• If you haven't done so already, please add a location to your profile. This helps when people are trying to assist you, suggest resources, etc. Thanks

Winter's Not Far Away

Tom, what fine roads you have in Wisconsin. I'd sure like to drive on them. As for your silky smooth North American polka music, it's lovely and fresh, like an alpine meadow. I don't think I could manage to play one of those chunky chemnitzer concertinas though. I'm all about the piano accordion, just like you.
 
Tom, what fine roads you have in Wisconsin. I'd sure like to drive on them. As for your silky smooth North American polka music, it's lovely and fresh, like an alpine meadow. I don't think I could manage to play one of those chunky chemnitzer concertinas though. I'm all about the piano accordion, just like you.
Thanks Stewart! Yeah, that Dutchman style is cool and distinctive. I tried the Chemnitzer but didn't really take to it. I sold it to a guy who also gave me two more pianos in exchange (revenge?) (think I mentioned that).
 
I respect your opinion @Ffingers.

However, to me Jimmy Shand was, without question, the greatest Scottish accordionist of all time. He was genre defining, had a chronometric tempo and composed some wonderful music (I particularly like the tune Welcome Christmas Morning). He was a serious musician - not a showman or entertainer, and his music had as much groove as any Jazz legend. He even created one of the greatest accordion designs for Scottish dance music - the Shand Morino.
Hey Walker, I think Phil Cunningham would give Shand a run for his money. What do you think of him?
 
I took a few photos on the phone camera while going for a short walk this afternoon. The sun is low in the sky these days and sets quite early now. I also found it very amusing watching a bevy of 20 or more pheasants, trundling their way back to the woodland, on foot, after a busy day doing whatever it is that pheasants do. Autumn is just wonderful.20221127_153018.jpg
 
I heat with wood in the winter and still split by hand with a "monster maul". I have 3 full cords (4'X4'X8') stored and ready for heating this winter. Thanks to the emerald ash borer which has killed all of the ash trees in Ohio, I have a lot of dead ash trees that provide free firewood. Ash is easy to split. Now oak and hickory is another story. For that I rent a splitter for a day.
 
Wow, some cool machines there! I also split entirely with a monster maul, the orange painted giant jobber I've had over 30 years. One of my favorite tools. I generally split 1 - 2 cords per year. Here we have a similar issue with Beech. Unfortunately this year I forgot I am old and injured my major and minor teres stacking a bunch of 20 inch diameter. It's a tragedy as I am unable at the moment to play my accordion. I am doomed to sit here making vaguely Christmas themed accordion pictures. Now, the problem with this software is that the faces and hands are dismal. I suspect they will improve. In the meantime I am going to have to do some photoshop. I'd rather play a polka.
 
Wow, some cool machines there! I also split entirely with a monster maul, the orange painted giant jobber I've had over 30 years. One of my favorite tools. I generally split 1 - 2 cords per year. Here we have a similar issue with Beech. Unfortunately this year I forgot I am old and injured my major and minor teres stacking a bunch of 20 inch diameter. It's a tragedy as I am unable at the moment to play my accordion. I am doomed to sit here making vaguely Christmas themed accordion pictures. Now, the problem with this software is that the faces and hands are dismal. I suspect they will improve. In the meantime I am going to have to do some photoshop. I'd rather play a polka.
The leading cause of injury for individuals over 60, is doing things thinking they are still in their 20s;)
 
Thanks everyone, you're right! Yup, that's the one Dingo.
 
Twenty years ago I would use a splitting maul like the ones that you use, however later bought a 5 ton electric splitter when they were on sale. It's much safer than the maul because when you come across an oddly shaped log there's a much lower probability that you can miss and really hurt yourself.

My wood burning insert is also highly efficient and probably wouldn't burn more than one bushel in 12 hours. I get free wood from the neighborhood when people trim large branches, but donโ€™t actively look for fuel. That's probably the reason that my wood pile seems to grow from year to year.
 
One can see how you guys can easily put a shoulder out while keeping warm splitting wood ๐Ÿค”:
See here:
Those two Sotz monster mauls are the exact ones I bought 35 years ago. They were made here in Columbia Station Ohio. I usually use the smaller 15 lb. one. On a tough log I use the 24 lb. one. I call that one my "persuader". Sotz also made a popular kit to make a "barrel" stove out of two 55 gallon oil drums.
 
Walker: Nice pictures. Thanks. They show Scotland in a good light. I live about 8 miles from Edinburgh and while we have equally stunning rural scenery around the Lammermuir Hills etc. we tend to live in the shadow of the capital, Edinburgh. Places like the local Roslin Chapel/Da Vinci Code/Dan brown have helped to restore the balance a bit.
Jimmy Shand, like it or lump it, was a very successful musician whose workload, on at least two occasions severely impacted on his health. Earlier references in this thread refer to him and whisky. Unlike other entertainers of the period I don't believe whisky played a big part in his life. Harry Lauder has to take some blame for trading on the Scots image and whisky. I think Jimmy Shand, despite his outward, sometimes, stern appearance typified a type of humour which is referred to as 'droll'. Comedian Chic Murray made a successful career from it.
There's many examples of it and knowing that many will already be aware of the following one it still raises an inward chuckle when I'm reminded.
Jimmy and his band were on one of their many tours and I think this incident happened in Canada. Taking breakfast in their digs Jimmy expressed a desire for a bit of honey to add to his toast. He was presented with one of the modern, individual, minuscule, sealed tubs containing the honey and after looking at for a few long seconds remarked to the proprietor 'I see you keep a bee'.
 
Hi boxplayer4000, I'm a big Shand fan, he was great. I met him once when I was young.

I totally agree there are beautiful places all over the country, not least around Edinburgh way. I also particularly find parts of the Scottish Borders to be enchanting.
 
We recently had a couple of series featuring the Scottish islands and a travelogue of the very scenic northern railway line: all very fine!๐Ÿ™‚
 
Back
Top