Winter Travel

Bookkeeping, paperwork, and other mundane "at home" chores keep us with our noses to the grindstone when we're traveling a lot, which we have been recently. After Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, we broke one of "his" cardinal rules... we went north in winter! It was a necessary trip to retrieve books from a warehouse in Ohio, and required renting a Chevy Cobalt (very compact and easy to drive, though we're used to tooling around the country in a Dodge Grand Caravan) in which to drive up, and a 14-foot rental truck to come back.

Then we went north a second time(!) to the Greater Philadelphia Mid-Winter Scottish & Irish Music Festival on the 16th & 17th of February. We set up our wares at Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA, with our friends Bob Davis and Jeanne Treat. Jeanne is an author and husband Bob acts as her "roadie". Jeanne's first book is selling well; Dark Birthright is adventure/fantasy/romance and history, all set in 17th Century Scotland. She is in the same boat we are, trying to write and travel and promote and advertise while maintaining a full-time job and sanity at home. Bob is an apiarist as a sideline.

At the music festival we also met up with other friends, including Rob Piland, who designed and cast the silver pendant I wear at almost all times. It's called Bruce's Axe, and Rob's about to "retire" the design from his collection. It's also available in gold so he said. He's a very talented designer.

Jeannie and Bob Rider were there with Jeannie's new business called Pixie Treasures. This was the first time they had been to this event, too. Last Fall we ran into them at the Williamsburg Highland Festival , which, if I'm remembering correctly, was their first such event?

Albannach was among the great Scottish and Irish bands who played at the Philly show, and boy! Do they ever attract a crowd. People can't resist their music, and so many stopped to watch and hear them that the crowd was bumping against our table, the only time that happened. It's always good to see the guys and Jackie perform their primitive, rousing down to your toes, Scottish music. If you have the chance to see them in person, I recommend that you do. They are the only band I've ever seen in our travels who have gotten a cheer for just walking onto the stage, drawing people to them from all over the field like a sugar cube draws ants. It's amazing.

Well, that's it for right now, but I hope you'll keep up with us. I've got to write more often! CDHB