Old and cold!

 Although the days are becoming shorter and there is definitely more rain about, winter hasn't hit Wanganui with any kind of ferocity yet.
There are two places where the 'winter-meter' can be seen close to where we live - Mount Taranaki is one of them but it is not too often that we get to see the 'volcano' since there is usually so much cloud about.
A gentle dusting of snow just to cool things down a wee bit.
By mid-winter, the snow reaches 'ground level' most nights and covers the surrounding countryside too.

I have a few students who are contemplating the Royal Schools of Music pianoforte examinations this year - in the search for suitable preparatory music (in the pile marked "graded piano"), I came across this book of Studies and Pieces for the University of South Africa. Although I always enjoy using music that my grandmother used in her teaching, this one is all the more special because of the date on the front - hard to believe that I have music in my collection that is almost a hundred years old!
Dotted about in the various pieces in the book, are notes which Gangy wrote for her students - things like "more carefully", "fingering!" "practise", "mind thumb" "LH arp" -  (left hand arpeggio) - and so on. I often smile when I come across her notes to her pupils - my advice to my students is usually exactly the same!!
Dis al!