The WhistleSmith - Wicked Good Whistles Handmade in Maine

WhistleSmith Good and Plenty Low G Whistle

The Good and Plenty whistle is the result of receiving so many requests for a back to basics whistle. Many folks have asked for an easy to clean whistle in G with accurate tuning, no tuning slide, and the smoothest bore for good sound that is possible.

The following letter gave me the name of the whistle and was the basis for making the Good and Plenty Low G. If all goes well, there will be a series of the Good and Plenty whistles in all keys including the Traveler A mentioned in this email.

I received this email from a whistler in Pennsylvania who lives near Lancaster in the midst of Amish country. Here is an excerpt of his letter.

"I recently was waiting for my wife to do some shopping in a road side furniture store near Lancaster, PA. I got tired of sitting in the car , so I ambled over to where there were some rocking chairs for sale and took my whistle along for company. I bought the Traveler, Low A in October and I carry it on the road while I call on accounts. There were no customers outside the shop, so I settled in to play a tune or two and probably had been playing a full ten minutes when I noticed I had an audience of two Amish children of about ten. I stopped playing and said hello and they responded that they liked my music and settled in to hear another piece. I had played a couple of my favorite songs when their father showed up and with a nod invited me to play some more. I played for a bit more and then took a break and showed the two children the whistle and how it played. The father looked the whistle over and asked me if it had a name and I replied it was a WhistleSmith. He smiled and said " I think you should call it 'the Good and Plenty!' because it plays plenty well and good too!" Thought you would enjoy hearing that you have an Amish admirer of your whistle. As you can tell I think this a great whistle to take on the road too.

The Good and Plenty Low G is made with a single piece body of ultra white pipe with a dark grey poly plug and removable top cap for the easiest possible cleaning.Whistle is 16" long, made for small hands fingering (ladies extra small glove size),comes apart for easy cleaning, and has a rich, full sound with plenty of volume.

Whistle is for a right handed player and has offset fingering holes for comfort and easy playing. This whistle is perfect for playing in the Key of G, C, or Am with no cross fingering to learn. This instrument will stay in tune in cold weather and plays great even in the wind. This is a take any where whistle that will play in all kinds of weather and temperature conditions.

Whistle comes with an 11" x 17" color coded fingering chart and whistle care and playing tips sheet. Whistle is White with silver striping as shown in photo.

Priced at $39.95

Shipping Calculated at checkout

Wicked Good Thumb rings now available! Order your thumb ring with your WhistleSmith whistle or flute and we will ship it for free!Why do you need a Thumb Ring? If you ever dropped your car keys, you know the answer to this question. Don't drop your whistle! Get a grip on your whistle that doesn't slip and play with all fingers open with confidence!

Note: International orders will be charged an additional $12 to cover shipping and insurance to destination outside the US. Please check out with your current order and we will send an invoice for the additional $12.

What People Say for Spring and Summer '09

This section of What People Say! will be available for additions. If you have non commercial information you would like to share with other whistlers just send me an email.

Dear Skye,

Thank you for the lovely note about your whistle. I really appreciate you letting us know that you have received your Low G and your comments on the whistle. Thank you so much as your note really made my day. Rod Brewer, The WhistleSmith

Hi Rod,

I just opened the low G whistle this morning and played for 5 minutes before work. Beautiful! I love it! Makes me want to replace my high D with one of yours, and save up for a low D, too.

And the thumb ring is great. Don't know how much traditional music I'll ever learn in this lifetime, but this beautiful sound is perfect for a lot of what I do, and a nice change from the silver flute.

You have a fan :) Skye

This is a very nice letter with good information on the thumb ring. Thanks Crystal!

Hi Rod,

The Ultra Bb arrived safely and quickly became my favorite whistle! The first thing I thought when I saw the mouthpiece was, "This thing

is a work of genious!" And it is. I have 3 other whistles, different brands and different keys, and they're all hard to clean and not

nearly as comfortable to play. I also love the thumb rings. I use one for each hand, and I never realized how tense I got playing all holes

open, until I didn't have to worry about it anymore. Whistling is the great joy I always thought it could be, thanks to your wonderful

whistle! Thank you, and feel free to publish this if you like.

Crystal

The following post comes from Beryl Branin, who is building a blog with news and music to download.

Hi Folks .

I'm still a'whistlin' and having a great time -- thank you. Just thought you might be interested in reading the March post I've put on my blog.

Gura mile maith, Beryl Branin

http://www.grammbo.typepad.com/grammbosramblings/ > grams blog banner

Dear Beryl,

My wife Nadiene and I are very impressed with your blog and the time you have taken to let us know you like your whistles. I will post your email on the WhistleSmith blog so others can read your note in "What people say"

Your email has certainly made our day while we have been cooped up with three days of very bad winter weather. Thanks again for your note, Rod Brewer, The WhistleSmith

Slide Flute finds New Friends and Places to Play!

I have been busy making inventory this winter and one instrument that has been consistently in demand is the slide flute. The Pennywhistle and Symphony Slide Flutes have both been found to be very satisfactory instruments for children and adults with Down Syndrome.

These folks love music and the interaction that it gives them with others. Playing the slide flute is a good therapy for improved breathing and an inexpensive way to provide an instrument that is easy to play and fits into family activities.

Because the slide flute can be played very loudly, I am providing extra poly plugs to limit volume and allow a quieter more mellow sound if required. Inserting the poly plugs also cuts down on the amount of air required to play the flute.

An adjustable poly plug on the slide rod now allows adjustment to the tension of the slide. You can adjust the size of the plug with a common Phillips head screwdriver for best fit in the flute bore. Lubrication of the whistle remains a single drop of olive oil.

From information that I have recently received, I understand that the slide flute works best when the person learning to play starts out with making as many different sounds as possible. The sliding sounds are at first most popular. It is best if the person who is instructing tries to mimic the student's lead on the sounds being played.

After a session or two, the student generally begins to be confident enough to try blowing notes that are like the instructor. Making up tunes of their own is a large part of the fun and should be included in the daily routine. Loud and unexpected sounds are also very pleasing to the student and a part of relaxing and enjoying the music.

As sessions with the slide flute progress the student will become inventive and spend more time with the instrument. The instructor should encourage outdoor playing situations and search out some interesting settings where there are good acoustics. Echoes from the slide flute are especially nice sounds and the student will be encouraged by the improved music sounds they are getting from their slide flute.

Other ideas, like the student playing a rhythm line using a set single note and the instructor playing a tune that is familiar can produce wonderful results. Part of the fun is finding the perfect note for the student to play along with the instructor's tune. As time progresses, the student can reverse the role and play the tune and the instructor can play the drone and rhythm line.

Learning to clean the slide flute and how to put it away in a safe play is also part of the session and teaches good hygiene and responsibility.

If you would like to add some information to this entry, please email and I will post your information.

Tips about Antique Reviews•Second Hand Instruments •Chat•RIP Archives

I get a lot of calls and emails from folks inquiring about other whistle makers and instruments that they may have acquired second hand. Here is what I say.

1. Don't buy second hand unless you can physically play the whistle and find out if it fits you and the type of music you are playing. Many whistles that are second hand have been modified by previous owners and may not be the same sounding instrument as it was when new. If the seller doesn't want the instrument and is trying to sell it, maybe you won't want it either. Would you buy a car without trying it out?...same deal with a whistle or anything else.

2. Do not put your faith in on line reviews that are out of date or based on second hand instruments that were once owned by the writer and are now traded off. Don't take anyone's word on how a particular brand plays or how wonderful it is. They are basing their opinion on one instrument out of perhaps hundreds of dozens made by the same whistle maker. Stradivarius when making violins surely didn't make every instrument with the same sound. Whistle makers usually have several models in the same key, so find the one that suits you best.

3. If you are a professional musician and are looking for an instrument that has a specific sound, go to the maker and play instruments until you find what you are looking for. The cost is minimal and whistlers should be as picky as a guitarist (play on words) or a violin player.

I get dozens of folks that drop by in the run of a year that are looking for a specific instrument. These folks are looking for their specific sound and they usually find an instrument that suits their needs. Often times they switch from a whistle to a flute or fife to get the sound they require. I sometimes regret I am off the path in Northern Maine as I'm sure many more folks would show up if the shop was farther south. But there again, I would miss all my Canadian friends that come by on their vacations and play a tune and purchase instruments.

4. Don't take chat room advise on buying whistles. It is entertaining to a degree to chat with others interested the same things you are interested in. However, many "chatters" will say they own or owned a particular whistle or flute and give it a thumbs up or down in favor of another brand. This is not always the truth and you have no way of verifying anything the "chatter" tells you.

5. No whistle maker wants to sell you an incorrectly made whistle or a whistle that does not fit your type of music. I see and handle dozens of instruments from other makers each year.The only thing that is consistanly wrong with these instruments is a problem anyone can fix. Without fail, the instrument has simply never been cleaned!

6. Check to see if the instrument you are going to purchase is still being made. Many online stores are selling old inventory,unpopular models or the maker is out of business or deceased and has been for some time. Warranties are no good to you if there is no one home anymore to make them valid.

7. Check the web site you are reading to see if the postings are current and really valid. If the web site is a cemetery of old information, Antique Reviews and long gone makers, let the writer know in a kindly manner to put those entries in an RIP (rest in peace) directory so everyone is reading valid, up to date information.

Help yourself and help everyone else at the same time by letting others know the information they are reading is current.

Blog Cleanup and Archived Files

If you have been searching the Internet for information, you have probably run into hundreds of dead ends on your search. After finding a web site with information on the item you are looking for, you find the information to be old, out of date and many times out of business.

I have been archiving many entries that no longer are valid into The Old Whistle Stuff Archive of this blog. Most entries have been edited out, but give you a redirect to the current instrument and how it is made. In this manner, you find only the new information and the updated features on that particular whistle, flute or fife.

This blog always opens on the "Main Page" which contains the most current entries made on the web site. Please use the directory to go to information that you are interested in.

I invite anyone to be an editor if you find a mistake or information that is out of date on the web site. I use all means possible to keep everything spelled and in proper context, but posting errors are often a problem when blogging. I appreciate your help on keeping things current.

What is the difference between a Thumb Post and a Thumb Ring?

I recently received a note from a music teacher who instructs both children and adults on playing the whistle. She was not familiar with the thumb ring and asked if I would explain how a thumb ring was constructed and how it works versus a thumb post.

I do not make a thumb post, however some makers include them with their whistles. A thumb post snaps onto your whistle and will keep your whistle from rolling and falling off a table. However, a thumb post has little value for holding your whistle. Thumb posts are generally injected molded and tend to break if snapped on and off the whistle frequently.

The WhistleSmith thumb ring is made from schedule 40 pipe and hand riveted together to make a very strong clip and ring combination. There are 20 steps involved in making a single thumb ring and each step is done by hand. WhistleSmith thumb rings are made to last, but can be easily repaired with common tools if necessary.

Here are some advantages to using a WhistleSmith thumb ring.

1. The WhistleSmith thumb ring is a full circle ring for your thumb. The ring swivels on a clip which snaps onto your whistle to allow movement and angle adjustment to the ring for the most comfortable playing position.

2. You have a solid grip on your whistle without having to practice fingering positions when using the thumb ring.

3. The thumb ring prevents your whistle from rolling off the counter or table top if you lay it down.

4. The thumb ring lets you hang your whistle on a cup hook or a wall pin when you are not playing. This provides a secure storage for your whistle and keeps it out of harms way.

5. Playing with a thumb ring improves your technical skills by eliminating learning hand grips when playing with all the holes open on your whistle.

6. You will not drop your whistle when you are playing because your lips anchor the end of your whistle and the thumb ring hold the body securely.

7. Confidence is a large part of playing your whistle. You need to know your whistle is held securely and cannot be dropped by accident when playing in front of an audience!

8. You can use a thumb ring on either hand. Place the thumb ring where you like it best. You can use a thumb ring on both hands at once if you wish!

This is The WhistleSmith Thumb ring that snaps to the barrel of the whistle and rotates for most comfortable playing position. Some folks would like a Thumb ring for both hands so I am listing them as an individual item. Low whistles and flutes take a large ring and Hi whistles and flutes use a small ring. WhistleSmith Thumb rings are made to fit Whistlesmith whistles and flutes. Pick Thumb ring size to fit your whistle and Add it to Your Cart. We will ship your Thumb ring with your whistle order

The Whistler of Blackstone Bluff

Last ride of the season on November the sixth. Temperature was 55 degrees in the afternoon for about two hours and I had to dress warm to be comfortable. By evening, we had snow on the ground again.

After the barn wreck this spring, Nadiene and I needed to replace the two SUVs that had been totaled in the building. I thought that we could do fine with one vehicle since our business is here at home and the price of gas was over $4.00 a gallon. We have always had a motorcycle or four wheeler around and I used them to go to work in the summer and run errands. This time I opted for a scooter and after some shopping around, we bought a Yamaha Zuma. I really had no idea that I would like the scooter so much and how handy it turned out to be for doing errands. After a few trips around the area, I started looking forward to a ride before supper and on the weekends, I would try to squeeze out an hour or two for a good long ride and would come home feeling really refreshed. Summer this year was rain, rain, rain with a two hour break in the afternoon with wind and then more rain at night. I dodged a bunch of thunderstorms by having some places to stop by laying out various roads to ride that fit into how much time I had for the trip.

I jokingly told my friends that I was finding the best scooter roads in Aroostook county so I could take visitors for a tour when we had company. The more riding I did, the more I discovered great places to play the whistle. Natural spots with lots of echo and amplification from the surrounding hills are not too hard to find here in the "County". I usually make a brief stop and do a loud shout or two and if the sound is good, I will open the under seat storage, break out a whistle and give it a try. If the terrain shouts back, you generally have an amphitheater made by Mother Nature! One of the best spots is the Blackstone Bluff in Perham, Maine. The bluff is an abrupt stone drop into a twenty five mile long valley that has lots of stone faced hills facing you as you play. There is so much resonance from this arrangement of hills, that you music keeps playing back way after you have stopped.

The Bluff is also the home of a fair sized cemetery on one end that originally belonged to the Blackstone family, hence the name. Several times, I pulled into the opposite end of the bluff and played for a few minutes and then continued on my scootering. Of course, the play back from the hills bounces into the cemetery and it sounds like it was coming right out of the air in front of you. My playing apparently didn't go unnoticed as some folks visiting the cemetery started asking around about who was playing all the music and where was it coming from. When no one knew who the whistler was, a legend was immediately born about the Whistler of Blackstone Bluff. How cool is that? Celebrity status without trying.

By the way, my scoot will hold an orchestra of whistles or enough Chinese Take Out for two days under the seat . I get over a hundred miles to the gallon, so it turns out to be economical way to travel and a great way to find a place to play your whistle.

Update on the Proto 3 slide flute

We have had a lot of response from the article on the new Prototype 1 whistle for physically challenged people.

I took the information from the Proto1 instrument and built a second instrument and called it Proto 2. There were some technically nice things about Proto 2 which was the next step toward a production whistle. After working with Proto 2 for several week I decided the breath tube was collecting too much moisture and would always be a problem. I archived the design information and have moved on to Proto 3.

Proto 3 will be better to play and less expensive to produce. Proto 3 has no tubing, and no wire connection to the slide in the flute. The slide flute is snapped to a ten ball bearing stainless steel slide that is used in heavy drawer construction. The player moves the body of the slide flute on the track and the plunger is secured to the stationary part of the drawer slide to produce the individual notes. By playing the instrument in a vertical position, you let gravity drop the whistle to play low notes and lift on the mouthpiece to play the high notes. This solves the problem of getting a stiff neck from moving back and forth sidways with the slide and gives a 50% mechanical advantage in that the player only lifts the slide up to play and gravity does the rest. Proto 3 will be shipping out to Dave Whalen shortly for testing!

About a hundred emails have come in inquiring at what price range the slide flute will be priced. I feel confident that we will be able to produce Proto 3 with the tracking system at around $50.

Many folks have asked if the slide flute will be difficult to play and how durable it will be. I can only say that using the improvements learned on the project so far, that the air requirement is very low and the volume is quite amazing. For those wishing to practice and not make much sound, I have a poly plug to insert into the end of the slide flute hat cuts the volume by 50% yet retains good sound quality.

As far as durability, The slide flute is the same as the Symphony Slide Flute that I have been selling for some time with very good results. The poly plug is the only thing that could wear out and you get two extras with the flute. Lubrication will still be a drop of Olive Oil if the slide starts to drag.

This project has been a pleasure to work on. Like most whistle designs, you generally over design and then eliminate some parts that are not necessary or do not perform as expected. Proto 3 is no exception and by not having to hurry the project, it looks like it will be a very nice instrument.

Oh yes, caregivers will have only a minimal amount of maintenance to do on Proto 3. Cleaning and setup are going to be very easy and no experience will be required. Easy to understand instructions will be provided in the package along with good illustrations.

What People said November of '08

I received this note from Mark Hanson and thought you might like to hear about the work he is doing with his Low D whistle.

Hi thought you might want to hear your whistles in action . My album named The Lonely Traveler on I-tunes is live and features use of your low d whistle through out the album. Hope you like it. Mark Hanson [ aka Mark Perry ] God Bless

I must apologize to Jason Hoopes for misplacing his letter and not getting it posted until now.

Rod,

I wanted to take a moment to tell you how amazing this Low D whistle has been. I have had the opportunity to play it in warm weather, and cold now, and the tone has never been anything but perfect, warm and as airy as can be. I've put this lovely thing through it's paces, and whether performing a slow aire or a speedy jig on the upper pitches, the whistle performs as it should. The tuning slide is such a delight, making it easier than ever to achieve just the sound I need for whichever piece I happen to be playing.

Numerous times I've had neighbors stop by my window or front lawn to listen to the melodies tha comes fom this enchanting whiste, and although I have much to learn yet, the ease of playing even such a large whistle just boggles the mind.

I want to commend you on the craftsmanship that goes into these beauties, for if every whistle is as meticulous as this one then you have most certainly the finest traditional workshop in America.

Sincerely Jason L. Hoopes

Founder, Think Design Studies

What Folks are Saying in September '08

I have quite a few questions and some comments and feedback for the past couple of months that I find very interesting.

First off is a very nice note from a gentleman that liked his new Low F whistle. This is the response every WhistleSmith likes to receive.

Dear Sir,

I have received your Flute via UPS. This morning. I was able to play Concierto de Aranjuez by Rodrigo, Malaguena, O Danny Boy, and the beautiful tune Rose of Tralee.

I am more a singer ( light Tenor ) than a flutist but I love the sound of the Tin Whistle, I guess genes inherited through my grand mother Rose O'Neil.

Never the less to tell you, Your Flute is not Good. * It is excellent* you are truly and artisan and I take my hat unto you. The instrument has a mellow sound that is haunting. It has two full octaves, you can not go wrong with it.

Have you considered making them out of hardwood or metal using the same concept? A very innovative design. I only wish it will have a 7th hole to add a lower note.

But, of course then it will not be an Irish whistle. It will be a sophisticated recorder.

The thumb ring is quite an addition as it is the mouth piece, a wonderful concept.. It remind me a bit of the Native American Flute.

Thank you again, Godspeed...

Luis Alberto

Another person who purchased a whistle inquired about obtaining beeswax that I had mentioned for several uses on whistles. Beeswax candles are available in almost every candle shop. Rubbing beeswax on the slide joint of your whistle will make it tighten up, but is easy to remove if necessary by warming the joint with hot water. Rubbing beeswax on the inside edges of the whistle mouthpiece will make it stick in place, but allows fine adjustment if you need to align the mouthpiece. Again the top cap of the mouthpiece can be easily moved by warming with hot water if necessary.

Burt's Bees makes a chapstick type product for chapped lips from beeswax and this is very good for a very tight joint that you need to slip easily, but the joint is too tight to use beeswax. When applying beeswax to the whistle joint, rub the wax on the male part of the fitting and spin the fitting together to distribute the wax evenly. If the fit is too tight, remove a little of the beeswax . Try the fit of the joint until it has a good firm fit, but is not jammed or over tight. I really like using beeswax for joints and you seldomn have to replace it. "O" rings are technically fine, but they tend to break at the wrong time and the right size is often hard to find.

Oh yes! you can share you candle with all your whistling friends as it takes very little wax to do the job. One small candle will last a lifetime if you don't share!

I inform buyers from other countries by Email that the USPS shipping charge to Canada and especially Europe is high, but as low as can be afforded to insure delivery and tracking of the package. I also warn buyers that the Brokerage fees charged are not included for them to get their whistle. Brokerage fees to Canada are very high and are charged by the individual items in the package. The VAT to the United Kingdom is another charge that is expensive. WhistleSmith is not responsible for these charges and can only tell buyers they should be prepared to pay them to get delivery of their items. So much for free trade...

A lady in Florida wrote to remind me of shipping costs here in the States.

" Please remind you customers that you will ship two whistles at a time for the same rate. I forgot to order the thumbring for my Low D on my first purchse from your website. Thank for shipping everything in one package on my second order. When you are retired and on a budget, everything helps out. By the way, I really love my new Low F, very nice sound."

Will you be selling your whistles on ebay this next year!

I recently shipped two Low D whistles that were purchased on ebay to Tasmania and another pair to the Czech Republic. We will be running the ebay store and Buy It Now auctions for another year. The category for WhistleSmith products is Musical Instruments/Woodwinds/Whistles. Prices for all items is uniform here on the website and with those for sale on ebay. Many customers find their way to this website from ebay and it is always good to shop online where you are most comfortable. If you have special requests for your order, it is best to order here on the website and to use the 1-800-675-4206 toll free line to discuss your purchase.

I hope you will read the news on Proto 1, the new slide flute that can be played with just the use of your head. This will allow thousands of folks with disabiltes to play a musical instrument for the first time.

All for now, but please keep writing so I can post your comments, questions and information.

Proto 1 Auto Slide Flute Due for Production

Here I am holding the original Proto 1 auto slide flute. The long tube is the air tube into which you blow to play the flute. The air tube is held in a ring of the wire that goes to the slide rod in the flute. The slide moves back and forth with your head movement to change the pitch and determine the note you are playing.

My Top Secret, keep the lights burning project for the summer has been a whistle project with David Whalen from Scotia, New York. David approached me on the phone with the idea of making a slide whistle that he could play by moving the slide with just the movement of his head. The whistle would also have to be easy to blow, have a nice deep sound, and be easily cleaned and maintained. In addition to that, the cost should be as low as possible so a lot of folks could afford it in all kinds of countries and economic situations.

WOW! You have to love a project and challenge like this!

David further explained that he was quadrupelegic from a skiing accident and wanted very much to play the slide whistle. His idea was to make a slide whistle that many people could play and have fun with, sound good, be inexpensive, be non-electrical, and be portable. He and a group of friends and family had done exploratory work on the music project and knew there would be lots of interest in the whistle if it could be made to work.

I was really excited by the concept of the slide whistle project. I knew from working with my nephew Kevin on the original slide flute, that the number of folks who would benefit from the project would make up a very large and enthusiastic group of people. I told David it was a done deal and I would develop the whistle and he would be the tester. I also cautioned him that it might take longer to get the whistle right and playable than we both could anticipate.

Sometimes you just get lucky and that's what happened next. The Penny Whistle Auto Flute has been throughly tested and played by a large group of folks, many with disabilities that hamper breathing or mobility. Soooo...I turned the flute upside down and made a clip to hold the clear vinyl tube used to blow the flute onto the original mouthpiece. I made a wire bending jig to make a heavy wire loop to hold the mouthpiece tube and an extension to hook it to the fiberglass slide in the flute. All you do then is put the tube in your mouth to blow the whistle and move your head back and forth to move the slide. Now you can play music! I added some clips to hold the flute to an 18" piece of rod that can be held in place by an appliance bar and you can then play without using your hands.

The day David received the slide flute, he called at six in he morning to tell me he had gotten up early and had already learned three tunes to play. And then he played them for me over the phone. What a great feeling to hear him play and know everything had worked out okay!

David has been testing the flute for about a month and a half and it works very well. I dubbed it Proto I (for first prototype) and while David is testing, I have developed Proto 2 which is built on the Symphony Slide Flute. Proto 2 will be tested over the next few weeks and hopefully a production model will be decided on to begin production before the end of October.

Proto I has proven to be reliable and fun to play. Sound is very good. Cleaning is easy and quick. Sets up easily. Windway can be cleared simply and overall the flute works as well as hoped for. With a few changes in geometry and the wire bending apparatus, I feel confident we will be making this model on schedule.

The slide flute does require the care giver to be able to do some easy cleaning of the instrument and some minimal setup with the appliance bar. I am writing an easy to understand set of instructions and the illustrations necessary to take the flute apart and assemble it correctly.

We are very excited about this project and would like to hear what you have to say about the development so far. If you would like to email, send your message with the Subject line on your email as "Regards Proto I" to rodbrewer@jaybrewer.net.

Building completed at the WhistleSmith

Here is the way it looks on the mountain when everything has been put back together again. Mike Michaud is shown putting the last piece on the new building. Jerry and Mike set a new Olympic record in completing the job and it is greatly appreciated.

I am a bit late in getting the final pictures up and posted, but it took a very long time to sort out all the bits and pieces that were salvaged from the old barn. We now have one complete bay available that can be heated in winter and set up just to cut material for the whistle shop. In addition, the tablesaw and chopsaw equipment are now set up on wheels to be usable outside if we want to do projects on the patio section in front of the building. Overall, this new building is more useable than the larger old barn was as far as getting machiney and projects in and out and the patio portion is really great for washing the tractor and vehicles.

Pipe and tubing is racked on some really nice hangers that the folks at Lowes found for us and we would like to thank the folks out there for all the help in getting equipment and supplies to replace those items lost in the barn wreck.

It is always important to remember that good neighbors are more important than all the other goods you have. Special thanks to Gerald and Ed Easler for salvaging our stuff, Jerry, Mike & Derek Michaud for putting everything back together again and Sid and Marilee Smith for all the snow removal during the Blizzard of '08. Thanks to all those neighbors that gave us support and a helping hand.

New Building Well Under Way!

Our original barn was built by Jerry Michaud back in 1989 and was a great piece of work. Jerry, his wife Barb and his brother Michael built the barn in just two weeks and everyone marvelled back then on how quick and well built the barn was.

When Nadiene and I had to pick a builder for the new barn, we called Jerry again and we were lucky enough to get him to come over and get things going. Over the weekend, we decided that a "salt box" three bay building would look good, be extremely strong under adverse conditions and be cost effective in design. We gave Jerry the heads up on the building and he finished up the details and got materials organized and on site to start the following week.

The weather warmed up and Jerry and brother Michael arrived and soon got the building underway. Even with all the snow on the ground, the building went up on the pad at a record pace. It was so warm the second day, that Jerry got rid of his shirt despite the snowy background and Mike managed to sunburn his head.

This week, Jerry's son Derek had the week off from school, so we have a second generation builder helping out and the building is going great as you can see from the photos! I checked the acoustics today with a few tunes on my Low D and this building sounds as good as the old barn and as you know, that was Acoustically Perfect!

Cleanup photos of the Acoustically Perfect Barn

This collage of photos shows the cleanup from the barn collapse. Our neighbors, Gerald Easler and his son Ed did the complete cleanup of the barn starting as soon as the blizzard calmed down enough to allow access to the site. They opened up the driveway with the large payloader to make room for the skidder to reach the barn and lift out the contents and remove the standing walls.

The contents including the vehicles were carefully sorted out of the snow and set aside for storage and the standing walls were taken down and recycled to another site. All material and items in the barn were recycled and saved and the entire site was carefully cleaned despite the extremely cold and windy conditions.

When Gerald and Ed finished, the site was ready to accept the builders for our new building. They did a great job and accomplished it in record time. Thanks Gerald and Ed for turning a disaster into an unforgettable experience with your wonderful attitude and cheerful dispositions while doing a very tough job!

New Snow Record Blizzard Hits

The Snow Record for Maine had stood since 1955 at 181 inches. As I had mentioned earlier this winter, I was pretty sure it would be broken and it has been shattered by the last snowfall which moved the winter total to 185.7 inches. It is just March 23rd and we have a very good chance of moving the record up to 200 inches and even more by the end of snowfall in the month of April.

Here is a photo of Nadiene and the pugs in front of the downstairs entrance to the art department. We have no more room to pile snow and really need a thaw right now!

Many buildings large and small are in danger of collapsing as everyone is struggling to remove snow from rooftops all over the Aroostook County area of Northern Maine. As you can imagine, there is very little space left to pile snow and driveways and roads are becoming very dangerous and narrow to drive on.

On the first day of spring, March 19th, a blizzard alert was posted and we were hit with a foot of heavy wet ice and hail followed by a blizzard and heavy winds. Barns with animals inside collapsed and left beef cows and horses outside in the subzero winds with no protection. Many animals were buried under the barn they were in and still more have frozen outside. Every effort has been made to save the animals, but many are stranded in areas away from main roads and cannot be reach quickly.

Many commercial buildings have collapsed and private homes have had to be abandoned for a safer place, because the ice is frozen like granite to the roofs and the weight is too heavy for the buildings to remain safe. Camps at St.Froid Lake are reported to have snow in excess of twelve feet on top of them and there is no access to them until the weather breaks.

Nadiene and I were fast asleep with the pugs when the blizzard moved in and had no idea that it was like a tornado outside. The house is heavily insulated and almost sound proof to outside noise, so we had no inkling of what was transpiring in the dooryard.

The Acoustically Perfect Barn was hit by a heavy wind shear in the peak of the building due to high snow banks all around it. Apparently the gable end in the back cracked on the peak seam and started a chain reaction that eventually pushed the front of the barn out. When I took a look out the upstairs window in the morning, the barn was down and laying flat on its face. The blizzard and snow were starting to fill up the center of the barn and the ridge pole was resting on the tops of the Mazda and Nissan SUVs. The Bass Tracker boat was completely smashed and a piece of beam was down and laying across the Kioti diesel. Most of the woodworking equipment was completely destroyed including a large cabinet saw and the 21" bandsaw.

We are very lucky there was no fire and I was able to get the power shut off in the building (by reaching through what was left of the front wall) and tripping the circuit breaker. We got in a call to the insurance agent and a couple of friends before our neighbors started to call and show up. Marilee Smith called first and said she was calling her brother Carl Winslow to plow out the driveway and then she would be down. Sure enough, Carl was there in ten minutes with a plow and got the driveway open and right behind came Marilee to the rescue! She stayed all day and helped Nadiene do phone calls,get a rental vehicle, and do the mail and errands. We even shipped a couple of whistles that were due to go!

The roads were all but impassable, but neighbors showed up to see what they could do and by evening we had even located someone to take down the rest of the barn before it got any more dangerous. Marilee's husband Sid, had snow blown the driveway five or six times until it finally went into a stage of submission. It sure isn't pleasant to have a disaster happen, but it is really great to have good neighbors that show up to help.

The past two days, many folks have called to lament the passing of the Acoustically Perfect Barn and it will be sadly missed as it was a true Stradivarius of buildings. We will be making arrangements to have a Bar- B- Q on the slab when the weather gets warm and the mess gets cleaned up!

Here is a collage of photos to give you an idea of what the blizzard dished up! The Weather Channel has never has mentioned this storm or any other storms in Northern Maine in recent memory. This area would be declared a disaster area if this storm had happened in any other part of the country. Oh yeah! We are due for a big North Easter storm by Wednesday with another foot of snow.