I think it must be Spring

Hyacinths poking out below while some daffodils who weathered the snowstorm the other day are trying to revive. Today was back to Spring and we took our two mile walk up the mountain road. It was our first attempt at making the full trek since returning from Austin which is practically at sea level and quite easy after hiking at 7000 feet

for almost 30 years. During our rest time while listening to a Chopin

waltz played by Arturo Rubenstein I drifted back almost 50 years

when we lived in Levittown and Darrell, age 7 or 8 and quite a gifted

pianist at that time, joined us in the living room while we were watching Rubenstein on the TV live, actually performing. Although,

I can't recall the piece, I do remember Darrell running up to the TV

and exclaiming that the great Arturo was not following the score as it

was written. I commented, " Dar, if you think you are right on this,

why don't you write him a letter about his performance." Darrell did

and promptly received a response from the great man himself also

inviting us to a concert he was giving in New York in the near future.

We attended the concert and Darrell was escorted behind the stage

curtain to meet with Rubenstein who said that Darrell's perception of

the piece was accurate, however, sometimes the artist is allowed to

inject certain phrases, if he feels the urge, which does not follow the composer's score to the note. He also commented to Norma and I, his proud parents, that Darrell had a wonderful future ahead of him in classical piano.

We have to get a visa for our voyage from Harwich to St. Petersburg, Russia. Although we will be stopping at

different ports on the way through the Baltic, Russia is the only country which requires a visa, despite our

short two day stay in St. Petersburg. During my last trip to the then Soviet Union in the 60s with the Principal'sAssociation the requirements were overwhelming and involved close supervision by the Soviet Intourist group which was an arm of secret police. Hopefully, our visit this summer will spare us from the scrutiny I received under the Soviet state.