Home feels good

We've been home a few days and it feels great.  

Crossing that Texas state line at 3 in the morning never felt so good. 

 We had a great time on the road and have had a few days to catch our

breath, pay the bills and get ready for another month on the road.

Loretta the pooch got skinnier and Conway has turned in to a bit of a chub...but is slowly

taking off the pounds.  It's hard to leave the little ones, but always so good to see their wagging tails when we walk in the door.

It feels good to know they'll be at home with some of their favorite people

looking over the homestead while we're out on the road again.

This next trip is going to be full of new adventures as I head back to the land of my "people"!

In Minnesota blond hair and blue eyes is a dime a dozen...and I can't wait.

I look actually look tan in Minnesota!! Yes, it's true!

We'll be seeing friends and family along the way, as well as playing in

some more of our favorite cities.  I have great memories of Minneapolis, and Stuart has talked multiple times of his love of Chicago.   We're going to get a chance

to catch up with old friend in St. Louis, as well as Nashville too.

A few nights in our own bed under our roof has been a wonderful treat.

Hitting the road is feeling like a second home though too, 

soon we'll be watching those white lines fly beneath our feet again.

Soon it will be time for us to fly!

 

Rocky Mountain High....

It is about time we got our Rocky Mountain High!  We had a great show at Min

er's Alley in Golden Colorado.  The Little Bear Saloon in Evergreen, CO was definitely a trip...thank you to Sharon and Cody for making sure we had a great time.  

On to Estes Park to headline SummerFest at the YMCA of the Rockies!  We had a wonderful show, and met people from across the US and Europe at our show.  Walt did a great job with sound at Hempel Theater, and Gail did a great job making us feel at home.  

Stuart and I played our booties off, then hit the trails to climb a few mountains of our own.  Yes, that's right...real mountains, not figurative!  This is a place that has always been close to my heart.  I was lucky enough to be a camp counselor and director out at the YMCA of the Rockies...and it was there I found a love of climbing, hiking and nature.  We caught up with old friends as well, and of course visited the Estes Park Brewery for good measure.  We stopped mid-road to gaze at a few elk and braved the 70 degree weather like the true troopers we are!

We actually took 3 days to just relax, refocus and enjoy the awe filled mountains.  There is something amazing about those vast snow covered mountains that reminds us all of how small we really are in this big world.  Standing on a bridge made of timbers feeling the cold water rush below your feet is something that I have always loved.  Meditation is something I can't do many other places but the Rocky Mountains.  For some reason, the elements combine to slow my heart and soul down and I finally have a chance to embrace the here and now. 

Today as we drove down Thompson Canyon, I couldn't help but have a heavy heart.  Leaving such beauty behind...but I know we are headed towards other beauty yet to be discovered.

On to Fort Collins, CO for a set at KRFC radio For a Live at Lunch Set, and our last show at Vintner's Winery in Golden, CO.  Then from there, we touch base at home...then head to the midwest.  

TRINIDAD BREWING CO!!!

What a great night at Trinidad Brew Co.!  Sean and Jeff were great hosts.  The crowd were so fun, we hated to leave.  Thank you to everyone for the libations and to Dave for offering to help us out next time we're in town.

The TRINIDAD BREWING CO. is a place everyone should stop when passing through.  They have only been open 2 years, but Jeff (the brewmeister) has already won 2nd in an international brew contest...and we only expect things to keep getting better.  As you can see above, Stuart and I were feeling NO PAIN when  we left.  We even had a chance to toast our Austin friend Tito with his homemade fire water!   This brewery has been flying below the radar, but it won't be able to stay there long.

We will make a point to come through Trinidad again to sample Jeff's latest masterpiece as well as blast out some tunes with our new friends.

New Mexico Rocked...on to Colorado!

Albuquerque was a great weekend.  The Smokehouse BBQ  crew was wonderful, and we couldn't have asked for a better crowd.  Thanks to Jan and her crew for helping us put on a great show, and believe it or not, great BBQ does occur outside the Texas borders!  

Solid Grounds Coffee House was a packed room, and thanks to our new friend Daniel for a great job on sound.  We hope to bring this award winning songwriter to Texas to hang with our crowd next time he comes down.  

On to Santa Fe, we did a house concert in Truchas, NM at our friends Peggy and eRic's place.  We met some wonderful new friends, and the art going on that town is something to see.  There is a gallery hidden on every other lot, and you are missing out if you don't check this place out.  I even got to accommodate my puppy fix with Peggy and eRic's pooch TJ!  He took me on 6 walks around town, and he is one furry fellow with a lot of energy! Thanks to all of our new friends for a great weekend!!!

Santa Fe Brewing Co. was Sunday, and Justin and his crew were great.  The sound was amazing, and the crowd while not spilling out the doors...was better than we expected for a Monday.  We met a crew from New York City with whom we shared a  love for Steve Earl and good music.  We also had a write up and a few spins on the airwaves.  Thank you Santa Fe for making our first time through a good one!

Now we are in Colorado, hanging out at our new favorite spot Trinidad Brew Co.  We are enjoying their wifi, great beer, and soon to enjoy a tasty pizza.  We'll be playing a last minute show at Trinidad Brew Co. in a few hours.  We're camped up on the hill at the state park here...let me just say, Trinidad Rocks!!!

Hitting the road to heal

We lost one of our biggest supporters, a friend, a mom, and an angel here on earth last week.

Thank you to all the love and support everyone has sent us, it has comforted us more than we can put into words.  At Bunny Adamson's memorial service there was standing room only.  The energy was positive and loving, true to the life we all came to celebrate.  

We hit the road yesterday around 2:00 to head to Las Cruces and start our Rocky Mountain Tour.  We offered to re-adjust our schedule and there  was a resounding NO WAY from Stuart's father.  The family consensus was that Bunny would be pretty upset with us for canceling something she was so excited to see us do.

As we watch the white lines speed by, and pass the mile markers at 70 mph, the road has been a comforting place for us.  We both gazed at the Davis Mountains with the most beautiful sunset, knowing that Bunny was smiling from above as we watched nature's amazing canvas.  Soon we saw a bunch of cotton tails and jack rabbits wandering up to the edge of the pavement on I-10, and I couldn't help but think of them as Bunny's little helpers greeting us as we fly towards the horizon.  

While going through the work to plan our tours, there is always and excitement and anticipation that builds.  With such an unexpected loss, we are reminded of the importance of loving those around us, supporting our friends and family whole heartedly, and singing not only for our love of song...but this trip, we are singing for our love of a life we lost too soon.

We play our first show at The Smokehouse near Albuquerque tonight...we are taking the BBQ curcuit continental baby!!!  Then on Saturday we do one of our favorite Coffee Houses, Solid Grounds.  We are looking forward to connecting with Roselie and all our friends we've come to love over the past 2 tours there.  

We'll be updating the blog every day or so on tour, so please check in and share our adventures with us! 

With much peace and love,

Hilary

The Flyin' A's