Sunday, May 24, 2015

A busy couple of weeks

I thought I'd take a minute and show some of the repairs that I get to work on for Jimmy, at the shop along the Kelvin in Glasgow.  This flat-top mandolin got 5 new frets, and a full setup.

This nice bouzuki got 12 new frets, and is ready for a lot more playing now.


Doing a fret job on a Fender Strat.  4000 miles away from Red Wing, and sometimes it's like I'm back in Brian's fretwork class.
This cool tambura came in for a restring.
Leveling some frets on an old Lowden acoustic with the Erlewine neck jig.
Roughing in a nut...
And a finished nut.


Good company and good food

We threw a BBQ in the backyard yesterday, in celebration of the end of my wife's school year.  Much to Maple's delight, our friend Meghan brought her dog, Stevie.  She enjoys playing with bottles, and gets on with Maple great.

Some tug of war.

Begging...the common trait of all spoiled dogs.
A fun day for all.  Even the weather held out...unusual for Scotland, especially if you plan something outdoors.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Green Glasgow

Our flat is about 3 miles from the city center of Glasgow.  We live in the neighborhood of Maryhill, and while the main drag of Maryhill is busy and urban feeling, the river Kelvin runs 200 yards behind our flat, which has a nice bike path along it, and fields and parks too.

So here we are, letting Maple off the leash for a Sunday morning outing.  
And start catching some tennis balls!
Here's yours truly, also showing the bike path along the river, and some of the arched bridges you see all over Glasgow.
This bridge is still used, passenger trains zip along it every so often.
A ways up the path, we cross a foot bridge into Dawsholm park, and Maple usually takes a dip in the slow, shallow Kelvin river.
Some people are surprised German Shepherds don't always look like this.
Always time for a selfie.
As we get up to the lake, Maple got to meet another dog.
She would play fetch in a lake all day.

A particular part of the lake has lots of big sticks in it, and before she gets out of the lake, she will always pull a big one out.  Just her keep lakes clean policy I guess.
And a nice rinse in some cleaner water on the way home (still probably going to get a bath though)