I'm in a happy glow today. Just back from Friday, Saturday, and a little of the Sunday festivities at Palstock IV, near Portland, Indiana, about eighty miles northeast of Indianapolis.

Many of you won't already know that Palstock is a small annual jam festival held by and for those who frequent the Paltalk "Live" rooms (actually, I should say, "And any of their friends"). This is the fourth year it was held.

We had (just guessing) about ninety people there, all or almost all tenting or RVing on the property. There were guitarists (surprise!), harmonickists (sp?), fiddlers, flutists, mandolinists, a mountain dulcimerist, bassist, singers, and me with guitar, banjo, and voice. For the late afternoons and evenings there was a stage with sound (until 1:00 a.m), all recorded. I'm looking forward to getting the CD version of those portions, which will probably not be until sometime in the late fall or the winter.

Wonderful jamming, with a constantly changing improvised band. I was amazed at the quality of the music turned out, just as I was the two previous years I've attended.

Then, of course all day long there were the informal jams or singarounds, both at the "concert" area and at the various campsites.

Those of you who know me will not be surprised that I did a lot of folksong singing through the weekend, so much so that by Sunday morning, when I had to leave, my throat was showing signs of wear. It was a good thing for my voice that I was called away by royal command to a Father's Day appearance at my daughter's house.

I came home, alas, with an inflated ego because of the GREAT warmth with which I was received, and the many, many spontaneous expressions of regard for my repertoire and my renditions. My hat size had to have increased at least three sizes.

I took more copies of my CD than I ever thought I would sell. Sold 'em all, and more for shipment today. They're in the mail.

Sorry if this sounds egotistical. I just HAD to gush some, though. It was an even better experience than the previous two years I attended. I'll be back next year, for sure.

Dave Oesterreich