The Minstrel Cafe, Kelowna, BC

Well, the truck is pointed East now and Dave and I are amazed that the end of this Big Road Blues Tour will be coming up in just a few thousand more kms, just another couple of weeks of shows. Its been absolutely great. Kind of sad to be headed east after the glory of the coast, but as we have said to each other many times- its ALL beautiful! We are looking forward to the mountains again, and then the great prairie beyond. We are so blessed to own this Big Road, to be able to grasp it and make it our own.




An easy five hours of driving today taking in another breath taking road- the Coquihalla Hwy through the mountains toward the Okanogan Valley. Today we are in early enough to check into our hotel and snooze before the show. We have got pretty nice digs- right on the Lake.


It sure ain't Niagara Falls. The Valley is a popular retirement destination due to its mild, almost desert like climate. We had Fred McDowell cranked up in the truck today. We are groovin' heavily on this ride!

Another sell out show tonight. The room is attentive. We have a ball playing for these folks, and Clare feeds us like kings. The encores are good, and we are done early. This is a nicely detailed room with great food, a nice stage and excellent sound. It's the place to hear acoustic music in Kelowna. Between sets we entertain a variety of guests in our green room- actually Dave's guests- a gentleman from the Winnipeg Jets, musicians from up and down the Valley, and the former owner of the Times Changed Blues Club- a Winnipeg institution for many years. Everybody loves these mountains and this great valley. I'm to bed early, while Dave takes in the jam at the Blue Gator across town.

Hornby Island, BC, New Horizons

We were guests of the Hornby Island Blues Society for a concert on the Island. I'm short of internet access at the moment, but I'll fill in some details in a few days time. This was amazing, amazing, amazing! From the packed house concert in the deep woods to our oceanside digs... Wow!!



After checking in with our hosts at the Hall and loading our gear into the performance area, we were escorted to our accomodations for the evening. We were also provided with a big pot of seafood chowder, french bread, beer, bagels, creamcheese... a big basket of food to enjoy for our dinner and breakfast. This is an amazing house. Dave and I had the place to ourselves. We were quite taken by it's oceanside bedrooms, skylights, glass, wood and earthtoned designs.



The view from this house was a real thrill for us. The roar of the tide coming in and out was a wonderful, relaxing sound, as was the wind in the trees all around us.


We were only sorry there was not more time to enjoy this. But night was falling and it was time for us to try to find our way back to the Hall. This proved to be a little tricky on the dark little island roads- but there are only so many of them, so eventually we got to the Hall. Still in plenty of time. Heck, it's dark on this Island at night! Our night vision is not what it used to be, either!

Soon the hall was filled up, and we were delighted to meet many members of the Hornby Island Blues Society. This is a very active group that, despite their remote location, have a big influence on the western Canadian blues scene. They are big promoters of acoustic blues, and for several years have hosted a summer "blues school" featuring master classes with well established Canadian blues performers. They are also involved in promoting concerts such as the one we are playing, and are involved as a sponsor and participant in the Maple Blues Awards. Great, sincere people, a real pleasure to meet and an honour to perform for.

The New Horizons Hall was as quiet a place as Dave and I have played on this tour. It's not hard to deliver a great show when a room is so primed for listening, and the environment so free of noise and bustle. We enjoyed our first set. During the intermission Dave discovered one of his childhood heros in the audience- Judith Lawrence- the voice of Casey and Finigan on the television show "Mr. Dressup."



To great excitement we raffled off another tour jacket at the start of the second show. Here's the lucky winner!













We finished the night with a couple of encores to this delightful, capacity crowd. After the show we enjoyed more local hospitality and some of the cash crop that this Island is famous for. A magic night for these two city blues guys, in a magic place. Thank you so much for sharing this special world with us. We were so pleased to be able to visit and play.

Port Alberni, BC

Here's what it looked like camped in line for the ferry to Vancouver Island. I had called ahead and made reservations just in case- but these are big, big, boats, and at this time of year the traffic was apparently pretty good.
It was pretty neat being on this big boat. Dave and I drank coffee and explored.

This is all new territory for me, so it's quite exciting. We stood out on the forward deck, not wanting to miss anything.

There was quite a bit of activity out in the water. I think that there were seals fooling around out in Departure Bay, but I don't really know what they were. Hell, they could of been blues singers that got chucked off an earlier boat. Har! Walk the plank, lads!!


After a great ferry ride, and a wonderful drive across the island we reached our destination- a house concert on a lake near Port Alberni, BC. Rain, mist, old growth trees that touch the sky. A magic night with rain beating down on the roof of a big house. We played to about 50 people, were well fed and received. Sometimes being a blues singer is good. Very good. The Island is everything I imagined it would be, and more.

Lorenzo's Cafe, Enderby, BC

A stunning drive though the mountains to get here today. We drove up route 40, bipassing Calgary city sprawl and seeing plenty of wildlife. We took quite a few pictures on the way. Way too many, actually! I remember doing this the first time I visited the Grand Canyon. But this is Canada, and the pics are digital, so who cares! Our perfect day has clouds now, sometimes level with, or in the valleys down below our road. There has been snow here, up in the high country, and it's remains can be seen here and there along these empty roads. Didn't see more than a couple of cars in 150 km up to the TransCanada. Here's what it looked like:






Nice, huh? We had Jimmy and Stevie cranked up in the truck to start off this drive- I think the cd is "Brother to Brother" or something like that. The album has held up surprisingly well over the years. It was great music on this empty road. Then we got out J.B. Lenoir- a cool recording featuring him and Willie Dixon talking and jamming. Fred McDowell and Johnny Woods was the chaser. The Fat Possum issue of this old field recording is possibly one of the greatest country blues albums. I'd heard one or two of these tracks before, but not the whole collection. Amazing. That's what it's all about. Go there.

We rolled into Lornzo's in late afternoon. It's a great little place, built by Lorne- a "woodland paradise." We did a very good show. Great sound. A few people who knew Dave from Saskatoon and Winnipeg showed up to say hello and catch the Big Road Blues Tour. We get quite a few of Dave's fans seeking us out. An excellent house, especially as it is Tuesday night! How do all these people find this place? This is very "west," if I may say so- people don't seem to mind driving long distances to catch shows. People were in tonight from Salmon Arm and Kamloops. I guess they know these mountain roads, I'd think the drive would be a little bit of work in the dark with frost on the road! I'll put up some pics when I can get a terminal with brains! (That would be now- Hi! I'm back, weeks later to drop these in!). Lorne built this place out of a one room school house into a large, multi-floored venue. It's got great, high ceilings, wonderful sound, wood everywhere- bowling alley motif, as Lorne used salvaged wood to construct this one of a kind concert room. And he serves fabulous meals. And the bar is good. And the company is wonderful. Go visit, say "hi" to Lorne and his staff.


Off to Kamloops, BC in the morning. First we'll stop by the river to see the salmon run. This place is so far from the ocean it is absolutely incredible that the fish can make it here to spawn. Addendum: The run was pretty much over by this time, but we did see dozens of big, pink slow moving fish down below the bridge. This is what it looked like, early in the morning, just a mile from Lorenzo's Cafe. A short drive today- good! Dave says, hi!!