Peaches and Hammond Organs

[wotavidone]

Mate of mind rang this morning to say he'd passed a fully loaded peach tree on the side of the road, and asked if I wanted to go collect some. Heck yeah, so off we went in my ute. Collected a couple of shopping bags of peaches and headed to the nearest town for morning smoko.
Called into the antique shop and bought a birthday present for the missus. Something she'd admired in the window for some time.
Said to the lady behind the counter, "Still got that old hammond organ, then?"
"Yes," she said, "You are still the only person who has ever shown the slightest interest in it".
"Still haven't persuaded the wife I really need it", I said.
"Well, how about I just give it to you?" she asked.
She needed the room, and felt it was never going to sell, and might as well go to the only person she'd met who actually appreciated it.
The three of us, me, my mate, and the lady from the shop busted a gut getting it in the back of the ute, but 20 minutes later I was driving home very carefully with a Hammond L100 valve amplified, tone wheel organ, complete with KEIO Minipops Junior drum machine, plus seat, manual and sheet music.
Its pretty much immaculate, and everything works, every pedal, key, drawbar and function switch, and its VALVE powered.
It is my firm intention to learn to play Whiter Shade of Pale and Stairway to Heaven. I only recently learned, while watching a Led Zep dvd, that the intro I always thought was a flute was played by John Paul Jones on a Hammond organ.
The one I got is not a model considered highly collectable, but still its the only one of that model I've ever seen that did not need some sort of repair.
And the KEIO minpops junior is one of the last drum machines they made in the '70s before they changed their name to KORG.
So I am a very delighted man. Told the missus the antique vase she liked had been sold, so she should get a nice surprise on her birthday, and the peaches are beautiful.

[david s]

Nice story.

[wotavidone]

Went for a drive yesterday and came across another great roadside fruit tree.
A pear tree so heavy with fruit its branches were sagging to the ground. So we helped the poor thing out by picking a couple bags. Should be nice to have a pear crumble when we've finished the stewed peaches.