more winnipeg highlights

Going on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park tomorrow with our friends Alison George and Jeff Latto. Yes, I've been going on a lot of trips lately...I'm realizing now I was over-ambitious and am suffering the consequences (work overload!).

Other highlights of Winnipeg visit for me:

• Seeing Dave Clement at the steering wheel of a paddleboat on my first night (we went on a riverboat cruise).
• Gord and Graham Leathers performing Media del Arte at the Fringe Festival (they got a rave review in one of the local papers).
• Ruth juggling her crystal sticks.
• Dave Clement's chili.
• Northern Lights on the last night of the Festival.
• Seeing Beckett play harmonica in the darkness of the campground across the music circle...the only thing clearly visible was her glowing Baggiecon halo, which was bobbing up and down in time to the music. :-)
• Whale tails.
• Flute workshop - first time I've ever seen a shakuhachi flute being played.
• Seeing Paul and Karen beam each other info on their Pilots in the middle of the provincial park campground. :-) (I had left mine back at the Bhigg House)
• Flatpicking workshop. (I felt like burning my guitar afterwards :))
• Hearing Anne (don't know her last name) from Minneapolis, an amaaaazing fiddle player and improvises like magic.
• Seeing Sam Baardman on the main stage on the last night of the Festival.
• Vance Gilbert, Four Bitchin' Babes, Thieves of Sleep, Dee Carstensen, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
• Doing Rattlin' Bog with Ruth back at the campground.
• Campground music.
• River Boat cruise on my first night (thanks, Tom!)
• Glowing blue and pink Baggiecon halos!
• Nate's bad puns (ok, so I admit I enjoyed them tremendously :-) )

Didn't buy much at the Festival itself, but came away with some special souvenirs that will always mean a lot to me: C penny whistle from Kylea, Prairie Celidh t-shirt from Tom, Winnipeg Folk Festival mug from Nate, cartoon from Al, new percussion thingy from Paul (I had forgotten all my percussion at home! Paul bought me a cool ridged wooden rhythm instrument which I used throughout the weekend), and my Baggiecon mug.