August 10, 2012
Des Moines, IA
Well, I'm liking this theme...this PIE theme. After the concert tonight, Joanne and Dale Bruce invited us over to their wonderful house for blueberry pie and wine. They did not know about my experience in Red Lake Falls (see prior blog entry) so this made it even more special.

Des Moines has become my birthday hangout. We played here last year on my birthday and they had a cake ready. This year it's pie. I love it. And always nice to come back and see so many wonderful fans who have become friends through the years.

From here we travel to Ivanhoe, MN to sing for their "Polish Days" celebration. It'll be another early morning departure as the Ivanhoe concert starts at 3pm. Then it's back to Clearwater for our final summer concert at Clearwater Heritage Days on August 12th.

It's been an awesome summer and I while I love being on the road and playing the concerts, I'm really looking forward to climbing back onboard the sailboat next week for some R&R.

July 28, 2012
Red Lake Falls, MN
Greetings from the far northwest corner of Minnesota, not far from the North Dakota border and the promised land of Canada. I'm on tour with "the D's" this week and having a great time.

The heat wave that seemed to last for many weeks broke a few days ago and we're all very grateful. Outdoor concerts have many challenges, but when it's above 90 degrees and humid, we all start looking, acting and smelling funny.

Tonights concert was moved inside and we sure had a fun time. Our host, Laura Schafer, caught wind that I had a soft spot in my heart for blueberry pie. Oh, yes! She and her husband Jaime showed up at the motel a little while ago with wine and homemade blueberry pie. We all sat outside under the stars telling stories and sharing good treats.

We'll be on the road early tomorrow for an afternoon concert in St. Cloud, Minnesota along the Mississippi River and six hours south of us. We've played that gig many times and love it, with usually 400-500 folks attending.

May 6, 2012
Clearwater, MN
Yesterday was a lot of fun. We had a hometown CD release concert at Eagle Trace Events Center here in Clearwater. It's a wonderful, intimate room located along the Mississippi River. A great crowd! I haven't seen that many people in our little town of Clearwater since the Dairy Queen had a two for one special on Peanut Buster Parfaits. The concert ran a little long but nobody seemed to mind. :)

March 28, 2012
Portland, OR
It's great to be back in the Pacific Northwest. I used to tour out here twice a year, back when I played the I-5 tour of colleges from southern Oregon to Northern Washington. A lot of great memories here. My Mom grew up just outside Portland, and I have many relatives to catch up with when I visit.

Portland is a progressive city. FREE trolley-train rides downtown make it easy to get around. And interesting places to eat. This morning I was really tempted by the "Fruit Loop" pancakes at the Original Cafe on SW 6th Street. If it had been "Captain Crunch with Crunch Berry" pancakes, I would've definitely ordered them!

February 11, 2012
Fort Pierce, FL
I think I could become a beach bum pretty easily. There's something about the ocean and walking her shores...

Today I had the thrill of sailing on the Atlantic Ocean via a 38 foot sailboat named Dolce Vita. Captian Jaye allowed me a lot of time to drive the boat through the 6 foot waves and +30 mph winds. I've loved sailing since I was a teenager, sailing with my Uncle Jim and Aunt Helen on the Columbia River in Oregon.

I posted a photo on my facebook page with a grin that should tell you I was having a blast today.

January 13, 2012
(Madison, WI)
Yes! I'm starting off the 2012 concerts in Illinois tomorrow. Hinsdale, IL is the home of one of the best small concerts series around, the Acoustic Renassaince Concerts.

I'm looking forward to trying out some of the new songs from my new CD, "SEEDS", which arrived on my door via UPS yesterday. It took awhile to get the CD finished up. First, I had to wait for my studio to be built and tested. Then the tour schedule really picked up and I just wasn't home to work on it. But it was a wonderful process and I think you'll like the results.

Of course, my band "the D's" played a big role in it, as they have for most of my albums. Dan Neale (guitar and mandolin), Derrick Raiter (percussion) and DK Kennedy (harmonica and marimba). The list of special guests is really impressive. I'm so appreciative my friends want to be a part of my music. Leela Grace, J.D. Steele, Freebo, Jeff Engholm, Julie Rust, Pat Curto, Glen Everhart, Pat Riley, Mike Zeleny and Paul Diethelm. Many of these names may be unfamiliar to you, but trust me, they are all A-List players. Here's a link where you can hear sound clips: www.WarnerSongs.com/seeds

After the show tomorrow in Hinsdale, I head over to Naperville, IL to sing at the Unity Church on Sunday morning. They are a young but rapidly growing congregation and I'm excited to be asked to participate.