Seems like I've got one to many blogs to post on these days. I'm working on my new Train Stories CD and have a story blog happening on that page. You can check it out by clicking Train Stories.

Do you have any train stories? Visit the Train Stories Page.

Best wishes to everyone I hope you have a wonderful year filled with peace, love and good health!  

There are so many negative things happening in the world sometimes I  just feel like pulling the blankets over my head, going back to sleep  and waking up when the world problems are solved.
For some reason I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. On the positive side I live in a small town where I know a good percentage of the people. I can drive down my street and offer a stranger a ride downtown without fearing for my life nor the stranger for his or hers. Kinda feels good walking downtown and not feeling weird about waving or saying hello to a person you see on the street, store or the post office.
I love living in my little town here in  Northern Ontario  and count my blessings every day.

I would like to wish everyone a New Year filled with good health,happiness, peace, prosperity and good friends.

I was watching a little bit of the hockey game this past Saturday and the Coach's Corner with Don Cherry came on. There was a film clip of Don standing in a Soldier's cemetery in France. All dressed in black with a light rain coming down Don pointed down the rows of graves and made this statement..."this is why you should buy a poppy"...I have been listening to Don Cherry rant and rave about different hockey issues for years and sometimes find him a bit hard to take but I have to admit that this truly was a gracious moment for him and most probably his best one.
I was at the post office today here in Wawa and a few of our local veterans were there selling poppies. I stood back a little and watched these aging soldiers offering these small red flowers for a donation. I put money in the box and thanked this soldier for the service he provided to my country. Such a small price to pay on my behalf for the incredible sacrifice these young soldiers made for me. Thank you to all the men and women who serve our country and thanks Don Cherry for the reminder.


 

Jude and I travelled up the coastline to the Soo this past Friday and had an incredible view of the fall colours. We both agreed that this year was special. If you want to have an out of body experience (without the drugs) don't hesitate...get in your car and take a drive down Highway 17...there's magic waiting for you!

Maple and Spruce
 A young florescent maple tucked in between two green Spruce trees
 reminds me of a pretty young girl hiding shyly between her parents.
Her beauty can't be hidden
Her innocence revealed
Shines for everyone
to enjoy.

I just posted some of legendary blues and jazz guitarist Rusty McCarthy's "Music Art Card Series". The original paintings are all gone but these wonderful images are available to purchase on Rusty's website along with his new CD Nowhere Close.
www.rustymccarthy.ca/

 

The Blueberry Patch

It’s late September
and I want to remember
this afternoon.
The wind blowing hard
from the Northwest.
A few fragile
berries are clinging
desperately to a summer
that has already slipped
away
into another season of wind
and rain.
The sweet warm memory of early
summer can still be felt here
in the blueberry patch.
I pick these last berries and
will wait for February
to rekindle the memory
of today

July 29~08
Just finished recording my new CD "Riding the Rails in Paradise". All the songs on this new album are dedicated to the members of The Group of Seven.
This cd was recorded at Rec Room Studio in Sault Ste.Marie with music producer Rusty McCarthy. Rusty played a few of his guitars and added bass tracks and did a little hand drumming! The new disk will be available in a couple of days on this site store page. You can now hear all the new tunes on this site.
I will be doing two live performances later on in September. September 11th at the Algoma Art Gallery and Semptember 28th at the Searchmont Ski Resort. I will be posting the dates and times on my main page a little later.
You can read stories and inspiration about these songs on this Group of 7 page.

Art: an act of Peace (Don Charbonneau)

I wish I could with a stroke of my brush
Paint happiness and good health into your life
I wish
I wish I could with a stroke of my brush
Paint enough food to feed everyone on this planet.
I wish
I wish I could with a stroke of my brush
Paint all equipment of war
Into environmentally friendly tractors.
I wish
I wish I could with a stroke of my brush
Paint a new song in the empty heads
Of Ministrels of War
I wish
I wish I could with a stroke of my brush
Paint God into an image that every human being
Regardless of Race, Colour or Creed could experience
I wished this wish and experienced
Peace.