peterpoppet and marimba mania...

The swell of nostalgia has been ploughed of an evening recently as we have taken to sitting up on our sofa bed and setting sail into a sea of old video footage recounting our years in Africa. The trigger was me taking my Christmas present out of its box - an Audio Digital Video Converter that I raved about many months ago. This is the first time I have had enough relaxed time on my hands to attempt some video capture and editing. Since we have been contemplating doing some hotel work on the marimbas as the Van Merrow-Smith Family Players(we have an agent friend who believes he can get us work!) I have taken Jan's school marimba band concerts as my first movie theme and have been busily capturing the images of her orchestra playing their little hearts out just to get us in the mood. What with the tenor and soprano marimba currently standing on our upstairs balcony taking up all the washing line space (and the children's attention) we have really been introducing the neighbours to this same theme! Fortunately next door to us lives a Rhodesian chap called Colin, with his English wife Carol. They are very down to earth and quite happy to hear African sounds from their living room. The other side is empty at the minute as Ingrid and Eugene only use their house for holidaying, as is the case with Anna and Carlos from Toledo who live opposite for occasional fortnight-long bursts. As I sit at the computer listening to the strains of 'Jambo bwana' being hammered out by out two oldest, I'm considering how to get the finished movie clips onto the blog. I'm sure that with Tiger there must be a way. Thanks for that Julian. I've downloaded Skype but as yet have not bought the headset that makes it more functional. You can Skype me at 'peterpoppet' but I have no idea how it works!! Steve, I cannot search you out on the Skype system, Dad neither. They don't seem to know you so I need your Skype names if I am to add you to my address list. I guess there's not much luck in Skyping Julian if he is in Saltzburg. Funny that...we've been watching quite a bit of the Sound of Music too!