| Newfoundland 2005 |
| Thursday, July 7th
What horrible news greeted me when I woke up today! Vic called me on the radio in the morning and told me that there were bombings in London. I emailed my online British friend, Teddy, to make sure everything was okay with her. We kept getting conflicting reports from the news media here and in the States. The media here in North America was saying everything was fine and going along swimmingly. The people on radio, however, were telling a different story. I was relieved to get an email back from Teddy saying that she and her family were safe, but everything in London was shut down. God bless us every one. I think my father had the best solution to war way back when - he claimed that wars would be a heck of a lot shorter and fewer if we just let the Generals fight. Go for it, I say! Jim and I spent a goodly portion of the day listening to the world happenings and trying to make sense of it all. I can�t say we saw all things from the same side all the time, but we understood that nether was going to change the other�s mind and agreed to disagree. I decided to go to Signal Hill despite the cold, cold day. I always feel better on Signal Hill, with today no exception. I enjoyed watching the locals who came for their fix too. A city truck pulled in next to me, and the occupants got out and enjoyed the sights, smells and sounds. Then 15 minutes later, they took off to do whatever their job is. That�d be me if I lived here. If you wanted to find me on my break, you�d know where to look. A policeman did the same thing, and a guy in a radio van. I got such a kick out of it! Some spirit here won�t let me go, but I�m not trying to get away. I belong here. To tell you the truth, I don�t remember what we did the rest of the evening. I think I was just too pooped. Friday, July 8th My last weekend in Newfoundland for 2005. Very, very mixed feelings about this. I got very bad news about the health of a family member and really want to fly home today to be there for both him and Vic. It sounds like Karen is missing her mother, too. I am missing Vic. I think a week was fine without him but it�s wearing on me now. Nice to have your loved one with you, you know? It�s been one hell of a day. And that�s all I�m going to say about that. Oh � and I love my daughter. I did take the time out on this beautifully sunny day to wander off downtown at lunchtime to the Harbourside Park near the War Memorial and catch the first in a summer series of shows to be given. Atlantic Union was playing today with a substitute band member - Dave Panting! The other band member is a dentist and was called into work today so Dave was asked to sit in. No complaints from here! I was introduced to Atlantic Union several years ago when I heard them at the Folk Festival here in St. John's. Jim Fidler had produced their self-titled CD and it was marvelous (as is anything that Jim puts his hand to)?. They finally released another CD last winter, changing band membership in the meantine. Although I feel the first CD is better, the second is still good. Folk music from North America and the British Isles is the genre. |
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| The backdrop of the harbour for the band on such a glorious day was perfect as the opened with The Water Is Wide. I sang along in the harmony I use at church. Sounded pretty good, if I say so myself! Dan played an electric 6-string bouzouki which his kids insist is called "the electric zuchini." Sally used a coriander spice jar as a shaker. Sounded as good as any chicken shakers I had heard! Pack up your Sorrows was next and I sang along with that too. Dave looked a bity tired. He'd left Erin's after we had last night. But it didn't affect his playing any - still sounded great. |
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| Dan broke a string, so Sally took the opportunity to sing alone a song called You Mariners All, from the album Jim produced. It's one of my favorites from that album about the singer's fondness for grog - "transform me then into a fish and let me swim in a jug of this." She went right into Mr. Fox from their new album. It sounds like a trad but it isn't. Dave used his guitar for percussion and Dan said it was written in "freegian mode" whatever that is. The Forest of Garth was the first in a series of tunes they played next. He didn't know quite what was coming after that till he launched into it. Sally played spoons for this one. So far we'd seen her play shaker, spoons and bodhran. She was squrting water like crazy on the bodhran to keep it in tune - it was hot and windy. After he was finished, Dan announced two of the titles of the tunes he played. One was called Paresis and the other, You Borrowed my Toque and Put a Hole in It and You'll Not Get the Lend of It Again. LOL! A song called When First into This Country and a tune called Raw Recruit were next. They then did a song written for Frank Maher and Stan Pickett, two of St. John's veteran accordion players, called the Streets of St. John's. Followed by Blooming Bright Star of Belle Isle, where Dan played both guitar and fiddle! |
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