Good morning to all!
lol
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO tired!
Bedtime was 3 a.m. and I got a full two hours sleep between then and 7:30 when I got up with the Rosatis a moment ago.
Danno and the girls have just left to head home, Kenyon is sleeping on the couch and David, Lisa and Darryl are in bed.
It was a GREAT day and night here in Gordland!
The weather was glorious - not too hot, no humidity and bright blue skies.
Kenyon took the GO train from Toronto and David picked him up at 3:15. Danno and his crew left Hamburg at 11:15 a.m. but due to an internet map site telling him to take the highway right through Toronto and along the lakefront and then the Don Valley Parkway - WHICH WAS CLOSED northbound, he was slightly delayed in getting to Whitby. He also had a 40 minute wait at the border due to heavy traffic. He arrived at 4:30 or so and we all headed out with fold-up chairs, blankets, snacks, cameras etc. in his wife's Big Red Bus. Lisa came along with us and was glad for the company of the two lovely blonde Rosati girls. Lots of giggles going on. David drove and Kenyon was co-pilot in charge of Lightfoot CD selections.
Peterborough is east and slightly north of Toronto (and Whitby) and it took about an hour to get to del Crary Park on Little Lake in downtown Peterborough. The area around there is known as the Kawarthas and is one of Ontario's major cottage countries. There is also Haliburton and Muskoka north of Toronto and around Georgian Bay. The Kawarthas is a rolling countryside of beautiful trees in large lush forests and small farms dotting the landscape as opposed to the other areas where the Canadian Shield is visible and the bare rock face creates a very different landscape. Peterborough has also been the home of Ronnie Hawkins for many, many years. He lives on a beautiful piece of property and has turned his huge old home into a B & B.
When we arrived in Peterborough and parked the car we were told that people had started filling in the lawn area at noon. It was now just after 6! We walked ten minutes to the park and couldn't believe how many people were filling the lawn. We sat to the left of the stage quite a distance away but where we could view the trailers and bus where Gord and the band were. Kenyon, Dan and I headed over and I got a note to Barry who was standing behind some fencing. I was requesting Sit Down Young Stranger for the "Net" people who were there today along with our names and hometowns. Barry read it and took it into the trailer and gave it to Gord. When he came out I waved and called him and he recognized me it seemed because he came past the fence to the three of us and we introduced ourselves and he said he remembered us. He thanked Kenyon for the article he wrote in a small local Toronto paper in May. We chatted about the two shows on Friday and Thursday nights and how it looks like it could be this spring that the final 4 are put on CD! Warner Bros. records seems to be on board with the idea nowand Barry was optimistic that it's going to happen. He also mentioned Gord is writing more new songs for a new album that will be out in a "couple of years." We didn't ask about these things, he offered that info! He said Gord was busy with "people" in his trailer but he did give him my note, so we headed back to our seats.
When we got back we looked over and out behind the trailer where Barry couldn't see him was Gord talking to fans! LOL !! Needless to say we headed back! There was a crowd of about 30 and he was signing stuff and chatting with everyone. The Festival people came out and gave him an official "Festival of Lights 2001" shirt and had some stuff signed as well. Shortly after that Gord said he had to get in and fine tune his guitars. Barry Keane was standing around so we went and talked with him. He's a lovely man. The night before they had seen Pee Wee at the concert near his hometown and we talked about the different sound with Mike Heffernan in the band. Terry was off in the back in a black tank top and shorts
and waved to us when we called his name. Mike walked by and said Hi as well. We were going to head back to our seats when Gord came back out! He only chatted for a few moments with one woman but he saw my picture of the two of us in May that I was holding and came over and signed it for me and then headed back into his trailer. His manager, Bernie Fiedler was there only as an observer Barry Harvey said, and he was chatting with some old friends who had come in from their cottage. One of the Festival guys showed him a framed picture they were going to present to Gord on stage just before the show started. It was a collage image of some of the performers at this years festival. Barry also mentioned they had been trying to get Gord to come for many years. This was mentioned by the emcee and he also mentioned that one particular old-timer on the committee was the reason Gord finally came. We went and sat down and the Saint had come back with pizza for us! Gord was introduced and presented with the picture to a standing ovation and then he left for a few moments and was formally introduced again. This time the band filed out and then Gord took the stage.
In the middle of typing this Kenyon has arisen and been fed and David is taking him to catch the GO train back to Toronto. That is one nice young man. He heads to Vancouver in 3 weeks to attend University but will be heading to Seattle to see Gord when he's there and Barry said he was looking forward to seeing him then.
While we were waiting for Gord there was a fellow with a convention shirt but we didn't recognize him. When Gord had signed it he turned around and saw Dan standing there with his Massey 2001 shirt on. We said Hi and introduced ourselves. He said he posts once in a while, lives in Toronto but didn't attend the convention. His name was Walter.
I am going back to bed now and will continue this when I wake up. Hopefully it will still be Sunday.
TTFN.
Char
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