I've never been much of a joiner, and I can't say I'm terribly impressed with an outfit that'll take me on as a member. However, I've been sneaking in and rustling lyrics from the Digital Tradition for a couple of years and finally decided to do the honorable thing and show up in daylight, so to speak.

Some of you may know from other threads that I'm a cowboy poet and singer, a grammar fanatic (or, as I prefer to think of it, a lover of language), and somethng of a wise-ass. In yet another thread someone recently asked for the definition of a curmudgeon. I told my wife, a woman of nearly infinite patience, that I was thinking of sending him my picture and she said, "You aren't a curmudgeon -- you don't have the dedication."

I was born in Virginia instead of here in Colorado as nature intended. I blame my parents for that. But I got here as soon as I could, and I don't feel at home anywhere else.

My interest in folk music was awakened during the Great Folk Scare of the 60's. I had the privilege of studying under Arthur Kyle Davis at the University of Virginia, so I learned a good deal about traditional music. I once wrote a 70-page paper on "Captain Wedderburn's Courtship" which is an interesting song, but not *that* interesting.

In 1963 I saw Ian and Sylvia at Newport and from that moment I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I have made my living as a performer, but I suffer from Multiple Musical Personality Disorder and it wasn't unusual for one set to include a Childe Ballad, a cowboy song, "Casey At the Bat", a Tom Lehrer tune, an aria from some obscure opera -- well, you get the idea. It's hard to find a core audience for something like that since the Commercial Folk Era ended, though possibly not so hard as I might think judging from the discussions that go on in this arena.

Four years ago I wrote my first cowboy poem, and since then I've pretty much specialized. I haven't lost interest in any of the other kinds of music I've always loved, but I think maybe concentrating on one has been beneficial. And I get to hang around with a better class of people at Cowboy Poetry Gatherings. Kinda like here.

Anyway, thanks for the welcome, and remember -- breakfast is the most important meal of the day, because if you ain't home by then, partner, you're in trouble!