Mariposa2000 parts 1-2-3-Gord in Orillia

[charlene]

I'm baaaaack!!!!
I'm sooooooooo happpppyyy!!!!
What a night!
It was too good to be true. But it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I shall try to recount all the details of "Char's Excellent Adventures In Orillia at Mariposa with Gord"
In the beginning:
It was a beautiful day here in Ontario. About 76 degrees ( I have converted it from Celsius for you Americans!), blue skies with puffy white clouds dancing through the sky.
The drive up was vision after vision of farm fields with growing crops, cattle, sheep and horses.

Orillia is about 65 miles north of Whitby so it only took an hour and fifteen minutes to get there.
We drove around town and took a look at where the festival was being held. We were at Tudhope Park two summers ago with the kids and knew exactly where to go. We found our hotel and checked in to our "suite" ? that was only $150.00 Canadian dollars.!!! It was just a large room that had a pull out couch beside the king size bed. It did have a view through the trees of the lake however. After watching a couple of holes of some golf tournament on TV we headed out for a late lunch because my 12 year old daughter Lisa was "STARVING!!"" We left our surly, rock lovin' 16 year old at home.

After a lovely lunch "al fresco" we headed to the festival.
We were loaded down with lawn chairs, blanket, cameras, a small cooler and various other things but it was only a 5 minute walk to the gate. There were already several hundred folks spread out in front of the "Main Stage" waiting for the show. This was at 6:15 p.m. We found a nice spot about 10-12 rows back and a slight bit to the right side of the stage.
>From our seats we could see Gord and Rick talking and Barry and Mike were standing by a trailer looking at their gear. The trailer was not a mobile home thing but just a 15 foot one you pull behind your car. Gord and his guys stayed off on their own and didn't really mingle with too many people. Gord's manager was chatting with people and would bring them over to Gord. At one point Gord was incredibly animated in some story he was telling and was laughing and slapping his leg about something! I took some pictures with my zoom lens. He's a very small guy!

Around 6:30 some Folk singers came on and I got up to wander around. My husband and I were looking at some of the artisans and crafts and spotted Terry Clements and his wife walking hand-in-hand in front of us. He stopped at a display of handcrafted guitars and strummed a few for a few minutes. They continued walking around and as they passed us in a spot under a grove of trees we said hi and shook hands all around. He's as grey as I am but when he took off his sunglasses his eyes were a beautiful sparkling blue. We chatted about the tour in the States and he said they were all glad to be able to fit Mariposa into the schedule. My husband asked for an autograph and Terry asked who to make it out to. He said "To Charlene" . Terry then attempted to spell it out loud but said "een" instead of "ene". He then graciously signed a piece of paper "to Charlene..." thanks, Terry Clements. I took a pic of my husband standing beside him as he signed and Terry's wife said if I wanted to get in a picture she would take one for me. I gave her the camera and she snapped one off! Terry put his arm around me and I put my arm around him. I asked him where he was living now and he mentioned York Region which is a suburb north of Toronto (Greater Toronto Area now). He said they were going on around 9:40 after the other acts. I said that would be right around the time the bugs and mosquitoes would be everywhere. He laughed and did a little shudder thing and said he'd have to put on long sleeves then. We wished him well on the rest of the tour and I mentioned I am following Gord's tour on the internet and they should check in once in a while and see the great websites. He did a funny little face like - "oh-oh we better watch what we're doing!" and laughed. I asked if there was any chance Gord would be doing any signing before the show. He said to come around behind the area that was for the talent and their people. I told him I had my 30 year old 45 of IYCRMM that I wanted Gord to sign and he said "wow that was a long time ago". I laughed and said "yea, and look at all of us - none of us have aged at all!" He ran his hand over his grey hair and laughed again. We shook hands and said goodbye. They headed to their car beside the cordoned off area and got out their lawn chairs and a small cooler and headed into the "talent" area. He and his wife were really pleasant to talk to and Terry seemed kind of surprised we even talked to him let alone asked for an autograph. My husband and I both noticed his hands shaking when he signed it though. I think he was nervous! The two of them were obviously enjoying their time together, arms around each other's waists and holding hands as they walked throught the artisans booths. It was kinda cute!
part 2 - next message...
Char

[charlene]

Now, where was I!!!
Oh yeah! Orillia, Mariposa, Gord.....
I forgot to tell you that we drove about 5 miles west of Orillia to a "town" called Marchmont where there used to be a mill called "Griss Mill". This is where Gord used to spend a lot of time fishing on the North River with friends and the inspiration for Pussy-Willows-Cattails came from. The old mill is being renovated into a home now and the river is but a stream - perhaps it is Old Bill Skinner's stream??? I took pics. A friend of mine told me her dad's cousin was friends with Gord and was one of the kids that hung out at the mill with him. Her name was Betty. My friends dad said that Gord had a teenage crush on her. It was only later after looking through the programme that I saw that Gord talked about that very thing (minus Betty) in an interview. I will attach the interview tomorrow.

ANYWAY... on with the story ( I am sorry for the "Wordiness" but I can't stop!) (I am a detail oriented person!)
So after I finished taking with Terry I head over to the area behind the stage that is fenced off and past the truck that has come to siphon out the porta-toilets that the performers have been using!! About 20 feet away Gord and Terry are talking. Gord has his back to me and Terry is facing me. He sees me and a few minutes later Gord turns around. He just stands there looking at me. There is a couple about 5 feet from me and my daughter beside me. I hold up my 45 and my Sharpie and he smiles. He sort of spreads his arms out a bit and then claps his hands together as he walks towards me. I have now officially stopped breathing. I can hear my daughter saying under her breath - "Mum, he's coming, he's coming!"

He comes to about a foot away and smiles. He says " Well I guess it's time to say Hi to you folks.... HI!!!" and he laughs out loud. I say" Hi Gord, how are you?, you're lookin' pretty fit!" He said he's keepin' busy. His manager came over and I said hello to him and he shook my hand. I held up my 45 to Gord and he held it aloft and I told him I've had it for 30 years and was waiting for this day when he could sign it. He said, "WOW, thanks a lot for hanging on to it for so long. After he signed it he walked away several steps, turned and faced me and held it in front of his chest for me to take a picture! A few other people had come around and he engaged everyone in discussion. He asked where we were from and I told him Whitby. He said "oh, just down the road an hour." Highway 12 is Whitby's main road and leads right into Orillia. I introduced him to Lisa and told him that she studied Yarmouth Castle in Gr.7 English this year. He asked her how she enjoyed it and she said it was really beautiful. I laughed and said it was about the only thing the Ontario Ministry of Education had done right in a long time! He said that he had heard that a few of his tunes were being used in the schools and it was "kinda neat!"

There were about 8 people standing around and a couple of them were obviously childhood friends catching up with him. He was reeling off names of kids on his street that he played with and the Latin teacher that bored him to death! He looked at Lisa when he said that. I asked him about Marchmont and the mill and Betty. He looked at me and stopped and said he remembered the mill and Marchmont but there were so many kids he coldn't be sure. I sensed that maybe he was keeping a distance because 30 seconds earlier he was reeling off names like he was reading the phone book! I wonder???? Perhaps Betty is the one in Betty Called Me In?? Maybe he thought I was going down that road with the question and didn't want it to go any further... who knows - only Gord. Curious tho....

Well it was just a few minutes later that the cries of "Hi Dad" and "Daddeeeeeee" were heard and up ran Miles and the all too adorable Meredith. Mom Elizabeth was following behind with the nanny. Gord hugged Miles and bent down to hug and kiss Meredith. He wrapped his arms around Elizabeth and gave her a big kiss. With his arm around her he turned and waved his other arm and said to the assembled throng of 10 people, "This is my little family!" "Everyone - this is my wife, Elizabeth, this is Miles and this little one is Meredith!" He put his arm around the other woman and said and this is Rosalinda (Rosalee?) - she's our nanny. She does everything, she looks after the kids, cleans up, cooks, does the housekeeping, she's our right arm and we'd be lost without her!" I caught a glance at Elizabeth and she was not smiling while Gord recited off everything Rosalinda did! Oops!
Someone asked if we could get a family photo. Gord did a little hop and was still holding my Sharpie pen. He ducked in behind Elizabeth and Miles moved in and Meredith loudly exclaimed "not with that marker in your hand Dad!" Hands on hips and obviously the boss of everything! Gord either chose not to hear or really didn't because we snapped away and I am sure he was holding it!

The kids, wife and Nanny left and Gord continued to regale us with tales. His manager was constantly trying to get him to leave but Gord ignored his whining. He was telling some people that Gord does this everywhere - he loves to chat and recall the old days. I guess being 61 has a hand in that also. He had on his old familiar black T-shirt that is so threadbare you can see skin through it across his back! He had on black jeans (me too!) and white runners (me too!)

My husband had come around to see what was going on and brought a very special T-shirt for Gord to autograph. Leslie sent me one with the pic of her horse "Dream Street Rose". I said to Gord, "This is from Leslie in Sacramento." His eyes opened wide and then scrunched up , he put his hand on his chin and he looked up a the sky..... "HART! Leslie Hart!! I have a wonderful rendering of this in my home that she gave me. He announced to everyone he's got a home now!- "I Have a HOME now". I said "You always had a home Gord - on Beaumont Rd. in that beautiful house you lived in for all those years." He smiled at me and said "Yeah" in a quiet tone. Then, with a huge flourish signed the T-shirt, To Leslie, How you doin, Gordon Lightfoot". What the heck just happened here folks?? Hell's bells, he signed MY T-shirt to Leslie!!! When she goes to Humphrey's she's gonna get one signed To Charlene and we'll trade!! (LOL)

I asked if I could get a pic of him and he backed up a bit. Unfortunately in the backdrop the two port-toilets were looming. I asked him if he could swing to his right cuz I didn't want those things in the picture. He laughed and shuffled over a few steps. He came up beside me while my daughter took a pic of us and I put my arm across his neck. I must tell you that I surreptitiously sniffed my arm and could not detect any cologne. I said thanks for the time and shook his hand and he said "thanks for coming by."
I headed to my seat obviously because that's where I found myself a minute later. I floated there I guess. My head was full and I must have been breathing because I was there for about 20 minutes! Maybe I had died from lack of oxygen and just didn't know it! Oh NOOOOO, was it all a dream. I don't remember crying or even wanting to. I never took my eyes off him.

He's so small, he's so animated - hands going, stroking his mustache, leaning and bending and resting his chin on his hand while he listens or he's trying to think of something. It's been almost 30 years and it has taken me that long to get the courage to actually engage him in conversation, touch him and not cry. The Hallowe'en thing in 1993 was more of me standing there wishing I could disappear before I burst into tears. My husband did the conversing and I nodded and said very little. That was an out of body experience. Yesterday I was really there.
part 3... continued
Char

[charlene]

Well...
I guess it was about 7:30 or so and the other "talent" was still performing. There were a couple of groups, a fiddler/dancer and a very good looking folk singer. I don't know if you know who Steve Earle is but his sister is also a performer and she did a few songs. Her music was good and the songs were good but her voice was like Minnie Mouse on helium to me. She did have the cutest twang when she talked. She shore weren't from around these here parts!

Which brings me to something - I have always noticed when Gord does interviews that he has a disjointed way of speaking. It is not a Canadian accent either. He has a different rhythm/cadence to his sentences. He breaks and pauses in odd spots and I think it has to do with his songwriting ability. He just talks like he's writing a song. I found it utterly charming!!! LOL
Well.., oh I already said that.

The sun was setting and the sky was darkening. The mosquitoes were out in all their glory. The temperature had dropped a bit so coats were put on and everyone settled in and got ready for Gord. He started a bit later than scheduled because a couple of the other performers had an encore.

While I was talking to Gord, Barry Harvey (manager) brought a lady over and introduced Ruth Jones McVeigh to us and told Gord the boss wanted to talk to him. She was the lady that started Mariposa 40 years ago. Gord turned to us and said "I'll be right back, the boss wants to tak to me!"

After the last performer the lights were turned on that shone down on the stage and the bugs flying around were incredible! They were huge from where I was sitting!! I said to the guy beside me - "I hope he doesn't get one in his mouth!" I was really concerned about it.

Ruth came on stage and talked about the first time she saw Gord back in the 1961 with Terry Whelan and they didn't make the audition to be performers on the show!. Oh that reminds me - Gord was talking about that with us earlier and said it was because they sounded way too much like the Everly Brothers! He laughed and sang several lines of Bye,Bye Love! He said maybe it didn't help their cause that they even did a few tunes of theirs in the act!! He then scanned each of us with an incredulous look on his face and said "Can you believe that?" He was quite amused by it.

She talked of his history and home in Orillia and how proud Orillia was of their native son who has become a national treasure known all over the world for his voice and songs. It was very moving and I did tear up a bit. I could see Gord standing off-stage with his head bowed throughout her speech. The band had come on as usual prior to Gord and were busy fending off the killer bugs. Gord had changed his shirt to his "Hawaii floral".

As Gord came up the stairs to the stage we all rose and gave him a rousing ovation for several minutes. He bowed and looked proud but humble. It was 10:00 p.m.
He launched right into If You Could Read My Mind without any chit-chat. He sounded fine - no quavering or slip-ups. He was in fine voice.
He went right into the next tune - a favourite of mine - Don Quixote. A bit of clapping along here and there throughout. I found it hard to determine how much and how loud the response was from the audience in an outdoor venue.
He stepped up to the microphone for a bit of a chat after Don Quixote. He said he was glad to be back home and see all of his friends. As he said this he waved his arms through a cloud of bugs and exclaimed - "I love them" "the bugs are my friends!" The band was swatting away too. He talked of the many times he drove the highway to Toronto and back home again. He wished Jess and Gordon Sr. could be here. We all applauded. I got teary again as I am right now typing this.

I am such a suck.
Next up - that bad-girl song - Sundown.
"I borrowed this tune from Steven McKeown (sp) - I Used To Be A Country Singer was next.
A little history now about the Edmund Fitzgerald. - Tonnage, cargo, date, number of crewmen, departure and destination ports. They never knew they would not reach port the next day. It was very sombre and serious and quiet for a few seconds. Then - The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald.

As he was getting a new guitar for the next song a gentleman in the front yelled up a request for his favourite song in the whole wide world. Gord leaned down and asked what it was. The Ghosts of Cape Horn was inserted into the playlist after Gord happily switched guitars. The whistling was barely audible the first time so at the end he didn't even bother to try.

Because I was to the right of the stage and the way sound equipment was set up beside the stage I couldn't see Barry or Terry during the show. There really wasn't any way to get to the front and I didn't want to walk in front of anyone to try to get a pic so the ones before the show of Terry will have to do!

Next song - I'll Prove My Love.
then - In The Early Morning Rain. a soft bit of sing along with the audience off and on. It was nice and not annoying in the outdoor setting. At Massey Hall I would probably be very annoyed because it would drown out Gord's voice indoors.

Gord said they had a toe-tapper coming up and a ballad. I thought of Old Dan's Records and I knew from the interview in the programme he was going to do Pussywillows-Cattails. But he fooled me - the old fart!
Blackberry Wine was next. Sorry but it has never been a favourite of mine - his voice is too high for me. He romped it out though!

Someone called out for the wonderful "A Song For A Winter's Night". Gord looked around and said "But it's summertime!" Which would have been a great lead in to "Summertime Dream" but
Pussywillows-Cattails was next. He started the intro and began to sing - the wrong lyrics! He stepped back with a mournful - Oh-God! He stepped back up and started again.

I lost the image of the Gord I was looking at and saw a beautifully handsome young boy running along the river, his bike on the bank and his fishing pole in his hand. Leading his friends, he was taking them through what truly was to be a Summertime Dream. I thought of what it must have been like in Orillia almost 50 years ago. There are only 27,000 people there now! I imagined the area that I saw earlier in the day as a place of glorious inspiration for the many songs we all love so much. The talent of that young boy with big dreams in the big city became clear images in front of me and I cried in thanks. When he was done he said that was the ballad they had been practising for us. He talked then of exactly the things I had been thinking during the song. How he and his friends would ride out to the mill and fish in the North River and try to catch chub, trout and sunfish. Mostly it was suckers though. He sounded wistful.

He then introduced the boys in the band. Appreciative applause from the audience.
Canadian Railroad Trilogy was welcomed with applause and a standing ovation at the end. He dropped a pick but deftly retrieved one out of his pocket after knocking his guitar front a couple of times on the beat! What a guy!

The band and Gord left the stage to a standing ovation. When they came back on for their encore a presentation of a plaque was made to Gordon thanking him for representing Orillia and helping to bring Mariposa back home. He graciously and humbly received it with thanks. Then he launched in to the toe-tapper I love:
Old Dan's Records. I love that song. I see him and his family in that song many, many years ago.

Another standing ovation, they leave the stage - it's 11:00 p.m. and the ovation goes on for several minutes but they don't come back. I can see them standing around behind the stage talking with their families. I won't go back. I am content and I don't want to leave disappointed in case he wouldn't be available. He spent almost 2 hours before the show with his fans so now it's his private time to be with his people, alone.

We pack up our gear and with one last look I see him smiling and gesturing amongst a crowd of people - his people - but I realize that for a time today while I was in his presence, I was one of Gord's people. I couldn't be prouder.
P.S. While sitting in line to leave the park I turned on the radio and a few minutes later Gord's voice was singing "Rainy Day People" to me. Perfection........................................ ....
Char

[Tom]

Char,
Thanks for the wonderful recollection of the concert...I feel like I was there too! Maybe you missed your calling(lol )
You are lucky to have gotten to meet him & talk & take pics, maybe you can scan them in the websight for all of us. Sounds like it was a good show...except only 1 hour with no encores .
P.S. How tall would you say Gordon is?

------------------
"...If YoU fEeL iT yOu BeTtEr BeLiEvE iT, yOu'Re GoNnA sEe It, YoU nEeD tO kNoW/iT iS rIsInG lIkE a FeAtHeR, dIpPiNg & DaNcInG fRoM bElOw/ThErE's A nEw WaVe ThAt Is BrEaKiNg In ThE wAkE oF a PaSsInG sHiP/eVeRy NaTiOn'S gOnNa Be ShAkEn, PuT iT tOgEtHeR, dOn'T lEt It SlIp..."

[charlene]

It was great and I will have pics in a couple of days. Gord looked me in the eye and I am 5'5". He is a very small man. He's wearing a size 28 jean I'd estimate! He can't weigh any more than 150 at most and that may be an exaggeration.
There was an encore - Old Dan's Records!!
Char

[Florian]

Hi Char,

Thank you for your wonderful description of events. I almost felt like I was standing next to you and had the seat right at your side.

-Florian

[potter]

Wow. Mariposa was awesome. GL's performance Saturday night is one that I will not soon forget. My wife ,my sister and myself sat not 30 feet from the stage. Gord was at the top of his game, despite being assaulted by bugs. The band was also great, particularly during 'Big Fitz'. I am looking forward to Majestic and Artpark later this summer.

potter

[Rose]

Thank you so much for the rundown, I also felt like I was there, I have tears in my eyes from what I read, I always get teary-eyed when I go to any of Gord's concerts, brings out all the emotions in a person, cause Gord sings from his soul, and all of us Gord fans know this. Thanks again, for sharing this with all of us.

Rose

[Dan]

quote:Originally posted by potter:
I am looking forward to Majestic and Artpark later this summer.
potter

Potter,
Is the concert at Artpark on? Do you have tickets? I thought the Majestic concert was replacing the Artpark concert.

Please let me know,
Dan

[Anne]

Charlene, thanks so much for the wonderful, personalized review of the concert and your meeting with Gord and his family. I felt like I was there! I am so glad you were able to get your 45 autographed. The whole night must have been a dream come true, and you will be flying high with these memories for many months (years?) to come.

Anne

[charlene]

I was looking for something @corfid and came across this post and re-read it... Gordon started stealing my Sharpies back in 2000!!
lol

[charlene]

1954 Orillia newspaper PHOTO - Grist Mill and the one I took in 2000 in next post.

[charlene]

2000 PHOTO - Grist Mill - it is now a private home.