Small Towns / Big Hearts

St. Maries, Idaho and Cashmere, Washington. We were shown the greatest hospitality and Leah had some great babysitters too! The apples were fresh picked from the tree by our fly rod making, banjo picking host. That was hard to top until we arrived in Leavenworth, Washington (which happens to be a Bavarian Village?!) and our host was a guitar collecting, wine making, recording engineer. The food, the wine, the company and the music has been a balm as we were feeling pangs of road weariness. We are exploring the Northwest and soaking in the sights of the water now. The shows have been just perfect with great turnouts and those amazing pauses in between the last note and the clapping...

Thanks to Cathy Britschgi LaPlante for taking these videos at the St Maries concert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh58Ixn3ob4, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYmDl3C2Ezk

Four Corners Festival Bliss

Wow. Another grand year in Pagosa Springs at the Four Corners Folk Festival. Each year seems to top the one before. The setting is amazing, the hospitality is top notch and the music - oh the music - is just total bliss. From the pizazz of The Wiyos to the nostalgic sound of The Quebe Sisters to the class of The Greencards to the spirit of Sara Watkins (wait, we haven't even gotten to the MVP's like Darrell Scott and Tim O'Brien) - I just can't fit in all the music here that soothed our souls. We're just so glad we got to be a part of it. Thanks to Casey Driessen and the Wiyos for sitting in Friday evening (wow!) and to Bryn Davies, Carol Young and Shannon Whitworth for creating a Sunday afternoon "angel band" with Anne. We feel at home in Pagosa now and everyone treats us like family. Love to you all!