Well, I’m sitting in the back of a van so as you might have guessed, I’ve decided to write another blog. We’re driving from Kelowna to Vancouver and in the last couple days the three of us have finally had a chance to drive through the Oakanagan Valley. It did not disappoint. It has a landscape unlike anything I’ve seen in Canada and I’m reminded that, even though we’ve already seen much of this vast country, there is still much to discover.

This tour has been taken us to the western half of Canada, starting in Winnipeg at the Park Theatre and working our way over to B.C. finishing up tonight in Vancouver at the Railway Club. We’ve seen crowds of forty and crowds of four hundred and everything in between.

Oh yeah, and our next stop is Ottawa where our Juno fate awaits us. Crazy. And as a result of our Juno nomination we’ve made it to the cover of the Newfoundland Herald. A childhood ambition realized. Mom bought 6 copies.

Just goes to show you though that regardless of whatever accolades you may (or may not) receive, it is the grind of touring from day to day that keeps you grounded. The road keeps you humble, keeps you honest. And it doesn’t matter whether you play in front of hundreds or even thousands one night and dozens the next. What matters is that you play.

So I’m telling you the truth when I say that it truly is an honour to be nominated and that it ultimately doesn’t matter if The Once is among the winners announced at the dinner on Saturday. Ok, well it’s half truth. The full truth is that it I couldn’t be bothered whether we win or lose…until we’re siting at the table Saturday night and someone says “And the nominees for Roots & Traditional Group Album of the Year are…” That’s when the nerves will kick in. That’s when the wine will suddenly turn to mud and get stuck in my throat.

That’s when that same boy from Coley’s Point who always wanted his picture on the cover of Newfoundland Herald will fully realize the gravity of that moment and will be filled with childish excitement and butterflies will be performing Riverdance in my stomach. You tell yourself (and others) it’s an honour to be nominated and that’s not to say you don’t mean it. But you tell yourself (and others) in the hopes of trying to quell the growing sense of anxiety in your head and in your belly. The question that starts as a whisper in your heart and gets louder with each day as you draw closer to that fateful moment…”Am I good enough?”

But the answer is simple. We are good enough. We’re all good enough. That’s why our names are on those ballots. We work hard everyday and most days we get rewarded in some way. Sometimes big, often times small, but we get rewarded. And whether we walk away from this weekend with a Juno award or just William Shatner’s autograph on a cocktail napkin (Hey I gotta try, right? It’s Captain friggin’ Kirk!), it won’t change the fact that we want to make music together. It won’t change the fact that we have another tour coming up in a couple weeks. Although if we’re lucky, we’ll get some more people interested in coming out to see us who might not have seen us before. That’s something I always love to see.

Either way, it will be a great experience this weekend and when Monday rolls around (as it always will), we will be happy just to have been invited to the dance…

…and at least we were on the cover of the Newfoundland Herald.

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world…

Talk soon,

Andrew

Hello out there,

Well here I am once again sitting on an airplane, leaving my beloved St. John’s bound for another town…Toronto is the destination this time round. We’re popping by Canada AM tomorrow morning to say hello and sing a song from our new album, then playing an official release show the following night at historic Hugh’s Room. Gonna be a fun couple days in the Big Smoke. Phil and Geri are seated a few rows up from me, while Tim O’Brien sings songs about traveling in my headphones.

I’ve done quite a bit of traveling with my friends and bandmates these past few months. We played about 59 shows over 74 days in 5 countries (but who’s counting). It was by far the longest tour the three of us have ever embarked on, but I’m happy to say it was also our most successful. I don’t know if we’ll head out for quite that long of a stretch in the future, but I’ve never been more certain that this band does indeed have a future. Whether it was the folk festival in Winnipeg, Canada, Tonder, Denmark or Bromyard, England, one thing that proved consistent everywhere we went (much to our relief and joy) is that there is an audience out there for the music we make…not just across our own great country, but anywhere we travel. I don’t say this flippantly because the truth is before this summer, we couldn’t really say that for sure. We did a small tour in Ireland last fall but it would have been easy to shrug that off as a once-in-a-lifetime trip that you could look back at and simply be grateful for the experience of playing there even once. Ireland was also one of our stops this summer and we were delighted to see more people coming out this time round and more people looking to take a sampling of our music home with them.

Ever since we started making the new album, there was a feeling amongst the three of us that we had changed, grown. We had finally become a band, applauding each other’s strengths, supporting each other’s shortcomings, working together to create a record that was a reflection of who are, individually and collectively. And then we hopped on board a plane and began our summer pilgrimage, gaining more confidence in ourselves and each other with every gig we played. I’ve never been prouder of us and I’ve never been more proud to be in this band.

We came home just a few short weeks ago. Since then, I’ve spent some long overdue quality time with my family (old and new), gotten a long overdue hair cut, walked the streets of downtown St. John’s, become a season ticket holder of the Icecaps (won’t be catching all the games, but I’ll catch enough) and celebrated my 30th birthday. That’s right…I bid farewell to my 20s. Funny, it didn’t actually hurt at all. In fact, it was a passage that I welcomed with open arms (and a belly full of good food and good wine). My 20s were an incredible experience and I’ve really learned a lot about myself and what matters to me in life. But I have a feeling that I’ve barely cracked the surface and that my best years are still ahead.

Well the plane’s about to land. I think I’ll let Tim finish this blog off. He knows a thing or two about traveling…

“I’m soaring like an eagle, I’ll find a place to land.
I’ll let the west wind take me, see what he has planned.
My home is in my heart now, or any place I stand.
I’ll go where I’m a stranger, I’m gonna try to be a friend.
I’m not afraid to turn the page again.”

See you soon folks,
ad

Sent from my iPhone

I’m still amazed that we finished the new album…

One month before we hit the road, there were doubts. One week before we hit the road, we were feeling optimistic, but uncertain. Two days before, somehow, we laid down the final pieces of what had been a most perplexing puzzle. Album #2, dine. And with a whole day to spare, allowing us to pack our bags and prepare for a 2 1/2 month tour that will take us to folk festivals across Canada and then over to Denmark, Ireland and England. How generous.

I won’t lie to you (blogs should be honest, after all), the recording process for our sophomore release was a fairly stressful one. It’s a funny thing…when we recorded the first album, we felt very little pressure at all. It was our first time in the studio together and we had very little to prove. Upon the kind insistence of many…well, fans I suppose, we laid down a collection of songs that we knew and liked and had been playing for a while. It was as simple as that. While there was a certain degree of “Will anyone like it?” we felt no real pressure in making and releasing the album. There were the usual financial concerns of course, which were sorted one way or the other. Most of you already know about the kind donation that kick-started the whole process. But beyond that, no major issues. Of course, we were then fortunate enough to receive quite a bit of success with that little album that could and proceeded to become rather busy indeed. Before we knew it, two years had passed by and the reality sunk in that it was time enough to record a follow up.

The thing about the follow up, however, is that if you’ve been lucky enough to have had some success with your first album, it’s likely that there will be a fair bit more anticipation the second time around. More anticipation and greater expectation. Chances are you’re also looking to branch out just a wee bit more, sharing more of yourself with the listener. There are several original songs on this album, of which we are quite proud. That pride, however, is tempered by an even stronger dose of “Will anyone like it?” Despite the incredible ride we’ve been on since our first release, there is a sense that we’ve returned to the starting gate, waiting once again for the gun to go off, as we race towards another uncertain fate, wondering if we will be welcomed at the finish line by a somber crowd with their heads held low or a cheerful crowd, waving their hands in praise. This is, perhaps, the sort of head game that most artists go through every time they return to the studio. Perhaps it gets easier. Perhaps it never really goes away. I s’pose we’ll just have to keep making records and find out for ourselves…

And so, still dazed and confused, we said a quiet “so long” to St. John’s and boarded a plane bound for Winnipeg, regarded by many to be the host of the biggest folk festival in the country, as well as one of the biggest in the world. Why, it even has it’s own iPhone app! A pretty good place to begin our summer pilgrimage.

Winnipeg was big, beautiful and all around an amazing experience. The share size of that festival, from the long list of incredible artists to the hundreds of volunteers, combined with some incredible food and an inspiring effort to keep everything as green as possible, is astounding. The second stop was in Ness Creek and was about as different from Winnipeg as you can get. Though small in size, however, it was large in spirit and we were welcomed with open arms by a wonderful group of people. Special thanks to Deb for taking such good care of us.

I’m writing this little blog from Calgary, the third festival in our travels and the third province in as many weekends. Though we’re only just getting under way here, we’ve already performed an opening set for Joel Plaskett last night on the main stage. Not a bad way to begin your festival duties. We’re looking forward to another great weekend of music, both as performers and spectators. It’s a great job we have. To be able to travel the world, sharing our music with all those who will listen while having the privilege to share in the music of other artists, both those whom we already admire and respect and those whom we are enjoying for the first time. We are a lucky bunch and only need to catch a set from another artist to be reminded of that. We play music for a living. How cool is that?

As for the new album, we’re planning a fall release and all in all are feeling pretty excited to get it out there, testing the waters along the way. In the meantime, we’ll be throwing some new songs into our live performances. We did a few pop-up shows in St. John’s before we left and we were so grateful to everyone who came out to hear some new material and for giving us some much needed encouragement before setting out on the road. To the festivals we’ve played so far, thanks for having us. To the festivals we’ve yet to play, we look forward to being there. And to everyone back home, we miss you already! You are our anchor. You are our backbone.

See you at the end of the summer…

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Alright, I have a few things to say…

So here we are…staring the reality of a Conservative majority government squarely in the face. Harper’s Tories got what they were looking for. And although I fear for the arts as do many of my colleagues, I do see some good that has come out of this election.

Jack Layton’s NDPs have shown that change was indeed on the minds of many voters in this country. The fact that the NDP has become the official Opposition is a huge breakthrough in Canadian politics. The fact that so many of the NDP seats came from Quebec is an even bigger breakthrough. It seems that the province/nation of Quebec was finally ready for a shift in focus when they went to the polls yesterday. It seems they were ready to take a break from separatist ideals and adopt a more “national” (i.e. Canadian) perspective. While this has been the case for many Quebecers for quite some time now, the fact remains that the Bloq was a dominant force for the last 20 years or so, having far too strong a voice on Parliament Hill. Their voice has now been all but silenced.

Unfortunately, another voice that has been muzzled, if not silenced, is that of the Liberal Party. Iggy didn’t even manage to win his own seat back, let alone lead his party to victory. It is indeed dark times for the Liberals, although I wouldn’t count them out just yet. As Ignatieff noted, people will realize in the next few years why there needs to be a balance between the right-wing Conservatives and the left-wing NDPs. I agree with that. It’s important for the political health of this country.

As for the way things shaped up across this vast country of ours, I’m particularly proud of my native home of Newfoundland. The message was quite clear on this island: We want change. Basking in an orange glow (and not from the sun – though I’m happy to say that it actually is shining here today), Newfoundlanders kept the Conservative wolf at bay, with an unprecedented number of NDP seats. Even with the Conservative win in Labrador, the political landscape looks quite different here than it did a few days ago. Congrats to Jack Harris, Ryan Cleary and all the rest, but rest assured that with a Conservative majority you’ve got your work cut out for you as the MPs for this province.

Of all the provinces, I think I feel sorry for Ontario the most. Once a Liberal stronghold, the province of Ontario has seen some tough times in the past number of years. A dwindling economy and low morale must have given voters the feeling that they had nothing to lose and everything to gain by putting their faith in Stephen Harper. It’s a shame to see a province that boasts such an incredibly rich and diverse arts community now in the hands of a man who will likely deal a death blow to funding for the arts.

However, I must remain optimistic. Despite everything, I am proud to live in this country. And as I watch footage of Americans marching through the streets, celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden while preparing for the Taliban’s inevitable retaliation, I am grateful to live in a country where peace still reigns supreme. Even though I strongly disagree with many of Harper’s ideals and worry about what he may try to accomplish now that he has the power to do so, I am proud to be Canadian and I know that there will be those who will stand up for the values that make Canada a nation which can inspire other nations: a nation of tolerance and understanding. To quote former Prime Minister, Pierre Elliot Trudeau: “Canada will be a strong country, when Canadians of all provinces feel at home in all parts of the country, and when they feel that all Canada belongs to them.”

And I do believe that Canada will continue to become a better nation in spite of ourselves and that Canadians will learn to hold all parties accountable for their actions, in the interest of all Canadians. We’ll get there…

In the meantime, I’ll continue to do what I do best: make music and share that music with whoever wants to listen. I love what I do and neither Stephen Harper nor anyone else will extinguish the fire that fuels my passion for making music.

It’s who I am.

Thanks for listening folks…

Andrew

Hi folks,

Well I think I’m now convinced that I need to be in motion to find the inspiration to write a blog. Whether it’s on a plane, tucked away in the back of a van, or in this case the back of a train, there’s nothing better than sitting inside a moving vehicle to help stir up restless thoughts that have been itching to get on paper….or a computer screen. I’m on a train bound for Montpelier, Vermont. Erin, my traveling companion and my favourite person in the whole world is seated next to me, gazing dreamily out the window. More on that later…

I s’pose I should really start off with an apology. I said my next blog wouldn’t take as long as the last one…looks like I was mistaken. In my defense, the month of December saw some major events in my life and I guess it took some time to process it all. At least that’s the excuse I’ll stick with.

The month of December was probably the greyest and wettest one that I can ever recall…it seemed like the RDF (rain drizzle and fog for those of you unfamiliar with Newfoundland weather its hip terminology) would last forever. There were two events, however, that ensured the month would move along quickly enough. Well, three events if you wanna count Christmas…and why wouldn’t you? It is Christmas after all! But the 25th of December had some heavy competition this year…

First off was the 15th of December. That was the day that Erin (my girlfriend and as I said earlier, my favourite person in the whole world) moved to St. John’s along with her two cats, Levon and Poppy. I flew up to Halifax the day before so that we could each carry a kitty on board the plane and help minimize what was no doubt the most traumatic experience of their lives since birth.

Now I can’t honestly say that I’ve always been big on cats. In fact, like young fellas growing up in a small town, I had always preferred the canine companion to it’s feline counterpart. I always enjoyed the affectionate loyalty that dogs seemed to offer without hesitation whereas with cats there always seemed to be (as far as I could tell) a certain snobbery and an inexplicable sense of entitlement that made me quite untrusting of them. Levon and Poppy, on the other hand, are nothing like this. I’ve never met two kinder, more gentle cats in my life. Brother and sister, they are as sweet to each other as they are to Erin and I, or anyone else they meet for that matter. Of course, I have no doubt that this behavior is at least in part to having someone as loving and nurturing as Erin looking after them since they were kittens. They turned 1 just after the move to St. John’s. I look forward to sharing in many more birthdays…

Two days after after Erin, Levon and Poppy moved into their new home, I checked into St. Claire’s Hospital for day surgery. Herein lies the second major event of December…

For the better part of 2010, I’ve been battling a rather persistent bout of hoarseness and general difficulty with singing and speaking. I finally found out, just a week prior to going to get Erin and the kitties, that I had a rather large lesion sitting on my right vocal chord. This was the source of my vocal woes. My ENT (who would also turn out to be my surgeon), after listening to me squawk out my story and then sliding a thin scope down my throat to discover the lesion, couldn’t believe that I had been singing through this roadblock all year. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a struggle but it’s amazing what you can learn to do when your job depends on it and you’ve got two bandmates counting on you. The Once had it’s busiest and most important year to date in 2010 and not doing all the shows and all the tours simply wasn’t an option.

Thankfully, the surgery went off without a hitch and the lesion was removed without taking any of the Happy New Year! chord with it (thanks Dr. D). I’m happy to say that my voice is in better shape than it has been in a LONG time. good thing too, as we plan to be even busier in 2011…starting with heading back into the studio to get a new recording underway.

But for now I’ll just enjoy the rest of this train ride. Erin and I are off to Vermont to visit our dear friend Rik and his wonderful family. After the fast-pace of New York, it’ll be a welcome retreat. Don’t get me wrong, New York is amazing! It was quite the experience…we saw heard some incredible music, saw some stunning art and ate some of the best food of our lives. But we both tend to prefer the humbler, more tranquil side of life and a few days in the country will be just right.

So 2011 is off to a pretty good start I think. I’ve got a new voice, a new family and the band’s gonna have itself a new album. I’ve even made a promise to myself to start eating healthier and taking better care of myself, on and off the road. Why I’m even gonna take up yoga! Look out 2011, there’s a new improved Dale comin’ at ya…

Happy New Year folks.

Talk soon,
Andrew

So it seems that perhaps the worst thing about going over a month without writing a blog is that you really don’t know where to begin. There’s so much to talk about! A lot can happen in a month and a lot has indeed happened for The Once…

Let’s go back to the middle of October, where we found ourselves in scenic Cape Breton for the international music festival Celtic Colours, celebrating folk and traditional music from all over the world. The festival actually runs for a couple of weeks, but we got to be there for the last four days…and we loved every minute of it. It was great to reconnect with friends from the festival circuit such as Nuala Kennedy, Kimberly Fraser, fiddling sisters Dawn & Margie Beaton, piano monster Jason Roach and folk group The Outside Track, just to name a few. There wasn’t much sleep, but there was a ton of great music. Oh and for those of you who’ve never been there, Cape Breton is friggin’ gorgeous..

After Celtic Colours we went back home to St. John’s to recharge the batteries and prepare for our first trip across the pond. A week later, we found ourselves on a plane bound for dear old Ireland! Well actually, it was three planes. Three planes and about twelve hours before we finally made it to Dublin. You see, even though St. John’s is as close as you can get to Dublin without falling into the freezing cold atlantic waters, no airline thinks it necessary to have a direct flight across. There was, at one glorious time, an Air Canada flight that took you from St. John’s to London Heathrow in about the same amount of time as it would take to fly to Toronto. Yup, that’s how close St. John’s is and that’s also how big a country Canada is. Unfortunately, that convenient flight was canned. So now, if you’re lucky, you’ll only have to fly as far in the opposite direction as Halifax before making your way across the pond. Does it bother me? Well…mabye a little. But I digress…

So after Air Canada flew us to Halifax and then overnight from Halifax to Heathrow, we got onboard an Aer Lingus flight bound for Dublin. Jet-lagged would be an understatement! I’ll never forget going to bed at around 8:00 that evening, feeling completely exhausted, waking up at what I was certain must be the middle of the night and discovering it was 10:30…of the same evening. Trippy…

Anyway, outside of that first day of adjustment, our time in Ireland was nothing short of magic. I won’t go on too much about it, because this blog would be WAY too long. We did spend two weeks there after all! Fortunately, Phil’s working on a video blog documenting our time on the emerald isle which should give you a grand recount of the fun we had. I do feel the need to throw out a couple of thank-you’s however.

First off, to Larry our driver: Larry ol’ man, you are a kind-hearted, delightful fella and a great man for a yarn. You’re a true gentleman. You were almost like a father figure more so than a driver for us out there on the road…looking after us and getting us where we needed to be, but also making sure we made the most of our journey, taking in every moment of it and educating us with every mile. Thanks again for taking us (on your day off no less) to the Giant’s Causeway. It was a remarkable experience. We’re so grateful to have met you and hope our paths cross again the next time we’re over there. Let’s make sure of it.

And then there’s Andy Peters, the man who put this tour together for us. Andy is a rare breed in the world of promoter’s…he actually cares more about being a good and honest man, establishing long-lasting friendships and ensuring that the artists really enjoy their experience than making pots of money. Now don’t get me wrong…making money is important too! Necessary if you’re to make a living at it. But for Andy, it’s about much more than that. He’s a wonderful gent and has become a dear friend. It was a real pleasure getting to know him and lovely Jenny. I’m really looking forward to next time. And I hope he’s not reading this, cause I’ll never hear the end of it

And so we bid a fond farewell to old Ireland and made our way to…Calgary, Alberta. I eluded earlier to just how big a country Canada is. Well this should really put it in perspective: After hopping on an Aer Lingus flight once again to get us back to Heathrow, we flew direct from Heathrow to Calgary. That’s right, direct. Flying time? Nine hours and twenty minutes. We flew halfway around the world to get to Western Canada and still didn’t get to the other end of the country. Amazing.

We played at the Calgary Folk Club to a sold-out audience. And man, did they ever know their music. An attentive and appreciative audience for sure. I was very impressed with how well run and how well supported their folk club was (there’s about a half-dozen similar folk clubs in the city, equally well supported I’m told). We were well looked after and really enjoyed playing there. But what really made our time in Calgary so great was hanging out with Phil’s brother Peter, Peter’s wife Lee and their two year old son Arthur. We spent several days at their place and felt right at home. We even went to the Calgary Zoo together! One big happy family. On our last day there, Peter cooked up a meal that would have made you think Christmas had come early. Not only is he ridiculously smart and a super nice guy, he’s a brilliant chef. I can see why Phil looks up to him…

And then we were off to Ontario…first stop, Hamilton. After meeting up with our good friends Steve and Jeannie for breakfast at My Dog Joe (sweet little coffee shop, great americano), we played a lovely house concert to a room full of gracious guests. Thanks Tony for making us feel welcome. It was a pleasure being the 28th show in your home!

Last night we played to a sold out crowd at the Oakville Centre for the Arts. After the show, we had a talk back with the audience and I’ve got to say, it was really nice to have a casual conversation with the people who just watched you play…to find out what their thoughts were about a trio from Newfoundland that perhaps they were only hearing for the first time, to hear about what moved them and for them to hear a little bit about what moves us.

And where am I now, you might ask? Well as it turns out, I’m forty thousand feet above the ground, flying the friendly skies once again. We’re headed to Winnipeg for the Canadian Folk Music Awards where The Once has been nominated for Traditional Album of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year. Not bad for our little album that could. Not bad at all.

“I think I can, I think I can…”

Talk soon (I promise)
Andrew

Hi folks,

Well here we are at the other end of our Arts & Culture Centre tour. The trees are
ablaze in shades of red and gold as we drive to Gander, the swan song of our journey
across this beloved province. I’m sitting in the back of a black Dodge Grand Caravan
with Phil, Geri and John. Greg Lewis is at the wheel. Greg has been our sound man
and driver the whole way through this tour but truthfully, he’s been much more than
that. He’s been our pilot, our captain, our rock. Greg’s professionalism,
reliability and calming nature has meant more to us than he knows.

And good ol’ John Sheehan…a stand-up comic who’s also a stand-up guy. John has
proven without a doubt that his comedy is right on the money and deserves all the
success in the world. Night after night of seeing the audience in stitches
(ourselves included) have led to one conclusion:
John b’y, you’re foolish. Let’s do this again my friend.

On this Thanksgiving Sunday, I find myself looking back over the last couple weeks.
It’s been an inspiring tour..seeing the destruction Igor left in his wake..and then
seeing the amazing work of not only the military, but all the kind-hearted
volunteers…helping those in need, helping build bridges, restoring roads,
restoring faith. We all thank you.

Phil, Geri and I continue to grow as a band, learning more and more about what it
takes to sustain a living as a folk trio in this crazy wonderful world. Phil & I
have both proudly premiered new songs on this tour and we’re making great progress
on one by Geri that we’re very excited about. Morale is high for the next album..

Yes indeed, there’s much to be thankful for today. I have a supportive family, great
friends and I’m making a living doing what I love. As if that wasn’t enough, I’m
happy to say that I’ve found someone who makes my heart feel whole. Someone who
makes my soul sing. Erin, you’re my person and I love you.

May you all look up into the sky above you, the ground below you and the people
around you and find much to be thankful for today.

Talk soon,
Andrew

Hi folks,

As I write this, my second blog of all time, I am sitting on a plane bound for Labrador.
Provincial Airlines. Seat 7D.

I’ve just finished off my complimentary roast beef sandwich (my empty stomach thanks me) and am enjoying my second cup of coffee. With Kris Kristofferson singing some lessons about life and living in my ears, I’m in the mood to write down some thoughts…

Phil & Geri are sat in front of me, John Sheehan is sat behind. John is a husband, a father, a firefighter, a comedian and our partner in crime for an Arts & Culture Centre tour across this great province of ours. First stop: Lab City, which has one of the nicest arts centres around (in my humble opinion) and Ellen runs the place with enthusiasm, professionalism and a warm smile. It’s just the spot to set the right tone for what promises to be a lovely tour.
While we fly the friendly skies, it’s hard to forget of course about Igor’s recent visit to many parts of the island, as many people try to regain a sense of order to the chaotic state their homes were left in. My heart goes out to the family of Alan Duffett, of Random Island, who had been swept to sea during the hurricane. Thankfully, his body has since been found which will hopefully bring them a sense of peace and allow the healing process to begin.

Given the surprising ferocity of Igor’s temper, it’s amazing that more lives weren’t lost during his tantrum. Perhaps, in part, it’s because Newfoundlanders & Labradorians generally know how to handle themselves in a storm. We are a resilient people, cut from a centuries-old cloth built stronger than the rock that surrounds us. We have endured much more than what Igor threw at us and we will continue to endure. That being said, I’ve little interest in seeing Hurricane Frankenstein popping by anytime soon..

“We’ll be landing shortly,” the pilot says.

“The bigger the fool, the harder the fall,” Kris tells me. Hmm…perhaps not the best choice for someone soaring thousands of feet above the ground.

“And the daylight grew heavy with thunder,
And the smell of the rain on the wind.
Ain’t it just like a human,
Here comes that rainbow again.”

That’s more like it. Thanks Kris.

Talk soon,
Andrew