well i was out again today-playing the mandolin , and did ok, i am getting rather spoiled with the mandolin as it is so light compared to my harp--and for some reason i'm making almost as much money as i did with the harp--tommorrow i'll take the battleship/harp.friday is often my best day.

as far as goos spots . out west in the usa i found any town with a decent sized university, usually has a corner where the book stores and coffey shops intersect and there is usually money to be had on the street there.

i canada the small towns can be good as they have rarely seen a real street performer. in wierd places like 100 mile house i've had two and three hudred dollar days.

here in ontario i am in the subway mstly. it's a licenced system so if you passs the audition it's civilized and warmer in the winter out of the wind--and it's a lot warmer than montreal and ottawa--where i often go in the summer. the money in the last two isn't so good, but i have a lot of friends in both cities and i enjoy the trip.

a bonus on the west coast is i have often found good and rare instruments in the odd ball small towns. i am playimg a 1817 gibson mandolin i found in saskechewan ten years ago for a fraction of what it would have cost me at a store. spokane is also good for finding instruments and the people are very freindly. i got a loy of invites to peoples homes there over the years--a lot of irish in that town and they love the harp. i fond of the scenery out that way as well. they almost have salt flats in some places and then lovely forests a few hundred miles away. i used to drive my van down there and camp on the early week and busk the weekend. even down to boise occasionally. once i went all the way to denver and boulder--both good busking towns as well.

portland has many good spots as well--including the market on saturday. so where does everybody else play?