After a great conversation with long time friend and Irish music icon, Kevin McKrell, I’ve decided to explore the possibility of personally leading tours of the most interesting locations in the Adirondacks! Great Camps, the Adirondack Museum, the Wild Center, outdoor treks, an Adirondack Railroad adventure, the High Peaks, and MUCH more! Sound like a trip you’d like to tag along on? Let me know where YOU’D like to go, and let’s get up in the ‘Dacks!!!!
This year Mountain Snow & Mistletoe comes to the Egg on December 15th at 8 PM and 16th at 2 PM! Bridget and I will be joined once again by “The Mountain Snow Orchestra”, the irrepressible Brian Melick on percussion, Irish icon Kevin McKrell, and multi instrumentalist John Kirk. Songs and stories of the season will be mixed with Kevin and Brian’s highjinks on stage to put everyone into the Christmas spirit in plenty of time for the big day! But this year we have something new to throw at you,…
This year part of the proceeds from the two shows will go to benefit Unity House in Troy, NY. Unity House is a Rensselaer County-based human service agency that provides a wide range of services to meet the otherwise unmet needs of people in our community who are hurting and struggling. They assist those who are living in poverty, adults living with mental illness or HIV/AIDS, victims of domestic violence, and children with developmental delays. In short, these are some of “The Good Guys”, doing heavy lifting for those not as fortunate as you and I. In addition to receiving part of the proceeds, Unity House, together with our media partners WMHT, and Mrs. Smith’s Kakes are offering a dessert reception with Bridget, myself, and “The Orchestra” before Saturday night’s show at the Egg!!!!! These special combination tickets for the reception and Saturday night’s show are ONLY available through Unity House directly. THESE TICKETS ARE VERY LIMITED!!! Call Diane at 518-274-2633 x 356, and don’t wait on this one because when the’re gone,..they’re gone!
Here’s a look at years past,…
From Equador and the Galapagos Islands, to the Adirondacks we covered a lot of ground this summer! Here are some photos from a summer that shot by like a rocket!
Trips to the track in Saratoga, Tink and his Triathelons (1st in his age group!), and even a little relaxation time…
Where did this year go???!?!?? Here we are poised on the brink of another Holiday Season, and it feels like it should still be September!!!! Silas is playing basketball, (as soon as he recovers from the concussion he got diving out of bounds for a loose pass??!?!?!), Tink’s Cross Country season ended with a new personal best at the Sectionals on the SPAC course, and now Winter track begins for him. Bridget and I are tuning up for Mountain Snow and Mistletoe at the Egg on December 10th and 11th, (see http://www.chrisandbridget.com for details) and trying to remember all the great times 2011 have brought along. Here are some photographic highlights…
Silas and his Yellow Jack in Florida…
Tink adds flight to his running agenda...
Silas and his buddies barnstorm Boston...
Len's 50th year of fly fishing on the river...
Vintage Silas... write your own caption...
Dad sports a 'stache...
Silas discovers Quebecouis girls, er...maybe the other way around...
Tink on the fly...
An early snowfall...
Just a few to share before I post some more recent shots closer to Christmas, in the mean time…
A while ago, I pitched a kind of “Anthony Bourdain” style travel log show to some pretty high powered TV folks who liked the idea, but didn’t pick it up. I figured that the places I go, and the people I meet going there would be of great interest to folks. I still believe that’s true. The truth of the matter is, I don’t travel to REALLY exotic places, with some notable exceptions, definitely don’t have the budget to hit high end restaurants all the time, but I’m fortunate to still be touring to amazing places, and hang out with some of the most amazing folks you’ll ever meet in person. Some are millionaires, some are other working musicians, some are teachers, business people, retired folks, young people, reporters, activists,and some are “Lobsters” (a code word for REALLY interesting individuals). I’ve decided to tell their stories, and mine, here for now. This is the first installment of my new direction here. I’ll still be writing about the Adirondacks, and many stories will be framed up here, but it’s time to expand the horizons of this blog,… so here we go.
It’s taken me a long time to realize, I’m primarily a writer. I’m an OK guitar player, although I have many friends who are far better at it than I, (and Taylor Guitars certainly sent me down the road of receiving all kinds of recognition for whatever I’ve been able to contribute along those lines). My sainted wife has tried to tell me that for years… (Just the facts.)
I’ve performed, written, and traveled , telling the stories of the Adirondacks, and the people I love here from Anchorage to Berlin for almost thirty years. This week I’m playing at 10 different schools in the North Country, and at the Adirondack Museum. It’s not just about the performances though. Today I played at Lisbon Central School for the 4th – 8th grade classes, about 200 students in all. The principal told me that 70% of the kids I performed for today live under the poverty level. His greatest concern was not that they “meet the standards” put forth by the government, but rather that they had something to eat before they came to school, and have some idea where they’re going to be sleeping tonight. This revelation isn’t the exception, it’s the rule.
“Live from the Nirvana known as the Adirondacks,… it’s Reality.”
Big Brook
The summer started with a bang, multiple trips north working with the Adirondack Museum, NCC Outdoor Education, and fly fishing with “The Boys”! Hang on tight, … here we go!
Adirondack Hotel - Long Lake
The bouncer - Adirondack Hotel
Len - The Grand Pubah of Fly fishing
The river
Silas demoing for Will Rooney
Camp eats...
Silas and Dad finishing up at the Quarry Stretch...
and at the end of the day...
it's just the 3rd of July!!!!!!!!!!
A little optimism...
To say “It’s been a long winter,” is like saying ” That Shaq fella is kinda’ tall!” Good riddance. We spent time following Tink and his buddies in indoor track to keep our minds off the relentless season,…
Tink is the guy with the white headband...
Indoor track, among many other things, is on the chopping block due to a lack of funding for education by the State of New York. The State stands in contempt of court after losing a suit to the Campaign for Fiscal Equity for failing to provide ” a sound basic education” for the children of NY as dictated by the State constitution. The State has lost all appeals. This Governor would rather take away opportunities like this, take teachers out of classrooms, and limit course offerings and services , than find the budget cuts elsewhere. He refuses to tackle the real problem here. The fact of the matter is that we don’t fund the education of our children properly here in the State of New York. The fix is going to be messy, costly, frustrating, and certainly won’t pave the way to DC for Mr. Cuomo as neatly as putting the burden on the local taxpayer, letting the kids twist in the breeze in the interim, and coming out the other side with the Bible to thump on that he’s “Balanced the Budget!”. Just don’t look at the carnage in the rear view mirror, Mr. Governor, even your girlfriend won’t be able to make something palatable out of that. BTW, a classroom without a teacher is NOT a classroom, it’s a student warehouse. ( Next time I’ll quit pussyfooting around and tell you what I REALLY think,… ; >)
In an effort to recover from the effects of a winter that just wouldn’t quit, ( and to lower my blood pressure…) Bridget, Tink, Silas , and I went down to sunny Florida, returning last night in time for Easter at home. Here are some highlights…
Silas fighting the surf...
Tink rides the waves...
Silas battles...
The payoff,... a 20+ lb. Jack!
Tink gets in the fight...
Tink's first barracuda...
If there is one image that personifies my youngest son,...this is it.
Tink,... chillin'.
So now it’s time to get back to business, for me, the third week of May will be spent at the Greenfield Center Elementary school doing workshops and writing songs with the students there, a private concert in Lake Placid that Saturday, the entire next week as the artist in residence at the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake working with school groups and visitors. The next week a visit to the Lake Avenue Elementary School in Saratoga Springs followed by a concert with my friend Cedar Stanistreet at the Ndakinna Education Center in Greenfield Center, NY as part of their “Down to Earth Concert Series” The first two Wednesdays in June I return to the Northern Clinton Outdoor Education Project to work with kids way out in the woods up in the Adirondacks. (In the time in between, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a fly rod getting bent a bit… ; >) The summer dates are STILL coming in, hope to have a final schedule for you all soon. You can always go to the website at http://www.chrisandbridget.com , as a matter of fact, that’s where I’m headed now to do a little updating. Hope to hear from you all soon! Back to the ‘Dacks!!!!! Here comes Summer!
A day at the museum...
It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, sorry for the lag! The fall has heralded the beginning of a new school year for the boys, travels to old familiar places for me along withsome time to write, and Bridget has been ripping it up in the world of finance! After a really dry summer, the rains have returned this fall, but a bit too late for our usual burst of bright colors. The foliage is pretty subdued, and falling FAST these days.
Deer's Leap
Cross Country has made it’s debut on Tink’s schedule, including meets at SPAC…
Off to the new Yankee Stadium with my “adopted” daughter Corey…
Out on Lake George with Chet and Karen…
Homecoming Dances,…
Off to the Storytelling Festival in Fredonia,…
And a scenic ride home visiting my old friend, former duo partner, and roomate Denny,…
Even saw a couple of Amish girls out for a “Joy Ride”,…
All in all, it’s been a great fall so far, and the signs all point to more of the same…
2128 Doubleday Avenue
Rt. 50, Ballston Spa
OK,… I know what you’re thinking, “This place isn’t in the Adirondacks!” And you’re right, of course. But it IS on the way to, and on the way back from your Adirondack adventures. These folks have the whole package, the food, the service, the ambiance, AND the price! No small part of choosing this restaurant as the #1 summer pick was owner/chef Kim Klopstock’s penchant for using local ingredients, truly being a “sustainable restauranteur”. I’ve been to places where that amounts to a culinary trainwreck, but not here! Cast your eyes on this,…
Chef Randy Cruse plates his work
Owner/Chef Kim Klopstock paying attention to detail...
My advise to you is “Get there, and get there quick!”, it’s a little off the beaten path for the summer Saratoga track scene, but word is getting out and when it does, you’ll be needing reservations a week in advance! And don’t worry gang, it’s “kid friendly” too, Silas left nothing but a scorched hole where his entree used to be!!!!!!!
With a little more than two weeks before the boys go back to school, their Dad sits here wondering where the summer went! It seems like about 3 weeks ago I picked them up from school (I was just six weeks off…), filled the jeep with fishing and camping gear, and headed north for our traditional “School’s Out- Outdoor Adventure”.
We’ve been back and forth to the Adirondacks like we were tied to a yo-yo, fishing and doing shows!
Tink has been training for a Triathalon, Silas has traveled with friends from Maine to Las Vegas!!!!!
All in all it’s been QUITE a summer,…
Two plus weeks left,… but don’t look now! Uh oh….
Adkchrisshaw's Blog 