Strangely the gloomy weather is not unwelcome. The caliginous atmosphere instantly popularizes woeful rainy day music and provokes the limitations which on a sunny day have already evaporated. For example there was no hesitation this morning to undertake my tricycling in the garage instead of labouring to project myself up the concrete ramp from the subterranean depth to ground level alongside the Mississippi River. In the process of expiating my athletic guilt (in a round about way, shall I say) I stopped to chat with two fellows, one of whom is only now moving into his new apartment. He is a former resident of a nearby home (which of course he adored).  Interestingly he mentioned it was only recently that he became aware of the apartment building.  I echoed his observation because this place tends to be inconspicuous. Reportedly he undertook the rental contract of the apartment sight unseen whilst wintering in Florida.

Though it is a small accommodation – but one I felt obliged in the interest of full disclosure to report – I have discovered that 24 hours makes a difference for the freshness of the HFT (Healthy Food Technologies, Inc.) donuts I bought yesterday. No matter; the barely noticeable dryness of the superbly textured dough is metaphorically enhanced by the rain drops on the floor to ceiling windows out of which I regard the misty river and the grey sky above the tarnished yellow fields. The grandfather clock clangs its hourly reminder. Shall I go for a car wash today on this rainy day?  It hardly makes sense to do so.  By the time I return home along the Appleton Side Road, any evidence of a purgative rinse will have vanished. But the cosmetic anquish does not subvert the travel monologue. This too shall become the newly invoked (or “surfaced”) social pattern characterized by wanton, almost reckless, conduct. Yet such is the nature of mobility whether upon a tricycle or within an automobile; the mere act of movement is sustaining and oddly both primitive and invigorating. It is a subject upon which I have often swelled and ruminated, pondering the alternatives such as an electric or motorized tricyle. At times the inquisition ventures ponderously close to ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) which, while undoubtedly useful on snow and ice, may constitute a more exotic device than preferred or required (much less recommended) especially for an octogenarian driver.

Then there is the ineluctable notion of an afternoon nap.  What could possibly be more congruous and compelling on a rainy day unobstructed by force of circumstance? Indeed so convincing is the stirring that its appeal is unavoidable. Consider this my unrepentant acknowledgement of the allure. The eiderdown triumphed! Sequestered in a palace in the sky, projecting onto the horizon past limitless acres of farm lands and parallel the river to the Village of Appleton, the seduction of the afternoon nap was complete. We do not recall when space and time vanished into impenetrable darkness and concomitant muscular relaxation.

From this soporific superlative I have unwittingly advanced to the ritual stage of an afternoon chilled coffee and (not so customarily) an assortment of nibbles, including fresh veggies and imported cheese and crackers. Even with the wretched weather now escalating to include either sleet or snow, I am nonetheless willingly seduced on this dismal foggy day by Frank Chacksfield and His Orchestra. There are moments such as this when I am exceedingly happy that I have music to thank for so many pleasures. It is a delight made even more delightful by the likes of Bose® headphones or the Harman Kardon® speakers.

Frank Chacksfield became one of Britain’s best known orchestra leaders internationally, and is estimated to have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide. His material was “mood music”, similar to that of Mantovani, including ballads, waltzes, and film themes.  In 1954, he began presenting a series on BBC TV, which continued occasionally until the early 1960s. Chacksfield was responsible for the musical arrangement of the first UK entry into the Eurovision Song Contest 1957; “All” by Patricia Bredin. He continued to write music, release singles and albums through the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared regularly on BBC radio.

In addition to this happenstance alert I wandered into the territory of sinful inquiry with this discovery:

Psychoacoustics is the branch of psychophysics involving the scientific study of sound perception and audiology—how the human auditory system perceives various sounds. More specifically, it is the branch of science studying the psychological responses associated with sound (including noise, speech, and music). Psychoacoustics is an interdisciplinary field including psychology, acoustics, electronic engineering, physics, biology, physiology, and computer science.

Apart from marveling at the dramatics surrounding this particular definition of sound it is nonetheless true that sound has often a profound influence upon us. Apparently for Mr. Bose it did.  He  became one of the richest people in the world, born in USA, son of a chap from Bengal, India who had been imprisoned for civil unrest (likely anti-British independence).

Bose Corporation is an American manufacturing company that predominantly sells audio equipment. The company was established by Amar Bose in 1964 and is based in Framingham, Massachusetts. It is best known for its home audio systems and speakers, noise cancelling headphones, professional audio products and automobile sound systems. Bose has a reputation for being particularly protective of its patents, trademarks, and brands.

The majority owner of Bose Corporation is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Non-voting shares were donated to MIT by founder Amar Bose, and receive cash dividends. According to the company annual report for the 2021 financial year, Bose Corporation’s annual sales were $3.2 billion, and the company employed approximately 7,000 people.

Now where was I? Something about music and afternoon naps?