Riders On The Storm

Jun 26, 2020 | Covid-19 Diary, Dead Water

The light is strange outside as I write this, yellow, heavy with the threat of rain. There have been thunderstorms elsewhere today, but Edinburgh has missed them. Probably not a late night on the patio tonight, then. I was out untill 11-ish last night, but it got chilly in the breeze. Thankfully, I did get a decent night’s sleep; partly because of the cooler air (the bedroom window was open) but also because of a good night mask over my eyes. Thanks to Sheila, a regular commenter here, for the recommendation.

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I often mention my shed here, which is where I mostly listen to music and write. It was my office for working from home until last year. It’s been there since October 2012 and has stood the test of time pretty well, I think, though there’s been a little settlement underneath it. Anyway, it is currently in the process of being refinished–a thorough sanding, wood preservative applied and then a stain applied. Together with some other odds and ends that need to be done, that prepares the way for a greenhouse adjacent to it.

One of the benefits of a greenhouse will be that, next year, the shed will not fill with tomato plants 🙂

And, talking of writing, a quick 1970 music post plus 700+ words of fiction were produced in the shed this afternoon and evening.

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Music: Since writing the opening paragraph of this entry, the sky blackened from the South East until it it got really quite dark, thunder rumbled round the sky, and there was a sharp downpour.

Tonto’s Expanding Headband (yes Keiwit, they did exist, I’m not making it up) only released two albums, but both were hugely influential. TONTO was The Original New Timbral Orchestra, essentially a massively customised pair of Moog Series IIIc synthesisers with various modules, many homemade, patched in. TONTO was much in demand by the likes of Stevie Wonder and Weather Report.

Of course, if you’re like me, you’ll have both of the original albums. I bought the second of them, It’s About Time in North Berwick in summer 1976, and this is one of my favourite tracks on it. It ends with the sounds of a storm, which is why it came to mind. (What, you didn’t think I was going to play The Doors did you?)