It's been a whirlwind week or so since I last wrote to announce my participation in the BW Stevenson Singer-Songwriter Competition Finals in Dallas at Poor David's Pub. The winner was Mark Wayne Glasmire (http://www.markwayneglasmire.com/music.html), a well seasoned singer-songwriter and a genuinely nice guy! The event was a lot of fun, and I was happy to see a good turn out to support it. A special thanks goes to all who were there on my behalf. I'll look forward to doing more of these in the future. After the competition, I enjoyed hanging out with Jimmy Baldwin (http://www.jimmybmusic.com) at a really great little out-of-the-way place in old town Dallas called Lee Harvey's (http://leeharveys.com/pages/about.html), where Jimmy and his band are known to pack in 200+ fans when they play. Jimmy and I were talking about a tour we're doing in June with Nancy Apple of Memphis (http://www.nancyapple.com). . . We'll be in Dallas, Mineral Wells, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and dates are still being added to the calendars on all of our Web sites. While in Dallas, I also enjoyed a first show with Texas History Lee Powell, a real working cowboy-storyteller whose enlightening and entertaining ten minutes of Texas history is featured every Monday on KNON 89.3 FM, followed by one of my songs on Texas Renegade Radio with Trevor Fought. (Lee is also known for his live recording of the "Bill Longely" song with Houston Marchman--http://www.houstonmarchman.com/.) Listen live on Mondays at 5 -- http://www.knon.org/! And Friday, I found myself home in Houston, sitting in for the first time with the Front Porch Society on the back deck of the Mucky Duck (http://www.mcgonigels.com/), where this group of Texas singer-songwriters plays once a month "in the round" to an enthusiastic listening crowd during a happy hour that offers pricey drinks but free homemade fajitas on the grill! This little impromptu "cameo" appearance was truly one of the best times I've had in a while. Next, I'll be heading to Austin for my debut at Threadgill's Old #1 on Lamar (http://www.threadgills.com/indexcal.cfm?location=1), opening for Butch Morgan this Saturday, May 17. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, this venue is the legendary location where Janis Joplin cut her teeth in music before moving on to San Francisco. Being from the Golden Triangle (like Janis) and being the history buff that I am, I'm excited, to say the least, to perform in the same small room where another home-town hero got her start not so very long ago. I am asking that everybody in the Austin area mark this evening on your calendars and help me spread the word. I go on at 9:30 p.m. and am looking forward to sharing this experience with you all! There is always so much more, but this letter is getting long, so for now I will leave you with a heartfelt "Happy Mother's Day." It is certainly the perfect weather for it in Houston, and I am feeling so happy to be here -- thanks to my dear "Ma Bell." I will give her a call now . . . Y'all come!