This has been a good summer for me.  First of all, being a lazy-ass school bus driver, I've been off work since June 1st and don't go back until August 17th.  Still got a month to sit and play...lol.....However, it's been a pretty productive summer.  Spent alot of time with the grandkids.  Irene and I have had some good times.  We spend it with family, go to the show, take walks, go shopping (ahhhhhh I hate stores), or just hang-around together.  She's a good wife and I know it.  Beyond that, I've spent alot of time writing and playing music.  I've been playing alot of gigs.  Have to admit it, I've been pretty busy.  Sometimes even playing so much that it's not as much fun as it typically is.  Got to watch that part, because it's not as if I'm making money doing this stuff, and hey, if you're not making money, then it better be FUN.....  Wrote several new songs.  Found a lost poem I'd written in the late 80's called "Diamond," and totally forgotten about.  I always liked the poem and once I'd rediscovered it (in a pile of papers in a briefcase that I hadn't seen for over twenty years....didn't even know the briefcase had come with us to this house) I immediately knew what it needed was a chorus/refrain/bridge and I'd have a song.  Also, bought a steel lap guitar and I can actually play the damn thing.  Having a blast with it.  The slide guitar then gave me the idea of raising the set-up on the dobro I have.  So, from playing it like a standard guitar, I raised the action and now play it (slide style) like (of all things) a dobro.  Already done a recording of Amazing Grace and play lead with the dobro.  Sounds pretty good, so long as I'm playing slow..lol.....THEN, of all things, I bought a Ukelele.  However, is not my fault.  The blame goes to Duane Woner.  He has talked about his Uke so much that I finally decided to find out "what's the big deal?"  Anyway, it is pretty cool.  Just got it a few days ago.  Duane, thanks for passing the bug on.  Sweet instrument and fun.  I doubt I'll be playing heavy metal like Doc Fuller with it, but it is fun........Also, late spring I bought a Gibson Songwriter Guitar.  Awesome guitar.  Lots of twang.  Nice set-up.  Great for fingerpicking, but still loud acoustically.........Also, early this spring I got a psaltery.  A stringed instrument that is played primarily for melody.  Gotten pretty decent it with.  You can't play chords with it.  Just single notes, but it fits well with the folksy stuff I do.  Kind of a primitive sound.  Just like my guitar playing...lol....Now, all I've got to do is learn to play all  the instruments I have.  My wife tells me I'm the proverbial "jack of all trades and master of none.".....Actually, in all truthfullnes, I never imagined myself being a musician/songwriter/performer of any degree or stature.  I'm certainly not a musician, irregardless of the number of instruments I can inadequately play.  Probably more of magician...lol.........Anyway, that's were I'm kind of at right now....Oh...also, great to see some old friend come out this summer:  Chris Barr, David Patmore, Paula Crawford, Pat Hagen, Chris Foster, Lynn Snyder, Martha Haehl, and the rest of Checkered Past.  Great to see you all...and of course, Jim Kurtz.  "Echoes of Bill" kicks ass..Oh yeah, and this summer I met Lezlie Revelle, Kathryn Lorenzen, and some other good folks...and as I ramble onward---Jim Wilson and Deb Garver are great friends and supporters of "live" music...........Hope to see everyone again soon...