountain roads. For, as the heart rending mass of seaside sweethearts and unrequited lovers might well attempt to follow your trail of empty Thames Embankment wine bottles.

Add that unruly bunch to the regular traffic and all the guitar groupies who are missing you too and no one will be going anywhere but in circles up in the Pembrokeshire highlands.

Unfortunately, Olga was recently seen wearing hiking boots and Lederhosen. She was putting a red feather (of course it was red) in her Tyrolean hat. She was last seen on a steep mountain drenching the path with tears, speedly heading your way. I'd venture an informed guess the social activity in the Peaks Dist is about to be livened up.

No, and I resent the suggestion I might have pointed the way myself. No indeed. Someone from the pub had places a hand painted sign on the front lawn of your beach house indicating the way to your intended destination. Clever that. However it does kinda make our plan for secrecy rather moot.

Propane? That sure beats the two-rodent caged drive in my old XP. You don't have to feed or clean up behind propane. Giving your old computer to a friend is a very kind gesture indeed. IMHO it is far too dangerous to have an XP connected to the Internet these days. So I had to release the 2 rodents and rig up a kind or windmill / electric fan drive. That worked well until the cat got too close and nearly lost her tail in the fan.

Propane drive? That's such a great idea. But how do you get the propane to go up the cord?

Folks,

For those of you who missed the news, welcome to Daylight Time. It is 12:16 EDT where I am. Depending on where you are and whether you set your clocks and watches forward that time may vary.

I don't know about you , but with so my phone and computer auto reset when this time of the year rolls around, I now have very few timepieces to change. That used to be a chore at our house. By the time I finished resetting everything in the house and shop I still had the car clocks to deal with. Sometimes the process was cryptic and I had to pull out a cheat sheet from the glove compartment twice a year.

No more. I have only 3 time pieces to fiddle with and only one requires a special handshake, password and a secret pressing of buttons. Personally, I do not care much for EDT. I could make it through the year without changing my time pieces either one hour forward or back. After all, time is constant no matter what the clock on our smart phones might indicate by govt. decree.

When was the last time any of us wound a timepiece? Do you even have a clock plugged into the wall outlet anymore? Not counting the microwave and the range, probably not. Most everything ticking is battery reliant these days. And very few even tick anymore. The digital world has no need for winding or even ticking.

I miss that 65 year old 8-day mantle clock (its age when I was about 6) that used to chime the hours of my life when I was growing up. So used to that lovely tic tock was I that I had to try hard even to hear it. Its little brass hammer striking a coil of wire on the hour was charming. It had a deeply engraved silver pendulum that swung back and forth behind a hand painted glass. Grandpa always kept a small bottle of light machine oil topped off in the clock under the works. That evaporated and kept the perfect amount of lubricant on the works at all times.

The white face was divided into hours printed in Roman numerals. That was paper on brass. There were winding holes for the time and chime, one on each side of the centrally placed gun blue colored dials or hands. On the walnut wood back was glued a yellow/brown label that showed it was mfg. by the the Waterbury Clock co. , CT.

Oe of my fondest memories of my gray haired Granddad was him taking out the small, silver key and winding that clock before going to bed. When Grandpa died I took up the care of that fine antique clock. It tick tocked the hours of my life until I married and left my home forever.

Though I was not there, somehow I could close my eyes and when I thought of home and Grandma I always heard in the background the tick tock of that old clock. Odd, because when I lived there or when I visited I was not aware of that small but comforting background voice at all unless I made a point of it.

Do you know the old song "My Grandfather's Clock"? The one I remember was sung by Burl Ives. In that song the old man's clock never missed a tick or tock while the old man lived but "stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died".

If I try hard today I can hear the sound of that clock of my childhood. I have no doubt that my heartbeat is tuned in some way to the cadence of that aged timepiece.

Gents,

JRT,

In direct contrast to last week we had an inch of snow this morning and very cold - around 35f Now it's turned to rain with some bright sunny breaks here and there.

We are on the lookout for a good Vox AC30, the classic early sixties valve amplifier which is much preferred by many guitarists over the amps which have solid state circuitry. We had these at the beginning with other such gear of those times, some good, some mediocre but the good old Vox has endured and stood the test of time. Do you remember your first amps Rog?

Folks,

Gosh, if only you had mentioned it 50 years ago I could probably have found you a couple cheap. I've seen a few. I believe the one you are talking about was very popular over there in the 60's. The AC30 I saw had 5 gray knobs on the front for Vol., Reverb, Treble, Bass, and Gain. Below the name "VOX" was in gold letters on the front. They were highly favored by the "FAB FIVE" and Mick's boys weren't they?

You plugged in the instrument (input) to the right of the "Gain" knob. Additionally, there was a small red power "on" lamp to the left with toggles to the right of that for standby, Hi and "On". It was a good 60's amp. They can be bought, I'm told, for the best part of $2K these days....and we thought solid state made them thar hot tubes (valves) obsolete????

Those beautiful tubes made for beautiful, never to be obsolete, music. You can buy a new one on Amazon Prime for less then $1400. They have all the Inputs, Vol, Reverb, Tremolo, Boost, Master etc. toggles on the top. Or so I'm told by my grandson.

My nephew knows quite a few famous musicians through his band. He got the two of them backstage and had T's guitar autographed by Ricky Skaggs and the band Saturday night at a concert in Raleigh.

"T" is coming right along. He prefers Bluegrass and Blues for some reason. He has turned into a good picker and plays every chance he gets. That is usually anytime he's home and also when he isn't at home he's playing with other older more experienced musicians. He is learning a lot from these guys. Yes, he plays a lot and has the callused fingers to prove it.

Next time I can get some flight time in Bullwinkle's "Wayback" machine, I'll see if I can't round up a new late 60's model for you. Maybe one signed by the Beatles.

Seems like most of our boys had Fenders or maybe a Marshall JCM800. I think one guy who tried out with us had a Peavy. Probably a 5150. I played so poorly they did not want my poor attempts amplified. All they wanted anyone to hear was my voice.

My amp was an empty box (not VOX) that had the power connected through a step-down transformer in some way so the "power on" light would glow. This just to save me embarrassment. Sometimes it was not even plugged in. No one ever noticed. No one suspected I was just strumming and faking fretwork as I sang. The guitar was a red and white Gibson always completely out of tune.

Y'all:

You are making me miss my mother's Grundig (sp.?); tubes, beauty and an unbeatable sound.
She saved up and bought it after hearing my uncles'. AM, FM, a 78RPM record player and short wave.
Loved that machine. I kept it as long as I could. -Or could find replacement tubes and phonograph needles.

The replacement amplifier, pre-amp, receiver, etc. with all the shiny, adaptable knobs and giant offset speakers was very imposing but to me, it just didn't show as much "soul."
But they could be moved around easier.
The final shot was the addition of a reel-to-reel tape player. I bought too soon and then the stereo bug scored a solid hit.

Folkls,

Fittop:

I think you got the spelling correct. Grundig Intermedia's roots lie in the traditional German company, Grundig, which was founded in 1945 and achieved world fame with its radios and televisions. Grundig is one of the world’s leading providers of products in the areas of entertainment electronics, small electrical appliances and major home appliances.

These days, you can find many vacuum tubes online. It used to be so easy to find and test radio tubes/ valves. As I have mentioned before, I fully restored a set of vintage military receivers back in the late 70's. I had it all, including two complete manuals with schematics marked "Classified". There was an OD green rectangular metal box with a hinged metal top full of crystals for the sets crystal calibrators. It all came sealed in a large and very heavy metal box that was dogged down with large bolts and also painted "OD" green.The radios were black.

When I turned on the radios, the dial faces remained "Black". Uh ow! This couldn't be good. I eventually figured out several tubes were likely the cause of the trouble. These sets were built to take punishment and had been sitting in an attic since being decommissioned at the end of WW2. They were both robust and well cared for. Hopefully, that might be the only problem.

Back then, before everything went solid state due to the invention of the transistor, all I had to do was run down to the nearest drugstore where they had a free tube tester and a large selection of tubes for sale. Thankfully, there was also a large card with tube substitutions listed. That really helped. I easily tested replaced all the faulty tubes. Imagine how delighted (and frankly surprised) I was when I turned the radios on and the tubes began to glow.

Once attached to a long wire antenna, I found them powerful and very sensitive on all bands including the ameteur radio bands. I soon had them humming softly installed in my shop.

They gave me no trouble for several years. I used those sets until I got a solid state radio with a nifty digital frequency readout. It had no crystal calibrator so I built one myself. This so I could use all those crystals to fine tune a specific frequency and pull a weak and distant signal out of the weeds. I pulled in McMurdo once in the early hours of the morning.

It has been quiet here most of the week. Glad you popped in Fittop.

In other local news of interest mainly to me:

You know I am from a Barbecue family. Recently, two of the best local barbecue restaurants have close or been closed. Bills Barbecue in Wilson was shut down by the wife of the recently deceased owner. Too much work involved for a millionaire perhaps. Since the untimely sidelining of the owner by Alzheimer's the restaurant was poorly run and had gone downhill. Maybe it was losing money?

Yesterday Wilbur's Barbecue in Goldsboro was closed by the state for failing to pay taxes. Shame on you Wilbur Shirley. That was one of the last restaurants nearby that served genuine "Pit Cooked" eastern NC BBQ. Trust me, there is a difference in taste. AFAIK McCall's in Goldsboro (30 miles away from here) and maybe Smith's near Greenville (a tad closer) are the only two restaurants serving "pit cooked" near here. Smith's is unique in that they cook BBQ all morning. When they sell what was cooked they close for the day.

Texas has been known to have a "few" BBQ restaurants, as well. Do these cook BBQ over gas or open pit? Or some other way I am mercifully not familiar with? It can be very good either way you cook it, of course, but, IMHO, open pit is best.

My Uncle Bob, who built the first "sit down" BBQ restaurant in NC (it's in the BBQ books), must be rolling if not vertably spinning in his grave.

Gents,

Constant rain here for just about a week now and with temperatures going up and down constantly, I'm suffering my third cold in 5 months. Off to bed shortly with some alcoholic beverage to kill the bugs.

Folks,

MG:
Danes must use alcohol for everything? We us insecticide or a brick.

Raining here too after one gorgeous day of warm sunshine and temps in the low to mid 70's F. yesterday. Thunderstorms likely tonight due to a cold front moving across the state.

I went out a bit today. Bradford pear trees are blooming. Yellow Forsythias also, The white variety seem to bloom closer to Easter. Plus, there are signs the other trees are about to bud. That is early. This could well mean a March killing frost might do considerable damage.

Y'all,

A Happy St. Patricks Day weekend to all.
But that's the news around here, with a parade, some streets blocked off and no-refusal for alcohol testing if pulled over for suspicious driving.
I am saving the champagne for better days.

True that I have not spent that much time in Europe, but was never belted by hail there. Snow, high winds, heavy rain, fog but not hail.
I see now it is more common than I thought. Hope there was no serious damage.

Hang in there, MG. Signs here are that the flu is abating, at least in this area.
Even the lady here is presently suffering from blocked sinuses, negating plans for a better day. Perhaps responsible are the short nights' sleep which seems to affect everyone here.

Some exercise would be better for all here. But the winds are still whipping up the outdoors.
Some local areas were hit with 82 mph gusts, and more than one building, electrical tower and hangar has collapsed. The highest gust here has been 58 mph.

You can put me down for leaving the arbitrary time change behind. The arguments are not convincing.
Night will fall faster in tropical areas, sunrise seems more abrupt heading East with a false dawn, and sunsets will linger prettier heading West.
All happily ignored by whatever time you are showing and probably your and your animal stomach's.
The cat may look at the clock at feeding time but doesn't care what you call the time, the natural light is fading and its tummy is growling.

In calm wind mornings you can see the small rails of smog following the traffic arteries from above.
See that at night, and be ready to go around if the airplane a few miles ahead whips up a fog bank when he reverses.

Yet Nature continues to prepare for the warmer days, with the trees also showing signs of the first bloom. It's going to be a long allergy season.
The colors are undeniably pretty.

At the time tubes and phonograph needles were beginning to disappear from the local scenes, perhaps encouraged by the emerging Radio Shack stores supply of amazing electronics and their change from leather goods to electrical items, I became very busy in a change of jobs and never got into micro boards.
Any loose change was invested in buying groceries.
It didn't help I had little background on those magic cards stacks one fed into a machine and received all sorts of information from the blood of all your companions to the probable talents of your future children. I am still trying to fill that void of knowledge; with little progress.

Folks,

Happy Lá Fhéile Phádraig (St. Paddy's Day) to you and all. May today be the very day you finally find that elusive pot o' gold at the end of an exceptionally gorgeous rainbow.

Fittop:
Well put, your bullet points against DST. A century ago, when DST was introduced, more daylight was a good thing because it meant less use of artificial light, helping to save energy. Modern society, with its computers, TV-screens, and air conditioning units uses more energy, no matter if the Sun is up or not. Today, the amount of energy saved from DST is negligible.

When Indiana decided to introduce DST in 2006, a study found that the measure actually increased energy use in the state. Sunny Arizona has yet to introduce DST to it's daylight "deprived" citizens. Maybe they feel they get quite enough sun on Standard Time? Especially those without an A/C.

Hear that? Zeena is practicing her her Opera lessons again. It is difficult to nail it down but I assume it is the opera . "Das Fledermaus"... or "flying mouse" or more correctly "The Bat".

I know well the myriad of difficulties in teaching a cat to eat by the clock. Not by her natural instincts that are ruled by the sun in the heavens. I also notice the local roosters have not gotten the "word" about DST. There is one red combed fellow blessed with a booming voice a crowing away and hour early each morning. He's just close enough to be heard in my bedroom. Hmmmm. I wonder if he wakes Zeena up?

Again, this year, no matter what I do, Zeena just ain't paying any attention to DST. I find it difficult to sleep my full 8 hours according to DST and the clock with a 12 lb. cat bouncing on my stomach. She is pleading for food a full hour early according to the clock. Yes, LeRoy I thought of that. I fill her bowl at night. Now I I can't sleep fearing this may lead to feline obesity.

This is because she loves eating all night almost as much as bouncing on me in the morning. You know, LeRoy. you can be replaced by one of those robot vacuums on Amazon...

Y'all,

The daily grind constantly threatens to override other interests, so we don't seem to get to dwell on the qualities of different area and cultures of BBQ, the progress of bike rides, computers systems and sims that others insist have seen better days or the struggles with cats that seem intent on training their owners, -or as I assume they prefer, people they have adopted.

But we know Spring is now upon us, as proven by the charlie horse on my leg yesterday, the number of curses I have bestowed on this fastidiousness the English have with that da&#* green stuff they persist on having in the front lawn -and been adopted in the US.
(I'll apologize if I am blaming them wrongly).

We water, we worry, we then gleefully poison the ground and then seem to take an inordinate amount of pride on it being a boring green.

Never mind we could fill a small pool and stay cool with the amount of water we waste on it.
A city boy, I would prefer color in plants and flowers as in Europe. But then I'd probably fuss about the time it takes and the bees they attract.
Yeah. Not happy if I'm not bit--, err complaining. eh? Not really, I'm a sunny disposition...Usually.
But the 5 and a half hours sleep routine is getting weary.

What does this have to do with flying? Well, since you asked:

Besides wondering about Zeena learning the musical scale, getting cabin fever, etc. I have gotten the wants (among others) for adding an SSD so I could marvel at the PMDG 737 or 777 craft. Would prefer a 757, since I loved that bird and never touched the others. But I'd be happy with either one.
I will never forget taking off with ferry fuel to go literally next door and being called "Shuttle 453" by tower.
If they thought it looked impressive, they should have been with me. I wazz hanging on...but smiling...and hoping those engines were going to behave and not test me. Yep, I've been lucky.

No, I haven't figured out the Garmin in the Cirrus yet, but I am convinced the future is in the glass cockpits.
What? What do you mean they have been common for 19 years? Where have I been?
Oh, yeah...Out of the business.

Yeah, I recognize it. Got the hots for a real airplane.
Talking to a friend about the realities of always finding a voltage regulator in need of repair, the heat or cold before you go up doesn't dissuade.
Meanwhile I'll learn to land at around seventy and enjoy the flight over the Cascades without having to listen for a tick or see a shake on a gage.

All while sitting in my living room trying to ignore whoever is asking if the trash is out yet.

Oh, yeah. Happy First Day of Spring. Congratulations!
We are living through another Season. Make it a good one.
The full moon was gorgeous tonight.

Folks,

We've had another series of overcast days, with light rain and cold. Now they swear it is spring... somewhere. It couldn't be here, surely. When I look out my window all I see is winter. OK, not everywhere. There are blooms if I look hard. We are still surrounded by a lovely sea of brown grass. So spring has sprung but the grass and flowers haven't riz. Not yet, but give it a week.

Fittop:

Rant on Pal. I feel your pain. I am literally surrounded by hundreds of good BBQ sites. Joints and restaurants that I have been salivating to try for ages but never got around to it so far. I keep planning to buy another bike. Jens complaint turned off my initial desire for an electric model. Instead of getting a new and robust gaming computer I got a new laptop.

There is entropy and systems or an OS do become obsolete. Why some even insist I've seen my personal sell by date passing by long ago. OK, I'm older, I agree, but I do not want to stop getting older. Zenna refuses to un-adopt me so I've had quite a week of cat yodeling, screeching, loud moaning and some really dark nights with opera resisting fingers pushed deep in my aching ears.

Worry not. Many people... people outside the funny farm, in fact, who think as you do regarding lawns. More homeownere than you might expect leave at least part of their lawn "natural" with good results. Our Canadian friend has a watering system that uses runoff water to feed plants and the lawn. There are many different types of fertilizer that are "safe" even insecticides that use nature's natural chemicals.

We don't have enough bees these days. Disease is killing bees off at an alarming rate. Your neighbor, Ladybird Johnson had a good idea planting all those wild flowers. We once had a neighbor who did that on his property. He planted wildflowers next to his vegetable garden. Lotsa pollinating was going on there daily.

A glass cockpit is also good looking. Surely the "dials" and readouts are easier to read. I really don't know much about it. I have not researched it. Each display must be isolated so if one readout has a problem all the rest don't go dark or fuzzy. For safety, in case of a power outage, the rickety old planes I flew did not use electricity. You wound the few instruments up with a key just before takeoff...... 😝

Y'all,

Maybe it's my old native heritage that lets me believe working with Nature rather than trying to conquer it works better for all.
I've seen fields from Alabama to Ohio where the rich soil is wonderful and looks it. Each time I investigate it's natural fallowing, nature's nutrients and less hurry and go. Yes, less and more expensive food perhaps, but. But remember, I am a city boy too and don't really care for coyotes by my mailbox.
Nor spider in the house or snakes...of any sort. - Barely tolerate human ones. But I'm naive.
There's got to be a balance.

Have to admit, the ex did have the eye and knowledge, some might say perseverance to know how to grow things.
I've just enjoyed putting color out front, but really getting worn out caring now. Somehow this place just does not appeal to me. And it looks it. Darn it.
But I do have a couple of rain barrels; the price of water only makes it logical. But then, I babble like an idiot when I reach somewhere where soft water is a factor. (Obviously not here.)

Bees are tolerated if they stay away from me. None of the times I've been bitten have I enjoyed it. But I know they are mandatory for human survival.

Like others here. I have found out I am a sucker for the Nature shows on Public Television. Who knew there are good humans trying to find a way to maintain grizzlies, antelopes and buffalo self-subsistent in North America and succeeding?
We may need crops, but those smelly beasts also affect our quality of life. Glad there should be enough room for us all.
But I don't think it's a job I'd be good at.

The bluebonnets are beginning to show.

Hello Chaps!

JRT

We cut a good deal on a couple of AC30s last week but it meant a 425 mile round trip to Moffat just south-west of Edinburgh. One was a 1991 and the other a 30th anniversary model, number 401, both in very good condition and we scooped them for £600 each.

My long standing guitar buddy from '62 connected to his Alesis Quadraverb programmed to 90 Shadows settings and it was just what we had always wanted. Unbelievable sound quality which will certainly handle our requirements for the Ventures and Spotniks etc. The two guys were about our age and had played similar stuff all their lives so we were talking on common ground. H has 100 guitars in his collection so maybe a few bargains coming up soon and another trip up the M6! He has a couple of Precisions among that lot although I am looking for another Jazz Bass. You are absolutely right... in our experience, too, the solid state amps don't cut it in comparison with valves for the Strat anyway. I have just bought a Fender Rumble bass amp which doesn't have valves but I can live with that as long as the lead guitar sound is bang on.

Their bass player is 86 so I came away feeling quite spritely!

Folks,

The sun has put up an effort today and burned through the overcast around 11;00 AM. It'll warm into the low 60's F. today, mid 60's tomorrow then colder for a bit.

Dux:

Marvellously lucky I'd say. "T" has started his guitar collection. He has 3 acoustic and one electric. He's picking right along too. I admit prejudice but I think he is doing well. No doubt due to the obvious fact he truly loves playing. That jam he goes to each Thursday night, the one with older musicians is having a good effect.

Their demands are reasonable but high. He learns something new every week. There are several retired professionals that attend that have taken a liking to him and seem to really enjoy helping the boy. He does not have his Les Paul or Martin D28 yet but many of the guys at the jam do have expensive Martins and they let him play.

One day he'll own a Taylor Builder's Edition V Class, and a Fender CD 60S all Mahogany, maybe a Gibson Hummingbird... or so he says anyway. Oh, and an Ibanez AC240,must not forget that. It's a dream of course but he's young. When you're his age dreams still come true. When you're my age its the nightmares that do.

The Ventures were favorites with us naturally. However, I well remember the day you introduced me to the Shadows whom I had never even heard of. So many of their hits like "Apache" are now on my playlist. Remember "Telstar? That was a big 1962 Tornados hit covered by the Ventures (and later by us) that put them on the charts too (but somehow not us).

I have the Tornados' and Venture's recordings of "Telstar"plus the Shadow's version as well. "Telstar" is a particular favorite of mine for several reasons all the way back to my 60's High School days.

I have my email sorted by using a VPN so pretty please send me an MP3 of you guys playing. I have seen a video of C51 and his group playing in Toronto but never anything other than a few pix of you playing. No rush mate, just at your earliest possible inconvenience.

Folks,

Fittop:

I like those PBS nature shows too. I watch PBS a lot. I watch it on my phone, computer and Roku TV.

You've got the right idea regarding conservation and good stewardship of the land. My wife was never interested in yard work or growing things. Well, other than our son who was a growing thing. My son and I (mostly me) did the yard work. You have to go back to my maternal grandmother, born at the beginning of the 20th century, for a real green thumb in my family. Her vegetable garden and flower beds were the envy of the whole neighborhood.

If that lady planted a stone or piece of coal, I believe it would have sprouted. Too bad I couldn't get her to plant a hundred dollar bill or two. We'd have had dollar trees or dollar bushes all over the property. 🤑

Y'all:

JRT, maybe it's a good thing grandmother did not plant hundred dollar bills. Imagine how worn out you'd be chasing adults and kids off your yard?
You would not have time for anything else.

Had to, as always, pop into the RC forum to see how oldgrognard's airplane is faring at its spa. I am fascinated by the process and impressed by the detail.
Thanks for sharing! Looks like it's going to be a beautiful lady.

I often wonder if my son still has the guitar from his first music lesson. Remembering I drove him to it and was impressed by the mailman that doubled as his teacher. Enough that after the son fell sleep I tried to twist my hand into making the sound I had heard hours earlier. A bit of success that I would have loved to have built on.
Still love guitar music and very appreciative of those with the talent to make that instrument sing.

Folks,

Sunny day today. Temp should top out around low 70's F.

Fittop:

Yes, that crowd might have taken some of the fun out of being rich. We could afford some junk yard trained Dobermans and some ninja guards . Worst of all, Grandma might have distressed the Revenue agents of the Treasury Dept. who are not particularly noted for their sense of humor or at the least created one heck of a tax bill.

OG's ariel baby should be a knockout for sure. Can't wait to see her after the metamorphosis.

Yes, sir. I well remember taking my son to his first guitar lesson. Frankly, I thought I was wasting my money. My son was known for all too quickly losing interest in something he had previously been captivated by, especially girls. However on that day he made a lifelong friend. He developed a lifelong enjoyment of music as well.

How lucky I was to choose that particular music shop and that teacher. His "other job" was playing professionally with a band in Myrtle Beach. My son's last guitar teacher now has his own country music theater. Here is info on "Spook". Or you can search for Spook Joyner.

https://rudytheatre.com/cast

Alas, my son plays very little guitar these days. He says he works too much. He helps teach his son as much as he can. So his son benefits from all my son was taught by his teachers.

Thus, the musical part of our family has transitioned from me to my son and now to my grandson. My granddaughter sings in church so she should be included also.

Folks,

Another sunny day but colder. At 3:20 PM the temp is 54° F./ 12°C.

That silent vinyl recording I've been waiting for should arrive soon. 120 minutes of silent meditation on each side for only $20 US. Of course it could just as well arrive most anytime. You see, I ordered it from the "Procrastinators Anonymous" website. Their motto is: "Never put off until tomorrow anything you can put off until next week." I've been a member of PA for over 20 years. As a card carrying member in good standing, I'll get around to sending my $20 sometime this year.... or the next.

In fact, as an example of why it may take some time to get that silent recording, they just got around to sending me my membership card last week. Along with that, I received a letter encouraging me to vote in the 1999 election of officers coming up any day now.