Projects

Shelby's started a new thing where once every month or so we're recording a couple of her songs and they'll be released as singles, and then by the end of the year she'll have an album. So yesterday they worked on Bleeding Hearts, The Christmas Song and Coward. And today I came in and did background vocals and glock and tambourine while Ian did trumpet parts. I love being in the Shelby Lamb Band.

Anyhow, I started to think about all of the people I know and all of the things we're doing, and I felt really overwhelmed by the beautiful things that my friends make. Through the course of my life, I've always felt that I'm lucky because I know some amazing people. I'm sure that people feel that way about their friends. But I'm so in love with so many of the people that I know, I can't hardly believe it. I remember a friend saying to me once at a party that if he was looking in at what was happening, he'd really want to be a part of it. There's something special about feeling admiration for people you get to hang out with, too.

Dear friends: I love you.

Saskatchewan

i stole this from the email i sent out:

recording has been wonderful. we're set up in the united church in the town of harris which is about a ten minute drive. where i'm staying (ie the vogelsang farm), there is nothing around. i've never seen another human being around here. once when i took jake for a big walk a car drove by. anyhow, the acoustics in this place are beautiful. it was kind of weird being in a church at first, but then we got used to it. we've been laying down 6 songs and they're mostly done. we're going to work on some ambient sounds tonight and then jody (neil's friend) will come and lay some bass tomorrow. and then i fly back on tuesday. weird.

in the town of harris there is a big grain elevator that has harris written on it so you know what town you're in. there is a co-op gas station (i'm drinking my coffee from a co-op mug) and the co-op is based in feudal county. there is an autograph wall. oh yes you read correctly - we haven't signed it yet but we're gonna. there's a harris museum, but that's only open in the warmer months (ie july. just kidding.) there's a bar (that i keep wanting to go to but i think mark's afraid...) there's a hall called new horizons which is for retired people and sometimes we meet elaine (she's a homecare nurse) there for lunch (which is called dinner). when we first got here, there was a billboard with a farmer on it and a big canola pod that said "canola you can brag about", but it's been replaced, which i wasn't too happy about.

how it works here is this: wake up, shower, check internet/have coffee/get food organized, load up whatever gear we need for the day, head to the church, set up, play instruments/sing/recordstuff, eat about 5-6 carrots throughout the day, take down, reload the truck, head home, eat supper, hang out for a bit (usually watch coronation street or the other night we watched pirates of the caribbean 2), go to bed.

some days we've driven into the city (saskatoon) for gear, which is about an hour drive one way. for example, yesterday we returned a bunch of gear/instruments we were finished with, and then greg and elaine met us for dinner and we went to a movie. we went to dreamgirls. we thought it was the only option (elaine doesn't like violence). i can't remember seeing a more suck-ass movie in my entire life. it was very bad.

i guess i don't really have much more to say. i'm really excited for you all to hear what we've been doing. i feel kind of removed from myself and my life, so i'm sure that'll change once i'm back home. or maybe it won't. and maybe that's good.