Good idea. I think it will be an active discussion. I was tempted to do start one myself, but it was your idea!
I've been getting back into playing after a hiatus of several years, and I've found the virtual festivals to be helpful to me in getting back into the swing. Not every workshop is a perfect match, but sometimes you strike gold.
I think I'll start that thread in the General forum so we can continue the discussion there. ;)
I will be "in" Albany this weekend. I have booked two Beginner workshops and the Saturday concert, and will be lurking at the jam sessions. Looking forward to it.
Those tuners look like planetary ones-- the best.
Lois, it occurs to me that a snake plant (SANSEVIERIA) sounds like it might be just the thing for your low-ish light counter. It's fine with erratic watering schedules, like to dry out sometimes completely. Loves the sun but survives just fine in low light too. It gets tall and elegant and puts out lots of leaves and 'pups' to give away, but won't take up lots of horizontal counter space. It's not very expensive, and there are many beautiful different varieties of sansevieria to choose from. Look up some google pictures of snake plant varieties.
I have a nice unassuming snake plant that loves it on my low light desk next to my computer- I bought it cheap at the supermarket about 6 months ago, and it's been putting out several healthy new spears:
Those look like good quality tuners, whether original or not. It's true Bob like his wooden tuning pegs, but that doesn't mean he didn't fit these pegs to that instrument. I would certainly go ahead and use them. If they have trouble holding tune, there is a tiny screw in the end of each knob which can be tightened say 1/8 of a turn at a time with a small screwdriver to tighten things up.
I thought Astilbe and mandevilla were strictly outdoor garden plants, and get really big in size? They may need to be dormant during the winter, but I don't know much about them. Can you maybe take cuttings and root them?
I too have used aquarium water on my plants. I'm sure they love it! I've allowed my aquarium fish to naturally die off over time, without buying new ones. Soon I'll dismantle the (12 gallon) aquarium and take over that prime window spot for my plants. :)
I went to this discussion hoping for HELP! Are there members able to make suggestions to somebody I'm sure makes plants quake with fear? Right now I'm wondering what might replace an Astilbe that has finally almost surrendered to my "care." It took 2 1/2 years, but this plant on my kitchen counter gets some light, but not enough to be truly sunny. My watering tendencies also are sporadic. The one good thing is I use water from cleaning my aquarium.
Also in my defense, it looks like I kept the Mandevilla from the sunroom alive in the house. I usually just buy 3, 2 for the entrance & 1 to be a real plant in that sunroom. The local garden store didn't think I could do it. Right now it's far from luxuriant, but hope to see it bounce back in warmer weather.
While I feel like I torture plants, I guess I'm not as hopeless as I claim, but at the other end of the spectrum from all posting here so far.
Virtually sounds good. I've hiked portions of the AT in Maine, NH, Vermont, NY, PA, Maryland, and VA.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
It's great to hear this news, Ken! Now we can both hike the Appalachian Trail from Canada to Georgia! (virtually).
As long as you promise to carry me all the way.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
VIRTUALLY, Ken. It's the only way either of us would survive it.
Lisa, enjoy your beautiful Mize!
My little ginseng ficus bonsai tree is supposed to come today. I'm both worried and excited, hoping it didn't suffer from any freezes during its 3 day fedex journey from Mississippi to me in freezing NY.
Yesterday I noticed several new leaf shoots emerging on my big split leaf philodendron (monstera deliciosa). I love how the bebe leaves on it are all tightly furled up like a green burrito. Then as it slowly gets bigger and unfurls each day you can see whether that leaf has splits or not. I look forward to it getting big enough for me to make cuttings to give to my two grown daughters. :)
It's great to hear this news, Ken! Now we can both hike the Appalachian Trail from Canada to Georgia! (virtually).
As long as you promise to carry me all the way.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
It's great to hear this news, Ken! Now we can both hike the Appalachian Trail from Canada to Georgia! (virtually).
Lois, I do have a bass dulcimer on loan from a friend. It is a Blue Lion and not much heavier than my Blue Lion dulcimer.
Lisa, it certainly does feel good.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Ken that's great news! It must feel so good to have your heart working properly now. 
YAAAY! Since your dulcimer probably isn't heavier than 8 pounds, you can keep picking it up as it's obviously helped you so far, Ken! If you have a bass or otherwise heavier instrument, let it be your incentive for playing again in May.
Dusty, sure, as long as I don't have to lift anything heavier than 8 pounds. Are you paying for my round trip airfare and other expenses?
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Ken, I am happy to see your good news!
If PA is anything like OH, the thing which makes a person eligible for helping someone move is owning a pickup truck. It must be different where Dusty lives (than where I live). :)
That's great news, Ken. We're all delighted to hear it.
So can you help me move this weekend?
Today I saw my cardiac surgeon for my first, and as it turns out, my last post op appointment. I am doing so well with my recovery that he does not need to see me again. I can drive again. I still need to be cautious of lifting things for another 2 months so I do not damage my sternum. My heart is in great shape after the mitral valve repair. Look out world, I'm back! LOL
Thank you to all who offered good wishes, prayers, notes of concern , and phone calls during this time. It is greatly appreciated.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Lisa, you have a beautiful instrument. Bob Mine did excellent work. I do not think those cracks were there when he built that dulcimer. I think They are a function of age and humidity. I can't tell if they go all the way through the peg head or are just surface cracks. If the latter, let them go. If the former a little bit of thin super glue in the crack and some clamping will fix the cracks. Put new strings on it, tune it up, and play it. Enjoy your "new" dulcimer.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Lisa, this YouTube video shows a Mize dulcimer purchased in 1992 that has the same tuning pegs as yours. I think they are original.
About twice a year I treat my dulcimers to a rub down with Howard's Feed N Wax. The stuff is inexpensive and you can get it at any hardware or home improvement store. Here is Bing Futch demonstrating how he treats his instruments with the stuff.
If this were my instrument, I would clean it up, add the Howard's, and then put on new strings. I bet it will sing!
I agree with John. Those cracks do not look serious at all. They might have been caused by excessive aridity. Does the wood feel dry to you? Perhaps you could treat the whole instrument with some Howard Feed N Wax. I bet you it will help rejuvenate the wood.
Thank you for your response. I will search online for the product you recommended. The wood does not feel particularly dry to me. Depending on the light, the cracks are not as visible. That is why I did not see them at first. Maybe treating it will help. Would you try to go ahead and tune it as is? Also, what do you think of these pegs? Do you suppose they're original? The reason I ask is I read he mainly used wood pegs. Or maybe that was earlier than this 1984 instrument.
Lisa, the late Bob Mize was a legendary, quality builder of mountain dulcimers. There is no question about that. The number 1922 is probably the serial number, or build number of that dulcimer. Bob was very prolific. The crack you indicate on the peghead should cause no problems if it's glued properly. Mostly it's a cosmetic issue. How fortunate of you to find this beauty!
Thank you. I did read that and decided to purchase based on that information. My concern arose once I noticed the cracking. Could it have possibly been sold this way? I ask because the rest of the instrument is in such excellent condition. I have not attempted to tune it for fear of damaging it further. Also, I do not know how to tell if it is properly glued.
I agree with John. Those cracks do not look serious at all. They might have been caused by excessive aridity. Does the wood feel dry to you? Perhaps you could treat the whole instrument with some Howard Feed N Wax. I bet you it will help rejuvenate the wood.
Lisa, the late Bob Mize was a legendary, quality builder of mountain dulcimers. There is no question about that. The number 1922 is probably the serial number, or build number of that dulcimer. Bob was very prolific. The crack you indicate on the peghead should cause no problems if it's glued properly. Mostly it's a cosmetic issue. How fortunate of you to find this beauty!
I joined this site a few years ago after picking up an inexpensive dulcimer. I later realized it was most likely made in China. Following advice from this site, I changed the strings, and I could never get it to stay tuned. I spoke to someone fairly local to me and it was going to cost far more to make the instrument useable than what I paid so I eventually gave it up.
Yesterday, I happened upon a 1984/1922 Bob Mize dulcimer. I have no idea what the 1922 means. I researched the maker’s name and felt like this might be an instrument I could learn to play. I attempted to look it over well, but once I paid for it and got to my vehicle I noticed a place in the wood in the peg area. I can’t tell if this occurred when the instrument was made or if it was broken and repaired. The instrument has no other marks on it and I don’t know that it has ever been used which makes me think it happened when it was built. My concern is if I have wasted money. Are these cracked looking places going to make this unplayable? I appreciate your feedback. 
I have not yet registered for an on-line festival. I do get together with a few folks once a week on Zoom to play. The reason I haven't participated in these festivals is that I don't go festivals to take workshops. I go to visit with other builders or for conversation during and between workshops. I no longer feel the need to accumulate more tabs or pick up new playing techniques. It is the informal visiting and spontaneous jams that I enjoy most at festivals. Also, most festivals do not offer workshops that meet my interest in the history of the mountain dulcimer and its predecessors, the music of the mountains, or playing techniques that apply. Having said all of this, I am looking at participating in a festival in April which includes my interests.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Thanks for the info. I will experiment with cloth to see if that helps... But I bet the felt on the Legacy Straps will solve it. I'll be getting one soon.
Good idea. Happy to help...thanks to Dusty too.
Thanks for the info. I will experiment with cloth to see if that helps... But I bet the felt on the Legacy Straps will solve it. I'll be getting one soon.
Excellent point, Strumelia, about the specific thread titles! I do try to do that.
Dusty, thanks for mentioning the DPN festival directory! Actually, back in October I found a link to it on there, and before I knew it I was signing up for the Stephen Foster Dulcimer Retreat!
Hi Dusty! Yes, Wayne is a lefty. We lucked out when we visited McSpadden years ago that Jim Woods just happened to have a prototype of a courting dulcimer for a lefty and a righty. I knew we just had to have it.
And thanks for your continuing support for the podcast! 😎
Good point, @strumelia.
@ocean-daughter, you might want to check out the Festival Directory maintained by Dulcimer Players News . It lists nearly all the upcoming dulcimer festivals, most of which are online at the moment.
You guys seem to have figured things out nicely, but one more little tip- whenever you do start a new thread somewhere, it really helps to give the thread a very descriptive title. An example: instead of naming a thread "Strings?" it's better to be more specific like "Help with string gauges for baritone". This enables people to zero in on discussions of interest to them while they browse the forums. It also helps people in the future who are searching the site for answers, maybe years from now. :)
I wanted to give an update. I was using this dulcimer during some Quarantune workshops, and while listening to the instructor(s) I was kind of idly scraping at the adhesive with my fingernail Well, by the end of the second workshop, the adhesive was just about gone! I rubbed at the remains with my finger to finish the job. The fretboard looks great now, and I'm happy to say there were no rectangles to show where the fretboard had darkened around the labels.
On the subject of adhesive, I have another dulcimer, a Black Mountain by Dave Johnston, that had residue where a strip of duct tape had been put across the back for some reason. (It came to me via eBay, so the prior history is a mystery.) I tried a bit of cooking oil on that, and also scraped with an old credit card, which was quite effective. The dulcimer needs refinishing, so I am thinking of contacting Mr. Johnston to ask for his advice.
Hi again Dusty! I guess my topic is more like the good/bad of online festivals. Sometimes the organizers haven't posted their event on the event pages--maybe they need a publicity person to do that 
--so posting there wouldn't be very effective.
I'll try starting a discussion in the General forum. Actually I have managed pretty well with the technology. And I'm so grateful for the chance to keep getting inspired without having to travel. I hope to get in on the Berkeley Gathering in a couple of months!
