Made the deadline (5299 words total: about 3K today, all told)

[ritaxis]

So I made two deadlines in less than a week. I might be getting better at this.

By the way, nothing will bring tears to the eyes faster than standing beneath a blossoming plum tree,
while one's daughter plays piobaireachd inside.

Comments

[sciamanna.livejournal.com]

That's great! I'm being very bad at any kind of deadlines at the moment, I know how good it is to make them!

(I'm afraid I also agree about the pipes. I think Scottish pipes should be listened to from a distance -- like, from the next glen :-). Oh, and I mean this quite literally: I love Scottish pipes, but they seem to require space and distance to "work" properly. Irish pipes are different, more of an indoors instrument.) And I would love to have a blossoming plum tree. A bit early here in Dublin, give it another month or so... :-)

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

The reason the great pipes are better listened to with some space is that they are so loud and there are some dissonant undertones, which gives them that eerie sound. The Irish pipes are smaller, and I think mellower, and definitely not as loud.

Emma's thinking of switching to something -- small pipes, or electric pipes -- because of the physicality of playing great pipes: the strain on the arms, and she's hurt her knee somehow so it's hard to stand long, and it's hard to play the great pipes well standing up.

This plum tree, outside the band room, is the first blooming one I've encountered this year. I do not think it sets fruit. But I have seen wild plums blooming on the roadside, and of course flowering quince and the almond trees next to my house.