Maybe time heals all wounds, or do we just simply forget?

I promised myself I would never do another one.  I know I really enjoyed going in the Blues Train last time, but it was the pain of organising it.

But I did, and here is the story of our trip for the special in the last weekend in May.

• I promised I would never organise one again. I promised I would never ...

This Apollo Bay Music Festival may be our last :-(

We have been to many of the 21 Apollo Bay Music Festivals.

We have enjoyed the diversity of acts and the ability of the Festival to reinvent itself each year.

However 2 years ago all that changed and it has now become a formula without vision.

It has become far from what we used to enjoy and it is with great saddeness admitting that this years may be our last.

• Maybe we need to learn to look at something differently?

I have been going to Bluestone for around 10 or so years now

At Bluestone five bands play on New Years Eve, with the final one taking us into New Years and beyond.  New Years Day was originally a recovery day, however it has become as big as New Years Eve with four more bands.  Many people who couldn't make the it night before will come out just for the day.

Legends of the blues, Turning Blue entertains the crowd
[Photo: Og Bear]

I have been going to Bluestone for around 10 or so years now.  It is put on by the Blues Club to celebrate New Years Eve and is nice and relaxed and cruisy.

I thought I would do the right thing and come out and set tent up the day before.

The atmosphere is building up as we head towards midnight[Photo: Og Bear]

But New Years Eve was hot and windy and when I returned that day a big wind destroyed tent, rendering it unusable.

Og and Kel having a too good a time New Years Eve
[Photo: Og Bear]

Then it was a heat wave right into the night.

I ended up sleeping in a very basic temporary shelter with Jacqui's crew.

The atmosphere is building up as we head towards midnight
[Photo: Og Bear]

It was a big improvement with a full marque this year and the area between that and the old school house contained.

More people camped at Bluestone 2010 that in previous years
[Photo: Og Bear]

A lot more people camped which was better too.

For more photos check out :

https://picasaweb.google.com/102935184649222300700/Bluestone2010

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Me and Mr Merls went to the 2010 Australian Blues Music Festival

I would like to go to a festival every year that I don't normally go to, but with my health and dialysis it can be so difficult to arrange that there is a point where you give up.

However Mr Merls and myself made a concerted effort and got ourselves to the 2010 Australian Blues Music Festival.  As a collection of acts it was great; as a festival it was quite a disappointment.

• Australian Blues Music Fest 2010

So what else aren't you telling us Mr Merls?

It has been a bit of a struggle since Eric has gone and even though I thought I would bounce right back. I have since realised the doctors were right when they said it would take about 18 months to get well again from being so run down from Eric not working properly. My Specialist felt it would do me some good, so I headed off to the Echuca Winter Blues Festival with Merlin and Somerled, my two boys.
It was an intense effort to get there, and when we did it was as cold as ice.

It took us until Saturday the next day to really get our bearings, but once we did Mr Merls, Somerled and myself were off and running.

• Me and My Boys’ Echuca Winter Blues Festival