On current form, I’m expecting rains of frogs in 2022.

Almost nothing done on the organ in the last twelve months, due to the pandemic, and both my work commitments and David’s. The project sputtered into life again last weekend when David popped over (yes! people! in the house!) to re-re-re-measure the toe piston mouldings before cutting them. We changed our minds. Twice. He has gone away now to apply the saw, but I’m trying not to think about it. Hopefully that will be back in a few weeks and I can get on with the build.

I also removed paid someone to remove the inconvenient oak tree and got a new fence. It’s probably a mark of my advancing age that I am strangely proud of having a new fence, but I’m trying not to think about that, either. Anyway, it’s nice to have it finally erected because I was in perpetual fear of the dog escaping through the enormous holes in the old one, and also because now the fence is in place I can finally start putting things into the garden, rather than taking things out of it. I planted a couple of climbing roses at the side of the house, which appear to have settled in nicely. No major plans for the house interior for the rest of this year, apart from some pre-painting prep work after removing the ghastly wallpaper from the lounge and fitting the new lounge radiator. Next year will hopefully be a bit more exciting.

Gaze ye all upon my fence and rejoice with me.

Once upon a time, I may have made a joke involving “Jake the Peg”. Those were innocent days.

It has been a productive week.

The expression shoes are now in the console, and everything is secure. The first photo show one of the new pots in its flange and waiting to be secured to the shoe, and the second shows the rear view of the console, with the shoes and side panels fitted and secured.

The only (forgive me) potential fly in this ointment is that I have not properly tested the pots. To do this properly, I need to assemble the MIDI control centre in the correct place, so that the shielded cable to the pots is as short as possible. I have received Dire Warnings about this cable being too long, as it may cause errors in the Voltage transmission from the pots to the MIDI module. So that’s next week’s job.

Meanwhile, David (of Norwich Organs fame) has received the toe piston mouldings. He is currently thinking about things, and will attack them with a saw in due course. Rather him than me.

In house-related news, I have – with the assistance of lovely neighbours – smashed up three sheds. I think we deserve an award for how neatly the skip was packed. Next week, the tree surgeon cometh. Hopefully he will pronounce the oak at the bottom of the garden to be sound and safe.

Oh yes, and I managed to step on a nail when taking the dogs for a walk. In the middle of woodland. Which is unfair: I didn’t do this once when we were smashing sheds to bits. Hello, tetanus shot and course of strong antibiotics. Ouch.

I am not a worker of wood. On top of that, I don’t really have the tools or the space for doing fine work. Nevertheless, I did my best and it is not too bad. At some point I might re-visit the re-shaping of the knee-board, but not in the forseeable future. It’s done, and it works. Unless you crawl under the organ and look closely at the mitres, you will not see how badly they are cut. Grr. Anyway, here’s the finished product, front and back.

I have secured the holes left by the speakers, using plastic grilles which are usually employed for fixing pond filters. If I inadvertently stick my foot through the fabric, this reduces the risk of me getting electrocuted. I have re-fitted the square box (right of the rightmost picture), since I have discovered that it is essential to the structural integrity of the console. Fortunately I kept the bits. I’m a great keeper of bits, me. David would be proud.

It felt… satisfying… to finally be putting things together again after such a long period without any major progress. I can now turn once more to matters electronic. Next on the Great Big List is to fit the new pots to the expression shoes, and then fit the shoes back in their hole.

I also need to measure the right-hand moulding, to shorten it by two pistons, making allowance for the enlarged hole. At least one, if not two, of these pistons should fit easily on the left-hand moulding. My plan is to do the measuring next week, and then drop the mouldings off at David’s front door so that he can get to work on them with far more skill than I can manage. He’s more-or-less on the way to the supermarket so I can do this when I go shopping, thereby avoiding an unnecessary journey.

I also have a skip arriving next week, so that I can remove the three rotting sheds in my garden. I have a lump hammer and a crowbar. And gin – for medicinal purposes.

I am not, for one moment, suggesting that the current strict rules on isolation should be ignored. Far from it: as someone who lives with a medical condition that puts me in an “at risk” category, the current pandemic is causing me more than a little worry. The only truly effective method to halt a virus in its tracks is to remove its access to hosts, which means that – if governments around the world are sensible (hah!) – the quarantine and distancing protocols should remain in place for several weeks, even months, to come. I’m slightly concerned by Spain’s decision to relax some of the restrictions: I hope this decision has been taken on the basis of sound evidence, and that it won’t turn out to have been too soon.

But on the other hand, my plans are frustrated on many fronts. I need to do some work on the bathroom of the new house, but a plumber needs to work some magic first. I need to redecorate the bedroom (I have Plans), but I need the services of an electrician before I can start. And then there is the organ.

Fortunately, I have been able to get hold of some of the items I need to make progress. Presumably there are small businesses still operating out of people’s garages and sheds, and still able to sell on eBay and Amazon. I’ve received some excellent wood stain and some headless nails, and am expecting to receive some right-angle hardwood moulding, brown wax, and varnish, later this week. I have cut and stained a nice piece of hardwood (supplied by David) that will be attached to the lip of the expression shoes base board once it has been waxed and varnished. I think I will be able to match the colour of the console almost exactly.

Once I’ve stained, finished and fitted the moulding around the hole in the knee board, I will be able to re-fit it and then affix the expression shoes. It’s time to start putting things back together.

I also bought some new socks, which pleased me greatly. I have embraced middle-age.

I’m overloaded with work at the moment, and Mr Norwich Organs is booked up to the end of the year. And on top of that, I’m likely to be moving house imminently.

So, a temporary hiatus is now in effect, probably until January.