Arrived safe and sound in Brooklyn, finding a parking space right in front of my brother's place in Brooklyn, 16th St and 8th Ave, for those interested in such things, a couple of blocks from one corner of Prospect Park.

This morning in a driving cold rain storm my brother and I did a van tour of the Midwood neighborhood where the fabled green parrots are flourishing, huge communal nests on the light poles. Then we headed down to the waterfront where the trolly museum is trying to organize itself, lots of old waterfront warehouses in different stages of conversion. Some day soon this will all be waterfront condominiums and associated yacht dockage. Now's the time to buy in!

Then we crossed the fabled Gowanus Canal, crossed Atlantic Ave. through my grandparents' old neighborhood in Brooklyn Heights, to the Redhook Neighborhood where I saw that the old fireboat shed had been converted into an ice cream parlor. There's this intriguing music barge moored there where apparently there are concerts all summer. What a place for a Roll & Go concert!

This afternoon we'll head out, in the driving rain, to the Museum of Modern Art annex in Queens where there's a Mattise/Picasso show, do something cultural for a change. This evening there's to be a family gathering, nieces and nephews, at the family pub called the Last Exit at the lower end of Atlantic Avenue. It's supposed to be non-smoking now but I have my doubts. You're all invited and we could raise a song or two, embarrass all the younger relatives.

Larry- Thanks for your kind offer as a guide but I think I might as well take advantage of my family as guides, given that I really don't see that much of them.

Saturday, I'll see what I can do solo in the South Street Sea Port area, see if I can find a friendly street vendor to stash my banjo with while I'm wandering around. Are there special techniques to identifying the most trustworthy ones?
Looking forward to the Chantey Sing. I'm passing up the Joe Hickerson concert and the Lomax Festival, all of which look intersting but take more energy and time than I'm ready to commit. It's really much more fun to float around. I do hope that there's a good turnout for the Chantey Sing; I have this nagging suspition that other than Bilgerat and EBarnacle I may be the only person to show.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble