Busy weekends...

And I found I DID know how to add a video to my last post.
I don't know how I did it as I went for the scatter gun approach and tried every possibility and one stuck! I will try it again soon.

Sometimes I think I would like to add some music to here. Just so you can listen to some fine Aussie performers that you wont hear if you are not in Australia. Then I find some blog that is playing what some people think is wonderful music and it drives me MAD. I open half a dozen blogs at once and some dreary music starts, and I cant find where it is and furiously scroll down pages looking for the off button. And people have their music selections in all sorts of different places. Left, right, at the bottom...

So here is a link to High and Lonesome. They are friends of mine, Chris is the lonesome part and Chips is high... And I think I may have just added their music to my blog... How annoying is THAT? (For you, I mean. Not for me...).

Happy birthday Pete Seeger. 90 years - I would love to be at the concert in Madison Sq Garden for him.
Tao, his grandson, played at the National Folkie a couple of years ago. Here is the link to their band site: http://www.themammals.net/
That isn't Tao in the photo I took but the banjo player from the band when they were playing at Canberra. I get a bit fixated on banjo players...
There is also a link to a review in The Canberra Times on their site.

Post Easter...

I am back home after going to Canberra for the National Folkie over Easter - too tired to do anything right now except edit a few photos, do this blog, fill my hot water bottle, make another cuppa tea and crawl in to bed.

Here are some photos - family and friends; lovely Andy Irvine (who is still waiting for his quilt he reminded me) playing with yung'uns in the Session Bar; Barry, Gail and Wendy playing at the Merry Muse (check out those green boots of Wendy's!!!); giant Bogong Moths wandering around; colourful and enticing stalls with gorgeous things (jewellery, clothing, food...); my second best bloke friend Andrew and his new love Bettina the gorgeous amazing portrait artist from Berlin; wonderful quilts - a detail of Jenny Bowker's Glassblower; Morris Dancers (shudder!); Eric Bogle and John Munro in Budawang on the BIIIIG stage; Callan talking to a tree which had eaten his Dad Tim...
Work out who is what.
I will be back.
xxxx






The best bit was that there are over 300 acres of grounds and I slept in the Iced Volvo (here on right of photo with a green tablecloth over it to keep out scary bright daylight) just at the end of the Grandstand (where the Session Bar is...). So close I was able to think the toilet block was in reality an en-suite.
My red towel pegged to chain lin k gate, and a marquee we used for singing in. Out of the rain...
Bit cosy sleeping in the back seat of the sedan for the first time, I am either 2" too tall or Volvo made the car just not quite wide enough for a swag. Cosy tho...

These photo placings are crap again. I still can't work out how to make them sit where I want them to go.

National Folk Festival

Each Easter the National Folk Festival is held at EPIC in Canberra.

It is a wonderful time, I reckon it is like being at a family reunion - except you like everyone!!!! Great music, wonderful atmosphere, lots of friends, and singing and drinking, and laughing.
And all run by volunteers - which is what I do, helping it sparkle along. I have worked at different festivals for 10 or 12 years now, and this year again my Smellie 3 is also going to be working with me. He is settingoff this afternoon onhis road trip north.
I am about to head off on my road trip to Canberra, hooray!!!

You can live vicariously at previous festivals by checking out someof my photos here.

I wont be back on line until next week - so have a great Easter, hope the Bilby finds you wherever you are.
xxxx