---19950810---(Thursday)
Up at 07:10. Ready to go. To Hyatt. Cloud 9 to SAN. DL to SLC, then to Edmonton (YEC). Rented car (Toyota Tercel) at Budget, got cash at ATM and took off for McKewan Community College to park for festival. Shuttle bus (I didn't have change so driver told me to pay later). Spent the evening at the festival: ate Korean chicken, listened to music, highlight was Barenaked Ladies and Elvis Costello. Long wait for bus after show. Talked to some people.
---19950811---(Friday)
Drove to West Edmonton Mall (largest mall in NA): ate fake Japanese food at food court. Saw indoor ocean. Checked out Tommy Hilfiger. Ate frozen yoghurt. Drove to Staples but no A4 paper. To Safeway where I bought bananas and a baguette. Back to hotel, where I ate much of the bread. Called Lucie; talked for a bit. Hopped into performer van to festival site. The Flirtations had to cancel when one of them fell off bike. Watched Cindy Church, Jez Lowe & Bad Pennies, Limpopo (funny Russians), more. Bus back to hotel. Found VM message from Rob Richards telling me he's working downstairs. Went down and talked to him for a while. Up. Shower. Sleep.
---19950812---(Saturday)
Drove to Eaton Centre HMV for Loreena signing. Waited in line almost an hour. Talked to Loreena and had her sign a CD (I bought Elemental and DTCWA). Drove back to hotel. Hopped van to site. Got there just in time for Rickie Lee Jones. After, saw "Country Cousins", "Songs In The Key Of Life", "Big Country", and Oscar Lopez. In evening, ate and wandered hillside. After Ani DiFranco, found Rob Richards and sat with him and his family. Bus back to hotel after.
---19950813---(Sunday)
Van to site, about 10:55. Watched Silk Road (two Chinese women playing Pipa and Erhu). Brad Bayley concert, Jez Lowe Concert. Time for Loreena! Grab a spot on someone's tarp pretty close to stage. Loreena started singing. It ended too soon. Wandered the tents until just before 16:30 workshop with Loreena. Huge, overflowing crowd. Loreena only did two songs (She Moved Through The Fair and Seeds Of Love). Ended 17:45. I walked back to main stage area. First group was reggae with annoying bass, so I left grounds and wandered neighborhood incl. a slurpee at 7-11. Started raining. Back to site in time for Natalie MacMaster (nice violin player). Used an unoccupied tarp near top of hill. Watched last act from side of stage. Finale with Cindy Church (Four Strong Winds). Lined up for bus. Cindy Church was right behind me. Talking to girl on bus. Girl in front said "You have to stay for the Fringe Festival!".
---19950814---(Monday)
Out after 11. To Eaton Centre: bought some CDs at HMV then lunch (chicken kabob in pita) at food court. In bookstore reading about Quebec sep. issue. Pedway to other mall, back, on street, back to car. Drove to Old Strathcona. To telephone history museum. Wandered around area including seeing old Japanese tin-tin densya from Osaka with generator attached. Conductor didn't know much. They are running it for Fringe Festival. By Fringe box office, train station, bought cookie. To Bagel Tree but no fresh bagels on Mondays so I ordered two day-old bagels toasted and she forgot about me. Offered a pack of frozen bagels for free but I declined. Back to car and off to Elk Island National Park (saw lots of bison). Stopped at ranger station just as ranger was leaving. He went inside and got me a map. Drove to hiking trail and hiked the 3.3km Lakeview Trail (got a few mosquito bites). Headed North from there to Lamont, a small town where I had dinner (veal) and homemade rasberry cheesecake w/ fresh rasberries. Walked around town after dinner. Decided to head up to Boyle. Made reservation. Suddenly came upon big crowd in the middle of nowhere. Policeman said it was a Ukraine festival. I turned around and parked. It was a celebration of 100 years of Polish Immigration, though there were also Asians there including priest who told couple "Come to Bangkok and I will pray for you". Nice singing and lots and lots of candles. Woman telling another "Some of my friends don't believe in the Virgin Mary." Continued on to Boyle. Checked in to hotel. Clerk said "What are you doing all the way up here?" Took shower. Watched Letterman.
---19950815---(Tuesday)
Checked out. Across street to Co-op to buy film. Called Cathy for happy b-day. Drove around town, then to lunch at Hooters. Ate "seafood lasagna" but it was more like macaroni and cheese with flat noodles. Gassed car and headed for Lac La Biche. First to the Mission. It was closed but I wandered around and read the info they posted. Into town. Stopped at Smiley's Video to see if they had Susan Aglukark's CD and ended up talking to owner Darwish Smaiel for quite a while. Bought the CD and drove to Churchill Park on an island. Bird-watched and walked. Back into town. Drove around residential areas then to bakery for lime drink and pumpkin pie. Left after 17:00 for Athabasca. Stopped at tourist info but closed. Checked out old train station. Drove to Athabasca Univ. and hung out there a while. Old schoolhouse back in town. Decided to drive back to Edmonton. Started pouring on way there, youth hostel was full, couldn't find motels (realized they were far out of town), finally checked in to Centre City Inn and went out to find dinner. In to a Taco Bell but they don't have Lite Menu items there. Ended up at Mr. Sub.
---19950816---(Wednesday)
Out after 11:00. To Sav-On Food and Drugs but didn't buy anything. To Muttart Conservancy to see four pyramid-shaped greenhouses respresenting different climates. Drove to Old Strathcona. Lunch at Malaysian place (ate Sambal Ikan): only so-so. Bought some used CDs. To Fringe box office to get T-shirt. Walked around residential streets to train tracks; took picture of Japanese tin-tin densya. Rest in coffehouse. To car. Drove to airport with stop for petrol. US Immigration and Customs before boarding. 17:50 flight to YYC and SLC, then 22:00 flight to SAN. Public Shuttle home.