The last weekend

Friday night, after we'd calmed the kids down from the scary movie, it was grown up time.  The Big Lebowski -- surprisingly, the first time Don had ever seen it.  Daniel was given the DVD by their friend Peter, enclosed in a little plastic bowling ball, of course.

But first, White Russians!  Daniel made them up for all of us -- although Tarah opted to stick with wine, because she apparently drinks them like milkshakes and usually regrets it.  Perhaps we should have paid attention... the rest of us definitely had more than one over the course of the movie.  We blame the dairy, yup, the dairy...

Saturday was sailing day -- Tarah and Daniel had already taken the boat to its winter home in Dartmouth, but it still wasn't out of the water.  It was a gorgeous day, so they picked us up in the morning for one last sail.  Beautiful but chilly -- we were wearing many layers!  The kids had survived the night nightmare-free and were bright and cheery.  Grammy packed a picnic, and we had a grand sail from their dock to downtown Halifax and back -- the boat will be being packed up Wednesday (hurricane-permitting), so it was a lovely final sail of the season!

After the sail, we took everyone out to the pub for a thanks-for-taking-care-of-us-all-week last supper, then brought the kids back to Grammy's for their usual Saturday sleepover.  More reading and snuggles, and then we got all our stuff packed up ready to leave the next day.

Sunday morning was the usual breakfast club -- a group of multi-generational friends who meet regularly at a local restaurant for breakfast at 8:30 every Sunday.  Yes, we were awake for breakfast.  Yes, even Alyssa.

Then it was time for us to hit the road.  Big hugs for the breakfast crew, hugs and good-byes for the family.  Gigantic bear hugs and good-byes from Lilly.  And Wyatt... Wyatt... Wyatt?  Sitting on the sidewalk, not meeting our eyes, refusing to say good-bye or give a hug.  Lilly used to do a similar thing at his age -- I always interpreted it as her punishing me for leaving, but perhaps there's just something at that age?  Where they understand that people are leaving them, but don't know how to process it or express it... (Or maybe they were just punishing us, I don't know -- he was super-cheery and cuddly earlier.)

Then we hit the highway for the l-o-n-g drive.  Halifax had been preparing for the hurricane, but according to the weather reports, we were actually going to be driving INTO it.  So we opted to make it a super-long driving day, so we could hopefully get home before the worst hit.

And so, Sunday was a 12-hour drive -- oy!  Halifax to Dorion (just west of Montreal).  The time change was with us, at least, so we arrived about 10pm, checked in to the Super 8, and headed next door for dinner, just before the kitchen closed.  It was the same place we went on our way home in June -- you may remember the dinner plate full of mashed potatoes -- so we were wise and asked for steamed vegetables instead of mashed potatoes this time.  It was a much better portion, thank goodness!

This morning, we checked the weather, and it seems our route is clear.  So far, the skies are grey and there are a couple of gusts starting up, but we've gotten past Kingston now, and still no rain or ridiculous winds.  Should be home by mid-afternoon, so we should beat the worst of it.  Hopefully there's some food in the house, just in case the storm does get bad... can't remember what's in the cupboards!

Oh, there we go, just before I hit "publish" the windshield got a little spattering.  Watch our Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/brightsroots), if you're concerned.

Musically,
Alyssa & Don

More reasons to love doing what we do

This little "tourette" has been chock-full of reminders of why we do what we do -- what we give, and what we gain by saying to hell with security and stability.  :-)

Discovering the town of Tatamagouche, Fables Club and its owners Hanna and Chuck, and its members and patrons was one such reminder -- well probably a handful of reminders all rolled into one biggie!

So many things to tell, it's hard to know where to start...  It was a beautiful drive up from Halifax, with lots of fall colours.  Tatamagouche is on the north shore of Nova Scotia, in a land that Rogers wireless service has forgotten (Hanna warned us, fortunately, so we had our map ready to go, rather than rely on our phone's GPS.)  As with coming in to NS, the first thing that welcomes you to Tatamagouche is a sea of windmills, scattered throughout the hills.  As Chuck later told us, Tatamagouche's electrical system is entirely wind-based, and they sell energy back into the grid.  As we also found out later that evening, despite a local population of about 700, there are THREE charging stations in town for electrical cars, and several electrical car owners in the area.  The store owners have also all agreed to deal in local organic / sustainable products, or fair trade if they have to go outside for things like coffee or chocolate.  Unlike most small towns in the province (or any province, really), Tatamagouche actually has young people moving here to start family farms -- and the established families are happy to see the influx, as they know these new folks will keep the area alive, unlike some of its neighbours.

Again, despite the population of 700, Fables Club has been running for four years now, with events at least four days a week, live music being at least two of those nights.  Chuck and Hanna have created a wonderful establishment that seems to have become a cultural centre for the community -- a live music venue, poetry and spoken word, art lessons and workshops, photography and art on the walls, book exchange on the shelves, philosophical and political discussion groups... as we were setting up our gear, one local author came in to autograph a few of his books they were going to sell for him.  A super-artistic and environmentally aware community, that seems to be doing a number of things just right.  As Don commented, they should really be held up as a template for other small communities.  All it takes is a few people to create the spark and bring folks on board.

We set ourselves up and did a wee sound check, and then Hanna came out with our dinner -- chimichangas to die for!  She's originally from California, and loves to cook, both of which shine through in her creations.  Just the perfect blend of spice, without hiding the natural flavours of the food. She offered us seconds, and we would have been tempted if not for the fact that we'd have been too stuffed to sing!

There was still quite a bit of time before the show started, though, so we followed Chuck to their house for a bit of relaxing.  And what a house -- which Chuck designed.  Right on the water, lots of windows, and a whole dorm-like apartment above the garage, where they apparently welcome many musicians coming through, as there were at least five beds up there, including one he'd brought back from his time in Saudi Arabia, which was even bigger than a king sized -- we could sleep starfish-style and still not get anywhere close to each other -- and super-comfy.

Before seeing the bed, though, we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen recently ("I got it just for you!" Chuck assured us).  Tried for a photo, but it didn't do it justice.  We were greeted by geese as we walked up the driveway.  Then the friendly grunts of Porkquois, the "miniature" (but still over 250 pounds) pot-bellied pig in his outdoor pen.  As we came through the house, though, it was time for the fierce hounds -- three yellow labs, wiggling in excitement that company was here.  I warned Chuck he'd better count the dogs before we left.  :-)

Chuck headed back to the club, leaving us to nap and get ready for the show.  We found our way back a little before 7:30, as folks were starting to arrive.  As it was Margarita Thursday, Chuck offered us a couple, but we thought we'd better wait, so opted for the water bar instead.  We started chatting with a few patrons, including a local playwright -- so many artsy folks in this town!  Nobody, of course, had heard of us, as we've never played anywhere near the area before, but they all trusted Hanna's taste, so came to check us out anyhow.

As we started, a number of folks moved up into the tables right in front of us -- perhaps they'd originally been worried we'd be too loud, or were hoping to make a silent exit if we were horrible.  ;-)  It's definitely a listening audience at Fables -- any conversation still lingering quickly got "the eye" from other patrons.  We'd been asked to do a few shorter sets, so drinks could be served on the breaks without interrupting the music.  It had the feeling of a very large house concert, in your favourite (quiet) pub.

In our final break, we gave in and accepted our Margaritas, made by Chuck -- and cursed ourselves for not accepting them earlier (while simultaneously patting ourselves on the back, because we probably wouldn't have remembered any lyrics if we'd started earlier!).  Don never fancied himself a Margarita man, but Chuck has convinced him now!  (Next time we come, he's going to ply us with Singapore Slings, instead -- this could be dangerous...)

Before we'd finished our last song, Hanna had already invited us to come back -- but on a Saturday next time, so more people would come out, and our fee would be higher.  Well... twist our arms!  :-)  A handful of people stayed behind to chat with us for a bit after the show, and we learned more about the town and all the incredible things going on in the community.  Truly impressive.  Having gone stir-crazy in a town of 1200, I don't think I could handle 700, but if we weren't such city-people, we would be very tempted...

Another Margarita (mmm!) and a bit of tidying-up, and then the four of us headed back to the house to unwind.  We learned more about our hosts, and really enjoyed talking with them.  Chuck was also from the States -- New Jersey in his case -- but had spent many years in Singapore and Saudi Arabia.  He had an environmental "epiphany" while he and Hanna were driving somewhere and heard an interview with Noam Chomsky on the radio.  He had to stop the car, to finish listening, and he says that interview switched his life around -- he went from being a former worker in the oil business to being an environmental and social activist.  Hanna was already pretty much there, but this was a big change for him.  His family thinks he's lost his mind, but he feels like he's finally seeing things clearly.  He's on the committee that brought in the wind power, and the two of them seem to be a part of many of the initiatives in the community -- something the Fables patrons are more likely to tell you about than they are.  An amazing couple!

We headed up to bed (saying goodnight to the dogs on the way), and fell into mini-comas.

The next morning, Hanna had been up to her culinary magic again, making us omelettes with chuckless beans and salsa.  Anyone who knows my breakfast tendencies will be shocked to hear that I ate the whole darned thing, and loved every minute of it.

Sadly, we had to get back to Halifax for lunch / babysitting the kidlets -- next time we will make sure to schedule more time to just hang out in town and with our hosts -- so we had to depart with big hugs for our new friends, and a promise to keep in touch.  We also worked out the date of our return -- Saturday, May 25.  We can't wait to come back!

As mentioned, Friday was our day to look after our niece and nephew (they had a P.D. day from school, but Daniel was at a conference in Fredericton and Tarah had an afternoon teleconference).  When they got to Grammy's house, we told them we'd thought we'd go to DeeDee's ice cream for lunch -- expecting whoops of joy.  But they didn't want to share us with the world, they wanted egg salad sandwiches at home.  No ice cream?!?!?  Who ARE you children?!?!?  So we enjoyed a quiet lunch at home, and played a bit, but then instead of going to the art gallery as planned, all they wanted to do was read books with us -- ah, ok, you DO share some genes with me, phew! (not that I have anything against art, it's just that reading books was always my favourite thing to do, too)  Lilly and Uncle Don got a bit sleepy, and each decided to go off to their own corners for a nap, and Wyatt and I made it through all the "Mister" books on the shelf.

Uncle Don was down for the count, so once the kidlets were up, we left him to his snoring and headed back to their house, where their mother was equally shocked that they hadn't gone for the ice cream!  It was a good thing Uncle Don was still snoozing, though, because Tarah was just finishing icing his (belated) birthday cake (shaped like a guitar, of course!), and Lilly still had to ice the cupcakes.  Some of that icing ended up in her hair, much in her mouth, but she did an amazing job at decorating them -- each cupcake had a white icing base, and she used the icing bag to squeeze two chocolate eighth-notes on each of them too.  (Icing ability obviously comes from genes that skipped me...)

Daddy came home, with new moccasins for the kids (they LOVED them!) that he'd picked up on the way home.  We gave Uncle Don a call and got him to come over -- he didn't know we'd even left.  :-)  Tarah made us Dark'n'Stormy's while we all chatted away -- a NS specialty of rum, lime and ginger beer.

The kids had earned a special pizza-and-movie night (a rarity for them, as they've only seen 4 movies, and don't watch TV), so they were... let's say a LITTLE excited.  Picture Mexican Jumping Beans on speed...  I can't remember the name of the place Tarah & Daniel get their pizza from, but it's not your ordinary pizza.  The kidlets just had a basic cheese and sauce, but the adults got to choose between a red pesto pizza with gorgonzola, or a smoked mozzarella with wild mushrooms and heavenly seasonings.  I don't think that's how the flyer described it, but it works.  Can't remember what the wine was, either, but I do believe there were a few different bottles... might have something to do with the not remembering?

The movie the kids had wanted to watch wasn't available yet at the video store, so they'd picked The Muppet Movie: Treasure Island.  Note to parents, this might be a little TOO scary for five-year-olds!!!  Of course, it did mean that the five-year-old wanted extra snuggles, so this aunt is not going to complain.  :-)  Lilly found it scary too, but seemed to be able to separate it a bit better -- as Wyatt told me later, he forgot to remind himself it was just a story.  The word "pirate" was not allowed to be used for at least 24 hours after that.

Tarah and I got to do the bedtime snuggles, and we tried to find as many silly stories from our childhood as we could find, to get Wyatt's brain off of pirates.  I think we succeeded, because the next morning he was smiling and cheerful again, and happily announced he hadn't had any nightmares.  We'll see what happens when he goes to therapy in his 30's...  ;-)

We're about to stop for lunch, so I'll post this now, and fill you in on the rest of the weekend later.

Musically,
Alyssa (and Don, who is driving the car, so not typing, thank goodness...)

Double Trouble in Shelburne

We set off down the highway Monday morning to Shelburne, NS -- the furthest down that part of the province we've been.  It was a gorgeous day for driving, and the colours were spectacular!  Unfortunately, Alyssa's nose decided to do a spontaneous re-enactment of Noah and the flood -- playing the part of the flood, of course.  Ah geez, just as Don was getting rid of his cold, he handed it on to Lyss -- argh!

We pulled into Shelburne just after lunch -- a very sweet-looking town -- and easily found the Charlotte Lane Cafe, where we were meeting our hosts and co-performers, Naming the Twins.  We were a bit early, though (Don seems to shave quite a bit off the GPS's projected arrival time!), and nobody else was there yet.  So we decided to walk down the hill to the waterfront, and see what we could see.  We saw one of the Twins, Kathleen, walking up the road with her husband, Roland -- the chef at Charlotte Lane.  They gave us a wee tour of the lakeshore, but the wind was picking up, so we quickly retreated back up the hill to the restaurant -- meeting a neighbour and an ADORABLE puppy.  One of three remaining unsold from the litter.  And did we mention adorable?

Alyssa was strong.  You would be proud.  (Don was relieved.)

Our concert was to be held in the apartment above the cafe -- most of the chairs had already been brought up (the restaurant is closed on Mondays), so we didn't have too much set-up left to do.  The cafe is just beautiful -- do check out the website, although we did take a few photos that I'll try to upload soon.

Robbie arrived (the other Twin), and we got down to rehearsing a bunch of tunes we could play together.  We were able to get a bunch done -- 11 in all.  Our voices were holding up, which was a good thing -- although we had a box of kleenex and a rapidly-filling garbage bag next to us the whole time.

We headed next door (Kathleen and Roland live in the house next door -- a beautiful old place that they had to gut and completely refurbish, but it's now absolutely SPECTACULAR, with a big, gorgeous eat-in kitchen.)  Roland made us up some delicious fish cakes (I ate more than the boys, they were THAT good!), Kathleen whipped up a salad, and we sat around the huge kitchen table, chatting away. Whoops -- perhaps a little too long!  We rushed back to the apartment to finish the last-minute set-up and get changed, just as the first guests were arriving, right on the dot of 7:00 ("doors open" time).

The show was set up as a double-bill with The Brights and Naming The Twins (or The Brights and The Dims, as Kathleen introduced us) -- we swapped songs back and forth, and played together on over half the program.  The audience was filled with people who knew The Twins, but we were completely new to them.

Kathleen had been taking phone calls all day from people who had reserved tickets, but were too sick to come.  I joked they might as well join us in our misery -- if we had to be there, so did they.  ;-)  But... I completely understood how they felt, as the bed was looking mighty snuggly and inviting to me as well.  So the numbers weren't what she had hoped, but there were still well over 20 people there who were healthy (at least until they shook our hands!)

And it was a really fun crowd, too -- and boy, did they like to sing!  We heard at least one person singing along on "My Cup" which was our first song, and one that nobody there had heard before.  We later asked them to join us on a few others, and boy, did they ever -- I don't think we've ever had that many people singing along so confidently on anything we've done before (other than when our audience is packed with friends who already know all our stuff).  They liked to ask questions and joke around with us too.  We chatted with a bunch of folks over the intermission and after the show, and it was a really great bunch of folks.  We might even have another house concert in Ontario out of this one!

Fortunately, our bodies behaved during the performance -- our voices held just fine, and the kleenex box went unused.  The only problem was a few coughing fits by Alyssa when the others were singing -- sorry!  (You'll have to let her sing along on EVERYTHING next time! )

Once the show was over, however, the floodgates opened again.  Oh well, at least it held off for the show.

We deconstructed the concert room and sat down for some wine and more chit-chat.  Then Kathleen and Robbie headed out and left us to our own devices in the apartment, leaving a note for the restaurant staff to please be quiet in the morning.  :-)  We crashed into the bed and remained in a coma until morning!

The staff did a good job of tip-toeing in the hall, which was very good of them, since they did have to come up and down the stairs a number of times.  We got dressed and headed over to the house, feeling guilty to not be up before 9:30 -- and found that Kathleen had just gotten up, herself.  Phew!  Robbie came over, and we all had a nice breakfast together, before Kathleen had to get started on payroll, and we had to hit the road.  Big hugs to all!

As we were leaving town, we took a little jaunt around to take a peek -- we definitely want to go back for a longer visit sometime, it's a delightful town!

We got back to Halifax and spent the afternoon moping and whining about our colds.  :-(  The kidlets were out at gymnastics and didn't get home until bedtime, so we treated ourselves to dinner at the Brooklyn Warehouse -- where we try to go every time we're here.  So now, the all-important Food and Drink Report!

We had a bottle of Juan Gill Monastrell -- which we hadn't tried before, but is absolutely delicious.  We shared a Caprese salad -- a selection of (juicy) NS heirloom tomatoes, marinated boccocini and basin in a lemon-thyme vinaigrette.  For mains, Don chose the Short Rib -- a bourbon-glazed pork rib over white bean ragout, sweet valley corn in a rosemary jus.  I went for the Gnocchi -- roasted potato gnocchi, oven-roasted tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, wilted spinach, ran-cher acres goat cheese, marinated olives and arugula pesto.  I actually managed to eat the whole darned thing, too!  (Probably because we shared the appetizer.)  Service was lovely, as always.  Our only complaint was that they don't have as many vegetarian options as they used to -- what Alyssa ordered was pretty much all she could order.

Today, we've spent the morning whining and moaning again.  ;-)  Although Don did make it to the closest Starbucks to try and re-download ProTools on his laptop -- didn't work, unfortunately, since his purchase code is on the computer at home.  Poop...

Later, Don will be heading to a massage to try and fix his sore arm, and Alyssa will be picking up the kids from school -- then we'll all meet for a family dinner.

The food-and-drink lunch report is egg salad sandwiches, made by Mom.  :-)

Tomorrow, we're off to Tatamagouche, to make our debut at Fables.  If you know anyone in the area, do send them our way, so we aren't sad and lonely.  :-)

Musically -- and a little snottily and whiningly,
Alyssa & Don

Off to a great start

We weren't feeling too optimistic about our first gig on this eastern 'tourette' -- Don was getting a cold, his injured hand was still bothering him, our host had been saying things like "I hope somebody comes" and "you can put CDs out on the table, but people don't buy CDs here", we were crabby after two days in the car together and not enough sleep, we were woefully under-rehearsed, due to numerous pressures on our time pre-departure, and the fact that while it's easy to catch up on work at the computer in the car, it's not so easy to practise lap slide and cello in the car (nor is it likely legal).  We figured we'd just put a brave face forward, visit some friends and call it a glorified rehearsal.  We were, thankfully, mistaken.

As we pulled in, Kathryn was watching out the bay window for us -- meaning she obviously saw us drive too far and double back.  Oops...  Kathryn is an old friend from Alyssa's Cannington days -- an avid folkie and a United Church minister.  She'd actually been brave enough to hire Alyssa on several occasions to replace the church organist on summer vacations for services in "her" churches in Wilfrid and Eudora.  (Considering Alyssa had quit piano lessons after a crash-course in Grade 6 for university entrance, we can only hope that God is forgiving... or at least has a sense of humour.)  She'd transferred out to lead the parish in Clifton, NB a little over three years ago -- we visited her and hubby Roger on our way home from NS shortly after they'd moved, and given an impromptu house concert for the choir after their rehearsal.  Since then, we'd all said we should play there again, but the timing had never worked out.  This time, though, the timing worked perfectly, and we were invited to be part of Central United Church's 50th anniversary celebrations.  Still, Kathryn was nervous about attendance, as she thought the community's tastes ran more in the country side, and she wasn't sure if they'd come out for some unknown Ontario folkies.  She was, thankfully, mistaken.

We pulled in to the manse and sat down for a cup of tea with Kathryn and Roger, shaking off some of the stress of the road.  This is not, mind you, a typical manse -- there are Buddhas everywhere, as well as First Nations, Celtic, Norse and other sacred symbols and art.  Roger, the Buddhist, has probably been a source of much perplexity to this small town parish, but he still leads the church choir, and they seem to have gotten used to the concept.  :-)  Both have such a sense of openness and curiosity, it's not difficult to see how they ended up together -- but it must have taken some adjustment for a very traditional community to wrap their heads around the idea.  The congregation really seems to have embraced Kathryn and Roger, though, so good on them.

We finish our tea as Gordon and Kay arrive -- Gordon is the church's sound person, and Kay is in the choir.  They help us load things into the church and get set up for sound check -- which Gordon leads, assisted by Joanne and observed by Muriel.  We opt to keep it simple, with a nice juicy condenser mic in the middle, and a vocal mic each, just to boost the lyrics up a bit when needed.  Gordon says he's never had to do sound for this type of ensemble before, but the entire set-up and sound check takes only a half hour.  Gordon and Kay come back to the house with us, where Roger is busy in the kitchen, preparing a light dinner for us.  It smells fantastic!

The six of us sit down to poached salmon, a delicious quinoa dish, salad and warm bread -- and lots of fun conversation.  Sure beats road food.  :-)  The church choir has prepared two songs of welcome to us  to start out the concert -- Don asks if everyone thinks they might want to join us on a song, Kay thinks they'd be up for it, Kathryn's not so sure, but everyone agrees we might as well ask them!  They head next door for the choir warm-up, and we do our own warm up and get changed before heading over.

Don brings his guitar down to the last bit of the choir practise, prepared for rejection but that was, thankfully, mistaken.  :-)  The choir is super-enthusiastic about singing along, and I can hear their voices coming up through the floor -- a joyful noise, indeed.

The church starts to fill up -- we got over 70 people by the end of it, much more than anyone was expecting -- and, contrary to Kathryn and Roger's warnings, they aren't all hiding in the back pews.  There are also many people from outside the church who have seen the newspaper article and posters, and thought they'd give us a try.  We are grateful to anyone who takes a chance on new music (especially ours!).

The choir files in, and begins with a song about the area, written by a local woman whose name I'm afraid I've lost, accompanied on piano.  The second song is about the women of Baie Chaleur (which we're looking out on), accompanied by Joanne on guitar, and some other music on Roger's laptop.  Unfortunately, there's a technical glitch, and while the audience can hear the recorded music, it isn't being fed back to the choir, and their voices get very very quiet, hoping to find their way back to the beat of the recording.  The technical error is corrected, and they start again, this time with the choir being able to hear their accompaniment -- their voices are much stronger and their faces less strained on this second version.  :-)  A great job, and a lovely welcome -- we're already having a wonderful night!

We started our first set, and any doubts that the folks wouldn't "get" our rootsy music were quickly dispelled.  Don asked during one introduction whether folks were interested in hearing the stories behind the songs -- heads bobbed everywhere, they wanted to know it all.  We were home.  :-)

A very quick stretch break, where we were warned half the audience would probably leave -- but very few did.  We commented to each other how much fun we were having, and what a great community feel there was.  Rather than disapproving comments from some of the older churchy folks, they were most enthusiastic, and even the apparent great-grannies stuck around.

The second set began with the choir joining us for Don's song "Oh So Much Pavement" -- another fabulous job.  If only we'd had more foresight and time to bring them in on more songs!

After the concert, the UCW had prepared a reception -- and folks stayed to chat and nibble for quite a long time.  We got many comments about how the concert felt like the old coffee houses, and one woman seemed positively thrilled when I told here they were starting to make a comeback in other parts of the country.  And once again, we were pleasantly surprised when the CD table was surrounded by folks who wanted to take us home -- one woman even grabbed a handful of our postcards, to give to her brother and other friends who she wanted to tell about us.  We were asked many times when we'd be coming back -- we feel loved.  :-)

After packing up, we headed back to Kathryn and Roger's with Gordon and Kay for a glass of wine (or three) and more fun conversation.  Kay and Gordon are both Clifton natives, with many generations ahead of them, so have lots of knowledge about the area, which was interesting to learn.  They managed to pry themselves off home around midnight, and the rest of us kept chattering away.  Around 1:00, Kathryn said it was time for bed -- but we still didn't actually make it there until about 2:00.  Not such a big deal for we night-owls, especially with the time change, but I have a feeling the other four aren't used to such crazy bed-times!  (Surprisingly, we weren't the ones keeping the conversations going, though.)

We all fell into comas (a very comfy futon -- Don didn't move once before morning, which is unusual for him) with big smiles on our faces.

In the morning, Roger demonstrated his electronic bagpipes for Don (he assured me it wasn't a hint to get out of bed, but I don't entirely believe him...), and then we had breakfast and yet more conversation.  (One woman from the audience called to tell us how much she had enjoyed our concert -- warmed the cockles of our heart, it did!)  We could have probably gone on for several more days, but there's a niece and nephew waiting patiently for us in Halifax, so we bid our adieu-s and frapped la rue.  It's been a bit drizzly today, some places downright rainy, but the fall colours have been gorgeous, and we managed to avoid any close encounters with moose.

In a week where we've been busy, stressed, and perhaps a little on the cranky-pants side, this was EXACTLY the type of gig we needed -- the kind that reminds us why we've ditched stability for a life in music, and why we haul ourselves across the country to share it.  Sharing our ideas with others, learning others' ideas and seeing how they all fit together.  Music, religion, philosophy, science, tradition, integration, it all weaves together.  Friends, community, communion.  Music, love, wine, conversation and some really good food.  What more could we want out of life?

Musically and movedly and moving rapidly toward Halifax,
Lyss & Don

Postscript

Our 13-1/2 hour drive actually only lasted about 13 -- which includes all of our pit-stops and stopping for lunch in Blind River.

We won't mention which one(s) of us has a lead foot...  ;-)

We pulled in to Swanmore Terrace for the FridayFolk opener, and couldn't find a parking spot!  Had to park up the road.  I've never been so happy to not find a parking spot in my life.

Missed Tyler's opening set, but got there just towards the end of first intermission.  Paul was out for his smoke break and gave us big hugs as we came in.  Our newest volunteer, Meredith, was doing the announcements -- way to step up to the plate, Meredith!

I've never been so happy to be not needed.  :-)

We caught all of Andrew's first set.  Then... we just couldn't do it any more.  Hugged hellos and goodbyes to many people, and headed home to unpack.

The cats looked at us blankly for a moment or two.  Cookie ran outside, realized it was cold, then came the snuggle fest.  Both of them have forgiven us, life is good.

Walked into the kitchen -- Paul had left us flowers and GFB's (great flippin' -- not really flippin', but you get it -- brownies, for the unitiated) as a welcome home.

It's good to be loved.

And it's good to be home.  There are piles of mail to sort through... eventually.  I've found the cheques, the rest can wait.  :-)

We cracked open one of the many bottles of champagne still in our fridge from the wedding.  We survived the tour.  We still love each other.  Our friends still love us.  Our cats forgave us in less than ten minutes.  Life is good.

Much love and gratitude to all who braided paths with us on the road, and all who kept the home fires burning.

We are blessed.

Alyssa & Don

Day 40 - the end

The last day of the tour -- the long drive home (13-1/2 hours, oy!).

There's a reason why all the long journeys in the bible are said to take 40 days and 40 nights.  Oh sure, there's that whole numerological / biblical reason, but the most obvious reason for me today is:

FORTY DAYS IS A FRIKKEN' LONG TIME!!!

At least we didn't have to share our home with all the animals of the world -- although a dog to keep my feet warm would have been nice. :-)

It rained and poured for forty day-sies day-sies day-sies

Rained and poured for forty day-sies day-sies day-sies

Must have driven the whole world crazy crazy

Children of the lord...

Forty days gives a lot of time for transformation -- of the self, of the world around the self.

When we left, it was the middle of a heat wave.  Today, on the drive home, we're seeing snow -- yes, SNOW.  Just when I was looking forward to a Margarita...

When we left, the country had just lost Jack.  This weekend, people across the country are taking part in Turning Point, an exciting new movement created by Lead Now, and inspired by Jack's parting letter.

Don and I are still married and still talking (although it came close when he served me watery decaf this morning), which is a miracle in itself after six weeks in each others' faces 24 hours a day!  Although my introverted self is looking forward to being able to lock myself in a room all by myself for a few minutes again.

Hmm... what do I miss most on the road?  Fresh fruit and the ability to be antisocial.  ;-)

Makes it seem even more funny that I'm looking forward to girls' night tomorrow, but then again... they're girls. :-)

For those of you wondering, yes we did wake up at 6:00.  Were on the highway by 7:00 -- no coffee shop to be seen until Marathon, though, and that was a Robin's.  We have yet to enjoy anything from a Robin's, but we were desperate.  Tasted like crap, but it had caffeine.  Held us over 'til Wawa, where there's at least a Tim Horton's.  Our next stop was just outside the Sault, in Goulais River, so I could pick up the novel I'd left behind the first night of our tour -- just as I was getting to the good stuff!  We gassed up in Sault Ste. Marie and I took over the driving for a while as -- you guessed it -- Don slept.

We were making good time, so stopped in Blind River at Pier Seventeen (where we'd stopped on our way home from Red Rock in August) for a late lunch.  Cream of mushroom soup (comfort food to stave off the snow) and a halibut burger for me.  Sirloin burger with fries for Don.  A nice break, then Don went back into the driver's seat.

The snow has turned to drizzle now.  Mother Nature has wrapped herself in all those colours your human mother said only belonged together in the wash -- reds, oranges, pinks, purples.  The trees are almost iridescent in their rainbowy state.  Every time we get a glimpse of Superior, the waves are crashing up against the rocks, reminding us that Mother Mare isn't one to be messed with.  I'm enjoying all these strong feminine images -- maybe it's because I'm gearing up for girls' night with some of the strongest women I know; maybe it's because in my exhausted state, I need a reminder of what lies beneath and will be at my disposal once I'm taking care of myself again.

Why does taking care of details always come ahead of taking care of myself?  No wonder I'm exhausted... 

I'm reminded of the first song I wrote for Lilly, just after she was born -- or maybe she wrote it for me?

Ground yourself upon the earth

Take inspiration from the skies

Circle has brought you here, circle within you lies.

Fire, Earth, Air and Sea

Fire, Earth, Air and Sea

Fire, Earth, Air and Sea

Just Breathe

We left early so we wouldn't get home too late -- didn't want to hit a moose in the night our our last day of the tour, and we want to get home in time to at least see the last set of the FridayFolk season opener.  I look at the clock, 5:30pm, they should be setting up now.  I'm fretting about all the things I usually fret about at 5:30, even though there's nothing I can do about it from the Sudbury region!  There's a team in place, all is well.  I want to see Andrew play, but I'm kind of toying with the idea of not going -- don't want the new team to think I don't trust them to do it without me (I'm thrilled they're doing it without me!); and I don't trust myself to not try and help once I get there.

If you saw the bags under my vacant-stare eyes, you would know I'm in no shape to help out in any capacity.  But try and convince Little Miss Helper-Bee when push comes to shove...  Maybe I should go in with an "I'm not really here" sign on my shirt?  :-)   They're going to be on their own for the most part next month, as well, so they're going to have to get used to it -- Don will be freshly out of hospital and stuck in bed.

Ah yes, with the closeness to home comes all the stuff that could be put on hold while we were away, avoided, ignored...  I know there are at least 140 "to-do's" I hit "snooze until October 1" on... guess what day tomorrow is?  No wonder I'm looking forward to girls' night.  :-)

Looking forward to the treadmill (yes, really!) and losing this lump of flab that keeps blocking the computer.  Looking forward to cooking food that doesn't have 4 times my daily sodium requirement or 3 times the fat limit.  Drinking water out of my big JB glass.  Getting clothes out of a closet instead of a suitcase.  WEARING A DIFFERENT PAIR OF PANTS.

Seeing the pussycats and waking up totally uncomfortable because I didn't want to move Cookie.  Having Bomber start yelling at me an hour before breakfast.

Hey, seeing the completed roof!

Getting the students back into shape, getting my classical self back into shape, getting my inbox back in shape, getting the front yard back in shape (that's as far as I go -- the back'll just have to wait).

Oy.  We're home.  The tour is over, everything else is about to begin.

But first -- girls' night.

Musically and manically,

Alyssa

A nice way to end the tour!

Another sleep in -- yay!  But Don finally gave up and woke me -- John had an energy audit guy coming in at 11:30, and we wanted to be out of his hair by then.  They'd saved me some coffee. :-)

A bit of visiting and chit-chat, a fair bit of arguing about him paying us back for dinner the night before -- what can we say?: we're stubborn, and greatly appreciative of having a place to stay.  Don loaded the suitcases in the trunk, and then we prepared to load the instruments.  "Where are your suitcases?" asked John.

"Already in the trunk!"

"Well, how am I supposed to sneak money into your suitcase when you're not looking?"

Mwaahaaaahaaaaa...

OK, we were sneaky, but he was even sneakier -- later that night, when we got back to our room, there was an e-mail from John to check the glove compartment.  Grrrr...

Hey, I know you've got a PayPal account, buddy!  ;-)

As previously mentioned, it was the first grey, low-ceilinged, drizzly day of fall.  I was finally wearing knits.  Getting ready to cocoon, but not yet...  just a little longer.

Don still had to get his nails done, as he was making the type of crackly sounds with them that make my teeth sweat and my spine go fizzledy -- and not in a good way.  So he dropped me at the closest Starbucks and went in search of a nail place.  I enjoyed a pumpkin loaf and grande bold and did some blogging and e-mails.  My battery started to limp just as a table next to a receptacle freed up -- but where the heck was my husband?  He had been stuck in traffic, went to the first mall where there was no nail place, but a hairdresser sent him to another place who sent him to another place and then he got stuck in traffic again.

Oh well, at least we weren't in a hurry this time.  Only a two-hours-and-a-bit drive today.  He finally got back and grabbed his own breakfast -- bringing me a second grande bold.  Don checked his e-mails for a sec, and then we got ready to hit the road, with Don saying he needed to fill up the gas tank on his way out of town.

Twenty minutes out of town, he remembered this statement, just as the yellow light started flickering on and off...

What starts with 4 and rhymes with more sight?

I pulled up MapQuest -- no gas station listed for an hour and a half.  We headed back to Thunder Bay.

Gas in car and tongue firmly bitten down, we got back on the highway.

Oh well, at least we weren't in a hurry this time...

The drive was incredibly windy, but incredibly beautiful.  The hills, the rocks, the lake, the waves... the fall colours!  The reds and oranges had been shocked into display, and the yellows just brilliant.

Big sweater / roaring fire / hot chocolate kind of day.  We settled for fleece / grande bold / turn the heat up in the car.  Soon, soon...

We got to the turnoff for the Rossport loop.  Quickly found the Serendipity Gardens Guest House, with a sign to check in at the Cafe, about 400 metres ahead.  Sure enough, there was the cafe -- a cute spot from the outside, with colourful Muskoka chairs laid out along the grounds and a big staircase leading up the hill into the main building.

There was nobody eating there, but it was late afternoon. Roger was the first to come out and greet us, and called his wife Mary shortly after.  We signed in to the guest house (complimentary, as part of our payment for the night), and he brought out our "breakfast box" to take back to the room for morning -- a cute blue and white thermos purse, filled with juice, yogourt and muffins.

They showed us the corner where we'd be playing, so we decided to set up before the dinner folks showed up.  They directed us to the alley and parking lot out back, so we didn't have to haul all our stuff up those stairs!  We loaded everything in and started to set up.

Mary offered us a glass of wine, which we declined for now, but told her we'd take her up on it after we were finished singing.  She also told us dinner was also on the house -- a pleasant surprise.  It was easiest for her to serve us before the regular guests came in, and that would give us time to digest before we sang, too.  She gave us a couple of menus and set us up at a table.

The menu looked fabulous, and there was also a fresh-caught fish entree.  But my eyes had already been caught by the spanakopita and greek salad.  Don ordered the mediterranean chicken.  Both these came with the soup of the day, which was a bean soup.  Mary started us off with a basket of hot bread and little bowl of spicy olives.  I hadn't realized I was so hungry...

Out came the soup, in big platter-like bowls.  Good thing I was hungry, because it was a meal in itself -- nice and hearty, more like a bean stew than a bean soup!  We ate it all. :-)

And then, Mary brought out an armload of food.  We looked around the room -- no, that big group of ten hadn't arrived yet, this was all for us!  A platter of THREE spanakopita slices for me, plus a separate dinner-plate sized greek salad.  Don had a giant platter with rice, vegetables, mediterranean chicken and greek salad.  Good thing we still had a few hours before showtime!

I dove into the first triangle -- and perhaps burnt my mouth a bit in my enthusiasm.  It was worth it.  :-)   I realized, though, that if I ate everything in front of me, it would take more than a few hours to digest!  So I aimed to finish the salad and just the first triangle -- the other two would be nice as a midnight snack or car picnic.

Don ate the whole darned thing.  :-)

The dinner guests were coming in, so we grabbed a to-go box from Mary before she got too busy, and took it and our breakfast box to the guest house.

From the outside, it's a bright and cheery aquamarine-painted building, looking a bit like two tall and skinny barns or perhaps fat church arches glued together.  Inside are four separate guest rooms.  We were in room 4, which is on the second floor.  We let ourselves in the front door, and walked up the wooden staircase, taking a peek at all the local art on the walls, and the bookcases at each landing.  Let ourselves into room #4 and... WOW!

The four trusses rise up from the corners, curving up to meet in the centre of the ceiling -- the walls and ceiling are a mixture of red cedar, spruce and pine.  More like a cathedral than a hotel room.  And a beautiful room!  Very large, with a bed area, a living room area, kitchenette / dining area, and a huge bathroom with big bathtub -- I promise myself a bubble bath after the show (but never make it...).

I settle down on the couch with the laptop.  Don lies on the bed "to look at the ceiling".  Yeah, whatever...  I type to the sound of snoring. :-)

Almost showtime!  I wake up sleeping beauty, and we head back to the cafe.  We pop in the back door and Mary tells us that Liz, Kathy and Tim are here from Red Rock.  We head over to their table and enjoy a nice round of hugs.  This is the first time we've seen Liz in a while -- she was in China when we were at the festival this summer, and is full of interesting stories about her work and travels.  Kathy is the hospitality co-ordinator for Live From The Rock, so doesn't get much chance to visit or listen during the festival, so she was looking forward to being able to sit down and finally hear a full show with us.  We enjoyed a nice visit with the three of them, and then Roger said it was time to get started.

We headed to our "stage" and tuned up.  The party of ten stood up and made a hasty retreat.  Ah well, not music lovers... they were soon replaced by a number of people who were coming in just for the show -- including some more friends from the festival, and a bunch of total strangers (otherwise known as future friends!).

We're working without a P.A., but the acoustics are so good, we don't really need one -- once the table of ten makes it out the door and the grannies in the corner get the "sshhhh" hints aimed their way.  It's kind of like a house concert, but in a really big living room overlooking Lake Superior.  :-)

Roger has built the cafe, as well as the guest house -- quite a master, in our opinion!  He and Mary are obviously music lovers, too, and Roger is often asking Don about various tunings he's using, etc.  The audience -- even the grannies, eventually -- is attentive and appreciative, and we're having a great time.

We take what's supposed to be a short break, as our start time was delayed with the large business group that left, but everyone's wanting to chat, so... we chat back (surprise!).  But we know Mary wanted to put her feet up by 11:00 (she's been working solo tonight, as her scheduled staffer's mother was in hospital), so we ease our way back to the stage for our second set.

We're finished.  The tour is over.  Wow, we did it -- just one 13-1/2 hour drive to go!  (Just?!?)

Some more visiting with friends new and old, and then folks gradually trickle out to their cars (nobody in the audience was actually from Rossport, everyone had a bit of a drive still).  Big hugs from our Red Rock crew.

Roger brought us each a glass of Merlot (he pours like my sister -- right to the top, yeah!), and we started to pack up.

Mary had a quandry -- only one piece of chocolate cake left, what to do, what to do?  ;-)   Don opted for the cake, and I went for the cheesecake.  She disappeared in the back for a moment and came out with two GINORMOUS plates of dessert, all artistically drizzled in chocolate sauce and raspberry syrup.

We sat down to eat, drink and chat with our ever-so-generous hosts.  As well as running the cafe and guest house, Mary is a parole officer for youth in the area -- and a very wide area it is.  Roger came to Canada in '68 from Ohio, and his design and construction expertise is self-taught.  They both love music of all sorts of varieties, although seem to have a leaning towards the rootsy side.  And they've got strong pouring arms -- Mary refilled our Merlot with a Tarah-pour, to help us digest those giant desserts (Don finished, I left the last few bites).

More big hugs good-bye, and an invitation for us to return anytime -- they loved it when someone of our quality came to their venue!

We headed back to our beautiful room at the guest house, just leaving the instruments in the car -- there are only 35 households in Rossport, and the parking spot was right under our window, and it hadn't yet gotten TOO cold outside.

I decided to forego the bubble bath, as it was after midnight and we were setting the alarm for 6:00 -- yes, really.  We signed the guest book and settled down for a very short sleep.

It was a great way to end the tour, though -- a fun concert, a fabulous meal and a great place to stay.  When the last memory of the tour is a good one, it's more likely we'll go on another one sometime. :-)

Musically,

Alyssa

Heading home

I am blogging about Wednesday, though today is Thursday.  I'm sitting in a Starbucks (surprise!) while Don is out finding a place to do his nails.  It's the first real day of fall -- at least, in Thunder Bay.  The sky is grey, clouds hanging low and being blown to and fro.  We had to swerve around numerous empty garbage pails and lids to get here.  The leaves are swirling.

I am finally wearing one of my warm shirts, for the first time all tour.  In the next 36 or so hours, I'm gonna have to wear four more plus a couple of sweaters in order to justify their presence in my suitcase.  :-)

Ah well, if I hadn't packed them, the weather would have been freezing all month!

So, back to Wednesday.

Another travel day, so not terribly exciting.  Even Mr. and Mrs. GrumpyPutz were hidden out of sight (and sound).

We woke up early -- yes, really -- so we could say good-bye to Sam and Susan before they went to work.  Sat around the kitchen table drinking coffee, commenting on articles in the paper -- you know, that stuff people normally do when they wake up early for work.  :-)   Sam grabbed an extra cup, which he acknowledged would make him late for work, but... I guess he didn't want the visit to end, either!  Susan left first, Sam when his coffee was finished -- I think he got out the door around 8:20, which didn't bode well for his 8:30 start. :-)

I got some last-minute stuff done for the OFS and home -- the cell connection from the provincial border in to Thunder Bay being rather questionable -- then got dressed and packed up, while Don filed the gas tank.

We left the house more or less when we'd wanted.  MapQuest sent us on an extremely convoluted route out of town, much of it under construction, too.  A few wrong turns and u-turns later, we were finally close to the highway.  Quick Starbucks search and... bonus, we're just about to be there!  Properly loaded up, we hit the highway.  Despite the late highway-getting-to, Mr. and Mrs. GrumpyPutz are nowhere to be seen.  :-)

We did a little happy-dance as we crossed the provincial border.  Almost home!!!

Took a little detour / scenic route / didn't really know what we were doing into Kenora, but found our way back to the main highway without a problem -- somebody should really update MapQuest, though, that 17A is the way to go around!  OK, I guess that would be us...

Internet and cell connections disappeared -- ah yes, we must be on the north shore of Superior.  You know, the place where the map shows a bunch of coverage and we and our other touring friends have yet to find any?  Let it go, Lyssy, let it go...

Another little happy dance as we passed the sign indicating the time change.  Now we're the same time zone as home!

The rest of the trip was fairly standard, albeit with some construction taking time away.  We ended up reaching Thunder Bay about an hour and a half later than we'd wanted to get there -- oops!

We had offered to take John and Sharron out for dinner as a thank you, but their grandson was staying with them on a surprise visit this week (his mom was sick), so we'd decided to order in, instead.  When we arrived at the house, Sharron and Nathan were heading out for a "b" errand -- getting bread, bananas, etc.   We loaded our stuff in with John, making our way around the lego and trucks (most of the time!).  Had a nice visit, were wondering what was taking Sharron and Nathan so long, but they finally arrived, with the reason for their delay -- Nathan was halfway through a banana-strawberry smoothie!

Back in the house, Nathan took it upon himself to show us all his toys.  Don enjoyed playing with them far too much.  :-)   Nathan was showing us all his police cars and ambulances with sirens on the top, and I mentioned that Don used to be a firefighter and had a fire truck with a big red siren.  Nathan's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he nearly exploded... then he found his two red fire hats and all of his various fire trucks.  Boy bliss.  :-)

The adults tried to figure out where to order in from -- it got narrowed down to Kelsey's or Appleby's, but Kelsey's was the easiest menu to find, so it won.  Yes, we're definitely closer to home -- all we needed was for Kim to greet us at the bar!

Sharron attempted to get Nathan into the bath, while John and Don headed out to pick up the food.  Apparently, there was quite a fight over who was going to pay the bill. Don won, but I'm not sure how he did it -- I ask no questions.  :-)

Occasionally accompanied by Nathan, who was having trouble falling asleep, the four of us sat at the kitchen table and ate our meals with a lovely bottle of Shiraz, followed by a bottle of "Sharron's Plonk", as John called it -- which was perfectly good as well.

Just when we thought it was safe... Sharron brought out dessert!  Neither Don nor I could even conceive of it -- we'd eaten far too much already.  We promised to do it for breakfast (oops, just realized we didn't keep that promise, AND I forgot my leftovers in the fridge -- hope you like lemon-pepper shrimp penne, John and Sharron!).

A bit more visiting, and then it was definitely nap time!  John and Sharron were in Nathan's room, with him on a camping mat on the floor and Remo (the golden retriever) out in the hall.  We, once again, were given the master bedroom -- people are far too nice to us!

Musically -- and maybe doing a little almost-home-happy-dance,

Alyssa

Birthday Day / The Mists of Avalon / Oh Canada!

I did hear Sam and Susan leave for work Tuesday morning, but then my go-back-to-bed gene kicked in, and that was the end of that.  Still, when I woke again, Don was comatose and snoring his birthday snores. I played a few rounds of Sudoku to warm up my brain before making demands of my body -- besides, I was kind of trapped, having taken the side of the bed against the wall, so Don could get up first without waking me up.  So much for that...  :-)

Finally, I heard a mumbled "good morning".  And I broke into Happy Birthday -- but quietly. :-)  We'd agreed to actually celebrate "for real" once we got home, but he at least needed a birthday song!

This was the day for me to finish up the Orillia Folk Society stuff, before I entered the no-internet territory around Thunder Bay (no Rogers, your map is still lying through its teeth, there is no signal, no matter how many ways your so-called Customer Service representatives invent to talk down to me!), as well as taking care of some personal stuff back home.  So much of the day was spent in my slouches at the kitchen table -- oh, the glamour!  :-)

Don was playing with Sam's guitar in the living room, and fell in love with his clip-on tuner.  At 3:15, he announced he was going to go to Long & McQuade to get one, and then get his nails done on the way back.

I reminded him we had to leave the house at 5pm to get to our gig and there would be rush hour traffic.  No problem, he said.

Remember what I mentioned in the previous blog about foresight?

About ten past four, just as I'm about to go upstairs to wash my hair, I get a call on my cell -- he's lost, still hasn't made it to Long & McQuade.

Seriously.

I figure out where he is and talk him in the rest of the way.  Call another ten minutes later to make sure he found it.  Yes.  Good.

Shower time!  (Once again, you're welcome.)

When I get out of the shower, Sam and Susan are home.  No sign of Don.  They would have been home earlier, but they were stuck behind an accident on Main St. for over half an hour.

Yes, Main Street, the road Don will be coming home on.

Seriously.

I call Don's cell again to figure out where he is.  Fortunately, he got lost again (!) on the way home and asked a guy for directions, which steered him around the worst of it.  He's just around the corner.

5:15, Don arrives home to change and get his instruments ready for our 5:00 departure. (!)  He's got two new tuners (even though his two old tuners worked just fine and we have several Long & McQuade-s back home... just sayin'), but is not certain his nails will last through the gig. (!!!)

5:28, we make our 5:00 departure.

Fortunately, Sam and Susan have given us an alternate route that isn't too clogged.  As we're about 5 minutes away from our destination, Don exclaims "oh, this is where I turned to go to Long & McQuade this afternoon!".

Seriously.

Foresight, remember?  When checking the route to Long & McQuade, he never clued in to the fact that it's right around the corner from Pam and Kevin's (where he's been before), nor did he think to check, at 3:15 when he left, whether this was something we could do en route from the north end of the city to the south end of the city.

Seriously.

But it was his birthday.  And it's considered bad form to call your husband a dimtwit on his birthday.  No matter how much you'd like to.

Seriously.

So I smiled and ignored and tucked it all away for the day-after-birthday blog, when I'm once again allowed to call him a dimtwit without breaking the birthday code.  :-)

Seriously.
(Just once more, for old-time's sake...)

We find Pam and Kevin's house without further ado -- "Avalon Arts".  Pam answers the door and is all big hugs, even for me, who she's just met. I like hugs.  :-)

We load our gear in, and then she introduces us to two guests who have come early to join them for dinner -- Kian and Zeinab, who just arrived here in August from Iran to study at the University.  Pam and Kevin seem to make it a habit to take foreign students under their wing -- another former student, Tiago, has now moved back here from Brazil, and will be at the concert later, too.  So our Avalon Arts concert is a truly international event!

Kian and Zeinab are a lovely young couple, still trying to get the hang of Canadian slang and catch up with Pam and Kevin's fast-talking son, but doing beautifully with the language, helping out wherever they can, and trying very hard to adapt to the culture in their new home.  (As Pam later commented, it must be quite the culture shock for Shiite Muslims from a rather fundamentalist country to come to Winnipeg -- Zeinab is learning to knit mittens and toques now! -- and a community of people who are constantly hugging each other!)

Kian played us some music from a CD by a traditional Persian singer and an old American blues guy -- the blending was beautiful, and the song we listened to was presented with her singing the original song, and then he would translate the poetry into English and sing it blues-style.  He promised to send us a link to their iTunes page -- we'll share when we get it!

Don ate dinner with them too, as he hadn't had time to even have lunch, while I set up the CDs and mailing list.  Then the other guests started coming in.  It was a really great group of people, including their friend Wendy, who shares a birthday with Don -- although, as she pointed out, a decade later. :-)  Someone (perhaps her husband? I didn't notice) had brought in a giant birthday cake -- which we had to just look at until we'd finished singing.  :-(

All the guests had arrived, so we started our first set a bit before 7:30.   What an appreciative audience!!!   We kept hearing "wow" after many of our songs.  AND they loved Scarlett (my accordion, for the uninitiated) almost as much as I do.  My voice was finally getting back to its normal, healthy self -- my brain seemed to be going in the other direction.  A few "whoopsie!" moments, but people were kind and forgiving -- thank you, Winnipeg.  :-)

Break time, and we enjoyed visiting with Pam and Kevin's friends.  Some of them had been out to see Don's solo concert way back in 2004, and came out to see him again.  It was, as always, fun chatting with everyone, but we were conscious of the fact that many folks had to wake up the next morning, so Pam urged everyone back to the living room for the second set.

OK, the voice had a wee moment on the last high note of "Real Big Man", but other than that, it was feeling back to normal.  Wish I could say the same for my brain... I haven't messed up the accompaniment so badly all tour.  Sigh...  Once again, very forgiving folks.  We finished the set, got excited to finally eat cake, but they wanted an encore.  :-)

They got the encore, we got cake. Everyone was happy. :-)

AND birthday girl Wendy won the "line from a famous Canadian poem" contest -- the 4th person ever to do so, with the first 3 being from B.C.  Happy Birthday, Wendy!

A few folks stayed around to chat, but not terribly late.  Kian and Zeinab helped to tidy up while we packed up our things, and then Kevin got ready to drive them and Tiago back home -- we think there's the beginning of a wonderful multi-national friendship between the three of them!  We headed out ourselves, with big hugs all 'round.

As we were driving home, we had big silly grins on our faces.  We'd had just a fabulous evening and, despite my brain farts, were enjoying quite the music high -- as well as the joy shared with Pam and Kevin's friends.  Plus, we were really loving the fact that we lived in Canada, where Iranians and Brazilians can sit in Winnipeg and listen to music from Ontario that draws its roots from myriad other cultures.  Oh Canada!

Still glowing today, in fact.

Seriously. :-)

We got back to the house, where Susan's meeting had just ended about 20 minutes before we got there.  Sam had been working on proposals all night.  We gave him the hug and the kick in the shins Pam had sent for not being there.  :-)

They were easily tempted with a bottle of Dirty Laundry's Pinot Gris, though, and we headed to the sunroom to chat about our evenings.

Susan was beat, but Sam wanted to show us some of what he'd done with our photos, and transfer the originals to our hard drives.  They're looking great!  I have zero room left on my hard drive, so will have to show them to you when we get home -- not much longer now!

JPGs transferred, we all went to bed for a short sleep.

Musically and multiculturally,
Alyssa

Monday -- beginning of Week Six!

Sorry for the delay, folks -- yes, we had just a travel day, but with much personal stuff to attend to, plus had to organize the Orillia Folk Society's season opener with Andrew Collins and Tyler Knight this Friday, plus... Don had the audacity to ask me to drive part of the route.  ;-)

Not a huge amount to report about Monday, anyhow.  We were awakened at 6:30am by a call from my dentist office, reminding me about next week's appointment.  Geez, lady, when Don told you a few days ago that we were out west, did you not think about the time change?!?  Ugh...

I am the master of falling back asleep. Don, not so much...  When the alarm went off, he wasn't in bed.  A few snooze buttons later, and I realized he was nowhere to be seen, either.  Saw, finally, a note on my laptop that he'd gone back to 23 Main Street for breakfast with his laptop.  I had just sent him an e-mail to ask him to bring me a coffee and a treat (remember those coffee-in-the-morning wedding vows?), when he came in the door.  Empty Handed.  So much for the wedding vows...

We packed up the car, checked out of Capone's Hideaway, and found the Starbucks.  Where I bought the coffee.  Hmmm... maybe I should take the same kind of liberties with the whole "forsaking all others" part?!?

And yes, this man was about to be stuck in a car with me for seven hours.  Foresight was never Don's forte...

And so, Mr. & Mrs. Grumpyputz made the journey from Moose Jaw to Winnipeg.  Descriptions eliminated so as not to upset small children or other mortals.   Started with Don driving, me working.  Then me driving, Don sleeping.  Then me driving, Don playing Solitaire.  Then Mrs. Grumpyputz having a bit of a snarkyfit.  Then Don driving, me working.  Then Don driving, me navigating us in to Winnipeg.

We got to Sam & Susan's place pretty much on schedule -- we had been running early, but construction on the way in had slowed us down at the very end.  It was yet another glorious evening.  The front door was open, so we loaded in our stuff and called our hello-s.  Silence.  Hmm...  We heard running water -- maybe they were in the shower?  Nope, that was the dishwasher.  Maybe they'd been kidnapped by aliens or those guys in the purple-blue shirts (long story -- see below)?  Maybe they'd heard about the snarkyfit and were hiding?

I looked out the back window and saw the top of Susan's head down by the water.  We made our way down the lawn and found both of them back there, enjoying some rye & gingers and watching the water.   Susan sat me down in one of their new "gravity chairs", and Sam sent Don to get us our rye & gingers.  Balance was restored. :-)

OK, the story of the purple-blue shirts:  When we were staying at Sam & Susan's on our way west last month, Don was walking back to the house after getting his nails done, when an older guy on a bicycle asked if he could speak to him for a moment?  He pointed to Don's shirt, and said "I just wanted to say that I know about all you guys with the purpley-blue shirts.  I just wanted you to know that I'm aware of what you're doing, and even though it's top secret I think it's a really good thing you're doing it, and I support what you're doing.  I'd really like to help you out, but I have some things to do first, you know, I have some mental health issues I have to sort out first, but I wanted you to know that I'm totally in agreement with what you're doing, and I thank you guys for doing what you're doing."  [Whatever that is.]  Don said "thank you very much, I appreciate your support," and off he went.

So, back to Monday...

Rye and gingers finished -- well, actually, I had been sipping daintily, but was ordered to "chug", because people were hungry ;-) -- we got ready to head out.  We'd offered to take Sam and Susan out for dinner, to thank them for putting up with us yet again.  A discussion ensued (we aren't the only ones!): Sam wanted to go to Colosseo, Susan to Civita.  Sam was driving, so he appeared to be winning...

But, once the parking spot was found, we had to walk by Civita first.  The menu was looking pretty darned good, so we decided to head there.  It was fairly quiet, being a Monday, and there was only one water on staff -- she somehow covered TWO patios and the inside dining room, where we ended up.  Sam said if we were getting dinner, they'd get the wine, and ordered a litre of Fat Bastard -- I think, just so he could say "Fat Bastard" and get away with it. :-)

Unfortunately, Susan had already had a large lunch, but the rest of us went to town. :-)  Don started with a prawn cocktail -- the prawns were bigger than his fist! -- I had a spinach salad, and Sam had bison chili, which he shared with Susan.  For main course, Don went for ribs, I had a sweet potato ravioli with smoked cheddar sauce -- decadence! -- Susan had mussels in garlic and white wine sauce with yam frites, and Sam had the pulled lamb (so many jokes, so little time...) and fettuccini special.  All amazingly delicious.  The waiter had brought Don the wrong prawn appetizer (there were two, but he didn't care, he just took what she brought), AND she'd overheard it was his birthday, so she offered him dessert on the house.  He picked the chocolate lava cake and two forks, and Sam and Susan had hazlnut torte and two forks.

We definitely needed the walk back to the car.

And when we got home, we still needed a walk -- more like a waddle.  So we took a waddling tour of the neighbourhood, before coming back to crash into the kitchen chairs and moan a little. :-)

Sam and Susan had an early morning the next day -- you know, that whole working a real job thing -- so headed to bed, with us not too far behind.

Zzzzz...

Musically -- even when asleep,

Alyssa

Sunday, not-so-bloody Sunday

What a great bed -- didn't want to get out.   But we'd agreed to 10am brunch, so we could leave by noon -- whose crazy idea was that?!? ;-)

We checked the weather (hot!), got dressed and padded into the main part of the house, where Duff and Holly were just starting up as well.  Holly had shown us how to use the coffee maker the night before (one of those single-serving thingamajigs), and Don was able to make his own cup, with a bit of Duff's help.  When it came to my cup, though... uh-oh.  Between the three of us, it could not be done.  Holly to the rescue -- I am human once more.

They've whipped up a delicious brunch for us all: "easy risers" (fried eggs on english muffins with sliced cheese and sausage for the carnivores) and real home fries.  Once again, we are pleasantly stuffed.

We learn that Duff once ran for M.P. in his riding (Liberal in a staunch Conservative territory -- you can guess the result), so of course the conversation turns to politics.  Uh-oh, now we'll never leave! ;-)

But, I'm able to pry Don away, and we actually make it to the car fairly close to our desired schedule.  Holly loads us up with ice waters (much needed, thanks!), we say our good-byes and we frappe la rue.

The directions are quite simple -- stay on highway 16 until you get to highway 2, then turn right and go until you can't. I think we can handle it...  It's the typical prairie open road and big sky for most of it.  Don keeps quipping about the mountains every time we see a hill (I think I liked him better when he slept through the prairies!), but then as we're heading south on highway 2, we hit a beautiful river valley near North Grove.  That shuts him up until we get to town. :-)

Moose Jaw is a very historic town -- we were advised to go on a tour of the underground tunnels from the prohibition days but, alas, our schedule doesn't allow.  The venue is easy enough to find, right in the heart of the downtown historical district, and right next to it is a motel, "Capone's Hideaway" -- "an adventurous choice" said one couple we met at the cafe later on that evening, but perfectly clean and cheap (our only complaint was there was no soap in the bathroom...).  They've tried to decorate it according to theme, with an old-style lamp and telephone, and a chest of drawers that looks like an old liquor cabinet.   It's right across from the former train station, and probably above one of the tunnels. Capone, of course, probably didn't spend a whole lot of time here, but it's good for tourism. :-)

We'll have to leave some time next visit to take a tour of the tunnels -- apparently a 2-hour tour.  They start at the train station and work their way towards various hotels, a shoe store and "Rosie's house".  Not sure who Rosie was, but I'm guessing visits to her house were rather, ah, entertaining.

We check in to the motel and walk our first load of instruments over to the cafe, 23 Main Street.  What a great place!  This is exactly where I'd be hanging out all the time if I lived in Moose Jaw.  A long room with exposed brick walls and hardwood floors, tall cafe tables and clusters of big comfy couches.  The "stage" is a slightly raised area in the front window (tall cafe tables are there when it's not being used as a stage).  The food counter is to your left as you walk in -- first the ice cream parlour (!), then the coffee shop, which also offers pizzas and paninis and salads, etc., plus the whole wide array of specialty coffees and teas.  There are some scarves and clothes being sold in the back section, plus books and jewellery on shelves around the store, and artwork along the walls.

We introduce ourselves to the barista who tells us the boss is out getting some supplies but should be back soon, and we can store our stuff in his office while we wait.  We go back and get our second load to stash in the office.  She offers us drinks while we wait -- I pick "white orchard" tea (very nice) and Don just goes for water.  We figure we might as well eat now too, so we have time to digest before we sing (lesson learned from the night before!).  She says it's on the house -- we knew the drinks were, but dinner was unexpected -- thanks 23 Main!  I opt for the veggie roma panini, Don orders a spicy chicken pizza with chipotle-lime seasoning, and we stake out a big comfy couch.  Don finally gets a chance to check his e-mail (they also have wireless -- yay!), and I finally remember to check the messages at home -- hey, what's two weeks, really?  Anyone who really needed to get us would call our cell phones... but not the 14 recorded messages from PC Financial.  Geez, if they'd bothered to hire humans to make the calls, they would have heard the cell phone numbers!!!

Our dinners arrive and... oh geez, this is really good food!  I'd pretty much live here and get really really fat...

Taylor, the manager, comes back -- a young guy with a really great energy about him.  He's recruited a man to help him set up the stage, I'm guessing in return for a coffee or sandwich or something, as this guy seems to be a little hard on his luck and perhaps battling some mental illness, from the conversation we later have. OK, so this is also a cafe with a good heart.  Me like.

We get ourselves set up and ask him the details of when we should start / break / stop, etc. -- he's pretty easygoing with it, just play it by ear.  Oh, but wait, there's also a spotlight he wants to set up on us. :-)

It's a tip-jar gig, not the kind of thing we'd usually want to do, but on a night we'd have to travel through anyhow,  It's a nice filler in a town that doesn't know us, and helps cover the motel bill.  A friendly, community spot that I'd recommend to any musicians travelling through under the same premise -- no guarantee, and probably not your highest-earning tour gig, but it's a nice place, a great meal, and a friendly, feel-good community.  We really enjoyed ourselves.

The place is pretty hopping for a Sunday night, too -- we had no idea what to expect, this was one of our last-minute gig finds, and with our cafe experiences this tour, we were obviously a bit wary.  The cafe-goers were appreciative, especially this one couple in the first set of couches, and the staff seemed to love it too.

We took our break and chatted a bit with the couple in front.  They were in town from Yorkton, SK (the east end of the province) for an anniversary visit to the spa.  They'd seen us walking our instruments in earlier and had come in to check us out after their dinner.  They were lovely people, and incredibly generous to the tip jar -- thank you, belatedly!!!

The cafe closed at 9:00, and by about 8:45, that couple and the staff were the only ones left.  So we packed up our stuff and helped clear our dishes.  We took our first load back to the hotel.  When we came back for the second, another couple was there -- we're presuming the owners -- who said how much the staff had loved our music, and we were welcome back any time.  We left them with a CD for the cafe, and said cheery good-nights.

Back at the motel, I did some online banking, Don played some solitaire (hmmm...), and then we fell asleep to the sounds of motorcycles (there are a LOT in this city) and trains.

Musically and Moosejawingly,

Alyssa

Kindasorta one province closer to home...

Saturday morning -- another sunny and clear one.  I'm somehow awake first (has the world shifted on its axis?), but stay in bed for a while, enjoying the silence and the light patterns coming through the blinds... interspersed with a wee bit (!) of snoring coming from the pillow beside me.  OK, maybe that's how I woke up first!  ;-)

Footsteps and water running -- Maria must be up.  I wait for the shower sounds to subside, then tiptoe out of the guest room.  Hmm... no Maria.  But she did mention a farmer's market, so maybe she headed over there?  I grab some water (still dry in Edmonton, though not as dry as Calgary!) and tiptoe back to the room to get dressed.  Don's awake now too, so no more tiptoeing.  Maria comes in -- she'd just been sitting on the back patio, soaking up some sun.

Coffee time!  Maria says she likes hers strong, too -- no wonder we get along so well. :-)  She's used to doing 2 scoops of grounds into her little press, and has calculated that the larger press is three times the volume, so we all agree that 6 scoops must be the way to go.

Woah, mama!  That's some mighty strong coffee!!! OK, apparently coffee making follows a logarithmic curve and not a directly proportionate diagonal.  Maria dilutes hers with cream, and we add some extra hot water.  It could still put hair on our chests, but is pretty darned good!

Maria puts me on toast duty, Don on chopping duty, and prepares to whip up a great Saturday breakfast -- scrambled eggs with roasted green and red peppers, and bacon for the carnivores.  We are spoiled. :-)

Then it's time for my accordion lesson!  Maria says she feels a little odd teaching me, as she herself is self-taught -- but I figure she's been playing it for longer than I have, and she's darned good, so she must have a few words of wisdom, at least!  She'd noticed a couple of things about my posture the night before (she's gone through many Alexander Technique workshops, which are all about balancing the body properly, and are terrific for instrumentalists!) which concern her -- so we experiment with some new strap lengths and instrument placement, which feel quite a bit better.  As far as the bellows are concerned, she seems to keep things a lot closer to the body than I've been doing, which gives her a bit more control over the direction changes -- she gives me a few more tips on working with the phrasing and in-outs.  Got much to practise!

Some more chatting -- geez, it's bad enough to get us started, but when we're chatting with someone we enjoy, and who enjoys chatting too, it can be a little dangerous!  We realize it's quite a bit later than when we thought we'd leave.  Better hit the road!  Maria looks up the best way to get out of town (as there are more road closures), and shows us where the Safeway is -- so Don can get winegums (important road food!) and we can get our grande bolds for the car (there's a little SB kiosk in the grocery store).  Not that our bodies probably need any more coffee, but it's the principle of the thing...

Once again, the roads are open and straight, and we're seeing lots of beautiful fall colours -- even some darker oranges and reds, so perhaps the Chinooks don't make it this far?  Or maybe Louise's theory just got overturned...  ;-)

Lloydminster is officially in Alberta, although it really straddles the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan -- Duff and Holly's house is east of the dividing line, so I'm not exactly sure whether to post my "one more province closer to home" status update.  I opt to wait until we're really and truly in Saskatchewan, no doubt about it.

We finally get to Lloydminster about 4:30, and find the Stewarts' house easily.  Duff comes out to greet us and tells us to pull into the driveway so it's easier to unload.  Holly also emerges, closely followed by their Shih-Tzu, Scampi (I never did figure out if the dog's name is actually Scampi, or if it's Scamp but they've added the "y" suffix as a term of endearment).  They help us load all our stuff in through the back door -- which is actually a door into a private courtyard and then into the house.

They've just moved here in the last month, renting for a while until their daughter finishes high school, they both retire and can move back to Ontario.  It's a really interesting house, full of character, although perhaps lacking a few of the finishing touches here and there.  The owners obviously have a bit of a Santa Fe bent, as Holly points out that the string of chilli-pepper lamps came with the house. :-)  But it's a really great layout, wrapped around the courtyard.  To the right of the courtyard as you're coming in the back lies the master bedroom with ensuite bathroom.  The main body of the house (ahead of you as you come through the courtyard) is a big, open "great room" -- the open kitchen to the left, looking out on the large dining / living room, and then dropping down to the right into a recessed den with fireplace.  Between this great room and the courtyard is a long thin office with sliding glass doors and big windows looking into the courtyard (would be a fabulous writing room!).  Down the other side of the courtyard is the front entrance, two bedrooms and another bathroom.  There's also a nice-sized back yard.  Someone has started to put a tin ceiling on the kitchen, but stopped about a foot short of the wall -- nobody's quite sure why.  A quirky DIY, but it's got a really nice feel to it.

Duff and Holly's 16-year-old daughter, MacKenzie, emerges from the room.  We are warned she's very shy, but... that's parents for you. :-)  She's quite talkative with us, and eager to show us her favourite tea shop around the corner, where she's been tasting her way through the dozens and dozens of different teas they sell.  Duff drops the three of us off at the mall, and we spend time smelling and drooling over (but not into, don't fret!) some of the teas on offer.  There's one called Love Potion #7 that smells more like dessert than tea, and indeed has tiny chocolate bits mixed in with the tea leaves.  I opt for Butternut Cream, Don has Ginger Detox (we could probably use a good detox after this tour!), and MacKenzie has an iced Creme Caramel.  It is, indeed, a good tea shop!  Duff had gone off to buy some ice (there's a big red clawfoot tub in the courtyard, which they were planning to use as the cooler for the party that night), and was waiting for us in the parking lot -- then we all went to pick up their friend Cindy, who was coming for dinner and the concert.

When we got to the house, Holly had put out platters and platters of food -- my goodness, we will never be able to call ourselves "starving artists" after this tour!  Cheese, crackers, chutney, sushi, spring rolls, antipasto, stuffed peppers... and they were also making dinner for us!

Duff was cooking pork and beef ribs for the carnivores in the outside smoker, MacKenzie was preparing her special salmon recipe, which she'd prepared for a recent cooking competition.  This is one heck of a sixteen-year-old!  There were also delicious purple carrots from Holly's friend's garden, rice... and more plates of pickles and other nibbles.  The six of us sat down for a scrumptious meal.  A huge meal.  And then Duff brought out dessert -- little raspberry crumble tarts drizzled in clover honey.  Egads...  ok, well they are tiny...

We

Are

STUFFED

And, holy geez, we still have to put on a show!  Water, lots of water.

We retreat to our room (actually, the master bedroom, which Duff and Holly have every-so-generously handed over to us for the night) to digest and get ready for the guests to arrive.  We ask how many they're expected -- anywhere from ten to sixty, quips Holly, they're never too sure, but they are thinking about 20, as many are away, enjoying probably one of the last summer-weather weekends.  A few of those people may be a bit late, due to kids' soccer games, etc.

As 8:00 nears, Duff and Holly are pacing and looking extremely nervous...   A wave of relief crosses over them as the first doorbell chimes. :-)

We near 8:30, and they're still quite disturbed by the turnout -- it's closer to their minimum projection so far -- but we figure we'll get started anyhow, so the people who did show aren't having to wait around too long (especially as there is one very young guest who is probably already way past his bedtime).  More folks trickle in as we're playing.  ("Oh, hello new people!" Don exclaims, after coming back from a tuning session to see fresh new faces have arrived in his absence.)  Everyone is most appreciative and mentioning all sorts of people who should be here because they'd really love it and are missing out.

We take our "intermission" and have a chance to chat with some of the guests.  Carson seems to be the troublemaker of the group. ;-)  Originally from Newfoundland, but moved to Calgary when he was 16 and now owns his own construction business in Lloydminster -- while he may have lost most of the accent (until he's had a few, he tells us), The Rock has certainly not left him.  He and Holly seem to be constantly ribbing each other, and he seems quite at home in kitchen parties.

What Cindy thought was just allergies has turned into a full-fledged cold, so she asks Duff to take her home, but not before buying a CD.  We agree to wait for his return for the second half, and they're still expecting a few more people to arrive after various kids are taken home and other events completed.  The young guy is still going strong, so we take a very extended break.

A few more guests arrive, Duff returns home -- they're still waiting for two they know for sure are coming.  It's getting pretty late, though, so we get started on the second set.  As we get to the second song (Yum), the couple arrives.  Oh geez, the poor guys are going to wonder what the heck they've walked into if that's the first song they hear!  Nevermind, they're dog owners, so it's OK.  We redeem ourselves with the next bunch, anyhow.  Then I do "Sweat" and single out Duff in the last verse -- his head snaps back so wildly to Carson, I think he's going to throw his back out! ;-)  Just as we're about to finish up, in walks yet another couple, who weren't expected as they had a company "do" -- which we later learn involved a bagpipe-playing comedian (!) -- but they want to catch the tag end, at least.  Not sure if it technically counts as an "encore", but we were asked to keep playing a couple more songs, so they could enjoy a bit more than one song.  Just as we thought we'd finally get to share in some of the wine, Carson wants to hear something on the Hawaiian King again -- Don obliges.

Finally, wine. :-)   (As I told them in the concert, my songs tend to be about either broken hearts or alcoholic beverages -- and I no longer have a broken heart.)  Holly brings out a huge tray of vegetarian taco dip which "I made just for you, so you have to eat it all!".  It is delicious, but fortunately there are others who assist, because there's a lot of it, and I've already got too many rolls of fat hanging over my keyboard as I type in the car...  Just a few days until I hit the treadmill with a vengeance again!

We have a really delightful night with all Duff and Holly's friends -- a really diverse and fun bunch, whose numbers have now grown to what they were expecting (although Duff admits he was secretly hoping for more -- but it was fine for us!).  Even the couple with the young one stays until almost midnight -- hopefully he's as good at sleeping in as he was at staying up!  Slowly the remaining adults trickle away -- except, of course, Carson and his wife Cheryl (sorry if I'm spelling it wrong!).  She's trying to get him out the door, but he's trying to ply us with more alcohol and start playing again.  We've got a five-hour drive and a gig the next day, though, so we stay strong.  Holly calls him a few names and Cheryl starts to slowly edge him towards the door. ;-)  (Can you imagine how hard it would be to get Don to leave a party if he were also a Newf?)

We try to help clean up the dishes, etc., but Holly and Duff won't have any of that, so we pack up our gear, instead.  Holly's eyes are rolling into the back of her head -- she's used to being asleep by 9:30 -- so Duff banishes her to bed, and we all follow suit shortly thereafter!

Head, meet pillow.  Pillow, meet... zzzzzzz

Musically,

Alyssa

Silver linings

Leaving another home -- damn, I hate that part.

Louise, of course, had early morning meetings (she's gonna sleep well this weekend!) on Friday.  Don had left the door open for Ellie again, but it took a certain amount of cajoling to get her into the room this time.  She only stayed on the bed a few minutes before taking up residence at Don's feet -- Don, of course, was eating breakfast, and she didn't want to miss a crumb. :-)

I gave up on Ellie and got out of bed for my coffee.  Then we started packing up our bags and folding up the guest bed.

Ellie was not amused.

She went into Louise's room, curled up on the bed, and wouldn't meet our eyes.  This dog can sulk!

We loaded up the car, to get the suitcases out of view, and sat with our laptops in the living room, catching up on stuff and waiting for Louise to come home from her morning of meetings.  Ellie was happier when she showed up, but was still sulking.

We had a last wee visit with Louise, then big hugs and good-byes.   It was time to head for Edmonton!  An early stop for grande bolds and artisan sandwiches, and then we were on the highway.

The drive from Calgary to Edmonton is quite a bit straighter and flatter than what we'd been driving the previous weeks!  Wide open roads, big sky, and the trees just starting to change colour -- lots of beautiful yellows, the occasional pale oranges, though none of the reds of Ontario.  Apparently the Chinooks around here aren't too good for Maples (or so says Louise, but with the caveat that she doesn't remember where she heard that!).

The drive wasn't too bad, although we did run in to a bit of construction.  As we neared Edmonton, Maria Dunn e-mailed us to let us know of the road closures in the area, and steered us to her house via roads that were actually open.  People are so much more trustworthy than MapQuest. :-)

Maria's in a lovely neighbourhood overlooking parkland, in a cute 2-bedroom bungalow she's lived in for almost nine months -- although, with all her touring (if you don't know her music, check her out!), she feels she's barely gotten used to the place.

We had a couple of hours before she had to head out to a radio interview and we had to get ready for our gig, so we were able to get a nice visit in.  Maria also made us a light meal of sandwiches and salad, which held us all over quite nicely.

Maria dashed off to her interview, leaving us to relax for a while and get dressed for our evening gig -- our load-in wasn't scheduled until 7:15, so we had lots of time.

The route to the venue was easy enough (thank you, Edmonton, for making your grid system an actual grid and understandable system!), with just a bit of slowness as we passed the football stadium.  Though once we got to the area, The Haven was a little tricky to find.  It's a single door entrance to a basement venue, nestled among a block of XXX movie stores, "Adult" entertainment venues and massage parlours.

Er... geez... have we just made a horrible, horrible mistake?!?  What kind of venue is this?  But The Haven Social Club has hosted many respectable folkies -- I don't think they'll expect us to play naked...?

Trepidatiously, we walk down the stairs into the venue.  Alright, there's no pole in the centre of the stage, we're OK!  In fact, it looks downright classy.  Nice stage, tables laid out with chairs facing the stage, lovely artwork on the walls.  No people...  Don't restaurants usually have people?   On a Friday?  Hmmm... maybe it doesn't start hopping until showtime...?

We're starting to understand why Maria previously raised an eyebrow but remained politely silent when we told her where we were playing.

We find a human, who introduces himself as Rob, the bartender for the night.  He's a really nice guy, shows us to the green room, tells us the sound guy will be coming in shortly, unlocks the back door so we can load in our gear from the parking lot.

And that is how we ended up loading our gear in through the door marked "Temptation Massage", and "Your pleasure is our service" written over a semi-erotic cartoon painting on the inside wall.

For the record, we were not tempted. ;-)

Our gear safely stowed away from tempting hands, we grab some water and wait for the sound guy to come and tell us where he wants us.  Our opening act, Lyra Brown, hauls in her keyboard -- assisted by mother and sister, we believe, though they never introduced themselves (neither did she, actually -- perhaps a little lesson in artistic attitude might be helpful, because she spent the rest of the evening unknowingly annoying one artistic director enough to put a "don't bother" stamp in the database, despite her interesting music) -- a local girl who recently won in the Youth category of the Calgary Folk Fest's songwriting contest.  She immediately takes over the stage.

Bryce, the sound guy, comes in shortly after that, politely mentions that he only gives the feature act (us) a full sound check, but she can come 15 minutes before her set to do a line check.

Bryce gets us quickly set up and starts pulling up the sounds -- damn, he's really good!  He's got a fabulous mix up in no time.

It's now about 8:15, cover started at 8:00.  So far, there's one man (who looks kind of familiar, but it's dark looking out from the stage) at one table, plus the local girl's entourage of two.  So much for the local opening act bringing out some new faces for us...  Never mind, we know of a dozen or so people who said they were coming, so at least we'll see some familiar faces -- and maybe once the music starts, other strangers will pour in... you know, those who aren't first tempted by massage or XXX films...  :-)

We head to the back to put together our setlist and not worry about it.  When I emerge to refill my water glass, the single man at the single table has left.  I don't even see a staff member in the room.  This does not bode well...

Last night, we had dozens of people in the room and a crappy sound.  Tonight it looks like we'll have awesome sound and nobody to enjoy it.

Don has a nap in the green room.  I pace.

The opener does her line check... short pause, then we hear her doing something again.  The sound of three hands clapping -- oh dear, she's started.  We decide to be supportive and sit at one of the front tables to listen to her set.  Mom and sis are in the front table, we're second to the front, and... well...  there's Bryce doing sound... and a couple over at the side... and Rob the bartender... and the waitress scurrying around lighting candles on the tables.

We break our usual don't-drink-before-a-show rule and cash in our beer tickets.

Maria comes in part way through the opener and sits with us.  Yes, she nods her head, that is the problem with this venue, there's no built-in crowd, you have to have a following you bring in yourself.  Which, being the first time we've ever set foot in Edmonton, we don't have.  Neither, it seems, does the local opener (perhaps she's pissed off more than artistic directors?).

Our turn.  Well, the show must go on.  Maria goes to sit next to the couple over at the side -- who, it turns out, are Sidney and John, who we met when playing at the Rose & Kettle in Cole Harbour, NS (they were on a year's sabbatical there at the time).  We've got three true fans in the audience, that makes us feel better, at least.  There's another woman sitting behind us now, and look, another man has just walked in, things are looking up!

Except that man and the diva-ette and family stand at the front of the stage, in constant loud conversation all through the first several songs of our set.  I can see Maria's head bobbing in there direction, and she looks like she's about to head over when the two loudest in the group leave and the other two stay to listen for a bit.  Bloodshed is spared. :-)

We do a pretty good set, although it's definitely hard to keep the energy up.  But our three fans enjoy it, the two quieter family members are very complimentary, and the venue's staff are really seeming to enjoy it, as well!  OK, the audience may be small, but they're certainly appreciative!  What the heck, it was a fun evening.

We're able to visit and chat a bit with Sidney and John -- they're terribly apologetic they weren't able to bring more people with them, they'd tried really hard, but many friends were away for the weekend, or had other commitments, there's a bunch of other concerts going on that weekend, AND it's the season opener of one of the (three!) Edmonton folk clubs that night, so all the people who would have really liked our music were probably there instead.

The bad timing bug...

(Although that doesn't quite explain the people who had told us they were coming...)

Rob at the bar is similarly apologetic, and is raving about how much he enjoyed the show.  He says he's going to tell the booker how great we were, says as far as he's concerned, we're welcome back any time, and that next time he'll talk to the booker and make sure we're paired off with a local act who has a big following, because "you guys deserve a much bigger audience!"

The deal at this venue is that the hall keeps the first $250 of the door -- we obviously didn't come anywhere close to that, but the guy at the door has either dipped in to the kitty or taken money out of his own wallet for Rob to give us.  "He felt bad, because you guys are so good, he thought you should at least go home with something!"

So... really pretty venue, really nice staff, super-colossally bad timing -- and, it seems, not the ideal first venue to play for newcomers.  Lesson learned, we'll advise our fellow new-to-Edmonton musicians, and come back some day when we've got a bit more of a following (and it's not a weekend with so much going on!).

We hug Sidney and John good-bye, thank all the staff, and pack up the car.

We're starving!

We follow Maria to her favourite pizza place -- Tony's Pizza Palace.  We're in luck, they're still open!  We order one large "Sal's" and one medium vegetarian to go.  The waiters try to ply us with liquor as we wait, but our drivers have already had a pint each, so we'll wait.

Dinner in hand and a bottle of wine in the trunk, we follow Maria back to the house and grab some plates and glasses.  She has not led us astray, this is really good pizza!  The wine (an Okanagan Merlot) is quite lovely, too. :-)

We chat some more -- well, quite a bit more -- and realize it's quarter to two.  We decide it's time for our beauty rest and call it a night.

Musically -- even in miniature!

Alyssa