June/July 2008 ⁰

Hi folks,

It’s been an adventurous past few weeks. May and June saw Hugh and I in the Netherlands, for my first tour over there. What a fabulous time! Thank you Karen and Bert for setting it all up for us. We opened many shows for the most wonderful Caroline Herring (check out her new album “Lantana” — it’s beautiful), had lots of fun driving in a big diesel van (stick shift! yee haaaw!), getting lost (and being rescued by SatNav), eating great chocolate and those ginger spice cookies, meeting lovely folks, experiencing Coffee Shops, smelling flowers whilst driving into Amsterdam, and RIDING BIKES! wheeeeeee! I have never been anywhere so flat! Well… ok…. I do live in a flat city (largest hill is an overpass). But I have never ridden a true Dutch bicycle before, helmet-less at that, feeling safe as can be on every street. Amazing. Here’s a shot of me feeling free!

And wouldn’t luck have it that I have my first bicycle wipe out in 14 years AFTER I leave Holland! Yes, it’s true, I arrived home to the Peg, hopped on my bike to run errands, and my tire got stuck in a rut on one of Winnipeg’s famously deteriorated streets. I flew over my bike and landed on my right hand — 2 of my fingers are rather mangled. I haven’t experienced that much pain in quite sometime. Needless to say guitar playing has been somewhat difficult, and I haven’t felt like riding my bike since. Hmmm. But my goal is to prove the doctors wrong and be playing again soon. In fact the Winnipeg Folk Festival is just around the corner and I will be there with bells on! Damon Mitchell (from the New Meanies and Nathan) will be joining me, as well as Donovan Giesbrecht. Despite the rotten hand injury I am looking forward to the rest of the summer — festivals in AB, BC and Nova Scotia. Should be fun! Check out the Shows page for more info.

Two communities lost dear friends recently. Virgil Stauffer, the director of King’s Fold Retreat Centre in Alberta (where I have spent many a month), was killed tragically in a car accident. Virgil was a good man with a good heart. The music community also lost a friend – Oliver Schroer, Canada’s tallest free-standing fiddler. Oliver was full of light, energy, colour. He recorded three albums while in the hospital, continuously encouraging people to go and live out their dreams. He was truly an inspiration, his music beautiful and profound. Oliver and Virgil, you will be missed.

I’ll finish off by sharing that the first track off The Light Fantastic (There’s a Train) has been released to Triple A Radio in the USA. So far the response has been great — it has been officially added in Boston, throughout North Carolina, Portland and Eugene, Anchorage, throughout Pennsylvania, throughout Colorado, Kansas City, Tampa, throughout Virginia… It’s very exciting!
Best wishes to you all this summer season. Be safe out there, whether in a car or on a bike. Peace and light –

Cara