I did go to the festival and what a great time I had. Generally I go to these and wander around wishing I knew some people and too shy to correct that problem. On Saturday I wandered the halls and kept running into people I knew, whether I knew them or not. The first person I met was Tim who works as a shantyman and demonstrator at Mystic. He is also a bones player and we went into the bones workshop. In there I saw Animaterra (just leaving) and she introduced me to a friend of hers who styed for the workshop. Then I left there and wandered down the hall and ran into Jeri, Bat Goddess, and Curmudgeon. They were at the Folk Legacy booth were I saw Sandy Paton and Karen K. Just beyond them was the Camsco booth where I met Dick and Susan. While standing there felt a touch on my elbow and there was a woman who introduced herself as beiong someone from the Press Room sessions. Later I ran into another woman I met at the Press Room.

And it just went on and on. I saw Dan Milner, Joy Bennett, Jakob, John Roberts, Deb Cowan, Lynn Nowell, etc., etc.

The workshops were great, though the shanty workshops tended to be in small rooms and packed with the crowds. The food was good, the merchandise fun, and the whole experience great. I needed it after last week.

I left around 7:30 and got home around 11:30. I was exhausted but didn't regret a thing.