It's been a while!!

Yes, it has been a while since I have been active here. Lots going on the past few years! We took several extensive (6-8 week) tent camping trips that included Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Mt. Rainier, Vancouver, Jasper NP Cananda, Banff NP, Rocky Mtn NP, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and Acadia NP. Then last year we sold our 1890 Victorian cottage in Waxahachie that my wife and I restored over the past 38 years and bought a 1962 mid-Century modern ranch in east Dallas. It was an emotionally painful decision to move, but it was a necessary one as we both plan for the next phase in our post-retirement lives. We are in a wonderful, quiet, neighborhood, we live on a creek with nature out our backdoor and no chance of flooding, and we are close to various services, our Church and our friends. We rarely have to get on a highway. Driving on IH35 these days is not for the feint of heart!

During this time, I have not neglected my fiddle, though! I have been playing for English Country dances. Last summer we played for over 700 dancers at a Pimberly  (Jane Austin) Ball. I have been active on a Facebook fiddle group (Facebook Video Tune Library) and learning new tunes, revisiting old ones and giving some serious attention to various techniques, e.g. bowing, intonation, articulation and getting out of 1st position. The Admins are Canadian or Maritime fiddlers, so LOTS of opportunities for fun jigs, waltzes, polkas and, of course, reel and hornpipes. I have created a YouTube channel, not for monetization, but to serve as a marker for me of what I was playing at a particular time. Additionally, I've been able to tell friends to "check out this cool tune" that we need to play in our sessions.

I know that some folks here are not fans of FB or other social media. I get that. I limit my social media interactions to Church, fiddling, sourdough bread, family, and friends. There is too much trash and AI slop out there, along with too much click bait and non-trustworthy content. I don't need that in my life, so since I can't delete from my feed, I just ignore it and don't engage with it.

Now that we are about 98% settled in our new home, I hope to be able to spend some time on FHO checking into what folks are doing and talking about and maybe even making the occasional contribution.

FWIW: I've posted a couple of videos that I did recently. Braes of Dunvegan will sound VERY familiar to many old-time fiddlers. I appears to be the source of the Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine, Star of Bethlehem and variants. I learned it from a recording of Howie MacDonald. I heard him in Cape Breton a couple years ago. A phenomenal fiddler!! The other tune is Echoes of the Ozarks. I was highly influenced by recordings of Fred and Lee Stoneking. I actually meet Lee Stoneking in MtnView in the early 90s at a house party. Stupid me, I didn't know who he was and didn't pay him any attention. Life lesson!

See you around.

Otherwise

Old Time Jams in Dallas

English Country Dance tunes - WHY oh WHY???

Playing for Contra Dances

Mtn View Folk Festival 2015 - Best Ever!

Mtn View Folk Festival 2015 - Here I Come!

Old Time Music Gathering June 4 in Waxahachie, TX

Old Time Music Gathering June 5 in Waxahachie, TX

Mtn View Folk Festival 2010

Another Great Festival at MtnView, AR 2009

Inspired and Rejuvenated : Mountain View 2008

Good grief!! What a time monger! I need to retire!