The summer of 2019 is over and we're beginning to see the first signs of Autumn. The leaves are changing color on many of the local trees up in the hills. Any day now we'll be heading out for a few weeks of travel to parts unfamiliar, and maybe visit some favorite places we were introduced to when we were working but didn't get much of a chance to enjoy. There are special places to everyone, and I'm no exception - Places you want to absorb rather than simply rush through on your way to somewhere else. Some are more local, and others far away. Nice to get a chance to revisit those kinds of places and enjoy the friends we've encountered along the way.

We've been making progress rebuilding our home throughout the summer. It's a fairly big project, even though we're mostly just rebuilding what was already there. I'm a natural born hillbilly so nothing you can't put your feet on gets built around here. We don't call it "the farm" for nothing.

A reporter once asked me what we grew on our farm, and I simply said "rocks." The old timers built stone walls everywhere, not because they wanted to, but because there was nowhere else to put the stones that kept appearing out of nowhere. They just came up from the ground, like a cultivated crop. We spent years and decades removing the stones from the fields, one at a time, the kids grew up throwing them in the back of the old wagon we dragged behind the tractor. But the stone just kept coming. Eventually, we more or less gave up. The stone won. No wonder many of the old farmers went westward. They weren't looking for greener pastures, they were looking for pastures without rocks. Much the same way Native Americans moved around, not looking for more territory as much as looking for territory with better hunting. Food has always been a big deal.

So I ended up being a rock farmer. So far, so good. After food, safe shelter becomes a good idea. We're rebuilding the place that has provided us shelter for over 50 years. It'll be more or less complete this year, maybe sometime this fall before the winter sets in. That'd be good.

Anyway, that's the Fall update from here at the farm. A welcome to the season and a time to begin putting away the things of summer. More later...

It's been absolutely fabulous for the last week or so weather-wise, especially as time allows to see family and a few friends coming to visit. It's great feeling like a regular person doing normal things. Marti has been out planting flowers and shrubs to make the old farm sparkle. Hard to believe we're about half way through summer already. Our buddy, Nigel Martyn came in from Ireland last evening, for a short visit. I've been working with him since late in the last century, mostly in Ireland but we've made forays into the UK as well. I haven't been there in a while. Nice to catch up.

I also saw in the news, that my old buddy Michael Lang is hosting his Woodstock 50 Festival in the Washington, DC area and according to the press, it'll be FREE to attend. That's pretty great! I hope it all goes well. We're still planning to be at the original site August 15th for our own FREE event. The towns surrounding the site, nervous about hordes of old hippies coming out of nowhere are limiting the attendance. Good luck with that. Normally walkers, canes and wheelchairs wouldn't be considered a threat, but it's making me laugh anyway.

I don't imagine most of my peers have thought about sex, drugs and rock 'n roll for a while - but ya never know. Some of us still have a little sparkle left. Running through fields, streams and ponds naked is likewise unlikely for anyone who was there 50 years ago. That's best for people who were born during the 25th anniversary, at least as far as I'm concerned.

All that is still a few weeks away, but I'm looking forward to seeing what happens. Just the chance to see some old friends in familiar places will be fun. Meanwhile, before that we're heading back to The Flying Monkey, in Plymouth, NH and to Maine (Ogunquit) to do a gig at Jonathan's. Both very friendly places for me personally. But, I'm heading out to enjoy the day. Enough blogging for the moment... It's another gorgeous day, and it's calling me.

May 17, 2019 - Washington, MA - The Farm

After a couple of fantastic nights in Boston, with Keith Lockhart and The Boston Pops I got back to the dirt roads of forests and fields which is what we call The Farm. We've been here a long time. It's been raining most of the day but looks to be clearing up for a good weekend. Lilacs are late this year and maybe it'll take another week to bloom. Guess it depends on weather. Either way, it's good to be home. I haven't been here since early last December. We do a lot of moving around. Time to decompress and enjoy Spring. I'll check in here from time to time, but mostly I'll do what I do best - Not much.

For the last few days we've been moving steadily eastward across the northern tier. Eventually, in less than a week, I'll be back on the farm in The Berkshires (western Massachusetts). I haven't been home there since last November (2018). We still tend to keep moving a lot of the year. It's been like this for decades, so nothing new. But, I do miss the days back about 30 years ago when I could stay in one place long enough to get used to the seasons coming and going.

The old farm house is going through some needed renovations. And we're hoping it'll all be done sometime this coming summer. I love the smell of sawdust in the morning. Meanwhile, we've got a little more wandering to do. One coming up in Wyoming, and a couple in Colorado. These are coming up quickly, so they may be done by the time you find yourself reading this.

There's some really fun gigs coming up with The Boston Pops, at Symphony Hall in Boston. And a few more in the New England area this summer. But, mostly, I'll be back on the farm, trying to enjoy the comforts of home - seeing my kitty, getting some summer sun, lounging around, and taking pix of places near and dear. Marti and I will be back on the mountain planting flowers, enjoying the occasional visitors, and heading to our favorite hang-outs on my bike.

That's my plan, and I'm sticking to it. See you somewhere...

It's pretty funny when you leave somewhere at night and get to where you're going that same morning. But, that's what is about to happen. From here on we'll be back in the same basic day as everyone in the USA. And we'll get back to being in tour buses for weeks at a time. But, it won't be for long.

After a short couple of weeks we'll be back in the Berkshires - Back on the farm for the Spring, Summer, and even most of the Fall. Although, having said that, it appears we'll be doing some traveling too. So, we'll get a little taste of the mountains of New England.

Being half a world away has been great fun, and insightful. Always interesting to go somewhere where our news is nowhere near as important as it often appears to us. Still I look forward to returning and catching up with everyone on everything we missed. It's a pretty big world out there after all, Disney's attraction notwithstanding.

Mostly I just miss having a few cameras, most all of which I left behind, using my iPhone instead for the usual pix of venues and places. They've come a long way, although still not capable of capturing what I like. I've posted a few pix of the venues, and anyone can tell the difference between an iPhone (any one of 'em), and a real camera (almost any one of them too).

So, here we come ready or not. Back to the left coast for a little bit, before we begin our trek to the east side. So long Australia - Hello America!