First Public Fiddle Performance

I started playing the fiddle again last September for the first time since fourth grade.  Since then, I have practiced nearly every day.

I told myself when I got this new instrument that I needed to practice throughout the winter, and would wait until summer to play in front of the public.  Since we just passed the summer solstice, I decided that it was time to go in front of an audience.

I chose to debut my new instrument at the Folk Music Show I did tonight.  It was a small audience in the nature center in which I work.

I came in early to tune up and warm up.  After tuning the guitar, mountain dulcimer and mandolin, I tuned up my fiddle, tightened the horse hairs and put rosen on the bow.  I played several frequently practiced songs, and also worked on a Civil War era song called "Lorena."

By the time the audience arrived, I had decided on three songs that I knew I could to well: "Boil 'em Cabbage Down," "Shortnin' Bread", and "Lorena."  I integrated the first two songs into the introductory set, and used the last one in my Civil War set.  All three songs went well.  Now I feel like I can officially call myself a Fiddler.

In the next week, I also plan to play my fiddle in my Classic Country Music Show, and my Celtic Music Show.  In the coming years, I look forward to learning how to play the fiddle a lot better.  I feel like I have just passed the beginning of a great life-long musical journey.

Celtic Woman Concert

I just came back from the fourth amazing concert I have attended with the group Celtic Woman.  As in the past, it was an absolutely incredible concert.  It was great to hear some of my favorite songs from the past, along with some great new songs as well.

Every time I have seen Celtic Woman, there has been a slight change in the main performers.  I have been privileged to see Susan McFadden all four times, Mairead Carlin three times, and Eabha McMahon twice.  All of them have unsurpassed vocal abilities, and I would go a long distance to see any one of them, or any of the other main vocalists I have seen in the Celtic Woman concerts (Chloe Agnew, Lisa Lambe, and Lynn Hilary).

 In the first three Celtic Woman concerts I attended, they still had their original fiddle player/violinist, Mairead Nesbitt.  She was a joy to hear and see, and I could not imagine a different fiddle player with the group.  Since the last concert, she decided to work on her solo career, and I look forward to hearing what she comes up with next.

The newest violinist/fiddle player and harpist for Celtic Woman is Tara McNeill.  She is also an amazing performer, who brings a versatility to the group as a multi-instrumentalist.  I can't imagine a better successor for Mairead.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this performance was that each of the main members of Celtic Woman gave commentary about their songs.  It added a new dimension to the songs, and my favorite accent in the world is that of the Irish.

There were many highlights of the performance:

• Danny Boy with the three vocalists and Tara on the harp.
• The song Walk Beside Me was amazing.  Tara's commentary at the beginning was also well thought out.
• The version of Ave Maria sung by Mairead Carlin was beyond compare.
• The songs sung by Eabha McMahon in the unaccompanied, sean nos style were hauntingly beautiful.
• Susan McFadden singing The Voice was incredible as usual.
• The fiddle tunes played by Tara were great.
• The Kesh Inn set done by the Celtic Woman Band and Tara McNeill brought back memories of sitting in the wonderful pubs of Ireland.
• I have heard many great version of The Parting Glass, but the one they did for this concert may have been my favorite.

A few times in my life, I have been privileged to attend concerts that were good for the soul.  This Celtic Woman performance, as well as the other Celtic Woman performances I have attended were definitely good for the soul, and were great inspirations in my life.  

The second time I went to a Celtic Woman concert (in Duluth, Miinnesota), I was inspired to go to Ireland.  I had a wonderful trip to Ireland with my Mom in May of 2015.  This performance has reinforced my desire to return to the Emerald Isle.

Cinnamon-colored Black Bear

 I came across a cinnamon-colored black bear (Ursus americanus) today while training in a new Naturalist.  We were driving on the Gunflint Trail, practicing for our Animal Search activity.

This is the first bear I have seen of this color on the Gunflint Trail in my over 15 years as a resident.  According to the North American Bear Center, 5% of the bears in Minnesota are this color, and about 95% of bears east of the Great Plains are black.

I took the picture of the bear below several years ago.  It is the color of most of the bears I see on the Gunflint Trail.

Devil Track Canyon and Pincushion Mountain

Last week, I decided to go birding along the North Shore of Lake Superior near Grand Marais, MN.  I walked the shore of the big lake, hiked through Devil Track Canyon, up Pincushion Mountain, and back through the canyon.  The next legs of my journey took me to Sweetheart's Bluff, the furthest reaches of Grand Marais, and up Northern Light Lake Overlook.  Overall, I added 4 new species to my Big Year list (see details at https://www.sillimanbirding.blogspot.com), and saw some amazing sights.

 This picture is of an unusual flock of birds: a Wood Duck, and several Mallard Ducks.  They were sitting on Lake Superior's shore in Grand Marais.  The most unusual part of the flock is the Wood Duck.  I've seen Wood Ducks in other parts of Minnesota,  but never in Grand Marais (or Lake Superior).  I got a good look at them, and ran out in search of some of my birding buddies, Aaron, Sarah, and Ella.  While looking at the Wood Duck, we were also able to identify a Semipalmated Plover, and a Semipalmated Sandpiper as well.  See my birding blog for pictures of those birds.

Next, I drove northeast on Highway 61 to County Road 58 (near Five Mile Rock), and began my hike on the Superior Hiking Trail into Devil Track Canyon.  The Superior Hiking Trail goes most of the way along Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior, and is often rated as one of the top hiking trails in the country.

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Did you know that Cook County has the highest point in Minnesota, the lowest point in Minnesota, and the deepest canyon in Minnesota?  The previous picture is of the lowest point (Lake Superior), and Devil Track Canyon is the deepest canyon.  Our highest point is Eagle Mountain, but I will have to blog about that another day.

The journey into the canyon has many ups and downs, as there are some side canyons to traverse.  Along the way, I saw some beautiful flowers, including the wild strawberry and the forget-me-not.

Forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides)

 The wild strawberry will be fruiting sometime later this month.  Its fruit is smaller that a blueberry you get in the store, and tiny compared to the strawberries you get in the store.  However, the flavor is absolutely amazing.  It will be one of the first fruits of the season, along with a similar plant called the dewberry.  Both of these members of the rose family make very tasty trail food.

As I descended into the canyon, I saw many rapids and waterfalls.  Some of my favorites are all the way down at the bottom.  Between the two campsites, there are several bridges crossing the Devil Track River and its tributaries.  The pictures below are from a couple of those spots:

 When I was passing the campsites, I decided it would be nice to see Pincushion Mountain, located up the other side of the canyon.  I ascended a long set of steps, and eventually merged with the Devil Track Ski Trails.  The pictures below is of a small portion of these stairs:

After traveling a short distance on the ski trails, I came to Pincushion Mountain.  There is an overlook accessible from the Gunflint Trail that is labeled as the Pincushion Mountain Overlook.  It is actually the trailhead (with a great overlook of Grand Marais) that can be used to hike (or mountain bike) to the actual Pincushion Mountain.  If you are coming up the Gunflint Trail, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to at least see the beautiful Grand Marais Overlook from that parking lot.

The actual Pincushion Mountain is a bit of a hike in from the Gunflint Trail, and an arduous hike in from the other side of Devil Track Canyon.  If you are physically able to make it to the mountain, it is an amazing site to see!

 The picture above is towards Thunder Bay, Ontario.  I put the WTIP mug in the picture because Jana, the Development Director at North Shore Community Radio, requested pictures of the WTIP thank you gifts at different places that were visited by the listener/members and/or volunteers.  I think it is a great idea, so I took pictures at the top of Pincushion Mountain, and at the bottom of the Devil Track Canyon, and sent them to her.  She put the canyon picture is last week's "Stay Tuned" member newsletter.

The picture below is looking towards Grand Marais, MN.  You can see a little bit of the Grand Marais harbor and Artist Point jutting out from the lake shore in the distance.

I had a great day last Monday seeing these beautiful sights, and finding some nice birds.  Now it is time for me to go on another adventure further up the Gunflint Trail.