How To Make The Sun Shine

So what is a piano technician to do when the sun is needed to bleach a set of ivory keytops and it's been cloudy and rainy for weeks?

I received a set of keys from another technician that needed a lot of ivory repair. More than I usually take on. This meant that several stains would have to be removed and the replacement ivories bleached to match the existing ivory. No sun was in sight to aid in the peroxide bleaching process.

I decided to splurge and invest in stronger peroxide (actually it was rather inexpensive) and two, four foot black lights (pricey). The UV from the lights, suspended a few inches above the keys, works like strong sunshine.

Here's the set up.And just because I invested the time and money to set this up, the sun has been out every day since!

Thanks, Murphy.

Do I Ask For It?

Do I have a hand-scrawled sign on my back that says "Kick Me"?

First delightful story (tongue firmly implanted in cheek)
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As most of you know, I rebuilt a Victorian period reed organ for a local doctor, who then donated it to the museum out on the island. I offered to check on the organ at the beginning of each season, particularly after it's first winter unheated, and make sure that all was well with it. Well, the weather hasn't been very cooperative for making the open boat trip, but now that the sun has decided to shine once again, I called to reserve a spot on the boat. I explained to the volunteer in charge of that scheduling my purpose in desiring a trip out. She assured me that the organ looked fine. I explained that I wished to check it's functioning after being left out there all winter. That there may be some problems to be fixed (no charge). Her reply was that only one light keeper played it and she was out there this month. She hadn't complained so everything must be fine, or more likely she hadn't had time to bother with it. The scheduler suggested I try to go out in September.

I'm done trying. I tried to get a boat ride out this past Spring. I talked to her about it during the annual meeting. Still put off. So...they can call me if they need anything, they can have an expensive reed organ that looks pretty but ceases to function...so typical of public collections. I don't think that I'll be sending my donation next year. I'm a member and can't enjoy any of the benefits that are available.

Second delightful story (may choke on my tongue)
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Note: I've deleted the second story and pending it's outcome, I may republish it. It involves an inappropriate, public, outburst directed towards me by a local, uniformed official. It's totally unrelated to story number one.

A Temporary Upturn

in the weather! And just in time for the Fourth of July celebrations in town. 'A' had been spending several evenings talking on the phone to her friend 'A' who lives back in Florida. This 'A' promised some pictures of our annual Independence Day (or night, more precisely) bonfire. First, the three of us decided to do some bookstore shopping on Thursday afternoon. Mom bought, 'A' bought, and silly me forgot to bring my list of promising reads...so nothing for me. We decided to stop for dinner at Ellen's Harborside and afterward to go take a look at the bonfire construction. It had rained hard on Thursday afternoon, but by the time evening rolled around, skies were clearing. Here's our volunteer department hard at work piling shipping pallets for the fire. Many years ago, the bonfire was constructed from railroad ties, but now the ecology types frown upon burning oil and creosote soaked timbers, especially on the beach!
'A' had to work on Friday and I drove by Back Beach, camera along, to check out the progress after dropping her off at work. The pile was set to go for Saturday and as you can tell the weather was much improved!
Everything was set for a good Fourth. 'A' was scheduled to work early so she would be able to attend all the festivities. This rarely happens. My mom had some friends come to visit for lunch. At Ellen's, of course. Defying all odds I actually managed a parking spot on T-Wharf on the busiest day of the tourist season! We couldn't believe it. I pulled down the wharf with the intent of dropping everyone off in front of the restaurant and just as I was slowing down, it happened. A car backed out of a slot right in front of me! Yippeeeeee! (Truly, unless you've tried to park here on a summer day you have no idea how astounding this is.) Lunch and then socializing finished around five o'clock when my mom's company left for home. Mom, 'A', and I loaded the car with folding beach chairs and jackets (even though it was in the mid 70's you just never can tell). The plan was to drop my mom off to get us a good parade spot, forget about trying to park, drive home, leave the car, and 'A' and I would walk back to town. Reverse it after the parade. As we neared the bottom of the hill, I suggested that I just try the wharf...haha. And there it was...an empty parking space! AGAIN!

Rockport's parade is always fun. Several bands (even the Legion band did the route twice. Start and finish. Silly.), the (semi) synchronized lawn chair brigade, a steel drum band, two bagpipe bands, floats (including Tuck's), dancer's performing a Michael Jackson routine, our church's summer camp participants, fire trucks galore from near and far, and many more things I've temporarily forgotten! It all progresses to Back Beach and the bandstand for a concertand then the bonfire.

A fantastic Fourth of July!
A summer Friday and Saturday to enjoy, and still more great days on Sunday and Monday when I had to work. Now, of course, it's back to rainy and cool. Summer isn't supposed to be like this!

Mainly Moseley

Well, we're finally in to July and guess what? It's still raining. I think we had a total of 5 days in June that could be considered sunny. My body is rusting. And it was chilly enough that we had to turn the heat on, today. IN JULY! Some things truly just aren't fair.

Still, they say that we are to have nice weather for the Fourth of July and also for the week that follows.

'A' and I walked down to the old gate keeper's house at the Moseley Estates. Yep, we did it in the pouring rain. I just have to get out and do stuff regardless of getting wet. I think this place has possibilities. Don't you? I'm serious. I'd love to get in and get busy fixing this place up.

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I've finally read a book deserving of note in the sidebar. Dewey doesn't have the potential of outstanding literature like some of the others that I've placed there, but it is a wonderful tale of the life of a library cat in a rural Iowa community. You just fall in love with this guy.

Saturday's Tuning

I tried to take a vacation last week. Mostly I was unsuccessful. A week earlier, on a Saturday morning, I received a call from a potential tuning customer. Mrs. Smith was sounding rather concerned. It seems that a party, evidently planned for some other location, had been moved to her home. There was to be someone playing her piano and it hadn't been tuned in two years. She needed the piano tuned during my vacation week. I really didn't want to interrupt my week so I suggested that I tune the piano on the Saturday morning before her Sunday party. She agreed to the time and I asked her a few more questions. She was positive it had only been a couple years since Mr. Nolongerinbusiness had tuned it.

At 9:45 on Saturday, I headed out to find Mrs. Smith's house. It's located on a rather busy road and I thought it would be challenging to find the house number while driving. I managed to find it without any problems and arrived promptly at 10 a.m. I had to park on the opposite side of the street on a blind curve and make a dash across, carrying my heavy tuning kit and a small 'slick and stick' kit. Safely at her doorstep I rang the bell. Mrs. Smith appeared from around the outside corner of the house and said she hoped that I didn't mind dogs. I don't. Hers were friendly. Three BIG ones that greeted me and then left the room. She escorted me to the small parlor and a gorgeous, but teeny, Victorian grand that had belonged to her great grandmother. It was keyboard to the corner of the room and a tight squeeze for my kit and me.

I played through a few octaves and cringed. This piano sounded horrendous. I looked at Mrs. Smith as she remarked, "Bad isn't it."

"Very. I have a question. Will any other instruments be played with the piano at the party?"

"No."

"Assuming that all the keys and such work, I'll only concentrate on tuning the piano to itself for tomorrow's party. Will that be all right with you?"

"Yes, exactly. Just so it sounds good to a bunch of drunk people."

Giggle. I can do that. Mrs. Smith wrote a check for payment (with a tip!) in advance of me even starting. She had errands to run and would be leaving me (and the cleaning ladies) at the house.
I'm glad those party-ers would be doing some drinking! The piano had many rusty strings, moderately loose tuning pins, and a pedal lyre that was begging for support (the support rods were missing). The cleaning ladies were busying themselves in and around the room, talking on their cell phones and moving furniture around on the hardwood floors. All the windows were open and, did I mention, the road just past the house was being repaved? Large macadam trucks ground gears hauling their loads up the slight incline in the road not more than 15 feet from my tuning position. Not to mention ordinary Saturday traffic!

An hour and fifteen later, I declared to myself that I had done all I could for the piano. It sounded better and with an inebriated crowd celebrating in song while traffic motored by, the tuning should be fine!

Getting Rolling

Today is a bit of a catch up and prepare day. Lots of little stuff before we leave for the 'other' Cape tomorrow. We'll only be gone overnight as I've got a tuning on Saturday morning and keys due to arrive today. So, I must say that business has been picking up. Several new tuning customers within the last couple of weeks and key work is growing, as well. Between trying to aim for nice weather for our Cape trip and working around working, it's been difficult. The weather has been Lousy with a capital L. We have only had three days of sunshine, so far, in the month of June! Very unlike us.

I meant to post this picture for Flag Day, June 14, but I was dealing with the laptop and couldn't.You can count it as my Independence Day photo, too. Just trying to get a little ahead! Hmm, this copy seems a bit dark compared to the original.

As I mentioned several posts ago, Squirt, or son or daughter of, has been coming 'round again.We are no longer providing peanuts, though. Squirt started bringing friends. First with one which wasn't so bad. Then three. Okay, that was getting to be too much. Especially when they started attacking the glass door trying to get in! Bad Squirt (and friends). No more nuts for you.

So there's a start on my updates. Oh yeah, there should be another oil painting appearing in the sidebar slideshow. May take a bit for it to show (don't know why that happens), but it is loaded in to the Cellar Studio at Flickr.

Wow, Finally!

I've got my PC back! I wasn't going to hook it all up this evening as it is a real pain to make all the connections while balance on a chair, reaching up to a shoulder height shelf, with no room to turn the CPU to actually see what goes where. I have a little chart and use a mirror.

Anyway, it wasn't going to happen tonight...until after four tries with the laptop and I still couldn't get to my email.

So no big stories and no pictures tonight. Maybe tomorrow! Patience.