Bloggitty Blog Blog Blog.....
The big news is that my song 'Sing it to the Hills' won the political category for the Songs from the Heart songwriting competition through Folk Music Ontario! I am humbled and delighted to receive this news and also wish to congratulate the winners in the other categories.
You can view a live performance of the song on my 'videos' page or listen to the studio track on my 'Listen' page.
Beyond that.....I've just moved to Kingston Ontario. Ahhhh Kingston. I last lived here as a 20 yr. old, just before heading up to the Yukon for the first time. I'm excited to spend the winter focusing on musical projects and reconnecting with the arts community here. I will be working on my writing, offering guitar lessons and considering my creative objectives. Its been interesting be backin my old stomping grounds and to walk past the street corner where I spent a winter busking to pay my rent.
I had a fantastic summer with guiding trips in the Yukon and BC. I paddled the Yukon River and Bowron Lakes and hiked the Chilkoot and in the Tombstone Mountains. Overall the trips were stunning with a mix of weather and some lovely folks to paddle and hike with. I had an adventurous time on the Yukon River in July when I woke up to a grizzly bear putting its paw on my tent. This led to a few hours of group management as we packed up camp while keeping an eye on the bear who didn't seem interested in leaving the area. Here is a shot of grizzly tooth holes in our water jug:
Partway through the summer I flew back to Ontario to perform at Blue Skies Music Festival with James Stephens. Much of my cultural identity comes from Blue Skies and it was grounding to spend time with friends and family dancing under the stars.
I had a bit of time in August to hike with friends to see the Samuel Glacier in the Haines Pass. The area is part of the Tatenshini-Alsek Park in the northwest corner of BC. The area combines with Kluane Naitonal Park in the Yukon and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska to create a large swath of protected area. The area is abundant with glaciers, mountains, snow fields, rivers and wildlife. We hiked in on a day that was wreathed with mist. We hiked through a plateau to the edge of a valley that stared across at the glacier. The clouds swept through the valley, offering glimpses of two tongues of the glacier and adding to the wonder of the place. I would love to go back and spend more time exploring. The hiking was easy above the tree line in an alpine tundra landscape.
Before heading to BC to guide my last trip of the season on the Bowron Lakes, I got to sit in on a few tunes with some friends in Whitehorse playing a jazz gig. This is a shot with Keitha Clark, Gord Miller and Anne Turner.
I've been through a whirlwind of false starts to the winter over the past month. I guided in the Tombstone Mountains at the end of August in the Yukon and was wearing 2 pairs of long johns, a toque and a down vest as snow crept its way down the mountains. Soon after, I flew to Squamish BC where it was 30 degrees and I couldn't stay cool enough. After that I drove through smoke for 12 hours north to the Bowron Lakes in the Cariboo Mountains. We finished the trip with frost on the canoes and sub zero temperatures. Now I am in Ontario where it has been 27 degrees since I landed and I am wondering what ever happened to fall. My body has no idea what is going on, nor does my brain, so I am trying to be gentle with myself as I attempt to adjust once again.
Okey Dokey, time for a cold shower and to set up this music room o mine.
Sat Nam,
Kate