Summer of my life.

And only half over.

Left Halifax June 5th. Slept in Edmundston NB, at the little place we always stay at. We got engaged there in 2005, but we never can seem to book room 448 in time.

Mississauga, baptized godkid, hung with the folks.

Tented in the Soo, where the spring peepers sounded like there were 1000 clowns riding in circles around our tent on squeaky unicycles and blowing whistles.

Thunder Bay: had the bittersweet experience of our first visit into the first home of a young couple who were already splitting up. We had a fabulous, jokey time before dinner. an amazing meal, and they signed their seperation agreement after dessert.

Winnipeg: played a house concert for a roomful of witches, and all their gods and goddeses.

Wolseley, Saskatchewan: you HAVE to go see Al Kevino's diner. And get a black cherry shake.

Lloydminster, SK/AB: first perogies of the trip here.

Vegreville AB: World's Biggest Pysanka, and the FIRST snowstorm of the summer.

High Prairie AB: The Bowers/Nelson Family Wedding Hootenanny.

Carstairs AB: discovered an old friend, my first oil pumpy-things, and a heartbreaking prime rib. (I mean, this is Alberta, right? i had the deer in Scotland and the carrot terring in france for the same reason...)

Fort MacLeod AB: THIS is a 'Dutch-clean room'?

Lethbridge: Saw a beloved aunt & uncle after a long time. i could spend some time here.

(pause for a couple days' worth of interstate monotony through Montana and Idaho...)

Moab, UT: Damn, it's hot here. Amazing mesas and mountains. skeletons in the desert, sagebrush fields. I creamed an iguana on the highway, poor little dude. They should think about buying a guardrail or two.

Telluride CO: Second helping of the Telluride Bluegrass fest. SECOND snowstorm of the summer. Third, fourth, and fifth helpings of fish tacos. Much bluegrassy goodness, like Arlo Guthrie, Darrell Scott, Ani DiFranco, Ryan Adams, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs WITH Bruce Hornsby, Paolo Nutini, Solomon Burke, the Duhks, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, John Cowan, Yonder Mountain, Leftover Salmon, and of course, Sammy Bush.

Ogallala, NE: Is that the Marlboro man?

Davenport, IA: Never trust a river. In this case, the Mississippi flooded, and washed away half the midwest. Your food price just went up.

Montreal Jazzfest: is almost too big. Montreal, I love you, but in crowds like this, you're a pain in the ass. Played a great night a couple weeks later at the Yellow Door, the Church of Folk if there ever was one. And ran into my friends Ardyth, Jennifer, Pam, and Rachel there.

Peterborough: Good, good times to be had at the Spill. Spent a great night out on the town with Dave Tovey and Pernell Reichert.

Belleville: go to the Organic Underground. Quality people.

Grey Fox Festival: hung with the fireflies (billions!) for a weekend in the Catskills. Witnessed a spontaneous jam between Jerry Douglas and Tim O'Brien at a distance of three feet. Had my brain melted by the Greencards, Dave Grisman, Infamous Stringdusters, Uncle Earl, Sarah Jarosz, Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers, Hot Rize, Sammy Bush. Watched Del McCoury sing 'Walkin' Out In the Rain' with a hellacious thunder-and-lightning storm drenching us all. Ate the Jambalaya of a lifetime. For a shower, took off my clothes and laid in Catskill Creek. And possibly joined the Strangeboys, who will now and forever be pronounced 'Strangebyes'.

Toronto: had a blast at the Local in Roncesvalles. Bought an upright bass. Did much yardwork. Still need to go get that Big Fat Burrito in Kensington.


We're almost done. I'm playing tonight at Mitzi's Sister in Parkdale as part of the Groovy Mondays series, Thursday at the Moonshine in Oakville, and Saturday at a house concert in Durham. If you know anyone nearby, let'em know. Gotta be back in Hali for Aug 1st, to play said new upright with Old Man Luedecke on the waterfront. There'll be a lot of solo gigging to announce, playing with Charlie A'Court at the Bluesfest in Truro, Stevie Bowers' record release at the Carlton in Halifax, a tweener set at Lunenburg Folk, recording with Folds of Policy/the Stanfields/maybe the Folded Stanfields...?

Anyway. Summer's going great. Hope yours is, too.

xo,
K