Friday Night Plans

The weather is finally looking like it's going to be nice for a couple of days in a row. So this Friday evening The Hot Baloney Boys

(me on fiddle, Dan on banjo, and Colleen on guitar) will be out busking in the U. City Loop. Look for us between about 7:30 and 9:30 PM; usually in front of the Star Clipper Comic Shop (Hi, Ben & AJ!) . Come on by and hang out on the street for a while.

Bring cash dollars, please.

Fiddling Pioneers

On this day in 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, set out from St. Louis on their expedition up the Missouri River to explore the Pacific Northwest. Jefferson wrote to them,

"The object of your mission is to explore the Missouri river, and such principal stream of it as by its course and communication with the waters of the Pacific Ocean whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado or any other river may offer the most direct and practicable water communication across this continent for the purposes of commerce."

They took along with them fiddler Pierre Cruzatte who entertained both crew and Native Americans they encountered on the way. Apparently, he wasn't much of a hunter though:

"I was in the act of firing on the Elk ... when a ball struck my left thye about an inch below my hip joint... I instantly supposed that Cruzatte had shot me in mistake for an Elk as I was dressed in brown leather and he cannot see very well..."- Meriwether Lewis, August 11, 1806.

Makes me proud to be a fiddler somehow!

MySpace Boy

Well, I've taken the leap into the new century with both feet. I've set up a MySpace page. I have no earthly idea what the purpose of these things is supposed to be, but it I had some time on my hands and seemed like the thing to do at the moment.

You can go there now: myspace.com/seanrb

I was amazed by the number of people, organizations and bands that already have pages on MySpace. Some of them pretty entertaining. Looks like I'll have to re-think my belief that this is just a spot for junior high school kids to post embarrassing photos. It's a place for everyone to post embarrassing photos!

Great Saturday!

I got to spend Saturday afternoon with my Mound City Slickers pals celebrating our fiddler, David's birthday. That's him in the picture. David's wife Donna set it up as a suprise for him. And a nicer afternoon you couldn't ask for.

Three of us old boinkers drove out from the city to David and Donna's place in Jefferson County; a beautiful spring day on their large back deck off the side of a ridge. Birds chirping, turkey buzzard flying over head, nuthatches flitting around.Mostly blue, sunny skies and pleasant temperature.

David came strolling in about fifteen minutes after we got there. The smile on his face was priceless. Donna provided cold beers and sandwiches and left us to our own devices.

We spent the afternoon playing tunes, swapping stories, and laughing a lot. I even got my first sunburn of the season!

I can't imagine a better Saturday afternoon!