When I think of how many 'catters' I've met, I'm bowed over. And I'm a bit shy (go ahead laugh), though I do compensate well, especially when I start to feel comfortable & I do try hard, I'm not a big talker either. A big part would be because of the FSGW Getaways that I've attended, along with many other reasons. I met Pam Swan her 1st & only year there at the Getaway & when invited to perform at the San Francisco Maritime Music Festival by mudcatter Chanteyranger, I stayed at her & her husband's place & met more catters a few I had known from before there was a Mudcat & some whom I never knew. Did workshops with unknown catters Alaska Mike & Roger In Baltimore & Big Mick (after I knew him) & Liam's Brother (who I already knew) got to meet, even got to perform on stage with treaties & get my ass pinched by her while singing (can't beat that), had the Johnson Girls sing by my death bed (can't beat that one either), met a slew of Brits, some Canadians & an Icelander, some Irish, even got to leave a phone song message with Bob Bolton, an Aussie & PM back & forth with him. I've met some catters at my local session in Portsmouth, NH at the Press Room sessions & some at our other catters at the (RIP) Boston Traditional Singer's Club, from Texas to the UK & Ireland & some at other festivals & after all this I have got to say, TRUTHFULLY say, I have never met a "mudcatter in person that I didn't truly like", really, never. Why wouldn't I be interested in the music they like & play & sing & the type of music of where they come from? Yes, America is huge & Australia's far away, the UK"s closer but smaller & I'll probably never get to New Zealand or Guam but reading here about all your music on mudcat makes me want to visit all these places & hear all the music from all the places where we all come from & I can't (hopefully I can at least visit a few of the places before I go), so hearing about your music is the next best thing if I can't go hear what you do & like in the places where you come from. This has grown into an international collection of like mined folk music lovers & I believe we are all the better for it, at least I know I am. So what if it's lop-sided or flop-eared from time to time it has always paned out at least since I've been here & that's been since very early 97. Some of us here have died here having & leaving friends we'd sometimes would've never met & some we never did meet & some of us (myself included) have been cheered on past death & have met with those that have helped to cheer us on & have been happy to see us breathing when we do meet. When it's all said & done with, you just gotta love this place, like a family.

Blessed Barry