APCO, Allegany Ridge Runners, Pool cleaning, Barbership chorus
By Chuck Wiser, I write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
I’ll write about this first comment right up front so you can take a break from reading and head on over to Bob’s Market, as he still has some corn left. If you hurry out today, or tomorrow, you may still get some of the sweetest, sweet corn ever grown. We’ve eaten it almost a dozen times this season and now have a bushel worth frozen for later consumption. I had mentioned a week or so ago that he was running out, but fortunately for me, he still had a little more.
This year has been a spectacular year. Yesterday when I stopped in to get more corn, I told Bob I had before, and would again, mention his market and he was surprised that I would do that. I think I told him that my Wramblings were about things that would make people smile, and his products certainly will.
I used to frequent this market when owned and run by Bill Simons who amazingly could find the time outside of his playing and coaching “Fast Pitch Softball,” to grow corn and other ‘veggies.” Bill was a legend, and his memory still is in the hearts of many former players. Having played and coached the Air Preheater “APCO” team for years I was always playing against Bill’s Texas Hot team. I had the good fortune, and was fortunate enough a couple times to have him invite me to play on his summertime traveling fast pitch softball team for some tournaments.
By way of explaining today’s “Heading,” without getting into too much boring personal detail, my aging body is fighting back in the form of multiple muscle cramps. Nocturnal leg cramps are not uncommon, especially among those who work or play too hard at times. But these that reward me for any, and every, waking or sleeping muscle exercise can pop up any time, at any place in my body. Hands cramping, whilst writing or eating, will make me clench whatever instrument I am utilizing, whether it’s my fork or my harmonica. Fortunately the fork is held “tines down” and I’m in no danger of stabbing myself. Mis-playing of my harmonica will only injure listeners ears.
By way of further explanation about my musical instrument playing days, they go way back into my youthful musical experiences. I am blessed to once again utilize one aspect worthy of “noting.” Recently, singing, and now playing some harmonica in the Grace United Church “Praise Band,” is a blessing, at least to me. In my early teens I started playing the drums inspired by Sandy Nelson and Buddy Rich (Aka The Drum Wonder). Buddy was one of the most well-known jazz drummers from the 50’s- And for a good reason! If you look at Rich’s biography, you’ll see that he can do it all, musically. Buddy Rich was a bandleader, conductor, songwriter, and, of course, a drummer.
Living in Nile, NY, somehow my drum playing caught the attention of Tex Warner, leader of The Allegany Ridge Runners. Even as a mere youth I was invited to play at square dances with the band. Tex would use an “around the neck” holder so he could play his guitar using his hands and still play his harmonica which was held in the holder. I became interested in the harmonica playing and so managed to acquire one. I don’t and still can’t “read music” but I have a pretty good ear for the notes and the pitch. I used to tell people “I play by ear.” That typically would trigger a response such as “doesn’t that hurt?”
I would sit out in front on the steps playing my harmonica. Most likely my mother didn’t care to hear my music playing, much like a similar feeling expressed by my wife today. When practicing my music, I hide away down in our family room and sing and play to my heart’s content. I can hear a tune and play it back almost immediately. This characteristic prompts the following topic.
I have what I call “Music Memory.” What I mean by that is exactly what I describe above. Expanding on that however, explains that while I can’t remember words, or things people say or musical lyrics that I am trying to learn, I can easily recall the musical tune. In my Barbershop style of singing with a couple of local groups a few years ago we sang “off music,” which means from memory as opposed to holding a musical score and reading it. Memorizing the words of the songs was very difficult and time consuming. The musical notes were ingrained immediately. I could remember “the tune” almost immediately, without having to hear it more than once. Learning and remembering the lyrics took much longer. I would have to write out the lyrics on a separate note pad and read and recite them over and over. There were a few “tricks” that helped, like remembering the words as phrases as opposed to singular words. After a learning session, and trying to get to sleep, it was ofttimes difficult, as a musical tune would be stuck in my head. Some of those word phrases would also invade my sleepful mind and would repeat over and over again, only to be stumped by a part of the lyrics that I couldn’t recall.
The single most significant disappointment from my earlier life was having bypassed singing in the high school chorus or playing in the band. My one attempt to join the band was thwarted when the band director/teacher advised that he didn’t need a drummer so I would have to play something else. BTW, his son was the drummer. I figured I was already playing with The Allegany Ridge Runners, and who, which, eventually allowed me to sing “harmony” to the lead singers melody.
To this day I still think “harmony” when I’m learning a Praise Band song. Leaders George Johnson and Dave Toot keep me “on tune” as best they can. They, and the band, are a blessing in my life.
“The birds have flown the coop” as they say. With the exception of one favorite, that being the Northern Cardinal, our birds, all seasonal, have now departed, at least from our feeders. The hummingbirds were the last to leave having been gone for only a few days. We are truly grateful for the prosperous reproduction of the Cardinal population. We have retired all our feeders except for the oldest, biggest, “porch rail mounted” Sunflower seed feeder. The other day in the dim early morning light I watched out our above sink kitchen window as one after another cardinal landed on, in, or around the feeder. As closely as I could count with the jostle of the “coming and going” activity, there were 10 or 12 Cardinals at, or attempting to join, the feeding fray. Since the Cardinals don’t migrate it looks like we are going to have plenty of wintertime aviary company. There are only a few things more colorfully outstanding than a bright red cardinal silhouetted in the white snow.
At this point in the Wrambling I still haven’t even looked at my “topical list” of sharable Wramblings. I shall commence that purview immediately.
First, I would like to define my version Writer versus Wreporter. There is a difference.
I consider myself a “writer” as opposed to a “reporter.” To my mind, or at least opinion, a reporter is one who “reports” or writes about an activity, topic, or subject giving accurate, factual, information. The key word there, to me, is “factual.” It doesn’t, or shouldn’t consider opinion, nor even “poetic license,” as the reporting, then read and presumed to be true and factual, should be as exact as possible. Writing, on the other hand, is typically composed combining actual and factual, but with some “spin’ put on it by the writer. Opinion, feelings, and even poetic license are entwined in the writing, despite being “opinionated.” Reader beware is the “Wiser way” of offering a warning that the writers influence and judgement may indeed not be 100% truthful. A lie (hopefully) might not be specifically identified as such so it is up to the reader to proceed with caution and open-mindedness. The safest way forward, when believing and more importantly sharing that belief, is to do a little checking or researching the item before storing it in your memory, or “writing.” Facebook is not the most creditable source of confirmation, and in fact is most likely the biggest contributor to the spread of misinformation. I confess! I have been guilty of sharing incorrect information, especially if it is, or was, authored by a trusted, old-time friend.
Wreader Beware! When in doubt, check it out. I made that bold so as to reflect its importance.
When playing golf recently, and attempting to putt the ball into the cup, and missing, I asked myself if I was made out to be a “putter” or “puttier.” Near misses one way could be puttied over and hidden.
This next note is for anyone having a swimming pool large enough to have used a “pool vacuum” to clean the debris or deposits from the bottom. Seasonally, leaves are now the most common. When my pool vacuum is running the hose eventually gets twisted and winds up controlling the brush or nozzle movement. When going through that exercise recently my “inventive engineering mind” made me think about designing a way, or device that would prevent the hose from curling up. The closest I have come “idea wise” is to have some kind of sliding collar that would slip back, holding or controlling the brush end of the hose preventing the curling. I know, stupid!
Whilst working in and on the pool the other day, in the heat of the day, I had consumed a couple of adult beverages. I guess that’s when my mind was mulling that hose design. As contrary as it may seem, I often otherwise, do come up with some pretty good ideas when influenced by the stimulus of the beverage. Despite having been a product of the “sixties”, I never smoked, used or inhaled any of those prominent “stimulants.” Given my enhanced ability of deep thinking and inspiration I think I can understand why or how some of the inventions and or very meaningful musical messages could have been influenced and developed given that stimulus.
Looking back over this Wrambling before putting it to press I see quite a few “Auto Correct” suggestions for editing to make things more direct and to the point. I think that what I call “Auto-defect” should have a setting that controls that auto-checking to include a choice between conversational commenting as opposed to concise, pluperfectly grammartorily constructed. One of those previous words may have been intentionally misused. If you are especially conscious of grammar errors or mis-representation by “Writers vs Wreporters” you can borrow my major source of auto-correctness, that being Google Search. I leave you now with my frequent invitation to contact me at IM.Wiserdad@gmail.com with your concerns, comments or opinions. 💕💕
Chuck Wiser is a Scio NY man who writes from the banks of the mighty Genesee. He writes about everything and anything that wramblings through is mind. You can contact him anytime, chuckwiser@roadrunner.com
