Going forward from the previous threadclick here, I have to tell you how inspiring it was to have Bill, Allan, Les, and Wayne get together here with me and share music. Like many of you, I am still feeling "high" on the experience, and realized how much more I could be doing with music that I have forgotten about (old time songs, playing the guitar more, etc.). Wayne came up from Jardine after the night at his house and stayed overnight here along with the rest, and yesterday, the last morning together, he sat down at my piano and played. Today I realized that it has been many years since I've played the Scott Joplin rags that I used to play every day, and I could not even remember how to start. I also could not find my book of Scott Joplin music. So, in addition to the enrichment of the time they were here, these guys have inspired me to reclaim the lost songs and tunes and to learn many more. I'm going through a bad patch of finances this year, but I'm committed to finding more time to play. It's always easy to sing while doing almost anything else (dishes, driving, the shower!) but the instruments I have allowed to gather dust. It is really easy for me to remember lyrics, but tunes fly out of my mind if I don't play them regularly.

So, here's to you, Bill and Allan and Les and Wayne (future Mudcatter) who woke up a slumbering side of my life. I'll dust off the piano, get those two sticking keys fixed, and play those ragtime songs again. Thank you.

You met Oshi, the lady with fiddle who came late and played a couple of old time tunes. We are meeting with a coffee house owner today, since the old hotel will no longer let the old time session go on there. I plan to use my house as an alternate meeting place for them in order to keep that session alive.

The journey goes onward to Big Mick. (Hi, Mick.)

Alice