Plane Show Sunday

Different weekend than Car Show Saturday.

B-24

'R' wandered out of his office with a question, "Are there any airports around here that would have some military planes?"

B-17

Probably not exactly what he said.....

So I told him about Beverly Airport and said that they have a website.  "Why?"  Seems he heard something military sounding overhead.  From a cellar office with the windows closed!  I think that I was running some machinery in the shop, too!

B-24

With a quick online check, he determined that there was a show at the Beverly Airport of some WWII planes.  The list included a B-17, the same type of plane that my Uncle Hughie was aboard when it crashed during a training flight.  My mom has wanted to see a B-17, a real one, not just a photo.  She was ten years old when her brother, Hughie, was killed in that crash.  He was the first serviceman from their city, New Bedford, MA, to die in WWII.  The Standard Times reporter that was sent to the house to tell my grandparents the terrible news found that my grandfather had just come home from the hospital after a heart attack.  The reporter then chose not to tell them that their son had been killed in a crash.  They heard the news later...on the radio.  You can read about the crash and the memorial that has been erected at the crash site here.

So, back to yesterday.  We decided to drive mom down to the airport.

Mom at one of the B-17 props

Truthfully, both 'R' and I wanted to go see the planes, too.  Along with the B-17, there was a B-24, a P-51, a T-6, a Corsair, and a Stearman biplane.

We spent a little more than an hour looking around and taking lots of photos.

Mom, me and R reflected at center

And......we got to go aboard the B-17.  Quite an experience for my mom to see what the plane was like and to imagine her brother aboard.

Mom at the starboard gun

So glad 'R' heard that plane overhead on Sunday morning.  So glad we went.

Car Show Saturday

Yes, I've taken time away from work.  Well, at the time there wasn't much work in the shop.  So we went up to Skip's for a car show and I played around with snapping some artsy shots.

Artsy shot number one:

Artsy shot number two:

And yes, artsy shot number three:

Finally, "Self-portrait with White Walls"*

*'R's clever title...thank you 'R'!

I Shouldn't Be Doing This

Writing a blog entry, that is.  You see, I've got 6 sets of keys (5 arrived unannounced) waiting for me down in the workshop, three more sets are due to arrive any day and....tomorrow it's the historical society in the morning and two tunings in the afternoon.  Thursday another two tunings.  Friday night is the Annual Meeting/Chowder Supper for the historical society and we will be attending.  I think Saturday and Sunday are relatively free.  Monday the dentist, Tuesday a tuning at the high school and a selectman's board meeting at night (where I may have to speak publicly...eeeewwwwww).  Wednesday morning it's out to Thacher Island to retrieve a big part of the reed organ for repairs over the winter.  Thursday another tuning.  Saturday night is the Jim Malcolm concert at the UU Church and Sunday afternoon is the reception for my one person show at the UU's gallery.  Amid all of that I've been finishing up woodwork for my mom and trying to get out for some fun stuff.

Which brings me to this post.

My new not-so-plaything toy.

A Concert Roller Organ!  It needs some repair that I'll get to one of these days (haha) and I'll need to find a really super machinist to repair the crank/shaft where it was broken off with the threaded section left in the handle.  Of course the exterior decals will have to be replaced.

The organ operates by cranking the handle.  Bellows create suction within the unit and the 'cob' (because it looks like one) turns.  The pins on the cob open the little valves that you see above the cob.  Behind each valve is a reed.  When the valve opens, that reed/note plays. 20 notes in all.  I've got 9 cobs!
Just thought I'd share for a few moments.  Now it's back to the workshop and keys, keys, keys.

Schooner or Later...

if you take thousands upon thousands of photos you are bound to get at least one or two that are worthy of being called 'artsy'. 

This morning 'R' and I went to the Parade of Sail which precedes the annual schooner races.  I took 130 photographs.  There are a few decent ones.  But then there is this one.........

The One.  The One has been printed and shall gain framing.  It may even get a spot in the Contributing Members Show at the RAA this Spring.