August 16, 2000 Black Mountain, NC   All good things must come to an end, as the old cliché goes, so summer must pass and be followed by... spring? I did get some good hammock time in this summer, but now I'm scrambling to get ready to hit the road again. The last few months were full of good things, including some time spent with friends and family, and alone puttering around the house and fixing some things. This week I even cleaned out the shed. Pretty darn domestic. Maybe it's the fact that I spent 246 days on the road last year that makes me especially treasure these days at home. Maybe I just like it. The summer also held some short trips, including one to Arkansas to play once more at Camp Ferncliff. Students from schools around the country that have been exposed to school violence gathered there to go to goof off, network, process their experiences and create intervention groups, which will be available to go into schools if and when this kind of thing happens again. They were training to be peer counselors, knowing that they were in an unique position to do that, as some of the few people in the world who really do know what that's like. I was so inspired by these folks who had chosen to look for ways to be of service in the world as a result of their personal tragedies. Good people. Montreat youth conferences and regional shows peppered the summer, too, and it was good to catch up with some old and new friends. My girlfriend Kristin visited for a couple of weeks (from Austin TX) and sang with me at one of those Montreat shows, while Joe Ebel sat in on two others. Joe is an amazing electric guitar and fiddle player, and it was a joy to work with him. I hope to do more shows with him when I'm back in the area. Of course, that will be after spring. After two springs, actually. In the next few weeks I'll be headed down toward GA, AL, LA and TX, then up to teach in Wyoming for another two-week stint. After that I'll be home for one day, then leaving for Australia at the end of September, just in time for Spring. Three weeks there and another couple in New Zealand, then I'll be going on to Europe, where Kristin will join me. We'll do four shows together in Holland, then have a few days in France before heading back home just in time for Thanksgiving. There have been some disappointments in the planning of the international tour; some things we hoped would come through and some we thought had come through that ended up falling through. All the same, it's a lovely tour, with some great venues along the way. I'll be kicking it off at a large four-day festival in Victor Harbour, SA, Australia, and doing some cool shows, showcases and house concerts on the way. New Zealand will see me at another good festival, as well as a folk club in Nelson and a show for the Guitar Association of New Zealand (!?). And even without the shows it will be a lovely trip. Last week a late booking came through in the Blue Mountains an hour from Sydney. From Black Mountain to the Blue Mountains... I'll be sending email updates as I can, so keep an eye on the site if you want to hear me ramble on about the trip. :) And thanks, as always, for your kindness and support. The new record, Corners, is doing very well, and I'm feeling like a pretty fortunate man. Peace to you, David