Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Thormahlen Swan

Pictured here is the Thormahlen Swan made of Koa and strung in folk gut. I loved the feel of this harp and the warm tone. I’m also pleased with Thormahlen’s new Ceili model harp strung in carbon fiber. I first played one these when Kathy Chanick brought hers to Harper’s Ferry last fall.

Thormahlen Harps

The next day, we drove 3 hours to Thormahlen Harps. This was a great time to visit, because they have 5 harps available that they are showing Harp Con in St. Louis in August.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Cottage Stream




Outside the back door of our cottage runs a small stream “where the wild birds do whistle, and their notes do increase”. This has been an enchanting space to play the harp each morning as the songbirds add their melodies to the harp tunes I play.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Vancouver, Canada



We stayed with our friends John and Jim at their 16th floor condo in Vancouver, Canada. My travel harp is traveling with us.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Home Again

I'm home and I had a glorious time in Scotland. I just visited the website for Skyewalker Youth Hostel. They have posted videos to YouTube and here is the link for one of me playing at the hostel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcHSjQwjUOY

Friday, July 2, 2010

The Auld Wives Lift



As we trekked out of the pine forest and across the moor, Cheyenne relayed the folklore of these three massive stones. The story goes that three witches were in an argument about which of them was the strongest. Each of them carried one of these stones in their apron and hurled them in the air and they landed in their current resting positions. All of the sisters were equally strong. These stones rest in their own natural amphitheater. The stones have Pictish carvings, and through the years have aquired more carving from the peoples of various ages that have come into contact with the stones. Pretty cool, huh?
And so ended the last exciting event on my last day before flying back to the U.S.

Cheyenne the Explorer



Cheyenne is great at looking at survey maps, and then exploring to find the notations of interesting sites that she can explore in areas she visits. This is her friend, Steph, in the photos.