Checklists

I made lists upon lists of things to do before I left. I put objects I would need on the trip into piles. If I used a cord for some device, I put it back into the packing pile as soon as I unplugged it. After taking a photo, the camera went back into the zip lock bag with the battery charger, spare battery, computer cord. And today, just before leaving the house, I made a trip to Kinko’s to copy some documents and get all my loose papers spiral bound.

Bon Voyage Celebration with Neighbors

I love my neighbors. They decided to have a "bon voyage" celebration for me. We walked to a neighborhood restaurant and enjoyed the evening together.

Lindsay and Wes are my next door neighbors. They have me (and Doug) over for dinners and we try to bring desserts from Pistachia Dessert Boutique or from Bierberg's Bakery. They also let me borrow their mower. Yesterday we even co-purchased a power washer. They sit out on their front porch swing and listen to my harp playing. They even have a favorite tune and request "Isle of Aigas".

Tim and Amy live directly across the street. They don't stand outside yelling at each other in the middle of the night like the prior-to-the-prior owner did. But they do tell how Tim's sister relays her neighbor miseries. When she tells about how their neighbor is disputing property boundaries, they say, "Yeah, our neighbor sits on the front porch and plays his harp." When they visited from D.C. last weekend, they heard for themselves and knew it was true. And they knew Amy and Tim were rubbing it in.

It's nice to be appreciated by your neighbors. But it's even nicer to have such good neighbors to appreciate!

National Scottish Harp Competition

I competed at the National Scottish Harp Competition in 2009 that was hosted at the Ohio Scottish Games. Although I did not place in any of the three awarded positions at the Master Level for Solo Harp, I was awarded the Herbert P. MacNeal Travel Study Scholarship. To receive this award, applicants had to submit a scholarship application packet and compete at the National Scottish Harp Competition at the Journeyman or Master Level. I was also awarded 1st place in the Harp with Vocals category and received the Bardic Cup.

Being awarded the Herbert P. MacNeal Study Travel Scholarship has been the impetus for my trip to Scotland. This trip has also been fostered through the Dr. Andrew Turner Memorial Scholarship which is sponsored by Edna Turner and the Mid-Ohio Scottish Heritage Association.

Fully Prepared- Almost

When Timothy Harper was thinking of introducing a small harp into his production again, he asked what I would want in a travel harp. I had been thinking about this for some time and answered without hesitation, "27-string, C-a, fully levered". This would allow me to move many of my arrangements up an octave and play in the keys I can on a larger harp. I got a case with backpack straps, a set of detachable legs, and a flight case from Colorado Case Company. I was ready for my next big trip. I scanned the airline website to get a basic idea of how much it would cost to fly with this small harp. The only information I could find said that oversize items would be priced by a ticket agent. My friend dropped me off at the airport. I proceeded to the counter where I found that it would cost $175.00 one way! It would cost more for my harp to fly round trip to Idaho Falls than it would for me. When I asked if there would be any additional charge if I had said that these were ergonomic golf clubs, I was told, "No, but they would open the case downstairs and discover the deceit." I decided to bite the bullet since I had specifically gotten the harp for travel.

When returning, I arrived at the airport fully prepared to be outrageously charged again. The ticket agent asked me if the case was more than __ linear inches. Since I hadn't measured it, I said, "I'm not sure." The agent said, "I'm going to say that it's not." I breathed an internal, "Whew!" and proceeded to my gate.

This harp got played in Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and in the Grand Tetons on that trip. It's a great harp with a phenomenal sound, but I doubt I'll fly with it again unless I'm booked on Southwest Airlines. I'll have to adjust to my 22 string, G-g, with levers on F's and C's that fits into a sturdy cardboard box and fits the limits for checked luggage.

Portals into the Mist

At the far end of Lake Chelan in the Cascade Mountains is a small village called Stehekin. One night, I took my harp through these portals to the boat dock. Forest fires glowed of over the peaks of the mountains that thrust from this fiord. The notes from the harp called a few kindred spirits through the mists to listen.

Travel Harp

That first harp that I got has gone with me on many vacations. It has been with me in my room and in the lobby of Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood. It has been with me as I'm drifting off to sleep at the McMenamin's Old St. Francis School Hotel in Bend. And it's been with me on the balcony at Canon Beach. It's nice to have a harp with you as you travel.

re-Mark

After one of my early harp competitions, my friend Mark came up to me and said, "Pieces of the Strathspey that you hacked off are still lying all over the floor". Yesterday, Mark competed for the first time at the Highland Games in Glasgow, KY. He confided that as he started to play his Strathspey in the competition he thought, "Okay...this is when God teaches me a lesson for making that re-Mark to Steve". There was, however, no unfortunate outcome. Mark was awarded 1st place in the Journeymen Category on Solo Harp. He was also given the crystal platter for playing the most difficult piece, and was presented with a Jan Pennington-Gray Medallion. I was glad that Mark stopped to share his successes, since he has been so supportive as I have competed on the harp.