Glenn Moss's DEPORT gift to Bounding Main
Chief Petty Officer Glenn Moss (U.S. Navy Retired) is a big fan of Bounding Main. Did I say big fan? I meant huge fan. If you need proof, allow us to describe his incredible gift for the DEPORT campaign.
On the 24th of November, Maggie informed the rest of us that we had received "the most creative DEPORT donation" yet. It took a while, but eventually we all got to share in the amazement. Behold... a treasure chest! Quite a nice looking one as well, complete with a lock and key to protect the booty. And what was the booty you may ask?
The chest was filled with gold coins. Further inspection revealed a mixture of chocolate gelt and presidential dollar coins (they look quite cool themselves... see an image here). After separating the loot into piles (and after keeping Maggie away from the chocolate) we counted 100 dollars for the DEPORT fund!
We were stunned... What a remarkably valuable and creative gift to our campaign!
But there was more to come...
Soon after we received the treasure chest, Glenn sent us a cryptic email:
There is another box coming your way, via Maggie. This one is personal, from me to all of Bounding Main, and has nothing to do with your deportation! Just a gift of appreciation for the outstanding musical performances, of which I've only been able to sample on CD so far. I don't want to spoil the surprise before it arrives, so I'm saving my explanation until then. But a small clue just to tease all of you: If you're afraid to try them, they'll still make unique display items!
Eventually the package arrived. What did we find? Twelve bottles of homemade grog! They came in two flavors, "Blackbeard's Blood Grog" and "Briney Blue Grog", so each of us received one of each. Incredible! Glenn sent us an explanation by email, so I'll let him describe the grog in his own words.
The bottles of "grog" are actually cordials. A cordial (in case you didn't know) is a sweet liquer (read: high sugar content) usually made with an alcohol base such as vodka or grain alcohol and a flavoring agent such as a fruit. I make these as a hobby to give as gifts occasionally. And I enjoy them myself!
The process takes several weeks for a batch. Usually, there are a few weeks involved letting the cordials sit to allow the flavors to be fully extracted from the flavoring base (fruits usually). Then it is strained and/or filtered to remove the solids. Then there are usually a few more weeks to allow any suspended material to settle to the bottom, after which the clear portion is syphoned off (a process called "racking") and bottled.
The alcohol base is usually vodka or grain alcohol because these do not have their own flavor. This allows the cordial to take on the flavor of whatever the flavoring agent is. In the case of the bottles I have sent, this would be blueberries and cinnamon redhots.
"Blackbeard's Blood Grog" is my Cinnamon Spice cordial. It is a deep, clear, blood red color made using 100 proof Smirnoff vodka, cinnamon redhots, and a pinch of cayanne pepper. "Briney Blue Grog" is my Blueberry Cordial. It is a deep, clear blue color made using 100 proof Smirnoff vodka, blueberries, sugar, and Brandy (I don't remember the brand right off hand).
Two of these bottles are Blueberry/Apricot Cordial which used an apricot flavored brandy. Personally, I think the apricot brandy version isn't as good as the other, mostly because the apricot brandy really detracts from the flavor of the blueberries.
I made custom labels for Bounding Main, using your logo. (I ordered a BM sticker and scanned it into the computer). The labels (and "grog") are in honor of all the hours of listening joy Bounding Main has provided me (and my kids!).
So there it is. Glenn Moss's complete donation to the campaign. There were smiles of amazement from everyone in the crew. We can't express our appreciation for such a wonderful gift. It's our pleasure to share his generosity with everyone. It's attention that he richly deserves.
But there was one more surprise up Glenn's sleeve...
Glenn ordered two signed copies of Going Overboard, our latest CD. With his order, he added an extra $15.75 for the DEPORT campaign. Again, I'll let him describe the donation in his own words.
As Maggie rightly asked, "Now how does a guy who has NEVER seen us live, know us so well???"
- $5 for Maggie's chocolate fund
- $10 for Gina & Christie's spending fund
- $.75 for Shaving supplies (rusty razors only), new (i.e. clean) clothes, and singing lessons for Dean, Dave, and Jon.
Glenn, we in Bounding Main offer you our sincerest gratitude for your thoughtful and generous gift. If we ever travel to your neck of the woods or or if you ever find yourself in ours, please look us up and we'll find a way to offer our thanks personally.
Until then... Fair winds and following seas, friend!
