Been a while

Greetings, avid readers! It's been a while since I posted to the blog.

So what's new? Nothing much. We've suffered from one of the coldest Julys on record, second coldest since 1884. It's been damp, so much so that the varnish work on the speed boat has suffered. It's still not on the water. We're hoping today! Or maybe tomorrow at the latest. We'd like to buzz up to Vitale Park here on Conesus lake for the Sunday evening concert.

Here's the boat sitting rather forlorn and lonely in the car port. The varnish has ended up being a non-slip surface. Some of it turned to alligator skin due to the moisture. Oh well, this fall (autumn) we'll tackle it properly. A little history about the boat, it's a 1961 Cruisers Inc. It's been in Gail's family since new, and was restored by sister in law Jen and her husband Robert. 90 hp Mercury engine! Somewhat of a collector's item.

So I'll pop some photographs of the boat on the water this weekend.

Cheers

Just a thought on a way to support our troops.

When my nephew was serving overseas in Kuwait, we sent him a little parcel of things he probably couldn't find "over there." If I remember correctly it included the following:

• Powdered drink flavours (like Cool Aid) so as to make chlorinated water more palatable.
  
• Medicated foot powder.
  
• Bath soap, unscented ... guys don't use perfume!
  
• Photographs from home.
  
• Wet wipes.
  
• A pair of sunglasses - somewhat indestructible, not your cheap gas station variety.
  
• Powdered pudding mixes, just add milk... butterscotch and chocolate were the most popular.
  
• Letter writing pad. (airmail weight). I gather this was not used for writing letters! They used the armed forces aerograms for letters, if any!
  
• A pair of wrist sweat bands.

If you can think of other suggestions leave a comment.

If you don't have a friend or relative overseas, I believe you can find how to forward such personal care parcels online. Here's two I've found.

For the United Kingdom...

SOS - Support Our Soldiers

For the United States...

AnySoldier.com

Please READ THE INSTRUCTIONS on these websites, otherwise you'll be making life difficult for the volunteers.

Totally Awesome Army Wife Blog

I have to thank one of my best friends, Jim Waltz, for forwarding a typical "support our military" email. In it, I clicked on a link to the web site below. Tammy, an army wife, writes a great blog about being an army wife. She is involved in all sorts of projects in which you, too, can participate.

Check out her blog, you'll be reading heartwarming and yet frightening stories for hours!

Army Household6

Cheers.

Classic classical music.

I recently bought a classic classical album. Here's some of the tracks.

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis for Double String Orchestra by Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic

Romance. Andante from Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K.525 by Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic

Élégie from Serenade in C Major for String Orchestra, Op. 48 by Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic

Enjoy!

BTW. I grew up watching the New York Philharmonic on the television with Leonard Bernstein. It was a program designed for children. This was simply wonderful. I do remember him having a microphone on and he hummed during the music! Awful! LOL

From Leonard Bernstein -- Timeline

1958 January 18, began first series of annual televised New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts on CBS TV, beginning with What Does Music Mean? YPCs continued until 1972, with 53 different programs led by LB.

Coldest July on Record, Where's this global warming we've been promised?

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
342 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009

Climate....

TEMPERATURES THROUGH JULY 22ND CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS THE COOLEST JULY IN HISTORY SO FAR AT ROCHESTER...BUT BUFFALO HAS DROPPED TO THIRD PLACE IN THE LONG TERM RECORD (TO 1871 INCLUDING DOWNTOWN DATA) BUT STILL EASILY THE COOLEST IN THE 67 YEAR AIRPORT RECORD. HERE ARE THE UPDATED STATS...

FOR ROCHESTER...AVERAGE JULY TEMP 70.7.
COOLEST JULYS (BACK TO 1871)...
2009... 64.3 (THRU 7/22)
1884... 65.4
1992... 66.6
1891... 67.1
2000... 67.1

FOR BUFFALO...AVERAGE JULY TEMP 70.8.
COOLEST JULYS (AIRPORT DATA BACK TO 1943)...
2009... 65.4 (THRU 7/22)
1992... 66.8
1956... 67.6
2000... 67.6
1976... 67.8

COOLEST JULYS (INCLUDING DOWNTOWN DATA BACK TO 1871)...
1884... 65.2
1891... 65.3
2009... 65.4 (THRU 7/22)
1920... 66.1
1883... 66.8
1992... 66.8

This is a totally great album. If you've never heard Duruflé's Requiem, you should!

Durufle : Requiem - Messe (C*m Jubilo) - Plasson Anne Sofie von Otter, Marie-Claire Alain, Michel Plasson, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse & Thomas Hampson Release Date: Nov 28, 2005 Genre: Classical ℗ 1999 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by EMI Records Ltd.

iTunes for Mac and Windows

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First Kite flown this year.

Here we are! First kite flight of the year while on the way to the new North Shore Grill here on Conesus Lake.

Check out their website, if you wish.