G' Day from the Rocky Mountains USA

[stars1234]

G'Day all.
Just found this forum, hope to learn a lot and give some of what I know, back.

I'm in the USA, Utah, live on the high-desert@ 4,900 feet. It's winter here (February). There's lots of snow on the ground in this mountain valley.
I live on the east side of the valley. To the west is a 12 mile wide, 40 mile long, lake (runs the length of the valley). Five miles to the north is a 12,000 ft. mtn., another 12K mtn 40 miles to the south, 9 - 11K feet mtns, 1 mile to the east and on the other side of the lake(to the west ) are 9K feet mtns. Over those is the "Great Basin," the west desert, the "Salt Flats" where they go for world speed records--utter desolation over there. But here, very pretty, but very cold.

I'm originally from the state of Louisiana, along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. So I like it hot and humid. What I have is cold and dry.

I am into classical music: a singer and pianist, at professional level.
I sing, countertenor, which is the highest male voice (alto) & yes, I am a man. My wife and the seven children will attest to that, even though I can sing higher than many ladies.

I enjoy growing flowers, teaching, learning, poetry, the arts, beautiful things--wood or other wise. When I started university I was in Physics, but switched to the much more difficult major of music. I've studied in London and here, am one of the founders of the Utah Baroqaue Ensemble. We sing mostly early sacred music and always some work of Bach.

My main reason for joining this forum is to learn how to care for my beautiful piano.

It took all my life-savings, plus maxing out the credit cards to get it and I want it to stay beautiful. I'm older, so I have to get as much enjoyment out of it as possible, which includes playing it, teaching with it, and making it look spectacular.

The piano is an Estonia 190. It comes from the country of Estonia, built in the capitol city, about 40 miles south of Helsinki, Finland.

I look forward to being here and making new friends.

Bob

[munruben]

Welcome aboard Bob, Sounds like a beautiful part of the world where you are living at the moment.

[artme]

G'day Bob and welcome to our friendly world.

Counter tenor Eh? Was at teachers' college with a counter tenor, unusual and distinctive voice.

Been to Zion National Park in Utah, but that's it

Estonia is a beautiful country with beautiful people. Wife and I spent a week there last year with the family of an exchange student we had had for 6 months.

[Old farmer]

I add my welcome, too, Bob and thank you for the description of your ''neighbouhood'', sounds beautiful. We Australians do not have mountains such as yours!

Perhaps you might post a pic or two of your surroundings. Anything but bushfires, please, as we have our own!

Hope you enjoy being here.

[masoth]

I support the statements and welcome as stated above - you certainly described your surrounds as wonderous to a person livinig in a very flat part of Australia.. I've always said that I'd build a hill with a house atop if I won lots of $$$$$$.

soth

[Ad de Crom]

Hi Bob, welcome aboard.
Mountains, I know the alps, but here it is flat like a pancake, maybe a couple of little bumps in the landscape
Have fun.
Ad

[Ed Reiss]

Welcome to the forums Bob

[stars1234]

Thanks all for the G' Day welcome.
This is the nicest welcome I've had from any group, and I have been to many forums.

I'll try to post some pictures of the mountains (as soon as I find out which forum they go in)

I'm originally a flat-lander. I think the altitude where I grew up, along the Gulf of Mexico coast USA, was about 30 ft above sea level.

It was a complete surprise when I moved to the high country.

I never knew the sky was so blue. The sunsets here can be spectacular as I imagine they can be in Aussie land, where there's nothing to stop the colors coming in through long, open spaces--just the colors won't be as vibrant.

The sunrise each morning is really something too.
I can watch the light hit the eastern side of the mountain, light up the snow and keep moving across the peak, catching just the tops in brilliant white, then as the sun gets higher the light falls further down the mountain, showing its shadows and ridges.

Sometimes, the air becomes humid (up to 30% ha!) and the humidity magnifies distant objects, it looks like the whole mountain could be reached out and touched. Those mornings are really fun. As it is when it occasionally rains. --I live just north of a canyon and when one of the very seldom storms come in during the summer, the clouds run into the rock walls and instead of going by them, go up the sides of the canyon. As they pour into the canyon, they move from horizontal to vertical. And of course everything is electrified. You can hear the elves playing 9-pins (as the thunder rolls out of the canyon onto the valley.)

One day I'd like to see Australia. You have such varied land: beautiful cities along the coast, climate changes, an interior (I'm not certain I'd like to be lost in) that goes for miles and miles, and all the different animals.

So, again, thank you for the welcome.
I hope you can not only help me with my Estonia piano, but I can learn to work with wood in general.
My only real project, was to make a baby cradle. It was fun. I made it out of rock maple. I didn't know wood can be so nice to the touch.

And yes, I sing countertenor. When I sing in my choir though, I have to change the sound back to alto, so I don't confuse the ladies. But it's worth it. In sectional rehearsals, I'm the only rooster in the hen-house, but don't tell my wife (ha).

I'm looking forward to all here and my new friends.

Cheers,
Bob