[pianotech] A new use for piano benches

[John Ross]

I have had two episodes with dogs.
In one when I left this little yappy dog came at me barking, I looked at it and it backed off, but when I turned my back on it to get in my van, it snapped at my ankle.
No damage, but I went back and told the woman, she said her little wouldn't do that. 
The other one was a large Russian Wolfhound as far as I can remember. I had been at the house 3 times and the dog was always fine, this time however it grabbed my leg, no damage to my leg, but it ripped my trousers.
The woman paid for a new pair, and begged me not to report her dog. It hadn't hurt me, so I didn't report it.
I like dogs and cats and have owned both.
Since 1975 that is the only two episodes.
John Ross
Windsor, Nova Scotia.
On 19-04-2012, at 6:29 PM, paul bruesch wrote:

> I'll say it. I do not like pit bulls. And I'm tempering my language. 
> 
> I live in a rather small town, and in the house I used to live in, I only locked the doors if I would be gone for overnight or longer. The backyard neighbor has a pit bull, and warned me not to stick my hand over the fence. Yeah, so why do you have it? Ya' growing pot in there? Cookin' meth? That's the only reason to have a pit bull, IMO. I know, I know... they can be bred gentle or bred tough. But IMO they're never bred cute. 
> 
> I have a longtime (for me) customer with a couple of Weimaraner (big hunting) dogs.  They'd always be barking themselves hoarse and stupid when I pull up, only to be very friendly once I got to the piano. Except last year. When she let them out of the front room, one of them bounded up the stairs at me and snapped at my arm... no blood, but bruised and it hurt for a day or so. They (the people) were about as shocked as I was. Dog went to the back room for the duration. She offered her services (no no no, as a financial planner). I declined, I was fine, they were incredibly apologetic and acted immediately. This year, the dogs were nowhere to be seen the whole time I was there! And I got a great (as great as a cell phone can do) shot of a Pileated Woodpecker on their deck.
> 
> Thing about all this is... I didn't used to care much for dogs, but nowadays I find myself contemplating the notion of having one myself. Probably won't happen, at least for a while, but that change of heart has come about because of the dogs I encounter day to day at customers' homes. 
> 
> Paul Bruesch
> Stillwater, MN
> 
> On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 12:43 PM, Rob McCall <rob at mccallpiano.com> wrote:
> I've found a new use for piano benches...
> 
> I had a lot of work on a 1967 Wurlitzer console.  It had a couple of broken strings, I repinned a few flanges, reshaped the hammers, etc.  While putting the action back in, I was trying to get the dowels for the pedals to seat in their respective spots on the action.
> 
> So here I am, flat on my back on the carpet under the the piano with my hand reaching under to fit the dowel, when I look to my left and I see that the wife has just let their Pit-bull into the house.  I'm looking at him from about 20 feet away through the legs of the piano bench when he decides I must be an intruder.
> 
> He starts growling and snarling and running towards me. I'm sure the surge of adrenaline helped me to get off my back and on my feet quicker than I have in probably 20 years! I grabbed the legs of the piano bench on the way up and tilted the seat bottom directly at the dog, creating a nice wooden barrier between me and the salivating and barking Pitbull.  The owners came running out and it took them several tense minutes (seconds?) to get him under control and back outside.
> 
> And I didn't even get a tip...  ;-)
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Rob McCall
> 
> McCall Piano Service, LLC
> www.mccallpiano.com
> Murrieta, CA
> 951-698-1875
> 
> 
> <IMG_20120202_113606_Crop.jpg>

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