Better Now

I allowed my journal to slip behind for a couple of days as I've been a bit under the weather. I picked up a nasty head cold somewhere around Salt Lake City and it landed me in bed for a couple of days with all available energy funneled into doing the show.

The worst part of it was the plane ride from Denver to Houston and not being able to clear my ears for takeoff and landing. That really hurts. I was in bed just a few hours after we landed. Twelve hours later my head was still stuffed but I felt a lot better - good enough to get together with my friends Chuck and Peggy Carter. They were the sponsors of SAMfest at which I played earlier this year. I picked their brains for the ups and downs of putting on a festival as Angie and I are planning one for June 2005 in Chattanooga.

There are so many details that need attention early on in the process of putting on a festival. Here's what I know so far:

When - June 24 - 26 (should we make it 4 days instead of 3?)
Where - The Mountain Arts Community Center (MACC), Signal Mountain TN (7 miles from downtown Chattanooga)
Who - The instructors we know will be there are me, Mark Wade, Bob McMurray, Randy Clepper, Butch Ross, and Christy Burns. There are a few others I'd like to get involved in the first one but I'm still working on it. We're working on our mission statement and name for the festival. I'm leaning towards something like "A non-traditional approach to traditional instruments." I'm open to suggestions from anyone who has ever taught at or attended a dulcimer festival. Email me and explain what you like and don't like about the way festivals are presented these days. We're early in the planning process now and are eager to learn!


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I uploaded two new groups of pictures this morning you can see by using the photographs link. One set is from our trip from Denver to Houston. I have never been so happy to get off a plane and step into humid weather. The second set of pictures I should have posted a month ago. They are from the fan 'meet and greet' in Las Vegas November 6, prior to the first performance on this tour leg.

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One last note, as you're planning your Christmas gift purchase please consider my CD's! There are four of them now and you can order them online or drop me a note and I'll tell you how to purchase with a check. - Thanks ¶ 4:18 PM