One Day till Ground Hog Eve!

It's almost here--the best month of the year! February! The month of Ground Hogs, Presidents, Lovers and Banjo Pickers!
February 1st--Ground Hog Eve
February 2nd-Ground Hog Day
February 3rd Ground Hog Boxing Day
February 4th--Mom's Birthday
More days to come!

If you're just waiting around for ground hogs and celebrations like these two--here's the official site to get you in the mood!

http://www.groundhog.org/

February ! All that romance and groundhogs too!

Only two days till Groundhog's Day Eve!
Here's a link to get you excited for the main event on the 2nd.
http://www.groundhog.org/
Guess many banjoist and dulcimerists are getting all warmed up with the ground hog song.
Bob was even plunking out the melody on his guitar last night. :)
What a day--what a month. All that romance and groundhogs too!

Love my new banjo

Really enjoying my new Deering banjo. It came in just in time for us to record four tunes with it on our new CD, Banjo Dreamin' Suwannee Nights, which hopefully will be out soon.

Podcast of gut strung banjo

Kattywompus String Band has put up a Podcast page with several podcasts on it. How to play the guitar, how to record a CD at home, interviews with bands, and a banjo video of me playing "Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground." This is one of the tunes on the new CD which is coming very soon. Photo is Ellen's grandson.
http://kattywompusfolkstudio.libsyn.com/

Banjo CD news and family updates

The new banjo CD is getting close. Sent the corrections on the art proofs back yesterday, and Disc Masters is going to do some final post production before they press them. :)

Arcy (in photo above) just had some of his research photos (under the microscope) published in the New York Times (It is listed as Robert Sidney Cox III from CalTech) He's in Calgary right now doing more research on his doctoral thesis)
Natalie is leaving the Blue Chicks dance team (she's been on the team 3 years) and will be dancing for a competition team in Daytona.
Gordon will be home and visiting Tallahassee for a week on February 5.

New banjo CD getting closer

Hello,
We sent the master off yesterday and are hoping to have it back sometime in February. Today is a tabbing day. It's a three day weekend, so hope to get a least a few done for the new tab book.
Got to go and get busy.
:) Mary Z.

ps. This is a photo of John H. Hopkins Jr. (He wrote We Three Kings in the 19th century). We have recorded a new banjo version on the new CD. :)

New banjo CD coming soon

Won't know exact tunes till the very end--but there will be some good tunes on a gut string banjo and also the new White Shell Laydie will play a couple new versions of old favorites.
It's going to sound like drifting down an old Florida River. :) Very easy to the ear.

Banjo Web page update

Hi!
Just finished updating my banjo website for the new year. We have been working constantly on the new CD. Still more to do--but it is getting close. :)
Postage for priority mail goes up on January 8, 2006--so if you were thinking about ordering a banjo CD or tab book--I'll send out at the old rates until January 7th. :)
Peace, joy and love to you in the new year,
Mary Z.