What a busy week . . .

What a busy week! And what a great week! Especially since I got to play guitar and sing 5 different times.

This past Tuesday, I sang and played for our Creative Learning Center chapel service.

On Tuesday night I sang for the "Be Our Guest" meal we serve to our neighbors on the 3rd Tuesday of the month.

On Wednesday, I sang for the residents at Mimosa Manor in Keller, TX, one of my regular nursing home gigs.

On Friday, I spent the day in Ft. Worth with Jim, Paul and Cora at Cooks Children's Hospital singing to children as part of the ministry of Hugworks.

On Saturday, I sang as the opening for my good friend, Rev. Mark Winter (that's us in the picture) as he performed his Circuit Rider skit at the 100th birthday bash for the Central Texas Conference at the Will Rogers Center in Ft. Worth. For more information on Mark's ministry, click here or go to www.onemanshow.org.

Yesterday, besides singing for the Children's Time, I was also the last act during our annual Mission Fair here at the church.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Music is therapy for me . . . and I hope that my singing and playing is therapy for others.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

Peter Yarrow on the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour

I just finished watching the recent Woodsongs Old Time Radio program featuring Peter Yarrow.

www.woodsongs.com

Go to the archives link. The episode featuring Peter is near the top. You can watch the video version.

Just awesome.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

Live From Daryl's House . . .

I really enjoy a website called "Live From Daryl's House," featuring Daryl Hall of "Hall and Oates" fame.

Click here for the website.

Check out episode #27, with special guest, Eli "Paperboy" Reed. "Take My Love With You" is a great song to watch and listen to. The entire episode is one of the best from this series, along with the episode featuring Monte Montgomery, and the episode in tribute to the late T. Bone Wolk.

Music should be this easy. Music should be this fun.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

Planet Waves O-Port

My backup acoustic guitar is a 1989 Alvarez-Yairi DY-38, a full bodied dreadnaught.

Using the same Elixir Nanoweb light guage strings on it as I use on my Martin DC-16gte, it is a great sounding older guitar. The basses are not as deep as my Martin, but I do like the more punchy sound of the Yairi. Actually, for playing rock-n-roll, I like the Yairi better than I do my Martins.

For outside gigs at parks or at the lake, I like to take the Yairi instead of my Martin DC-16gte or my Martin J-12-16. The Yairi will be going with me next year when I go to Philmont Scout Ranch for a week of chaplain and camp fire song leader duties.

Out of curiosity, I recently purchased the Planet Waves O-Port to put in my Yairi, wanting to see if it would make any difference on an already good sounding guitar.

In a word . . . YES! It only took about 10 minutes (maybe less) to loosen the strings, install the O-Port and to then re-tune.

The Yairi is just a bit louder now acoustically, and the sound is a better blend of bass, mids and highs. Plugged in, the sound is fuller, using my normal amp settings that I seldom stray from for my steel strings. I have to say that I am pleased, and feel the expense was a good one. I got the O-Port for $24.99 plus shipping.

Today I played both the Martin DC-16 and the Yairi. The characteristic brand differences remain. Nothing guitar accessory would change that. However, the Yairi more than held it's own, especially running through some Beatles, Eagles and CCR songs.

If you are playing a mid-range priced guitar, and would like to give it a "little" boost, then you might consider giving the Planet Waves O-Port a try. To my ear, it works. It comes in two sizes, and also in black and cream colors.

I do not think the addition of an O-Port would be that noticeable on the Martins. Anyway, it won't fit my DC-16gte because of the Fishman onboard pre-amp. I have a Takamine magnetic pickup in the f-hole of my Martin 12 string. I think I could adapt the O-Port to fit the 12-string with a little trimming from my X-Acto knife. The O-Port will not fit in my Taylor NS74, as a classical top is a bit thicker than a steel string.

So, I like it, but I think the O-Port is a better accessory for lower priced/quality guitars, or older guitars that need a little boost.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>

Philmont Scout Ranch . . . here I come . . .

I am overwhelmed and humbled by my recent invitation to be the chaplain/campfire song leader at the Philmont Scout Ranch Training Center in Cimmaron, New Mexico for a week in September of 2011.

Today, I officially accepted the invitation. Now, I have a year to get in shape physically, emotionally and spiritually.

A new journey . . . in hopes of crossing off something on my "Life To-Do List" . . . something I had already decided I would probably never get to do.

But . . . if all works out, I am going to Philmont to do what I do best, be a chaplain, sing and play guitar. It is humbling to understand that there are others who believe I do these tasks well enough to be recognized on this level.

To quote Gomer Pyle . . . Shazam!

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>