re: the Scots...

Of all the memories that I'll leave Austin with, it'll be my connections with three fabulous Scottish singers that'll likely endure.
The writing and playing sessions went really well - we seemed to meet on a fertile middle ground. I found myself gravitating towards more 'traditional' structures, while I think they were keen on getting away from that problematic word.
In addition to the songwriting, I taught Paul, Emily and Karine a few of my songs; they dropped in on my showcases, and added accordion, background vocals and guitar.
On my final morning in Austin, I stumbled outta bed as early as I could manage to take in a bit of South Austin. It's a very easy place to love: bumper stickers that read "south austin...we're all here 'cause we're not all there" ingratiated me immediately to it. I ate a delicious cornmeal/almond cookie, bought some tupelo honey, and spent three hours marveling at the architecture, and the left-wing lawn signs.

Below you'll see some shots from South Austin, as well as a picture of our showcase, me and Emily Smith, and me and Paul McLachlan...