What a brilliant way to cap off a month on the road! The Ottawa Grassroots Festival was blooming and bursting with bright notes and warm audiences. I had a blast in my hometown, opening for Old Man Luedecke on Friday night, playing in a song circle with Connie Kaldor, Old Man Luedecke, and Terry Gillespie on Saturday, and leading a fingerstyle guitar workshop on Sunday. Thanks to Bob Nesbitt and all the volunteers and fantastic folks who put this excellent festival together.

With the unexpected extension of winter that I’ve been experiencing on this tour, it’s nice to see the buds popping open and the sun shining again. I spent several days painting some new works and the folks at the festival quickly snapped up my creations, including this little line of fishing huts in the Quidi Vidi Gut in St. John’s.

I’m heading back to Toronto to rest up before the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance conference in North Carolina in May, and get back to writing more new songs! And spend some quality time with my bike. I miss my bike.

I gave myself a week off in the middle of this tour so that I could attend East Coast Music Week for the very first time. What a party they’ve been throwing here in St. John’s, Newfoundland! I’ve met some wonderful people, reconnected with old friends, learned a lot in industry panels, and heard a cargo ship’s worth of live music.

My tour starts again on Wednesday night at Folk Night at the Ship in St. John’s. I’ll be sharing that world-class stage with Geoff Smith from Gunner and Smith.