Day 32: Crushing Your Adversary.

Today was a great day. I muzst admit that I was worn really thin in the midday when others were in their workshops and we were alone. But I do enjoy interacting with the dulcimer people here. They are warm and wonderful and welcoming.

We started off with a breakfast in a diner, which looked like it'd be a greasy-spoon diner. But the food was mostly really good. At least the omelet and rye toast were. The "home fries" were not so good, and it is not often that I won't eat a fried potato!

We got to the church just before nine and expected to get to the opening meeting, but the opening meeting had already happened. The sessions had already begun. I didn't know when mine was, so that was a bit of a problem. But it turns out that it is tomorrow, and that is wonderful! It is at 8:45am. The session is Songs and Dance Tunes From the Jewish Tradition, and I'm really excited. I met the teacher, Lucy Joan Sollagub, today, and she is really nice. Plus, I did some research on her, and she is a wonderful and very active teacher and musician. And she wrote a great book: Shiron L'Shalom: A Sourcebook of Jewish Songs for Peace Education.


Okay, I cannot think. I want to list the builders that I've met and that have been so kind to me along with their web information. But I'm too tired. There is also a days worth of really important stuff, like concerts and peg heads and why this group of builder is not adversarial. And ask me about the woman who asked 5 luthiers how to put a strap on her octave instrument. But tomorrow, I hope. I'm done for today. I'm exhausted from all of the great stuff that happened.

Workshop bench after much work. Dwain cautions and advises me on how to decide what repair to do "curb side."

Lunch was a turkey sandwich, macaroni salad, and some chips and a brownie.







We watched a baby woodchuck climb into the engine compartment of a car and alerted the driver. They put food out and the little guy went on his way.



I took a picture of dinner half way through and the boys laughed at me. I told them that I was on a diet so I wanted to show how little I ate. I had already eaten the mashed potatoes and gravy, a big spinach salad, and most of my chicken.

Sunhearth.

People came and it was nice to talk about instruments and music.

Bear Meadow

Dwain is carving a scroll head for an instrument that he is building. On a whim he went over to look at the Sunhearth's scroll head--there is a couple that sold the Sunhearth here at the gathering. Dwain likes the lines and curves of the Sunhearth better than his, and he cannot recall why his developed differently than his teacher taught him. He went back to the one that he is working on and promptly made the changes. Done. That is the mark a true master, I think.



There were three concerts put on. The only part of one that I saw was a woman dressed as an Irish special guest singing an Irish tune about a woman who kills her entire family in weird ways.

Another concert was put on by the directors of Dulcimer U, Larry & Elaine Conger. When he did the Everly Brothers' "gee wiz" song everybody sang. I knew the "dream, dream, dream" and "gee wiz" parts. He put on a nice show that displayed his versatility.

Yeah, this is really up in the church.

George Handy, who has been building for just over a year with his wife. He makes some really nice dulcimers with wonderful inlay.

And these guys are amazing! House of Waters.

And it is 12:04, and I'm going to sleep!