The unusual

Notes from the Berkshires, Day 45

Lenox Coffee, 7.04 a.m.

Barista #2 is on the job, this morning, after a fashion. No tables out or lights on at 7.00, but he was already making my Americano as I walked in the door.

Disturbing news yesterday from Schaff, where a colleague has fallen into hard family and health times. Positive thoughts sent that direction during the morning sitting

I did the unusual yesterday, and went for a mid-day run instead of my late afternoon usual. This was precipitated by scheduling difficulties at the grounds; computers were down, so the only way to tell if a space had been signed out (beyond the posted rehearsal schedule) was to actually walk to the location and open the door. At 10.30 I decided that the most efficient use of my pre-lunch time would be to leave the grounds and take advantage of the nice weather. Turned out okay – by the time I got back and went to a couple of pianos I was relatively sure wouldn’t be occupied, the computers were operational again and I was able to schedule the next couple of days.

The PotD is a Boston 163, a shade over 5’4”. We have many of these on the grounds, at Miss Hall’s, and in faculty homes, and I’ve gotten pretty comfortable with them in terms of their tuning and regulating issues. They’re decent pianos for the size. This one is in the lovely – and aptly named – space called the East Barn. It’s not one of the busier spaces, used primarily for wind ensemble rehearsals, and the piano as you can see is pushed off into a far corner of the room, where it doesn’t see much use. As in many locations, there are gaps in the walls and holes in the screens (where there are screens, that is). All things considered, it’s remarkable that pianos in these spaces become as stable as they do.

The PotD:



Well, nuts – the internet appears to be non-responsive this morning. A signal shows on the desktop, but evidently not of sufficient strength to allow actual transmission of data.

Haven Cafe and Bakery, 11.42 a.m.

A shortish lunch break, and online access seems to be working here, so I’ll try to upload the blog entry.