So much awesomeness as I make my way along this Samhein tour.
Before I even made it out of Florida, on my way to the 47th Annual Gathering of the Tribes near Lafayette, GA, my 1999 Ford Explorer Sport gave up the ghost. I found myself in Lake City, FL, with a potential repair bill that was far more than my vehicle was worth. I’m no Pollyanna, but I never looked at the incident as anything but positive! It was time for new-to-me transportation. The very sweet gentlemen at the Tire Kingdom who diagnosed the problem, not only did not charge me a dime for looking at my truck – they were honest that they were not the best choice to fix it. They also googled me and found my website and were happy to help this traveling musician. Just a couple of minutes, and I was on the phone with a wonderful, young, used car salesman who found me what I needed under budget, and I had a “new” ride within two hours. A friend in Lake City, FL responded to my plea for a bit of help moving all my gear from the dead Explorer to my new Trailblazer, and gave me shelter for the night.
Back on the road in my 2004 Chevy Trailblazer – that has a bit more room and WORKING A/C (WOOT!), I made my way to the festival in Lafayette, GA, where everyone made me feel like family as soon as I arrived and all through my time there. I am so grateful to the awesome audio and light crew who made me sound and look great for the concert. And I had the chance to spend some time chatting with the amazing Wendy Rule, who is simply lovely inside and out, as well as being a fabulous musician and artist. She is so approachable and incredibly supportive of Pagan artists. She’s the real deal. I also met Rowena Whaling, another wonderful Pagan musician/artist/author, and attended a spectacular workshop with Prudence Priest – I am feeling quite Goddess Kiss’d with all these inspirational souls crossing this Bard’s path.
And the next stop in Greenville, SC at the South Carolina Upstate Pagan Pride Day was just as spectacular! What a great PPD it was! The organizers, the presenters, the volunteers, the vendors, and every attendee I met … were all a lovely reflection of the community in that area. I was humbled and pretty darned tickled to do a little drumming and share my “One Tribe” chant with everyone as Selena Fox presented the Main Ritual. And very grateful for those who hung out for my evening concert. We laughed … we cried … we hugged.
I’m curled up in a big, comfy chair right now, visiting friends in Charleston, SC. Almost ready to rev up Olive, and head out again for three more festival weekends … in TN, GA, and FL! #lovemylife
I am grateful for every single connection – anticipated, or not!
Have an awesome weekend, and I’ll see you down the road.
G
