New Chimes

Back in March we bought a set of Wind River Corinthian Bells wind chimes to hang on our back deck, and we have loved the soft, rich sound of them. Made with powder coated aluminum tubes that are individually hand tuned, we bought a set of the biggest ones, in the scale of G. As I said in a blog back then, even the slightest air movement makes them hum, and just a little bit of breeze treats us to a symphony of sound.

We have enjoyed them so much that we wanted to get a second set. The company makes a variety of these chimes in different sizes and scales, and their website lists which ones are most compatible. In our case, a smaller set in the scale of A was recommended. When we were in town last week we stopped at Ace Hardware in Northport, where we had purchased the first set, and bought another in the suggested scale.

Terry hung them on the deck near the first set, and together the sound is even more amazing. Though the new chimes, on the left in this picture, are much smaller, the sound they put out is delightful. If we keep this up, we may have to build a bigger deck to accommodate them!

The weatherman said it was going to start getting hot by yesterday and he didn’t lie. I believe the high was 95⁰, but the heat index had it up over 100⁰. Fat boys don’t do that kind of heat and humidity, so I spent most of the day at my desk working on my new Big Lake book. By the end of the day I had another 5,000 words in. If the temperature stays this high all week, which it’s supposed to, and if I can keep that kind of production up, I should be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel by the end of the week. That’s assuming my characters don’t get it into their heads to change things around on me at the last minute, which is entirely possible.

Congratulations Liz Rademacher, winner of our drawing for an autographed copy of The Search for Grandma Sparkle by Darlene Miller. This cozy mystery begins when Sarah Spoolstra learns that her grandmother Opal and niece Jessica are missing, and she decides to search for them. When their car is found with two flat tires, Sarah and her boyfriend travel up and down the rural roads and creeks of southern Iowa looking for her missing relatives. Because of a recent storm, would they have sought shelter in an abandoned barn, house, or maybe even a coal mine? Were they abducted? Who would have a grudge against the gentle woman who only tried to help people through her church’s SPARKLE Club?

We had 95 entries this time around. Stay tuned, a new contest starts soon. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books and audiobooks to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 90 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us. I love these kinds of stores because I always find something I had no idea I couldn’t live without before I walked in.

Thought For The Day – When I was a kid we played Spin the Bottle, and if it pointed to somebody who didn’t want to kiss you, they had to pay you a nickel. By the time I was twelve years old I owned my own home.