P. Buckley Moss e-newsletter

Dear Friends:

I had a great Sunday evening in Johnston, Iowa during the Iowa Public Television pledge drive. Everyone was very supportive and enthusiastic and I enjoyed meeting up again with Duane Huey, Executive Producer, who had come to St. Pete to film me working on their pledge print. The phones rang off the hook all night with people calling in their pledges, and the volunteers said they had never been busier.

Dinner in the Cottonwood Treetop features the famous Decorah eagles and is my fundraising print for Iowa Public Television. You can receive this print for a minimum pledge of $125. To make a pledge to IPTV, visit them online, or call 800-779-7000.

Print numbers 1 through 5 went so fast at $1,000 a piece that we put up numbers 6 through 10 - and they also went for $1,000 each in just minutes. By the end of the evening, we were all very tired, but I was up at 3:00am for my 4:00am flight to Virginia.

During a pause in the pledge drive, I checked in with the dedicated band of volunteers who manned the phones. One lady drove 85 miles to help take pledges.

With Terri Hale, Live on IPTV. Terri is a wonderful presenter who got things really rolling on the pledge drive.

I barely had a day’s rest before heading off with Patty on Tuesday evening to the studios of WHRO TV in Hampton Roads, VA. I enjoyed seeing my good friend Bert Schmidt, President of WHRO TV, who came to the Norfolk TV station from WVPT TV, in Harrisonburg, VA, where my association with Public Broadcasting began over 30 years ago. Once again, I appeared live on TV during the pledge breaks. It was another hectic evening and a very late night for me and Patty, but well worth it. Between the two events, we helped Public TV raise over $90,000.

Public Television produces such wonderful educational and entertaining programs, especially for children, that I am proud to be able to help out with their fundraising at a time when they face severe cutbacks.

Day on the Chesapeake features a Chesapeake Bay deadrise, sailboats, and ospreys and is my fundraising print for Norfolk’s WHRO TV 15 (800-940-7170). Many years ago my friend Warren Trusch took me out on his deadrise at 4am. While the watermen worked, his daughter and I watched the sun rise in all its glory over the Chesapeake Bay. The men loaded the boat so full with fish that we had to sit on the cabin roof on the way home.

My flight back to Florida left in the nick of time, getting off the ground before the blizzard moved in. The Museum was snowed in, without power, and had to close. I can’t wait to return to Virginia for the Museum and Barn Show in April, when the rhododendrons, daffodils and forsythia are all in bloom.

The Museum snow plow, clearing the way for hardy visitors. I will return in more clement weather for the April Museum Show and Open House.

Before leaving St. Petersburg for Iowa, I was able to spend a delightful evening with my brother Dan and his wife Carolyn, and my brother-in-law, Bill Martin, all of whom will be on the cruise with me this summer.

I am looking forward now to this weekend, when I will be appearing at Finn Gallery, here is St. Petersburg, FL. Show hours are Friday, March 8, 5 – 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday, March 9th and 10th, 1-4pm. For more details about the show, call (727) 894-2899.

My heart goes out today to Tricia Miles, who among many other things is my good friend and personal assistant, keeping me on track with all the complex details of my activities. In the early morning hours yesterday, her husband John Lee passed away after a long illness. My thoughts and prayers are with Tricia and her son JL; may they have comfort and peace in this very difficult time.

Love,
Pat

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