Diary Blip (Thursday 7th March 2024)

The outbuilding that housed my music room has been out of commission since it flooded in December 2022. Its restoration has been beset with difficulties. There was a long delay due to the insurers' huge backlog of frost damage claims and in the process part of the claim got overlooked, and then the tradesperson contracted to do the work became suddenly indisposed, causing further delays. The main room could not be refurbished until its separate bathroom had been completed.
This week a different plumber did some repairs to the Old Forge bathroom and central heating, and this morning turned his attention to the outbuilding loo, which included installing this sink unit. The job should be completed tomorrow morning, with a water heater and frost-warmer put in.

L.
Thursday 7.3.2024 (1743 hr)

Blip #4045 (#3795 + 250 archived blips taken 27.8.1960-18.3.2010)
Consecutive Blip #002
Blips/Extras In 2024 #029/266 + #008/100 Extras
Day #5096 (1243 gaps from 26.3.2010)
Lozarithm's Lozarhythm Of The Day #3184 (#3024 + 160 in archived blips)

Taken with Panasonic/Leica DC-LX100M2 Micro 4/3rds

Old Forge series
Recent Purchases series
Outbuilding series
Diary Blip series
Before And After series

Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Oisin Leech - October Sun (2023)
Beside Trawbreaga Bay, in Co Donegal, on the north coast of Ireland, in an old schoolhouse, with a suitcase full of hired recording gear, Oisin Leech strums gently on an acoustic guitar and watches the tide pull the water away from the ancient inlet .
The thickness of Oisin's voice soothes the room as the sound waves bounce around in the land where his ancestors still live and still wander - With a musical history that led Leech from the street punk bands of yesteryear through an ongoing stint with folk duo The Lost Brothers, he found himself for the first time working on songs to sing alone. In his mind, the songs became imagined vignette films playing behind closed, guitar eyes. After writing nearly 40 new songs in this fashion, Leech wrote October Sun which would become the foundation for his debut solo record  Cold Sea.
Cold Sea was produced by guitarist/songwriter Steve Gunn. Leech dreamt of making the record in Donegal Ireland, a county significant to him because it is the home of his ancestors. Pitching this idea to Gunn sparked the first of several serendipities circling the Cold Sea sessions - Gunn had always wanted to visit Donegal to connect with his own familial roots in the region.
Cold Sea is perhaps most notable for its tremendous warmth. Each song was recorded in a few takes and adorned gently with synthesizers and guitar from Gunn. Several songs feature contributions on the upright bass by Bob Dylan band stalwart Tony Garnier. M. Ward plays guitar on October Sun and there are strings by Roisin McGrory and bouzouki by the legendary Donal Lunny throughout. It is a friendship record but even at its most collaborative, Cold Sea remains centered around the humble acoustic guitar and wool blanket vocals of Leech. - Proper Music
October Sun was recently released on a single and was played on this week's Cerys Matthews show for 6 Music.

One year ago:
The Woodland Garden