Back to Cowboy Evening

Cowboy Evening is always so much fun. You never know who you may meet and from where. Here I am pictured with fellow Englishman Ian. Ian hails from York, Yorkshire , England and now lives somewhere in Arizona. We had a great conversation. Yorkshire and my home county of Lancashire are great rivals and always have been. It was good to meet someone who was brought up in the north of England with similar values.

Here is a picture of Sue Lewis, who along with husband Henry, make possible the Cowboy Evenings at the top of Bobcat Pass. My first exposure to Cowboy Evenings was around 1992, That's when I first met Dulcimer Dan Arterburn. We have since become great friends. By the way, The weather tonight was perfect. It cooled off just a little, but not enough to require coats.

Bull O' the Woods, Red River

The Bull O' the Woods Beer garden, Saturday Lunch. The outside acoustics are fabulous. The stage is large and everything can be seen from the street, plus across the road from the balcony at the lodge. Fritz and Jeff were right, it's like being in an Amphitheatre. The Bose system did a great job at this venue. It is crystal clear and travels quite a way through town.
Thanks to Rob Swan for giving me the opportunity to use this stage and perform here. I met some nice people and sold a few cd's.

J.D. Challenger at the Buffalo Nickel in Cimarron.

The photo shows J.D.Challenger and me. The people in Cimarron are fun loving people. What a great night this was. Great food, music and exceptional art by J.D. Thank you Vallerie of Buffalo Nickel, I really enjoyed this event. I Met someone from Rabun County, Georgia too. Bill Spice, nice to see you again. Hello to Ned and Anita. Your project sounds very interesting.
Being in Cimarron reminds me of all the great times we had in Scouts and Philmont.

The Tin Star, Santa Fe.

The Tin Star is a fabulous new bar in Santa Fe. This was my first engagement there. the place was packed and though I was only going to play from 5:oopm til 7:00pm, I ended up playing until 9:00pm. There were plenty of dancers too. What a lively crowd.
Thanks to Paige, Leslie, Jim, Ruth, Fletcher, Maria, Debra and Dayton for coming. I wish I had got to spend more time with you but there will be a next time. I can't wait until then. Also thank you Ray for booking me. Good luck with The Tin Star.

The Motherlode, Red River, New Mexico.

Michael Smith and I and decided to stop by the Motherlode (Remember Thunder in the Mountains?)after the cowboy evening. We bumped into Michael Hearne and he and I performed "Colorado Mountain Girl" and Thunder in the Mountains" together. It was a great pleasure to work with such a gifted guitarist. Thank you Michael, I hope to return the favour soon. I'll see you on Monday at the "Old Blinking Light" in Taos.

Cowboy Evening, Bobcat Pass.

Cowboy Evening at Bobcat Pass. The first photo shows the audience getting ready for the show. The second photo shows left to right..Michael Smith, me and Dulcimer Dan Arterburn. What a great time we had.
I met a lot of folks who had been in Brandenburg Park on the 4th, July. I sold quite a few cd's. Although it rained a little, it didn't dampen anyone's spirits and the show went on as normal. Bobcat pass is around 10,000 feet above sea level and temperatures drop quickly as the sun goes down, hence the coats.
Also, I will be back at the Cowboy Evening on the 15th, July with Dan. Another one to look forward to.

Dulcimer Dan Arterburn

I just had to post this photo of Dan. He has been a regular at the Cowboy Evenings for years. We first met there around 1993. A multi-talented, multi-instrument musician with a vast repertoire of folk and mountain ballads and instrumentals, he is well worth going to see.

4th, July in Red River, N.M.

Red River is very busy this week. Fritz thinks we have just about outgrown the deck. All the spaces were taken on Sunday with people watching from the street.
The photo's show the 4th, July Parade. As you can see the streets are crowded.
As soon as the parade was over we were innundated with people in the park, and a very enthusiastic crowd they were. I made lots of new friends and sold many cd's. Thanks once again John and Tracie from Altitudes Restaurant. The BBQ was very tasty. The temperature today was probably around 65deg. That's very comfortable
I'm looking forward to Cowboy Evening up on Bobcat Pass with Michael David Smith and Dulcimer Dan Arterburn. I will take a coat. It gets cool at almost 10,000ft when the sun goes down. Then on Friday it's off to Santa Fe and "The Tin Star" Hope you had a great 4th,July. More soon.

The St. James Hotel in Cimarron, N.M.

This photo shows Fritz and me at the St. James Hotel. I had a touch of "Las Vegas throat" so Fritz came along to share the Singing duties. Thank you Fritz!! We had a fabulous night under the stars with a large, appreciative audience. I would like to do this one again when I'm in stronger voice.
This week I got to experience the D.H. Laurence Ranch, the high road to Santa Fe, some great meals with Paige and Leslie and storms in Albuquerque.

I'm looking forward to being in Brandenburg Park playing for Altitudes on the 4th, July, right after the parade. Lunch will be B.B.Q. the trimmings, and all sorts of desserts. Come and join us.

On the 7th, I'll be at the brand new "Tin Star" in Santa Fe. It's located at the junction of Water St. and Guadalupe. This place is very nice and destined to be a popular bar in Santa Fe.

The church in this photo is very old and located on the high road. Look for the July 4th posting.

Sunday and Cimarron Canyon.

Today we went to the St. James for lunch. The temperature in Cimarron Canyon was 40 deg. Hailstones covering the road looked just like snow. There was also a very hard rain which must have lasted for several hours. It's desperately needed here in this extremely dry summer. Tonight I was on the deck with Jeff and Fritz. We finished early because it was so cool. It's so amazing to leave the hot and humid weather of Georgia and experience this. Very enjoyable!!

Sunday was another wonderful day at the Fine Art and Wine Festival. After it was over everyone retired to the deck of Mountain Treasures to listen to Fritz and Fagan. I also sang a couple of songs.
Monday I was at the Sagebrush. It was my smallest audience on this tour but they were very enthusiastic. Congratulations to the couple from Belen who were celebrating their 35th, anniversary.
Tuesday I was in Angel Fire with Fritz at a Cd. signing. We performed together and had a very nice audience.
Wednesday, off to Colorado for a short rest and some cycling.
Friday was Eskes, a favourite Taos outdoor venue. I met some folks from Peru. Hello Orlando, Trish, Monica, Bruce, Kevin and Monica and Orlando's Dad. Also, hello to Gretchen and Cathryn. Hope you enjoyed your hike up Wheeler Peak.
Saturday was Altitudes for the wedding reception of Kelly and Vann. Congratulations!!! Sunday is back to Mountain Treaures to join Jeff and Fritz on the deck. Have a great weekend..

Fine Art and Wine Festival, Red River N.M.

It really did cool off last night. The temperature this morning was 31 deg. All you folks in Texas and Okalahoma could have been up here enjoying this beautiful weather. It probably reached 75 deg. today. This has been the best festival yet. We have larger crowds more wineries and perfect weather. It was good to meet all the folks from last year again.
The Bose system was more than adequate to fill the park. I don't know what I was worried about. What an amazing system this is.
There is also another Pimentel guitar on order. Thanks to Rick Pimentel for all your help the other day. It will be ready in about eight months and will really be an instrument to be proud of, just like the others. In the photo I'm playing the guitar Alonzo made. More soon.

Altitudes Restaurant, Red River.

Friday night at Altitudes. This is the reception for the artistes and wineries at the festival in Red River this weekend. In the foreground are the owners of Roberto's and The Bull o' the Woods, both of Red River. As I was leaving I noticed the temperature was dropping quite fast. This was quite a party. Thanks to John and Tracie of Altitudes for helping to make this night such a success.

The Thunderbird Inn, Florissant, Colorado.

This was taken at the end of the night at the Thunderbird, Florissant, one of the friendliest towns in the Rockies. I'm looking forward to being back here sometime in the fall and performing both friday and saturday nights. I'll keep you posted. Thanks to Russ and Lavanna for making this venue such a nice place to play.

Ronnie Lee's Supper Club, Taos, New Mexico

I performed inside at Ronnie Lee's on saturday night and on the patio for sunday brunch. It is beautiful out here and I recommend sitting on the patio for lunch or dinner. Saturday lunch I was in Cimarron for the "Mule Days" It was quite windy but I was fortunate enough to have a sheltered place to play. Thanks to Vallerie for booking me. I'm looking forward to the "St James Hotel" on the 30th, June. I also ran into some friends of mine who own "Legendary Tee's" in Angel Fire. Hello Jennifer and Tony. Great to see you.
The weekend ended at Mountain Treasures where I performed with Fritz and Fagan. This is always an incredibly funny and entertaining gig, not only for the audience but also the performers. A busy week, but very satisfying.

Taos Plaza

This was a fun show with a good crowd. I even saw my friend "Dulcimer "Dan Arterburn in the audience. The show was partially visible over the internet via the webcam situated on the "Made in New Mexico Store" Unfortunately it was from the rear of the stage. This photo shows what it was like from the front.
This is a busy weekend for me.This morning I'm heading for Florissant, Colorado via Guffey. Saturday lunch I'm in Cimarron and saturday evening back in Taos. Have a good weekend.

A view of Old downtown Salida.
The drive out here is about 1600 miles from Cornelia.The scenery in the last 200 is something to be seen. Temperatures have been around 85 during the day
but much cooler during the evening and morning.
Here's the Arkansas River. It is a place where everyone seems to spend at least part of their day. Quite a lively river!! The mountains are visible in the background. There are a lot of kayaks on this stretch, and people swimming. That water looks cold.
Here is a view of the rear deck at the Salida Cafe. Just to the right is the river. I did a sunday lunchtime show today. There were plenty of people and they really enjoyed the music. The last four days have been really nice and I hate to leave but I'm heading down to Red River in the morning so I have another great place to look forward to. Fritz and Jeff will be up here at Bongo Billy"s next friday. Many thanks to Clark Roberts for making this such a fabulous venue.More later.

Bongo Billy's, Salida, Colorado.

Here I am at Bongo Billy's. What a fantastic place this is. The scenary is beautiful, the people are friendly and appreciative and I feel right at home here. The food is great and the deck backs on to the Arkansas River.
I will try to post some more photo's before I leave. This is the most bicycle friendly town I've ever been to and sidewalks on almost every street. Very different from where I live. More later..

Colorado

Last night I spent the night in Mt Vernon, Illinois. Tonight, after around a 700 mile drive, I'm in Burlington, Colorado, after driving through a very bad storm. The weather service said to expect golfball sized hail and winds in excess of 70mph. I didn't encounter any of that but in Goodland, Kansas, they had enough hail they had to bring the snow ploughs out.
Tomorrow I'll amble down to Colorado Springs and on to Salida. It should be a nice relaxing drive. Not like today. M.L.

The Basket Peddler

Here I am performing at the Basket Peddler in Cornelia on 25th, May 2006. The deck is brand new and as you can see, really, really nice. Mike and Jean are very proud of it. It is completely enclosed with windows all the way around that can be opened during nice weather. Now I can have breakfast on the deck year round. The event was a wine tasting, featuring the wines of Wolf Mountain Vineyards of Dahlonega, Georgia.
For the musicians reading, I'm Playing a custom built nylon strung guitar from Pimentel in Albuquerque. The mic is a Neumann KMS105. The amplifier is an acoustic Carvin, AG100D, and finally a little Vox T-25 Bass amplifier for the pedals. All very small and lightweight.
Tomorrow night (saturday) I'll be back at Sugarmill Creek at Lake Burton.

One less job.

Well John took and passed his driver's test on wednesday and then bought this really nice Scion. It's rated at 38mpg on the highway. I wouldn't mind one myself. Anyway it looks like my chauffering days may be over.

Altitudes Restaurant, Red River, New Mexico.

Even more bookings. This time in Red River. Altitudes Restaurant is doing a "lunch in the Park" on 4th, July. I shall be performing for that and then later at the restaurant for dinner. This should be a really nice day, plus I will get to see the Parade. It looks like there is a lot happening in the town of Red River this summer. I really appreciate those cool morning temperatures. If you live in Texas this is a great place to escape some of that summer heat.

Eske's Brew Pub. Taos, New Mexico

The latest addition to the summer tour is Eske's in Taos. The date.. Friday 23rd, June. I have dined at Eske's several times and the food is great. I also like his chili beer, brewed on the spot. If you're in town please stop in.
Last night I was at Sugarmill. We had a very heavy rain around 10:30pm but had taken the precaution of setting up under shelter. It was still a nice evening, plus we got to watch the lightning dance around. Today is a mix of sunny skies and surprise rain showers. Rabun County averages over 80" of rain in a year and the vegetation is
like they said in yellow submarine "A sea of green" Very easy on the eyes.

More on the tour.

I will be performing at the St. James Hotel in Cimarron on 30th, June. I intend to stir up some of those ghosts (at least in song) for which it is so famous. Tuesday 27th, I'll be at the Buffalo Nickel Art Gallery, also in Cimarron. Check the web page, I'm still adding venues. I hope I get to see Scout Troop 24 from Cornelia Ga. They will be hiking at Philmont Scout Ranch in early June. Philip earned his "eagle" with them. Have a great trip guys.

Summer tour 2006

At the moment my summer tour starts on the 2nd, June at Bongo Billy's Salida Cafe in Salida, Colorado. From there to the Plaza in Taos on the 8th. This is an open air show that I'm really looking forward to. On the 9th, I am back in Colorado at the Thunderbird in Florissant, then Cimarron, New Mexico on the 10th, followed by Mountain Treasures in Red River on the 11th.
The complete schedule is to be found on my website under upcoming events. Bookings are being added all the time so please check frequently.
I got an e-mail today from my good friend Bill Loughner. His favourite song on the new album is "I'm the Coyote". Have a safe trip to Charleston Bill.

Hilton Head Island

Had a very relaxing week at Hilton Head. It was warm, sunny and nice to sit on the porch and watch the boats pass by. Hilton Head is behind the times as far as internet connections are concerned.(Maybe that's part of the charm?) I finally discovered Java Joe's with good iced coffee and free internet service. Then on saturday both John and Wendy graduated from Piedmont with honours. Congratulations to both of you..
Saturday night I was performing at Sugarmill Creek with a nice crowd which included some dancers. The weather was warm and he rain held off until Sunday.
I will be working in Florida in September. Funny, but I've never worked there before.

Saturday night off

Tonight was cancelled due to cold, windy, and possibly rainy weather. It didn't rain but it was cool. So... I found myself at the lakehouse with some time on my hands and I decided to call Fritz Davis, the editor of the "Red River Miner". He told me they had just had several inches of snow and the precipitation is badly needed in such a dry year.
Also Fritz and Jeff Fagan have had two songs accepted into the New Mexico song writing competition. One, called "Take it as far as it will go" is an awesome song, and the other is about the presidential race and really funny. Good luck to both of you in Albuquerque next month.
I keep working away on songs for the next album and it is not easy. The stuff I've been writing is so different from what I've done before that I'm not sure if it will fit with what I do. Does every profession have these problems? Probably not... More at a later time.

The weekend

This friday we all gathered at the lakehouse. Philip, Nora, John and Wendy spent the weekend with Linda and me. On saturday night at Sugarmill, we were joined by Mary, Lou, Robert, Linda, Les, the guys from Baldwin,two former boy scouts from my Cornelia troop, plus some campers and locals. A really nice night even though it cooled off around 10:00pm.
On Sunday we took the boat out for a couple of hours. Quite choppy because of the wind but still refreshing. M.T.C.L.

John took these photographs at Sugarmill last night. It was busy and we even had folks from Seneca, S.C. Thank you Bob and Linda for really going out of your way. Yesterday was hot, around 90 degrees in Atlanta and not much cooler than that up here. This guitar is my Washburn. It is not an expensive guitar but very hardy and almost impervious to the temperature and humidity changes I put it through.

I really enjoy this place and all the people I meet here. M.T.C.

Working on a new CD.

Today I started to learn (for the second time) how to use the Roland VS-2480CD. It's a very steep learning curve. I have quite a few songs almost completed and decided to get busy and at the very least end up with a demo.
If all goes well and the quality is good, I'll have to invest in a Neuman U87 microphone to do the vocals with. I just bought a "Radial J48" active direct box for enabling me to plug an acoustic guitar into the Bose "Stick". It should also be fantastic for recording directly into the Roland. If you look in the picture you may notice that the monitors are a pair of JBL100's. I bought those in 1974 and still think they are superior to the new stuff.
The summer tour is coming together nicely and I'll add more dates as they become available.Songs from "A different place" were recently featured on K-tao Solar Radio in Taos, New Mexico. M.T.C.

Back in Georgia.

I didn't go straight home from Red River but went back to Santa Fe, arriving back in Georgia late thursday night. The booking at the Lodge was a wedding reception and everything went really well. Congratulations to the happy couple. I joined John and Wendy at the lake afterwards and Sunday morning we went for breakfast at the Batesville General Store. After they left, I spent the afternoon cleaning the boat. Probably it will be launched this coming weekend. The temperatures are supposed to be in the 80's.
M.T.C.

Sunday

I had a great time in Santa Fe. Thank you Paige and Leslie. Thursday we went to the La Fonda to see Bill Hearne. I met some of Santa Fe's more colourful characters, including the Camel Cigarette man. As I was returning to Red River it was snowing at the 7500ft mark. It was light and there was no accumulation.
This is my last day in Red River and tomorrow morning I'm heading back to Georgia and work on Friday. It's been a good, fruitful trip. I will be back here in June.
Happy 24th, Birthday Philip.

More snow

I awoke to around 5" of snow this morning. It looks so beautiful in the sunlight. The trees are all white with green showing underneath. It is melting quite fast and most of it will probably be gone by the time I leave for Santa Fe.
There still seems to be a few visitors in town even though almost everything is closed. A few exceptions are Capo's, Mountain Treasures, The Bull, Timbers and Shotgun Willy's.

To Santa Fe

Today is a very nice sunny but breezy day. Being from Blackpool the wind doesn't bother me too much. Tomorrow I'm heading to Santa Fe. I'm looking forward to seeing Bill Hearne at the La Fonda Thursday night. Friday I'll be in Los Alamos.
I just booked Sugarmill Creek for 15th, 22nd, and 29th, April. It's already in the seventies there and that's ideal for outdoor performances. M.T.C.

Tuesday, Red River

On Sunday, after ascertaining that there was no immediate danger from the fire, Mike and I went Snowshoeing up the Goose Lake trail. It was beautiful up there, but far less snow (for the time of year) than is normal.
Yesterday was spent in Taos working on my summer tour. It looks promising and I'll have John post all that stuff when it happens.
This morning I awoke to about 2" of the white stuff and I think there is more on the way. I will have to go down to Santa Fe in a few days and as always, I'm looking forward to that. M.T.C.

The fire

I did get to Eagle Nest but not to Angel Fire. It seems we have our own fire about 1 mile west of Red River. I'm told there was a controlled fire, or burn there last week which was re-ignited by the strong wind I experienced this morning.
Hopefully it will be kept under control. Both Red River and Questa Fire Dept. are on the scene and maybe others.

Sunday

Last night I went to the Lucky Shoe in Eagle Nest to celebrate Mike's birthday.
This morning I was up around 6.00am and a bit later went for a walk down the main street. I stopped in at Onota Bakery for coffee before walking back home. It is nice and sunny, but on the way back a strong wind stirred up all the dust making it difficult to see. It lasted about 11 minutes and died down. Today I'm going over to Angel Fire to look around. M.T.C.

Sunny Red River

Here's a photo of Eagle Nest lake taken at 10:30am on thursday. The other photo was taken from the deck today at 5:00pm. It has been a beautiful sunny day. I have been sitting outside in a t-shirt with about 12' of snow beside me and been very comfortable. The snow though, is melting fast. Ski season ended a couple of days ago and so most things are coming to a halt.
Today I helped Fritz make a demo song about Texans. We recorded it on to my little 2-track digital recorder. I believe it did a great job. More soon.

On the road

This morning I was in Louisiana, tonight Dalhart, Texas. I would have made it to Red River but for the snow. It was interesting to see everything covered in snow and all the oil wells still pumping away. The photo shows the snow before it started getting bad. When the white line can't be seen and everyone insists on maintaining 70mph. it's time to get out of the way.

The Lake

The peace and solitude at the lake, I believe is about to be broken. This morning I went to breakfast at the Batesville General Store and they were so busy. I wonder where everyone came from. Back at the lake there is already one boat moored at the slip. The water is about 28" from being up to the optimum level and the yard is full of flowers. This may be my last weekend of quiet before all my neighbours return with their families. There is something special about this time of year when everything seems possible, just like it's waiting for a sign to get started. The calm before the warm.

St Patrick's Day at the Primetime.

Is that a green beard I see John? What will you do if it doesn't wash out?
I think John's favourite song is "Marsh Mill" off the "Fishermen of Fleetwood" Cd. That's one of my favourites too.
We had some serious dancers on the floor tonight. I saw a lot of old friends and I was having so much fun I sang for three hours without taking a break.
Maybe we can do this again soon.

New bookings

Last night at the mill in Clarkesville turned out very well. Charles and Mary Ellen came along to watch the recording for Southern Hospitality. Today they are leaving for South Georgia for a few days before returning to the U.A.E. Safe trip to you.

I just booked 9th, June in Florissant,Colorado at the Thunderbird. The 11th, June I'm booked for Mountain Treasures, Red River, New Mexico. Please see "upcoming" on my website. Today in Georgia is a beautiful, warm, sunny day, the kind of weather that gives me itchy feet. Tonight I go to Seneca. Have a great weekend...

Tuesday at Glen Ella Springs.

Last night was really great. I played to a group of fun-loving people mostly from I think, the Atlanta area. It's very strange, but in all the years I have lived in Georgia I have only rarely played in it's capital city.
Glen Ella is one of those very few places where a person can go and completely relax. It feels like you stepped back a 100 years. Nestled by the side of an old country road that leads up to Lake Rabun, yet easily accessible from U.S 441, it always seems to have plenty of guests..
I sold quite a few CD's, which is always nice. There seems to be a renewed interest in "The Fishermen of Fleetwood" album. As it happens, I have several songs written that compliment that album and I will probably make them part of my next project.
I was just reading my new copy of "five Magazine" and noticed that Cesaria Evora is appearing tonight at Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque. She's from Cape Verde and has one of the most soothing voices of anyone I've heard. That's a concert I'm sorry to miss.
I have tonight off but tomorrow I'll be at the Clarkesville mill. That show will be recorded and televised at a later date.
Friday is back at the Primetime in Seneca, South Carolina. More soon...

St. Patrick's day.

This friday I'll be back at the Primetime. I think they will be doing something special for St. Patrick's day and we should be quite busy. I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends again after about 7 weeks away. Come and join me if you can make it. Thanks.

Lake Seed waterfall

Today we hiked up to one of the waterfalls behind Lake Seed. It was about 70 deg. and a perfect day for such a walk.
Charles and Mary Ellen came with us. They are home on a visit from the U.A.E. What a major contrast to the desert and also from Red River. The ski area is reporting a snowfall of up to 26"in the last 24 hours. Charles was showing us his new camera. His photo's make mine look quite amateurish.
Lake Seed is the little, narrow lake between Burton and Rabun. It is very picturesque and worth a visit. I have hiked and biked the eleven mile loop. About 50% is winding, narrow dirt road.
I still have a lot of exploring to do in this area and there are many hiking trails in the national forest.
On tuesday I'm performing at Glen Ella Springs. It's an old hotel located on a dirt road close to Lake Rabun.
More soon.

Tammy's picks

I saw Tammy this morning at the bank. Her favourites are "The Coyote" and "Farewell".Thank you Tammy.
It's a beautiful day, feels like spring, which is not very far away. Time to make plans for the year and in particular, for the summer. I'll post all that info soon. Enjoy this beautiful day.

More favorites.

I saw Carolyn this morning at the post office. Her Favourite songs are ""Miss Kate" and "In the Pink". Also, I received a letter from Ray in DeSoto, Texas. His favourites are "Taylor Ranch Road, St James Hotel" and "In the Pink". Thank you both for the kind words and encouragement.

2006 Red River Fine Art and Wine Festival

I'll be performing at the 3rd annual Red River Fine Art and Wine Festival this summer. It will be held on Father's day weekend, June 17th-18th. This will be my third year and it seems to get better each time.
The photo show Fritz Davis, me and Jeff Fagan on the deck at Mountain Treasures during the 2005 festival. The deck is the place to be every sunday at 5:00pm during the summer. You will hear some good original music here. Try to make it if you can and join us in the mountains of New Mexico to escape that summer heat.

Beautiful day..

Yesterday was around 70deg and I ran my errands in the 88" landrover with the top off and short sleeves. Those kind of days in the middle of winter are very special. It's not quite that warm today and threatening rain.
The last two days I've been working on income tax. I hate to remind you, but there are procrastinators out there and you know who you are. I just want to get mine done so I can enjoy the rest of the year.
I have had several people request I do an album of instrumentals in the vein of "Farewell" and I have been working a little in that direction. There are quite a few possibilities and I think I could accomplish that in my home studio. If I could ever get started I don't believe it would take very long at all.
Oh and Paula and Ben, get stocked up on pinion coffee. Hope you have a great Mardi Gras.

Saturday talk.

A nice relaxed morning this morning. Breakfast at the Steakhouse and then coffee with Mike and Jean at the Basket Peddler. Their wi-fi is now up and running, making this the ideal place in Cornelia for breakfast and meetings. My favourite coffee there is "White Russian".
Thank you Philip for sending in your favourite song, "The St James Hotel" Also, thank you Bill for your recent purchase from Cdbaby.
It's cool here tonight and there was snow this morning, Not very much and it soon dissappeared as the rain began. M.T.C.

Friday 10th, February 2006

I just got home from performing at the Valentine's dinner at Cornelia Baptist Church. They were all very nice people and I think they enjoyed it. I tried the synths through the Bose system and it worked out very well. I also received a software update from them which I need to install. A dvd player has to be used. That's interesting... There will then be a preset for my Kms-105 microphone. At that point I want to try some live recording straight to the Marantz recorder. I've already done some preliminary recording, which worked out great so I have high hopes for the quality of future attempts.

There is a chance of snow in Northeast Georgia tonight.The photo shows the sky during a storm at the "Bluegrass in the Desert" festival in southern New Mexico last summer.

Christy's list

I heard from Christy today. This is her list(in 0rder) of her favourite songs from the new album.. Thank you Christy.
St. James Hotel.
At the Alvarado.
Oh Molly mine.
Farewell.
Miss Kate.
Colorado Mountain Girl.
Thunder in the Mountains.

Today the weather does'nt seem to know what to do. It alternates between rain, sleet and snow. I'm not expecting very much at all. Our heavier snows tend to come much later in the season.

Sunday morning

Last night it snowed a little and there was a very light dusting to be seen this morning. It reminded me of how people will salt their food without first tasting it.
I was up early this morning, went out to The Batesville store for breakfast and came home and now I'm sitting drinking Pinion coffee by a nice wood fire in the cabin. It is very quiet here.

Happy Birthday Nataya!!! It was good to see you, Rod and the family. I saw Jan Walker last night and her favourite song of the album is "The Coyote". Thanks Jan.
Have a good day.

Time off

I have a few fridays off from the Primetime. I don't remember the last friday I had off. There have been very few in the last ten years. I'll post when I'm starting back.
John finally bought a mac. He's wanted one for a long time and I think he likes it. He'll be graduating this May. Time really does fly does'nt it? Tomorrow I'm going to the lake with the hopes of finishing up some of these songs that have been hanging around, sometimes for years. Writing songs is a strange business. Just when you think you have found the formula, it no longer works. Everyone I've talked to about this experiences the same thing. Oh well, Have a good weekend.

News

Jack Walter e-mailed his favourites from the album.
1. Colorado Mountain Girl
2. In the Pink
3. At the Alvarado
4. Farewell
5. Thunder in the Mountains
Jack helps coordinate the British Car show. This year there is a change of
venue and it will be held in Rome, Georgia on the campus of Berry college.
Today is the day Georgia Power is supposed to start filling Lake Burton back
up. That's a sure sign that spring is not too far away. If I'm going to order my snow shoes, I had better do it quickly.
And, my morning hangout, "The Basket Peddler", will soon be offering wireless internet access. Cornelia is moving into the 21st century.
Well, that's all the news from L.. for some reason I keep wanting to quote
Garrison Keeler.