I sat on the hill last night, letting the Low D kind of wrap itself around this man, ponder him....you know the drill. I found myself not sad at all in his passing.........that is something we all will do, and it ain't so bad. No one wants to be trapped in a falling apart house, and Alan's just wasn't doing well. I tried to play a mournful tune, but that damned ole Low D just wasn't having a bit of it. It was as if the aul whistle was telling me to get on with the tradition of celebrating what this great spirit did on its visit this time around. Yeah, this spirit, I am sure, is the one that makes its appearance just when you need it to help save the music. Which music? Whichever one needs the help. Nicely done, Mr. Lomax. Take a break now, and rest up cause we will need you again, probably sooner than later. The old whistle reminded me that the only reason I am sad is because it means that we have to take up the load for bit until he gets back. But that ain't so bad, it just means we have to play music. We can do that, my friends. We must or we don't hold up our end of the bargain. Said spirit will be back, and we want to make sure we did our part, eh?

Jean, Sandy, Art...............all you who knew him well.........I am sorry that you will miss him. But you have spent your lives sharing the load, preserving the music in the same way, and this is surely a way of honoring and furthering the work he did. And just now, while he takes a break, he can look at you and what you do, and feel like it is OK to take that break, that the work is being tended to. I will bet if you listen very carefully in the night, you will even hear him whisper thanks.

Wonderful job, Alan. Thanks for doing it. I will be listening for your voice in others.

All the best,

Mick