Just back from a wonderful weekend at the Third Annual Susquehanna Music & Arts Fest

I hardly know where to start describing the joys of this festival. The location was convenient (just north of Baltimore, just south of Philadelphia), the lineup was unbelievable, the setting idyllic, the food delightful, the volunteers plentiful and cheerful, (and world-class massages for staff & performers... oh YES! - thanks Randy!) the stages well-designed and well-situated -- What a fabulous kickoff to the festival season--it's definitely posturing to become a leading festival in North America.

As you might guess, it can still get pretty chilly at night in Maryland this time of year, but the charming Ramblewood campground is set up really well for any kind of weather. We found ourselves mult-layered at night as we gathered in the cozy barn to hear the Nields, Full Frontal Folk, Sloan Wainwright, Tanglefoot (!), Four Shillings Short, Aztec Two Step, Common Bond -- I could go on and on, but you can check out the website! But the outdoor daytime stages were the perfect place to take it all in with absolutely glorious weather. The daytime stages shimmered with my pals Amy Carol Webb, Caroline Aiken, Jan Luby, Rachel Bissex, Wishing Chair, Still on the Hill, SONiA, Mustard's Retreat, We're About Nine, Les Barker, Carla Ulbrich -- and then to connect with and be totally knocked out by Danny Bakan - canadian banjo player extraordinaire... and the Malvinas, wow! wow! wow! The festival closes with a Phil Ochs-a-thon, which is certainly one of my favorite parts.

I think you should start figuring out right now how to be there in 2005. It's the perfect way to spend Mother's Day weekend ... lots of great kids activities too!