All is well!

I Wish

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:50:00 GMT

I haven't been posting anything for quite a while on my blog...it's not like I don't have anything to say rather I've been saying quite a bit lately with my music and my art and most of all my fishing. What is this guy talking about you might be asking yourself. Just think about that for a second or two and you'll see that there is some truth (or not to this statement)...what you do or don't do (action) says a lot about yourself and where your at on this incredible "Journey". For instance, since my last blog I've recorded a brand new album, painted at least twenty large canvasses and four dozen or so smaller ones...built a bunch of pine furniture, performed at the Red Rock Folk Festival and at a number of house concerts, hosted a weekly Open Mic series at a local restaurant, did a seven week art and music gig in Sault Ste. Marie and fished all summer long and oh yea the most important thing I did, was meet some very nice people who I can now call friends! so do stuff...keep busy... but remember there's no place like home cause... that's where your family is... take time for that....cheers

Link to Train Stories

Sat, 02 May 2009 20:05:00 GMT

Seems like I've got one to many blogs to post on these days. I'm working on my new Train Stories CD and have a story blog happening on that page. You can check it out by clicking Train Stories.

Train Stories

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:57:09 GMT

Do you have any train stories? Visit the Train Stories Page.

Best Wishes for 2009

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:52:28 GMT

Best wishes to everyone I hope you have a wonderful year filled with peace, love and good health! There are so many negative things happening in the world sometimes I just feel like pulling the blankets over my head, going back to sleep and waking up when the world problems are solved. For some reason I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. On the positive side I live in a small town where I know a good percentage of the people. I can drive down my street and offer a stranger a ride downtown without fearing for my life nor the stranger for his or hers. Kinda feels good walking downtown and not feeling weird about waving or saying hello to a person you see on the street, store or the post office. I love living in my little town here in Northern Ontario and count my blessings every day.

Happy Holidays

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:55:47 GMT

I would like to wish everyone a New Year filled with good health,happiness, peace, prosperity and good friends.

Honour our Canadian Soldiers ~ Wear a poppy!

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:25:00 GMT

I was watching a little bit of the hockey game this past Saturday and the Coach's Corner with Don Cherry came on. There was a film clip of Don standing in a Soldier's cemetery in France. All dressed in black with a light rain coming down Don pointed down the rows of graves and made this statement..."this is why you should buy a poppy"...I have been listening to Don Cherry rant and rave about different hockey issues for years and sometimes find him a bit hard to take but I have to admit that this truly was a gracious moment for him and most probably his best one. I was at the post office today here in Wawa and a few of our local veterans were there selling poppies. I stood back a little and watched these aging soldiers offering these small red flowers for a donation. I put money in the box and thanked this soldier for the service he provided to my country. Such a small price to pay on my behalf for the incredible sacrifice these young soldiers made for me. Thank you to all the men and women who serve our country and thanks Don Cherry for the reminder.

Fall colours on the Superior Coastline are peaking!

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:26:01 GMT

Jude and I travelled up the coastline to the Soo this past Friday and had an incredible view of the fall colours. We both agreed that this year was special. If you want to have an out of body experience (without the drugs) don't hesitate...get in your car and take a drive down Highway 17...there's magic waiting for you!

Maple and Spruce
A young florescent maple tucked in between two green Spruce trees
reminds me of a pretty young girl hiding shyly between her parents.
Her beauty can't be hidden
Her innocence revealed
Shines for everyone
to enjoy.

The Art of Music:by Rusty McCarthy

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:30:00 GMT

I just posted some of legendary blues and jazz guitarist Rusty McCarthy's "Music Art Card Series". The original paintings are all gone but these wonderful images are available to purchase on Rusty's website along with his new CD Nowhere Close. www.rustymccarthy.ca/

The Blueberry Patch

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:33:55 GMT

The Blueberry Patch

It’s late September
and I want to remember
this afternoon.
The wind blowing hard
from the Northwest.
A few fragile
berries are clinging
desperately to a summer
that has already slipped
away
into another season of wind
and rain.
The sweet warm memory of early
summer can still be felt here
in the blueberry patch.
I pick these last berries and
will wait for February
to rekindle the memory
of today

New Group of Seven Album

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:20:00 GMT

July 29~08
Just finished recording my new CD "Riding the Rails in Paradise". All the songs on this new album are dedicated to the members of The Group of Seven.
This cd was recorded at Rec Room Studio in Sault Ste.Marie with music producer Rusty McCarthy. Rusty played a few of his guitars and added bass tracks and did a little hand drumming! The new disk will be available in a couple of days on this site store page. You can now hear all the new tunes on this site.
I will be doing two live performances later on in September. September 11th at the Algoma Art Gallery and Semptember 28th at the Searchmont Ski Resort. I will be posting the dates and times on my main page a little later.
You can read stories and inspiration about these songs on this Group of 7 page.

Art: an act of Peace

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:02:09 GMT

Art: an act of Peace (Don Charbonneau)

I wish I could with a stroke of my brush
Paint happiness and good health into your life
I wish
I wish I could with a stroke of my brush
Paint enough food to feed everyone on this planet.
I wish
I wish I could with a stroke of my brush
Paint all equipment of war
Into environmentally friendly tractors.
I wish
I wish I could with a stroke of my brush
Paint a new song in the empty heads
Of Ministrels of War
I wish
I wish I could with a stroke of my brush
Paint God into an image that every human being
Regardless of Race, Colour or Creed could experience
I wished this wish and experienced
Peace.

The Man Behind The Music~Music Producer Billy Bruhmuller

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:50:42 GMT

I just posted a new slide video on this website featuring Award winning music producer Billy Bruhmuller and his Easter Island Studio. (Make sure to turn off music player before starting video.) Many Sudbury musicians have had Billy record their music over the past ten years and I'm sure everyone who have had the pleasure of working with him would agree that he does a good job, loves his work and has great ideas.
I'm not sure of the status of Easter Island's location...Billy was telling me last March that the City of Sudbury was planning a road improvement in his area of town and that the building was slated to be torn down.
My son Noel and two of the bands he played in recorded three CDs there and Billy produced a couple of acoustic EPs for Noel. I have posted one of Noel's song on the music player titled "Under The Stairs".
Thanks Billy Click here for the video.

Joshua Slocum~Sailor

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 02:14:17 GMT

On April 24th 1885 at the age of fifty-one, Canadian born sailor Joshua Slocum left Boston Massachusetts for his famous circumnavigation in his rebuilt thirty seven foot sloop the "Spray". Slocum sailed single handedly around the world ...a passage of 46,000 miles.

I remember hearing part of this story on CBC Radio one morning about six years ago. I just caught the end of the story and was inspired to write the song "South Wind". A friend of mine and sailor Rick Aho helped with some of the sailing lyrics.
I just posted the song on the website and it is free to download. Here are the lyrics.

South Wind

Stars are shining bright on this harbour tonight
Stars are shining bright on that shore
I can still hear her calling to me
Why does a man leave his woman alone
Why does a man go to sea
Is it because I'm looking for
something inside of me.

Listen to the sound of the creeking spars
Heaven open up distant stars
Wind is in the rigging
Wind is in the sail
Listen to the sound of the crashing sea
Listen to that melody
Sweet sweet melody

I've often wondered if I did right
I've wondered if I was wrong
There's something calling to me
Something way out there at sea.

I'm leaving tonight on an evening sail
I got South wind at my back
don't know where I'm sailing to
don't know if I'll be back again

Listen to the sound of the creeking spars
Heaven open up distant stars
Winds in the rigging
Winds in the sail
Listen to the sound of the crashing sea
Listen to that melody
Sweet sweet melody

Stars are shining bright on this harbour tonight
Stars are shining bright on that shore
I can still hear her calling to me

Willie P. Bennett

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 10:10:48 GMT

I just heard the sad news tonight that folk legend Willie P. Bennett died on Friday February 15th 2008. I first heard Willie when he played with the Dixie Flyers in London Ontario. The Dixie Flyers were a bluegrass band with Bert Baumback (guitar & vocals) and Ken Palmer (Mandolin & vocals). Willie played the harmonica with this band and recorded an instrumental album with the Flyers in the late 70's called "Just Picking". He later embarked on a solo career and wrote some great songs. He was part of the London Folk Music scene and I saw him perform a number of times at the "Cookery' which I believe was part of the Rideout Tavern in downtown London. Willie P. Bennett was a working musician, a true artist and playing music was his life. His sincerety and passion was reflected in the songs that he wrote. Willie P. Bennett has been and will continue to be a great inspiration to a lot of musicians.

Swimming with loons

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:44:57 GMT

We are in the middle of January and opening pickerel season is still four months away. I had a wondeful experience swimming off the dock at Totomenai last year ...

Swimming with Loons

I jump off the dock for the first time
this year
To my surprise and pleasure
A common loon appears less than
twenty feet from where I surface.
An old friend has come to greet me
And I say hello….....and ask “did you winter well?”

He quietly slips under the surface
to feed on a new hatch of Suckers
and Whitefish.

Later that afternoon he returns with his mate
and they entertain us with song and loon dance.

I want to speak to this ancient creature that
calls to me in my dreams
But I only hear his voice
A single penetrating note that
echoes a sadness
and yet
I do not feel sad.
I feel a million springs
I feel the silence of a warm summer night
I hear the call of a new born calf
I see the pickerel feeding on minnows
in the shallow of a bay
I hear the wind as it gently moves the water on a rocky shore
All these things I see and hear
in the sound of this loon’s song.

Once again I feel there is hope for this planet and
my children’s
Children.
Don Charbonneau

Maxie Simon and the Wawa Iron Men

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:07:39 GMT

I just added a picture of the Senior "A" hockey team the Wawa Iron Men. This picture dates back to the early sixties I believe and ..."Manitoulin Island's hockey legend"... Maxie Simon is seated first row on the right. ( I saw Maxie today and he let me have this picture) When I first came to Wawa in 1965 I got work at Algoma Ore working underground on the miner's shift. I just turned 17 years old at the time and I believe I got the job because of my hockey background. I had played the year before with a Junior "A" team from Garson called the Native Sons. Maxie Simon worked has a miner for the company and played for the local 'Ironmen" Senior "A" . I practised with the Ironmen men a couple of times and was told that I was hired to play for the new Junior "B" team that was slated to start up later in the fall. I remember Maxie Simon and his great snap wrist shot. I was quite impressed by the accuracy and speed of his shot and worked hard to perfect mine. This team had incredible talent and I believe a few of the players given a chance could of played in the NHL. I heard that Maxie Simon got the call from the Detroit Red Wings...I will have to ask him about that. I'm in the process of collecting pictures and stories from the 50's and 60's and will turn them into a slide video with the new tune "Roy Bell's Farm is Not There Anymore". Hopefully we will get in the recording studio sometime in March and will have the music and slide video available by then.

Roy Bell's Farm is not there any more

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 13:15:48 GMT

These are the lyrics to a new song I wrote after hearing the news of our strandboard and lumber mill closure late this fall. The town of Wawa has gone through a lot of changes and tough times in the last few years. We lost a major employer when Algoma Ore shut down it's iron ore division. Although this town has had a few set backs in it's history it always seems to get itself back up and running.
I will be recording this song shortly and it will be available on the website sometime in March 2008.

Old Roy Bell's Farm's Not There Anymore

When I first came up here it was in 1965
I was driving down this highway
wih nothing but a dream.
This small northern town was booming in those days
A thousand men and women worked for the company.
Taverns were open all over town
and closing time was never that far away
and you could buy breakfast at any old time of day.

I went up to the mine looking for a job
Man in charge asked me son "well can you skate"...
Skate? Yes Sir, since I was four years old
Played last year for the Native Sons.
Sixteen years young now and working underground
Sixteen years young now and working underground.

My dad worked at the old Red and White
worked another job just to keep his family warm.
You could buy beer cheap at the Union Hall
and spend the rest of the evening there
drilling another round
and spend the rest of the evening there drilling another round.

Saturday nights we would head down to the rink
watch the Iron Men they were the best in the Senior "A"
A few of those guys could of played in the NHL
and Maxie Simon had the best shot in the league
and Maxie Simon had the best shot in the league.

The mine shut down 10 years ago
and that old Red and White's been torn down to the ground.
We just got news only yesterday that the lumber mill shut down
now there's nothing left to say.
and old Roy Bell's farm is not there anymore
and old Roy Bell's farm is not there anymore.

Local Food Bank needs your help

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:55:26 GMT

Many Northern Ontario communities have experienced layoffs in the wood industry and now more than ever more people are relying on their local food banks...they need your help especially at this time of year. Please help! Donations here in Wawa can be made at Iris's Place on Broadway Avenue.

Best Wishes

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:38:39 GMT

I woud like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season and a wonderful New Year!