[ This is Rick's letter from April '99 ]

Yo and Helllo!!! How are Yooooo?

I am on a quick zip of a milleesecond at home in Vancouver. I just finished a wonderful 8 day tour of School District 8 in the Kootenays (in my home Province of B.C.)

Spring was springing and kids were rockin'. Merci beaucoup Nelson *Salmo* Creston * Crawford Bay * Kaslo * Slocan * and Crescent Valley. I had a great time. And for those of you up that way, you now find my tapes and CDs at Comfort & Joy in Nelson.

Yikes! I gotta hurry! I have to pack my bags and fly clear across Canada to New Brunswick. I leave in just a few hours. Really!!! I'll write again as soon as I get back in about 15 days.. I will be doing 8 shows there...

My next project is to finally get my Electric Snowshoe Songbook finished. I have some very cool people helping me: Harris Van Berkel is writing out the charts (that's the musical notes and chords for guitar and piano). Harris has played music with me many times. Some of the songs he has played guitar with me are Ballad of The Electric Snowshoe, Yo Mo Concerto, Looking For That Certain Something and Grandma. Kari Burk is doing the illustrations and they are awesome...she's getting ideas and inspiration from my grandson Max... WANNA SEE!!??? Hmmm, how about we make this a contest.

Here it is... Every week I'll show you one of Kari's drawings. You have to guess the title of the song. At the end of four weeks you send in the four titles. All the drawings are from the Electric Snowshoe cassette. I'll put all the correct answers in a giant oh-fish-al hat and pull out some winners. But before I do it, I'll think up a really amazing prize or two or three or ? I'll let you know what it is in a week or so... trust me! They will be strange and amazing and unbelievably you-neek (unique)!

OK, I see a problem with this brilliant idea-dream-contest. What about my friends out there who don't have the Electric Snowshoe tape and are not familiar with my songs? NO PROBLEM! I'll make a special category for you. What you have to do is MAKE UP a title for the drawing. A panel of good friendly judges will pick some winners. Ready?

Song #1: click it to see the full picture

Song #2: click it to see the full picture

What's the title of the song in each of these pictures ? If you know...enter the contest HERE

I'm outta here, talk to you soon!! Take care. Hello New Brunswick...

PS My next kids shows after New Brunwick are in B.C. at the Roberts Creek Hall on Saturday May 8; at the W.I.S.E. Hall in Vancouver on May 15 and at the Capitol Theatre in Nelson on June 12. I'll be playing with my friends Joe Mock and Shari Ulrich, we're in a band called PIED PUMKIN, so it will be a lot of fun. Hope to see you there.

Your friend -

Rick