Tonight last day of July, just returned from a weekend in St Sauveur in the Laurentians with my mother Rhea. Just finished a rehearsal a few minutes ago with terrific bassplayer Stu Watkins and guitarist extraordinaire Vince Halfhide – real gentlemen. Feel sick, head cold, weak, laryngitis, just coming off a 2-day trip to the Laurentians north of Montreal. We rehearsed, breaking the ice on some greek and chinese tunes, prepping for the Ottawa Folk Festival that we are playing August 21, 2005. That’ll be good, fun playing with seasoned musicians you can trust in many ways.

Took my beat up rust box the volvo to the Laurentians – I swore it would break down, and magically it didn’t. My volvo is a gem. But now feel sick as a dog back in Ottawa, don’t wanna be writing this, but i am, wanna put on a coat and go to bed, snuggle in … Saw the Guangzhou Ballet from China in St Sauveur, splendid , elegant dancing, pas de deux. Got there late for the reception unfortunately, but watched the ballet. Met Chloe and her entourage of elegant, suave, articulate, very genteel friends from the Kenneth G Mills Foundation who were in a conference all week up in the Far Hills Inn some distance away. Mills is there guru idol, a man who was a concert pianist and music teacher turned pseudo poet-philosopher who has attracted a circle of devotees. Very interesting. Did an impromptu concert for them out on the lawn of the Far Hills Inn. Sold a good no. of CD’s. Beautiful up there, the Canadian shield, the land of the beaver, lakes and rivers, and places where comets smashed into the earth back in the mists of time.