Friday, January 16, 2009

Freezing for Figaro

The past few days have been bitterly cold in the Midwest. The high temperature reached -3 with winds gusting at a frigid -40 in my little spot of Wisconsin. Such severe cold can cause frostbite in mere minutes. It is too dangerous for children to wait for the bus or walk to school, so class has been canceled for the neighborhood children the past two days. The apartment across the hall is occupied by three adorable little girls, and it was rather refreshing to hear their laughter and singing as they played in the normally quiet hallways this afternoon.

A beautiful snapshot of the Thursday sunrise on Lake Michigan.
Photo by Tom Lynn.

The subzero temperatures, however, did not delay rehearsals for The Marriage of Figaro. It is not that I minded having to leave the house in such unpleasant weather- I have experienced enough winters to know how to bundle up. What worries me is transporting my oboe. Such awful weather can do, well, awful things to my beloved instrument. Taking any wooden instrument from a warm building into the cold air and back into a warm building stresses the body of the instrument. If proper precautions are not taken before playing the instrument, it will crack. Once a wood instrument cracks it will never sound or respond the same. Hence, the fretting.

I am rather pleased that temperatures are projected to reach the upper teens tomorrow. Heat wave!

How does the Mother Nature effect your craft?

3 comments:

  1. The cold has been quite frightening. Disturbing even. I am grateful for a warm home. It's -21C outside here but it's going up to 3C in a couple of days. I can hold on.

    It is amazing how the weather affects our lives! Keep your oboe safe and warm and you too.

    Thank you so much for your support of my interview, I really, really appreciate it. I'm so glad my words help. That's the best news ever!

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  2. Brrrr!!!

    It's not the cold that causes problems for me--it's when it's too hot and the oil pastels on the piece I'm delivering are slowly melting into a gooey mess! I'm lucky that paintings are fairly resilient. :)

    Hope your bundled up!
    Sending you thoughts of tomato soup and coco!
    ((hugs))
    Molly

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  3. Hi there!

    Not sure where I should place this alert, but I've handed you a Premios Dardo Award and you can do with it what you will. :-)

    As to cracks ... my instruments cracked a long time ago. I had them pinned and they are fine. I don't even want to THINK about ever replacing them, as I'd hate to have to break in a new instrument. I'm too lazy! Weather here is much less wild and crazy, but it still gets too colds sometimes for these guys.

    Patty

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