Updates from here

Things have been a bit manic here and I'm a bit the worse for wear at this stage, but the end is in sight.   

summer colour in spite of the cold

My brother arrived home from Australia on Sunday for a month long visit to stay with Mum, which has freed our time a bit for a few weeks to let the end of term run out, get choir performances done and get the album finished.   Unfortunately new medicine I've been on has not agreed with me and I'm struggling putting one foot in front of the other at the minute - isn't that always the way - never feel poorly when you've loads of time to be sick in ... humph.   Anyway, this too shall pass as some wise person once said.  

Break out the champagne ... We had a successful crowdfunding project on Kickstarter - hit our target a few days ago and the time isn't up until tonight at midnight so we're delighted with that.   A couple of very generous friends asked us to do special concerts which we are only to happy to do and they lifted the total well up between them.   

Terrible photo but drum set up in the living room

Now we're finishing up our bits of recording.   I have to say this has been a most enjoyable experience.  Every room in the house has been used and as if by magic it all disappears in the evening.  

guitar studio in the bedroom

 Yesterday and today I've been engineering for Tom to add his percussion parts and I'm getting to grips with all the technical terms - I am now someone who knows that a bus is not only a means of transport!!  Mind you I can't explain it much beyond that but it's something to do with sound recording lol. 

For the next few days now we'll do backing vocals and final vocals while other musicians are adding parts to songs remotely.   On previous recordings we brought a musician in for a day to add their instrument to several tracks, but now most musicians have the facility to record in their own studio and send the parts back.    So there's bass, fiddle and keyboards going on to some songs and we've a few minor things to add then - perhaps an harmonica on one or two songs and we're looking for a nice wooden flute player.   I've never gotten around to buying my wooden flute but I will do that over the winter - mind you my wish list of instruments never seems to get smaller - let me see: I need another guitar, a ukulele (even though I'm not a fan of the instrument, but it may have uses in recording ), a wooden flute and a shruti box.   I think I'll have to keep doing the lottery.  As you can see my annoyance with music has diminished - the rest over covid has really done me good - that and constant playing with paints and papers.   Now to get the medicines sorted, get a wee break and hope that my mum keeps improving.   She'll be 95 next month so we'll look forward to that.      

And of course, I can't go without the squirrel updates :)  Our morning entertainment ... 

Count the tails!!!

there was another one on the ground

... if the sun is shining they are really red but if it's dull they seem much browner.  I really must learn to take better photos but the wee brats won't sit still long enough for a good pose - they need training :)

Til the next time, stay well and safe.