Sunday, 11 June, is going to be a sunny, warm, musical day. It’s time for the annual Grand Porch Party. And this year our porch is playing host to three of the musical acts.

Between 2 and 5 pm, everyone is invited to stroll about our neighbourhood and enjoy the acts at 12 different venues (i.e. porches). You can plan your visit with this 2017 Performance Map.

The three acts performing on our porch are:

• 2-3 pm: Sing Me A River
• 3:15 – 4 pm: Sarah Pearson
• 4:15 – 5 pm: treephones

Check out all of the acts performing at this year’s Grand Porch Party.

I’ve trimmed the hedges (so that the performers will actually be able to be seen). I’ve cut the grass. We planted some flowers. And K. is undertaking the much more labour intensive task of painting the porch. All should be in readiness for the 11th.

Looking forward to a day of sun and music. I hope you will join us.

Sunday, 12 June, promises to be a sunny day. Perfect for a stroll around the neighbourhood pausing in front of host houses as a selection of fine musicians perform on porches.

Yes, it’s time for the Grand Porch Party again! Between 2 and 5 pm, the streets in our area will be humming with adults and children catching some free tunes, everything from soulful rhythm and blues to folk and pop and even a hand-clap orchestra for good measure. Rain or shine. But it’s a bit nicer in sunshine.

The Grand Porch Party is always great fun (it’s been running since 2011). However, this year the organisers have shifted the party over a street or two. So I could just sit on my own porch and listen to the music coming from two doors down. But it’s more fun to take a walk and soak in the ambience.

I am assisting my friend, Steve Butterfill, in setting up a project site for a software application he wrote called ReportTool. Steve’s plan is to eventually release ReportTool under an open source licence. My job is to help him think through the process involved, as well as pitching in to help on practical things like writing web pages and participating on mailing lists and such.

Heavens, there is such a lot to do. Even for the smallest of projects. First impressions, of course, are important. So we want to get as much right before the site is announced to its potential user/developer community.