I have such strong memories of my first Sunday on the '97 tour (starting at 10am and still on our feet singing at 10pm) that I was worried that nothing could compare.

Well....such was the welcome at Bethlehem BC that it felt like a continuation of the same day. As the others have no doubt described (we are trying not to read each others entries) we were made to feel like special guests, in no small part due to the relationship between Brother Tony and May, the force of nature behind this small neighbourhood church. At the lunch following the service I was a fly on the wall as Tony got to sing in an impromptu trio with one of the church elders and her husband - as he remarked on the bus afterwards "you live for moments like that".

One aspect of these tours that I had forgotten was the 'extra' stuff that happens along the way - such as meeting Dick our bus driver for the day on Sunday - a man with a million stories and the gift of the gab. He had been a pilot/driver for Jerry Lee Lewis and had traveled the world and met Jerry Lee's peers (you know, Elvis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash....) and had survived intact due to his staying away from the booze and drugs. As he tells it "I have a near photographic memory and a mathematical mind. I'm not as good looking as Elvis but I never had but one ugly woman in my life".

The day continued along with our own performance at New Philadelphia Church - singing mainly to their choir who alternately hollered and napped through our songs (now there was a motivation to sing well....it had been a long day for them already). And then, the highlight for me, singing at Mount Vernon for the broadcast service. Our 2 songs turned into 4 and we have never sounded so good. I felt very proud of us all. Back to the hotel and a piece of cake for Fran's b'day  - Wyndham was still going strong and had been the Angel baby indeed.

So we head to Chicago today for stage 2...more soon.

Rosie