D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure

Subject: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Allan C.
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 10:20 AM

David C. and Allan C.'s Wonderful Mudcat Adventure

On May 26th of this year my good friend, David (whom I often describe as a Mudcatter in spirit because he lacks a computer) and I will embark upon what we fully expect to be a wonderful adventure. Our plan is to visit with as many Mudcatters on this continent as is humanly possible. One of our goals is to find out what is happening with regard to folkmusic in the various areas we will visit - sort of taking the pulse of folkmusic by actually visiting some of the people who make it. We are also aware that there are many 'Catters who have not yet actually laid eyes upon another Mudcatter - who have not been able to attend some of the gatherings, Getaways and such. So we would like to bring some of the spirit of that kind of thing to a few folks. But mostly, we just want to have some fun and hear some good music!

We have already been in contact with a few Mudcatters and have made tentative plans to hook up with them along our way through something like 22 states plus a sojourn to Toronto. But there are certainly more Mudcatters out there we probably don't know about who would be almost directly in our path and with whom we'd at least like to meet and possibly have a cup of coffee. And of course, if time permitted, we might be able to sing/play a few songs together as well.

The whole trip will take almost exactly a month to accomplish. Where possible, we wouldn't mind driving just a little off our route to meet some of you. So please send me a personal note to let me know what you think we could work out.

So here is our proposed route. At the stops indicated we have already been in contact with one or more 'Catters with whom we will visit. But I have not included any names here because I am not certain about which of them might not want their location known. I imagine, though, some of the "oldtimers" will recognize the hometowns of a few of the Mudcatters.

We will leave from Virginia (actually, David will leave from West Virginia to meet up with me) towards our first stop near Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday, May 26th. After spending a day or so there, we will head down to the Florida Folk Festival at Stephen Foster Memorial Park in White Springs, Florida. After a couple of days there and in Tallahassee, we will load up and head for Dallas where, among other things, I will visit an 88 year-old uncle of mine who still owns and plays about five guitars - including a double-neck. After hanging around in the Dallas area for about two days, David and I will head through Oklahoma City and then angle up towards Denver. From there we will pass through Casper, Wyoming. We'll rest a day or two there and then head up into Montana. Then comes a long stretch of road which will lead us to somewhere close to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Soon after we will find ourselves in Toronto where we will stay a day or two. We will then head through western and central New York state (sorry, I have a phobia about NY City and so will not be stopping there). Then we will make our way southward to the Philadelphia area for a visit at Mudcatland. By then it will be somewhere near the end of June. Soon after we will head for home.

It is rather difficult at this point to nail down specific dates for arriving in certain spots along the way. We hope to stick to a rather general kind of schedule which will allow us a bit of freedom to get the most out of the trip. But we hope some of the folks we visit will post a note here from time to time concerning our whereabouts, etc.

I'll post more details as the date approaches.

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 10:25 AM

Put down Praise and Hardiman for a stop if you can-- a Saturday night to sit in for our acoustic church service would be grand, or the third Friday we jam, or anytime-- south of Elmira NY in PA-- or we can come up and see you in NY state, there's a great deli not far from Albany...

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: MMario
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 10:30 AM

thread creep - PRAISE!! How far south of Elmira??? I'm about an hour north....

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Mbo
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 10:38 AM

Well, I'm in Greenville, North Carolina, which is about an hour and half to the east of Raleigh. Come down and we can hang at Andy's Cheesesteaks. (Sorry, Philadelphia heritage creepin' in there)

--Mbo

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Amos
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 10:39 AM

Ha! Finally located the den of genius! Man the barricades, MM!

Whyn't you guys really bite the bullet and brave the southern Califiornia freeways? I have Band Aids...

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Vixen
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 10:45 AM

Dear Allan--

I've sent you a personal message...

V

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: MMario
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 11:27 AM

sorry to waylay the thread...

amos - I still have nightmares about california roads and I haven't been there since summer of '63

Mbo - 25th and 26th of March I will be performing (thegadswilling) at North Carolina Renaissance Festival - which is held at the state fair grounds. where is that in relation to you??

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 11:35 AM

Allan, you know how excited I am about this! Thanks for posting the thread. It will be a pleasure to watch the journey unfold as we each post of your comings and goings.

Mudcatters in Wyoming!! Yeah!!

luvyakat

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: paddymac
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 11:36 AM

Sounds like a great experience in the making. Looking forward to seeing/meeting you at White Springs & Tallahassee. Don't forget your skeeter repellant.

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Mbo
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 11:37 AM

I believe that is in Raleigh--but I do not go that way...I've never actually driven there myself, and I got school and all. As for California roads, I've BEEN on them many times (6 years total) but never actually DRIVEN on them. We left San Clemente in '89--I was MUCH too young to drive then!

--Mbo

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 11:48 AM

What's yer favourite food? We're getting damn good at steak and kidney Pie here! Don't forget to e-mail me, so we can figure out when you may land in Toronto.

Rick

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Allan C.
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 11:49 AM

Thanks for the invite to California, Amos. Although I am a Californian by birth, I will not make it out that way this trip. To my way of thinking, doing the great Southwest and the western coastal states would be another whole trip in itself. So this time we will head north and northwest at the Trinity River and go until we see the Great Divide. M-m-m-m now you've got me thinking about the trip after next. (Next year, BTW, we are hoping to go to the UK!)

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 12:00 PM

Allan--

Sorry that I'm too far north in the state to be on your route; I was looking forward to having the opportunity to meet some 'catters. Maybe next time.

Bill Foster

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Allan C.
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 12:10 PM

Rick, I am all about eating adventures and have never tried (or been given the opportunity to try) steak and kidney pie. So that would be wonderful! I'll email you as soon as some of the dust settles.

And we, too had hoped to hook up with you, Bill. But you are only one day's hard traveling from where I live. So maybe I could work out another trip sometime.

Paddymac, we'll be looking for you when we get there!

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Troll
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 12:26 PM

Allan---

When you hit the Fla Folk Festival, look for the 24th Street Klezmer Band. I'm the banjo player.

troll

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Tony Burns
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 12:49 PM

Count me in for any Toronto happenings.

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: jeffp
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 01:28 PM

If you're heading through Maryland on your way home, there are a host of Catters in the Baltimore-Washington corridor who I'm sure would be overjoyed to meet you. I'm within 2 miles of I-95 myself.

jeffp

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 01:52 PM

Also in Maryland is the "folk shtetl" of East Silver Spring, less than 2 miles of off I-495, perhaps the densest concentration of Mudcatters in the U.S.

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: jeffp
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 02:13 PM

And a talented bunch they are! I saw/heard a number of them at the FSGW Mini-Fest and was very impressed. Well worth a stop-by.

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: catspaw49
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 02:21 PM

Allan is going to be here in April...a little pre-trip thingy and we'll be getting together. But we will also be getting together on the long sojourn too.

Allan, your schedule to hit Grand Rapids I assume includes Big Mick, but towards the end of June, ElSwanno will also be in from California, and we'll all be at Mick's at one point for a board meeting....Maybe you could make that???

Spaw

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: bbelle
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 02:23 PM

Charlie ... I beg to differ with you! I am positively sure that we, florida mudcatters, are the most dense group of mudcatters ... moonchild

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: bbelle
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 02:36 PM

Looking forward very much to having you and Dave as my houseguests, while you're in North Florida, and going over to the FFF with y'll ... moonchild

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Allan C.
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 03:00 PM

The whole thing will be a great time for David and me. We haven't played music together in thirty years. In the interim, David has become an excellent bluegrass banjo picker and dobro player. But he is good enough at both to be flexible. I am mostly a guitar player who can just barely play folksongs and am much too slow to keep up with most bluegrass players. But I have just begun to play the stand-up bass. I am progressing rapidly and could probably keep up with most kinds of music. We haven't decided yet whether the bass will come with us. I'd really like to bring it just for fun.

I love that some of you are pointing out some possibilities. We are going to have to put our heads together in a few days and figure out just how thinly we can spread ourselves. Meanwhile there is a part of me that wants to do it ALL!

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: harpgirl
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 04:36 PM

Allan, it sounds as though you are driving right through Peru, Illinois. Why not stop and visit Art and Carol Thieme ? harp

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Willie-O
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 08:01 PM

Allan, there's more to Canada than Toronto y'know! I'm in Lanark County, three hours west of To. If you want to consider heading this way, like around the _north_ of Lake Ontario on your way to wherever else...I'll show ya's what we do fer a good time out in the woods...some of it's legal too.

Yours, aye,
Willie-O

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 08:10 PM

Will you guys be camping, motel-ing or looking for crash space?

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: JenEllen
Date: 01 Mar 00 - 09:00 PM

If you make it out further west, give us a holler!

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Allan C.
Date: 02 Mar 00 - 08:26 AM

Willie-O, I mentioned to Dave (TAM) that someday we could do a similar trip someday through all the Canadian provinces and possibly include Alaska. But Toronto is about as much as we can manage on this trip of some five thousand miles.

Sorcha, that is a thoughtful question. I will be bringing my bedroll and tent and David never travels without his Inflate-O-Bed. Yes, we will probably have to do a few motels but we would certainly welcome a bit of crash-space wherever possible. It would help to cut expenses quite a bit. And I can already see myself camped under western skies - even if David would probably go to a motel instead ;-)

JenEllen, the Great Divide is about the limit for this trip. But if you listen carefully some night, our music might just carry to where you are. Surely our spirits will!

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Peter T.
Date: 02 Mar 00 - 08:46 AM

Toronto -- and pronto!!!!
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: bbc
Date: 02 Mar 00 - 11:38 AM

The two of you are welcome to make a stop 1 hr N of NYC--just keep us informed. I'll be sending you a personal message soon, Allan.

bbc

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Crowhugger
Date: 02 Mar 00 - 12:57 PM

Wow, all that in only 1 month? I'm close enough to Toronto so count me in!

CH

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Mar 00 - 01:34 PM

This sounds like rahter unusual itinerant bishops riding the circuit to baptize, marry, etc. wherever they go.

I think the places where there are these 'Cat concentrations should have had more notice so they could start making babies to coincide with the team's arrival. I suppose we will have to breed Mudcats instead, which I am told goes much more quickly, but I am concerned what sins we may have to commit to do so... oh, that's right, they can absolve too, so that's alright then!

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Mar 00 - 02:41 AM

Well, heck, we here in California are miffed that you wil pass us by. Hope I'll see you at the Getaway in October.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Allan C.
Date: 06 Mar 00 - 07:10 AM

Guess what!!!!!!

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Dani
Date: 06 Mar 00 - 08:40 AM

WHAT?!?!

Perhaps that May weekend could see MMario and Mbo and alla us getting together?

Tell more about RenFair, MMario.

moonchild, is the competition for the most dense group of Mudcatters, or the group of the most dense Mudcatters?

I suspect the relative density increases as Allan's compass points NNW of us ;)

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Allan C.
Date: 06 Mar 00 - 09:31 AM

An absolutely AMAZING announcement is forthcomming. Keep an eye on this thread! I am fairly bursting to tell you but am waiting for ...... to ....... and then we will all know. It'll be GREAT!!!

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Mbo
Date: 06 Mar 00 - 10:30 AM

MMario, we're have a Renaissance Fair on Camp Lejuene in Jacksonville...could you possibly make that one too?

--Mbo

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: Allan C.
Date: 06 Mar 00 - 03:41 PM

Oh, this is really big! I believe it deserves a new thread of its very own!

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: BlueJay
Date: 06 Mar 00 - 09:06 PM

Allan- Sounds like a great trip. Which route do you plan when you leave Oklahoma City for Denver. One way is to take I-40 west to Amarillo, TX, and then Northwest to Raton, NM and Through Trinidad, Colorado, where I live. If you go north from OKC, you can catch I-70 west to Denver, but the distances are about the same. Either way, it's a LONG drive to Denver, and you might need a stopping off point. From here, it's about 3.5 to 4 hours to Denver, depending on the traffic in Colorado Springs. E- mail me, especially when the time is near. I'm in the Mudcat directory. ENJOY!

Subject: RE: D&A's Wonderful Mudcat Adventure
From: JedMarum
Date: 13 Mar 00 - 02:42 PM

when last we spoke I believe y'all were lookin to be in Dallas on June 3-ish ... I will be leaving for VA on the June 2 and possibly staying out of town until the 11th. I can't change the fornt end dates any, but if you'll be later arrving to Dallas, I may be able to get back to town earlier, say the 5th or 6th. I hate to miss yer visit.