ON THE ROAD WITH FRAN...STORIES & PHOTOS

Welcome to the mid-winter Traveler's tales...

Sorry once again for the long lay-over for those who check in with some regularity. I'm afraid multi-tasking isn't one of my strongest points...try as I might. In any case...it's been quite a busy and fulfilling few months since the last update. [I'm looking at the calendar here to see where I've been]. Had a busy stretch through the end of 2003, some great nights in AL , GA and SC, finishing up just before Christmas with a great night at St. Francis in Birmingham, AL. In early December, I was invited to do some music for a wonderful group "Fresh Start" for a week at nearby Kanuga, an inspiring organization full of very creative folks...what a joy it was to do that conference.

2004 began with a bit of time a home [and some long postponed redecorating] then....a rush. I've been able to take my dear friend and multi-talented musician Charles Milling with me on a couple of short tours...we had many laughs and some great concerts. We hit New York and New England during a very cold spell but had a great time anyway, even managing to get in a viewing of "Lord of the Rings" on a snowy night off in New Jersey. Had a really interesting all day workshop at Trinity Church, Wall St. I did a swing out to the mid-west, into Ohio, Indiana and then back to West Virginia. I loved the 'fallow ground' aspect the farmland in OH and Indiana...giving permission for things to rest and prepare [a couple of pix of that]. Then a quick trip out to Portland, OR for some planning meetings. That was really fun...got to hang out with my friends Brian Prior and Kathy Hamilton, as well as some other friends from out west and a surprise visit with Chuck Hamilton, who drove from Seattle to be with Kathy for Valentine's Day. So Chuck and I got to play a bit...always a joy.

I started the year reading Michael Moore's latest book and then jumped into James Carville's "Had Enough." These two books have made for some very interesting conversation on planes when the people sitting next to me get a look. The Carville book is full of some very timely and challenging information and great suggestions for those of us who fancy ourselves "progressive." A must read. I'm deeply saddened to see what's going on in Haiti these days, having been there some years ago with a group called "Diakonos." We spent time in the cities where most of the violence has been occurring and it makes me fearful for the truly wonderful people I met there...some of the most gentle, caring and inspirational people I've ever met. I played music there, in Plaisaince, with a a really gentle soul, Dodi Pierre and his group who had walked miles over the mountains carrying instruments and [car] battery powered amps. We played and danced through the night as the nuns put out a feast for the whole village. One day I will make some cds of the music that was recorded that night, and I will forever remember the end of the evening as the generator finally ran out of gas, the lights went out and we kept on playing, dancing [the nuns, too!!] under a full moon...for hours. I hold those people close in my heart.

"Cairn" [latest cd] is doing very well. I've had lots of feedback that this is the "best ever", which is always nice to hear after having been recording for quite a long time. There does seem to be strong connection for people with this one. It was wonderful "in process" so maybe it's just carried on through.

There are all kinds of great things coming up over the next few of months. It looks like I'll be spending quite a bit of time out west in the spring and summer, which will be nice. I'm ready for spring here in the mountains. We've had a bit of a rough winter...there are some photos of one of the ice storms that seemed to linger forever. Lots of other photos, from concerts, around home, and things that grab my attention...like the "watch out for alligators" sign!

Guess I'd better end here as I've got an early morning start tomorrow. Thanks once again to everyone who has been so kind and generous in spirit and hospitality these past months.

View the photos and movie clips HERE!