As the dust settles from the Kerrville Folk Festival, we start looking ahead to July 4^th. Direct Events is producing a two-day Willie Nelson Picnic at a new venue called Two River Canyon on Highway 71 near Austin. The lineup includes Neil Young, The Dead with Micky Hart, Lucinda Williams, Pat Green, Billy Joe Shaver, Jack Ingram, Paula Nelson, Pauline Reese, Parry Griffin, Leon Russell, Merle Haggard, Stephanie Urbina-Jones, Bells of Joy and a host of Texas performers. I'll be there with rings on my fingers and bells on my toes.

  Closer to home, on June 14-15, 1 1/2 miles north of Medina on Stringtown Road a Talent Networking Mixer, brought to us by Mark and Vicki Crawford, will give musicians, producers, fans, and writers a chance to celebrate while we network and create. See www.echoprojectstudio.com for details. Mark and Vicki participate each September in the Living History Day by leading a sing-along for the audiences they gather. Everyone loves their part of the day! Music lovers from way back, Mark and Vicki began this project began as a dream. A vision. I'm thrilled to see dream come to fruition. Bring your lawn chairs and musical instruments, or just some good ears.

  More bit of news:  the International Songwriting Competition is now accepting online entries. With over $100,000 in prizes, the contest draws entries from around the world. And the Hill Country has its share of songwriters. The categories include Pop/Top 40; Rock; Contry; AAA/Roots/Americana; R&B/Hip-Hop; Blues; Folk/Singer-Songwriter; Jazz; World/Gospel/Christian; Dance/Electronica/ Lyrics Only; teen.  Go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/entry.htm

  Hard to write about anything without giving web addresses these days. Certainly most performers and organizations have one.

  Back to the end of the Kerrville Folk Festvial. Tony Navarra reports that Dalis Allen, new producer, brings a personal touch to each introduction since she knows these performers so well. She also has a commitment to build the audience with the Kerrville community. She announces people in the audience and lets the crowd know what's going on in their lives. For example, Dana Williams attended on the last Friday night. She is part of the Greater Tuna Theater Company; Corky Williams is her dad and Jaston Williams is her uncle. Seems that Greater Tuna is bringing a show to Kerrville in July at the Kathleen Cailloux Theatre. Tony says his favorite performance this year was Judy Collins. "I was mesmerized by her presence on the stage as well as her voice," he says. "She accepted the audience and was gracious and humble." He and Peter, his son, also enjoyed Trout Fishing in America, a real crowd-pleaser!

  I only attended the last weekend this year. My son Clayton reported that the first weekend was spectacular. Of course, he was raised on the festival grounds from summer to summer. He always loves the festival, sharing the stories and songs with old friends. My road warrior buddy, Janice Kennemer, will be filing her report soon!

  I spent a festival weekend in Ft. Worth, celebrating the 80^th birthday of Dr. David Pillow, my dad. Five children wrote letters to him that were printed by A.C. Print in an amazing publication we called "Pillow Talk." We read him our cards, gave him a hug and acknowledged his love and support. What a day. I know it is rare that an entire family can get together and celebrate. Monday he headed back to work at a senior medical clinic that he started a year ago. "I can still take care of people, and that's how I want to spend my time," he said. Of course, he also bought a new RV to take on monthly camping ventures. That's my dad!

  On my way to Ft. Worth, I discovered The Courthouse Café in Gatesville, Texas. Just a block from the courthouse, this café serves the best Thai food….anywhere! I watched a beautiful Thai woman cook up about 7 dishes, each one special. Photos of Thailand and Texas adorn the wooden walls. It's worth the drive up there just for the atmosphere and great food. I could imagine Steve Fromholz doing a show in this café. Steve, recovering now from his stroke (not heart attack as I earlier reported), is playing the guitar and getting his chops back. The fundraiser in Terlingua was well-attended by both fans and performers, reports Sheriff Jim Wilson.

Free Leonard and down the road.

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