April 19, 2015 - Juneau, Alaska. It has been quite a few months since I wrote here. Life seems a whirlwind! I had a successful Fall tour - great reception for Traveling Through, the new CD, and some great adventures since then. I am gearing up for the Spring tour now - Starting in Reno on the 25th as part of Todd South's showcase series at the Wildflower Village, then Aspen, Colorado at the Salon at Justice Snow's (many thanks to Andrea Clearfield's unflagging support for that!) After Colorado, its back to Boise, Idaho for a Cinco de Mayo (May 5) House Concert then hard cross country to St. Paul, Minnesota for another (here for reservations and information for both) on the 8th! I finish this leg of the tour in my favorite restaurant in Windom, Minnesota, River City Eatery on the 9th. After a quick trip home I'm back on the ground and heading to Kerrville for a long weekend before returning back to Alaska. Whew!
But where have the days gone? There has been a flurry of writing, much reading, but, as in so many other years, I am in Juneau mostly these past few months working on the things that matter to me in Alaska. Far too often I have watched as the future of my home state, Alaska, is put on the line in a political process that has, at times, been demoralizing. But, as in past years, I am again optimistic that when they finally gavel out this session, they won't have undermined the very foundation of public education, denuded public broadcasting or devastated our basic services to Alaskans who face an uncertain future.
There are many people of good conscience in this body that are momentarily distracted by the politics of winning rather than service to the public. But, time and time again, I have been surprised at the resilience underneath it all and how even those who have been bombarded with superficial sloganeering rise up and vote the good vote, cast the right ballot, make the tough decisions that pit them against the loud, but on the side of the good. So I sit here and wait on this last day to see what they do next. Let us all wish them well.