A big Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my Scott’s Corner readers. I hope you have a great holiday season. For many of us, things get kind of hectic and a little bit stressful this time of year. It shouldn’t be that way. I hope you experience real joy this Christmas and that good tidings fill the new year for you and your loved ones.
The year has ultimately gone well for your humble blogger. As many of you know, a “situation” that I found myself in toward the end of 2006 has taken quite awhile to be resolved, but as of a couple of months ago things did come to a fruitful end. Along the way there were many lessons learned and it’s good not to have to deal with such things any longer.
The year was filled with great music as usual. An incredible concert by Tommy Emmanuel detailed here at Scott’s Corner. A wonderful new CD from Tift Merritt and not one but two Atlanta shows from Tift! And this past Saturday night I made it out to Everett’s Music Barn in Suwanee, GA for a show by The Steep Canyon Rangers. I’ve been following the Ranger’s for several years now and they only get better and better. In my opinion they are one of the top bands in Bluegrass these days. These five young fellows have certainly mastered the genre. If I had to sum up a Steep Canyon Ranger’s show in one word it would be – dynamics. They’ve got the musical chops and the showmanship to boot.
This past July, I joined the Atlanta Outdoor Club. I’d been feeling the desire to get back to the great outdoors for some time now and I think I’ve found the perfect way to do so. I’ve met some very nice folks and have enjoyed about 15 great hikes with the club so far. I’m learning my way around the North Georgia mountains and getting in some great workouts too. Beginning this January, I’ll be starting a series where we plan to dayhike all seven sections of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia.
You all know how important my dogs are to me. This year I lost Scout. She was the foundation of my kennel and was a terrific dog in the house. She was very sick in the end but she lived a full life. I still have two of her offspring – Samson and Aspen.
Scott’s Corner will continue into ‘09 with more music, hiking, books and who knows what else. The focus will be on a trip I have planned for late June – early July. More on this later…
Christmas blessings to each of you and I’ll see you in 2009!
