Mouse Burrow (Probably)

Enjoyed fiddle last night. Learning a new tune which is quite good fun (and which I can't currently remember the name of!) and we went over a bit more ornamentation.

I may have a mouse. Saw something fairly large moving out of the corner of my eye last night. Whatever it was, it had done a fairly impressive disappearing act when I went across the room to investigate but I'm damn sure I saw a tail. I suspect the cold weather has driven it inside and, when it discovers that it's actually colder in the burrow than it is in the garden, it'll decamp like they usually do but in the meantime, I may have to see if I can get hold of a trap because, while there's no food out (or, indeed, much in the burrow at all that isn't canned) there are still a lot of things it could chew and I'd rather all my festival kit and instruments remained in one piece. If it touches my books, I won't need a trap: I'll be able to explode it with my mind! I suppose I should be greatful that this is apparently a stealthy mouse as opposed to the usual culprits who come and sit in the middle of my rug and eyeball me while I'm trying to eat my tea. Lucky the little buggers don't frighten me really, I suppose, but I do object to the sheer bloody cheek that some of them have!

Well, have sent off a stewarding form to Cheltenham so will see what comes of that and I've sent off 2 more job applications so that's something else to wait for.

As for this weekend, well, on one hand I'm really dreading spending upwards of 18 hours on various coaches but, on the other hand, 2 Bellowhead gigs!!! Little bit excited, just a little bit!
Anyhow, setting off tonight then I've got all day to wander round London before I meet up with some of the Spibods at the Youth Hostel and head along to the Shepherd's Bush Empire. Am I going to make an effort to be right at the front? Course I am.

More Plans and Schemes

Started trying to cross-row with the melodeon last night. Think it's going to take a bit of getting used but I'm determined I shall manage. I have the John Kirkpatrick DVD to aid me in my endeavours. Am also experimenting with a different method of depressing the buttons (using the flat of my fingers rather than the tips like I would with piano). It seems to be working well so I may continue with it. Also got some fiddle pratice in. Seem to have hit a bit of a plateau with the fiddle at the moment so am trying out new tunes to keep my interest up. We're just starting to get into ornamentation in classes which is good fun and I cracked at Bromyard and invested in the Music Room fiddle tutor DVD so will give that a go after this weekend (really no point beforehand!). If I'm ever going to play for dancing on either of these instruments I need to really start thinking about what I'm doing. I think now might be the time to concentrate on 6/8 jigs and see if I can get a bit of speed up so I can have a go at playing for some stepping at rapper practice and get used to it. Hmm, will see.

Festivals are starting to rear their heads again. The skeleton outline had gone up for Shrewsbury and it's looking very good. Think I'll be buying a ticket again this year rather than stewarding cause there's too much I don't want to miss! Still waiting for the Sidmouth line-up to go up but I think I'll be going regardless so will have to save up for that too. The Big Session is a definite of course and so is Oxford (but I may offer to steward for that this year.). We're dancing at Holmfirth and I'm currently considering Cheltenham (Cause Jon Boden and the remnant Kings are playing there and I'd like to see them and there's also Nancy Kerr and James Fagan and Pete Coe. May see if I can steward though) and the line-up for Bristol is looking good too. Decisions, decisions.

Well, fiddle practice tonight (missed last week cause I was panicking about Witney!) so that should hopefully be fun and must make sure that I've got everything sorted for my weekend Bellowhead extravaganza.