Hallo, fans ;-)

It's a photo of me with renowned Irish Piper Paddy Keenan, down in Hanover (15 miles SE of Galena) a couple of weeks back.

I'd just finished playing a set of jigs on stage with Paddy, his guitarist John Walsh and Maurie Grafton (our host, also an excellent guitarist!)

After two great sets on his Uilleann Pipes or on the Low Whistle, Paddy had said, well, that's all we've got, but if anyone's brought their instruments, bring them out!
I said, well, I might have my fiddle in the car!
"Go get it!"

A great and unexpected pleasure and an honor to share the stage with such a renowned player.
Of course, you can tell by looking at him that he's a refined and gentle soul, most happy in a quiet hall, I think, although he's played to stadiums filled with thousands!

I thanked him for the honor, of course, but he insisted that the pleasure was his, that "It's just great to play some of those good old tunes...haven't thought of some of those in years..."  No rock star attitude there!

You can probably also tell that we'd had a few beers at the bank across the street at intermission :-)
(The bar in Hanover is the converted bank... I asked what they had used the bar for when it was a bank?)

Paddy's maybe a bit worn from being on the road, he and his guitarist had arrived from St Paul, en route to St Louis (and Hanover/Galena are almost exactly half way, right along the Mississippi!).

Thanks to Maurie Grafton and Patricia at the Artful Lodger B&B in Hanover  IL for making the concert possible.
A great treat for maybe three or four dozen people in an intimate, homely setting at the Hanover VIllage Hall.

Inspired me to finally pick up a low D whistle when I was in Seattle, at the Lark in the Morning shop at Pike St Market.

By the way, be sure to get out and vote Democratic while you can! (If you're in the US, that is)! It may be the last chance we get.