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Post date: Aug 13, 2014 5:45:12 PM
15 May 1966
I saw a village called Dierdorf, in case you are interested. Uncle John’s family probably came from there a long time ago.
Why is it you don’t want me to drive across the States from New York? I’d like to see our country a bit after three years away and also visit a few organ factories on the East Coast.
I’ll send a program of the dedication or our organ—a week of concerts. I’m driving down for Prof Walcha’s concert and the choir concert.
This morning the Wanderers [my hiking group] come by at 6:30 to go on the early hike for which they didn’t show last week. We had lots of fun, but didn’t go very far. Mostly played in a large sand quarry. Thursday we go to Münster for a short tour.
Tomorrow we have to have a few pipes mitered in the workshop, [they were too tall for the available space] then we drive back down to Neuss for, hopefully, three more days. We have a lot left to do, lots of small things, too. I really don’t want to work Friday and Saturday there.
31 May 1966, Bielefeld
At last the organ in Neuss is dedicated and more or less finished. The last three days we worked from 7am to midnight. I planned to rent a VW bus to drive friends down for the dedication concert, but the bus wasn’t ready on time (we waited) and my guests were left on the curbstone. I drove down Wednesday for a second concert. Organ sounds good and the boss is pleased with our work. We go back for a couple of days to make some adjustments and lighten the action in the Hauptwerk [one division, with keyboard, of the organ].
Last week I finally bought a camera. Shot a roll of black-and-white over the weekend so we’ll see if it works right on Thursday. It has the light meter which works through the lens—very accurate.
Hiking group on North Sea island
This weekend we celebrated Ascension with a four-day weekend on Juist, one of the North Sea islands. The winds blew all the time, but in the dunes the sun was warm. As it was, the tops of my feet got a wee bit sunburned. We explored the tidal flats and cycled around the island. In general and particular we had a ball. “We” is the hiking group, the same ten or twelve with whom I went to the Harz Mountains at Easter. In the last letter I mentioned I might stay a bit longer. Talked with Kleuker and he doubled my salary again up to a bit over what I spend (outside of camera and vacation). He said he would pay the difference for the new plane ticket, so I’ll take him up on it. I’ll stay until November and then fly straight to San José, as it is then too cold for a cross-country trip. It will take a lot longer to ship my car to California, tho. I can spend the time selling the church an organ and then collecting (or finding) the money!
When we are out of town for the firm, either Kleuker or the church pays our room and we get expense money (Federal standards) which richly feeds us and gives us movies (if we have time). The entire firm closes three weeks in August and I’ll probably go to England (through Holland). The other possibilities are Spain (with car and friends), Sweden & Norway, or Black Forest. I could also join a German tour group.
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