Maria Rose

Hi and Happy New Year to all of you!!
We would've written sooner, but after performing on New Years Eve at the Alvin Opry in Texas, (great evening of a listening theater audience, no alcohol, smoke, etc.), we spent a night at Lake Fausse Pointe in Louisiana. They do not have internet, TV, radio, but what a beautiful location with a cabin right on the bayou!

So, since we didn't get to wish you all the New Year's greeting until now, we hope this year will be a good one for you! We're looking forward to many more travels again this year at some nice events, so we'll keep you updated.

We're also starting a new CD project this week when we return to Maryland, and hope to have it completed in a few months.

Happy New Year, and God Bless all of you.
Maria Rose and Danny

12-26-2007 CHRISTMAS IN NEW ORLEANS:

Hi Everyone: We are here in New Orleans and having just a GREAT time!!! We did some singing at the Bridge House, a homeless and rehabilition center in the middle of town, and the one thing that stands out in my mind was a homeless man named 'Ron' ... he told me that we really made his day with our music, and that meant everything to us.

After that, we went to the 'Rock 'n' Bowl' to do some bowling and see our favorite New Orleans band, 'Benny Grunch and the Bunch'. It's a fun place and a great place to celebrate Christmas!

We were lucky to stay in the French Quarter, and were within walking distance to all the shops. The hotel was really nice, and we plan to come back and stay here again in a few months.

There is no place like New Orleans, it really has become 'home' to us. We also took a trip to the Lower 9th Ward, the place where Brad Pitt organized "Make It Right NOLA.org", and saw the pink 'houses' that will soon be home to some folks who lost everything. Very moving, very emotional and an eye-opener that we, who do have a roof over our heads, should really be grateful to God for it.

Hope your holidays are just the best!

Maria and Danny

November, 2007
Things with the scheduling got mixed up in Austin, TX, so we had to re-arrange visits to the Mason Country Opry and the Down Home Ranch, and will be going there again in December.
Moving onto the next adventure, we rode through Houston and finally ended up at one of our favorite places, Lake Fausse Pointe, Louisianna. We planned a few days there just because it is not only so beautiful, it was also a relaxation for us on this road trip. The stress of the highways just seemed to melt away as we finally got near our cabin, (just like going to our cabin in WV). We took the canoe out in the bayou all day on Friday, Nov. 2, and saw lots of alligators! They are just the most fascinating critters!

On Saturday, Nov. 3, we headed up to Carthage, Texas to perform on the Country Music Hayride. Carthage is the home of Tex Ritter and Jim Reeves, and both of these classic artists had memorials which we visited. The show was great, and after another return performance invitation, we look forward to going back there. We really met a lot of very good performers that night, and the band was real good to work with.
On Sunday, November 4, we headed to our final destination on this trip, our "home", New Orleans. This city is just a great American classic, and it really was good to get back, (for about the 25th time!). Just a few days here this time around, but that is just fine because we always know we'll be back soon, (actually for Christmas). We spent most of the day in the French Quarter just taking in the sights and stores. This has been one heck of a trip, and we sure have a lot of good times and memories because of it. We head back to Maryland on Tuesday, Nov. 6th.

It was on to Winterset, Iowa on Monday, 10/22, where we went through John Wayne's home. John had a very humble beginning and moved on to be one of Hollywood's best and most beloved actors. We also visited the Roseman Bridge in Winterset, the location of many (scenes from "The Bridges of Madison County", (and also a good possibility that the location will be the cover of our next CD). On Tuesday, 10/23, we ended up in Hutchinson, Kansas and went through the underground Salt Mines, (the only one in the Western Hemisphere). On Wednesday, 10/24, we performed for a very gracious and receptive audience at the Texas Good Sam Samboree in Waco. This was our 6th Samboree performance this year, and we look forward to many more.
On Thursday, 10/25, we visited the Dr. Pepper Museum, (the soft drink started right in Waco). The highlight was watching the soda being served exactly the way it used to be, mixed with syrup and water, right from the fountain. We also walked across the Brazos River on the Suspension Bridge in Waco. From there, we went to the location of the Branch Davidian Complex, east of Waco, where there is a memorial of the incident which happened in 1993 where 82 people lost their lives in the standoff with David Koresh. After that, we went to Mexia, TX, the hometown of Anna Nicole Smith. Next stop, Dallas . . .

October, 2007 We left on Thursday, 10/18 for our longest stretch so far this year. Riding across Western Maryland was just beautiful with the leaves changing so many colors! It was about a 14-hour day of driving, and after watching the darkening skies, lots of rain, and coming through what ended up being a tornado-watch section of Champaign, Illinois, we finally made to one of our favorite towns, Moline, Illinois. We relaxed finally after all that riding with a stop at our favorite place in Moline, Bent River Brew Pub and Restaurant. Anyone ever had 'chocolate-coffee' or jalapeno microbrew beer? It's the very best! Next stop, Sandstone, Minnesota, to film RFD-TV's "Midwest Country" show, (our second trip and filming). We got to the Midwest Country theatre in Sandstone on Saturday, Oct. 20th at noon, and rehearsed with the house band. All of the guys in the band really care about making a performer sound good, and they are a lot of fun to work with and to be around. We filmed two shows, an hour each, one at 3pm and one at 7pm. The audience was a very receptive crowd, and although we already had our songs planned, we had requests to again sing "The RE-United States". So, with just a short time to go over the song, we ended our shows with it, and it was much appreciated as the audience showed their feelings each show with a standing ovation. I guess there's no better feeling than to have an audience react that way to something you wrote. After the shows, we talked with Kathy and Joe, the owners of Midwest Country, and they have given us an open invitation to come back again next spring to film again. It is really great to feel so at home and be part of the Midwest Country family. Keep watching the show on RFD-TV, as they'll be working us into the rotation of performers every few weeks. After leaving Sandstone on Sunday morning, we took one of our side trips to Minneapolis, and saw the location of where the I-35W interstate bridge collapsed a few months back. We walked across the Mississippi River on the bridge parallel to the I-35W bridge, and could see where the I35-W bridge used to be. That was pretty scary even thinking about it. We arrived and stayed in Davenport, Iowa Sunday night, with a visit to our favorite microbrew house, Bent River Brewery. Have you ever heard of Jalapeno Pepper beer? They've got it, and also have a brew that tastes like coffee/chocolate. Great little place!

September, '07 9/6: Another milestone for my Honda Civic – today, she turned 400,000!! It might sound crazy, but she’s really been a true friend to us out on the road. She looks real sharp with those new wheels, and will look even sharper with the new paint job I’m treating her to – she sure deserves it!

August, 2007 Travels in August took us to Vermont and New Hampshire. On Friday, 8/19, we performed for a very receptive group at the NH Good Sam Club. They sure surprised me when we closed with the song I wrote, “The RE-United States”, and everyone stood and came in front of the stage, formed several intertwining circles, and walked hand in hand during the entire song! We’d like to thank Dick and Judy Coderre, state directors, along with all the many wonderful folks we met at the NH Good Sam Samboree. On Saturday, 8/20, we performed for the 2nd year at the Running Bear Campground in Ascutney, VT - Ross and Buffy, thanks for the hospitality, great audience, and the invitation to come back next year! Sunday, 8/21, back to NH to perform at the Cornish Fair. This was really a nice event, with lots of great food, a variety of music, and, thanks to Jan and Buzz Lord, an invitation to come back to perform again for the fair next year!

July 2007 Everyone thinks of the big city when they think of New York, but on this trip, we sure did see some beautiful country! The Good Sam Club of New York asked us to perform for their Samboree on July 14th. We had a great time in meeting everyone there, the audience was very receptive, and we made a lot of new friends and fans.
Some side trips while in New York included a visit to Cooperstown - we missed Cal's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame by 2 weeks, but Congratulations go out to our Hometown Hero!
Other side trips included an evening in Niagara Falls, and what a beautiful rainbow over the falls we saw on a nice, cool evening.
We left there and stayed a night in Jamestown, which is the hometown of one of my idols, Lucille Ball. After all these years of watching the shows I've seen a thousand times and know by heart, I still 'Love Lucy'! It was a thrill to be in her hometown and see some places where she was born, lived and is now buried at the Lake View Cemetery.
While in the area, we had dinner on Chautaugua Lake at the Italian Fisherman, they served up a 'Pot of Shrimp', complete with corn, potatoes, sausage and carrots. Good thing we both didn't order it, there's no way one person could finish it alone!
It was a real good trip, and my 'friend', (my Honda Civic), turned 398,000 on this trip! She's just like that Energizer Bunny!
Visit the photo gallery for some shots of our July New York trip.

June 10: Minneapolis, MN, Mall of America
After an exciting weekend of filming the Midwest Country TV Show, we left Sunday morning and stopped to see the sculpture garden in Minneapolis. We then went to the biggest mall we've ever seen, the 'Mall of America'. The stores were okay, and so were the many restaurants in the mall, but the most fun we had was getting on the 'Paul Bunyan Water Slide'! When we get back to that area, I plan to spend a few hours getting on that ride again and again and again!

June 9: Sandstone, Minnesota. We filmed the 'Midwest Country' TV show for RFD-TV, and actually filmed two separate shows. The band was really great to work with, they all took the time to chart out our songs and really did a good job on both shows. Midwest Country will be editing the shows and sending them to RFD-TV for airing. At first, we were told that it wouldn't be until the fall until our songs would be worked into the rotation of the Saturday night airings, but after we filmed our shows, they told us they were going to work in a few of our songs in mid-July . . . we'll announce the air dates as soon as we know.
And, instead of seeing us on just one Midwest Country show, we filmed enough so they'll have enough to spread over some months of airing. We are really excited to be part of the Midwest Country show, and they told us they'd include some of our songs in an upcoming DVD of 'The Best of Midwest Country'. Thanks Kathy and Joe for being so nice to us, and thanks to the band for their very dedicated and professional attitudes. We look forward to going back to Sandstone in the next year to film the show again!

June 7: Winterset, Iowa. This was a very unexpected side-trip, and it was not only a thrill to see the birthplace of the great John Wayne, it was really fun seeing the filming locations of 'The Bridges of Madison County'! We went to the Roseman Bridge, where in the movie Clint Eastwood took the photos of Merle Streep, then we went to the little restaurant where I got to sit on the stool that Clint sat on in the movie! We also saw 'Francesca's house', but only from a distance because it is now fenced off because of some vandalism after the movie. What a great afternoon!

June 6: Hastings, Nebraska. The Good Sam of Nebraska invited us to perform for the first night of their Samboree - we had a great time, and made a lot of new friends tonight. Thanks Fred and Sandy for inviting us, and we sure hope to come back again!

June 4: Our very first Midwest trip, adding some new states to our travel history.

May, 2007: The two nights in New Orleans just wasn't enough, so without any scheduled music performances, we decided to take a week and go back, just because we felt like it! This trip was a little different - with one night at our favorite place, the Sleep Inn in Metairie, we headed further west to Lake Fausse Pointe near St. Martinville, LA. The minute we saw our cabin right on the lake, we just fell in love! It was instant relaxation, and during our 2 night stay, we saw hundreds of birds and alligators, took a canoe out in the bayou, walked the walking trails. We left and headed back to New Orleans for two more days, took a canoe out on the bayou in Barataria Preserve. Tony, who rents the canoes at the Bayou Barn just happens to be a musician, and after talking to him a long time, he invited us back for a West End Musicians celebration the next day. We are so glad we could make it to this special event, and were treated to a feast of shrimp, crawfish, crabs, (all cooked up and placed in the partitions in a pirogue!), along with potatoes, corn and fried catfish! We were so stuffed, but one other mentionable to go along with all that food...as we sat at the tables just a few yards from the bayou, there were two alligators who must've also thought the food really smelled delicious - they stayed right at the water's edge and hoped for someone to throw them something! For me and my love of gators, it just didn't get any better than that!
After the Bayou Barn feast, we decided to go back to Lake Fausse Pointe, and we stayed there for two more nights. The place is just so beautiful, and again we enjoyed our cabin on the lake and took a boat out into the bayou to search for more gators. The beautiful egrets, herons and warblers were everywhere, and we even saw some armadillos, rabbits and other critters.
We intended to leave the Lake and start heading home to WV, but said that just one more night in New Orleans was necessary! So again we checked into the Sleep Inn for one more round of fun! What made it a whole lot of fun was when we went to the Harrah's location on Wed. May 23rd to watch the live taping of 'Regis & Kelly Live', then went to Café du Monde for one more round of 'café au lait and beignets'! What a trip this has been.
The May 23rd front page of the Times Picayune says that hurricane season starts June 1st, and they are forcasting 5 major storms this year... our hearts will always be with the people in New Orleans and all along the Gulf Coast in hopes that they will never again see another Katrina.

April, 2007: Mid April took us back to the south, with a performance for the Arkansas Good Sam Club. It was a very nice audience, and we met some great people.
A trip to the south just would not be complete without a side journey to New Orleans. So we spent two nights there, went to our favorite restaurants and other stops such as the Café du Monde and French Market.
Sat., 4/29/06, we took a side trip to 'Gatorama' in Palmdale, FL. There were hundreds of alligators and crocodiles, and I even got to hold several gators - this tour was a real thrill because I absolutely LOVE alligators!
On Fri., 4/28/06, we performed for a great group of Good Sam Club folks in Okeechobee, FL. They really made us feel at home, were very receptive to our music & songs, and we made quite a few new friends in sunny Florida!
4/24/2006: Hey Everybody! Here's something new that we're trying out on the website - with all our travels this year, we thought we'd keep you updated of our happenings out on the road. First update will be this weekend, April 28th, from Okeechobee, Florida, performing for the Florida Good Sam Club. We'll also be roaming around the Everglades with the alligators!!!

Updates From The Road Hi and Happy New Year to all of you!! We would've written sooner, but after performing on New Years Eve at the Alvin Opry in Texas, (great evening of a listening theater audience, no alcohol, smoke, etc.), we spent a night at Lake Fausse Pointe in Louisiana. They do not have internet, TV, radio, but what a beautiful location with a cabin right on the bayou! So, since we didn't get to wish you all the New Year's greeting until now, we hope this year will be a good one for you! We're looking forward to many more travels again this year at some nice events, so we'll keep you updated. We're also starting a new CD project this week when we return to Maryland, and hope to have it completed in a few months. Happy New Year, and God Bless all of you. Maria Rose and Danny 12-26-2007 CHRISTMAS IN NEW ORLEANS: Hi Everyone: We are here in New Orleans and having just a GREAT time!!! We did some singing at the Bridge House, a homeless and rehabilition center in the middle of town, and the one thing that stands out in my mind was a homeless man named 'Ron' ... he told me that we really made his day with our music, and that meant everything to us. After that, we went to the 'Rock 'n' Bowl' to do some bowling and see our favorite New Orleans band, 'Benny Grunch and the Bunch'. It's a fun place and a great place to celebrate Christmas! We were lucky to stay in the French Quarter, and were within walking distance to all the shops. The hotel was really nice, and we plan to come back and stay here again in a few months. There is no place like New Orleans, it really has become 'home' to us. We also took a trip to the Lower 9th Ward, the place where Brad Pitt organized "Make It Right NOLA.org", and saw the pink 'houses' that will soon be home to some folks who lost everything. Very moving, very emotional and an eye-opener that we, who do have a roof over our heads, should really be grateful to God for it. Hope your holidays are just the best! Maria and Danny November, 2007 Things with the scheduling got mixed up in Austin, TX, so we had to re-arrange visits to the Mason Country Opry and the Down Home Ranch, and will be going there again in December. Moving onto the next adventure, we rode through Houston and finally ended up at one of our favorite places, Lake Fausse Pointe, Louisianna. We planned a few days there just because it is not only so beautiful, it was also a relaxation for us on this road trip. The stress of the highways just seemed to melt away as we finally got near our cabin, (just like going to our cabin in WV). We took the canoe out in the bayou all day on Friday, Nov. 2, and saw lots of alligators! They are just the most fascinating critters! On Saturday, Nov. 3, we headed up to Carthage, Texas to perform on the Country Music Hayride. Carthage is the home of Tex Ritter and Jim Reeves, and both of these classic artists had memorials which we visited. The show was great, and after another return performance invitation, we look forward to going back there. We really met a lot of very good performers that night, and the band was real good to work with. On Sunday, November 4, we headed to our final destination on this trip, our "home", New Orleans. This city is just a great American classic, and it really was good to get back, (for about the 25th time!). Just a few days here this time around, but that is just fine because we always know we'll be back soon, (actually for Christmas). We spent most of the day in the French Quarter just taking in the sights and stores. This has been one heck of a trip, and we sure have a lot of good times and memories because of it. We head back to Maryland on Tuesday, Nov. 6th. It was on to Winterset, Iowa on Monday, 10/22, where we went through John Wayne's home. John had a very humble beginning and moved on to be one of Hollywood's best and most beloved actors. We also visited the Roseman Bridge in Winterset, the location of many (scenes from "The Bridges of Madison County", (and also a good possibility that the location will be the cover of our next CD). On Tuesday, 10/23, we ended up in Hutchinson, Kansas and went through the underground Salt Mines, (the only one in the Western Hemisphere). On Wednesday, 10/24, we performed for a very gracious and receptive audience at the Texas Good Sam Samboree in Waco. This was our 6th Samboree performance this year, and we look forward to many more. On Thursday, 10/25, we visited the Dr. Pepper Museum, (the soft drink started right in Waco). The highlight was watching the soda being served exactly the way it used to be, mixed with syrup and water, right from the fountain. We also walked across the Brazos River on the Suspension Bridge in Waco. From there, we went to the location of the Branch Davidian Complex, east of Waco, where there is a memorial of the incident which happened in 1993 where 82 people lost their lives in the standoff with David Koresh. After that, we went to Mexia, TX, the hometown of Anna Nicole Smith. Next stop, Dallas . . . October, 2007 We left on Thursday, 10/18 for our longest stretch so far this year. Riding across Western Maryland was just beautiful with the leaves changing so many colors! It was about a 14-hour day of driving, and after watching the darkening skies, lots of rain, and coming through what ended up being a tornado-watch section of Champaign, Illinois, we finally made to one of our favorite towns, Moline, Illinois. We relaxed finally after all that riding with a stop at our favorite place in Moline, Bent River Brew Pub and Restaurant. Anyone ever had 'chocolate-coffee' or jalapeno microbrew beer? It's the very best! Next stop, Sandstone, Minnesota, to film RFD-TV's "Midwest Country" show, (our second trip and filming). We got to the Midwest Country theatre in Sandstone on Saturday, Oct. 20th at noon, and rehearsed with the house band. All of the guys in the band really care about making a performer sound good, and they are a lot of fun to work with and to be around. We filmed two shows, an hour each, one at 3pm and one at 7pm. The audience was a very receptive crowd, and although we already had our songs planned, we had requests to again sing "The RE-United States". So, with just a short time to go over the song, we ended our shows with it, and it was much appreciated as the audience showed their feelings each show with a standing ovation. I guess there's no better feeling than to have an audience react that way to something you wrote. After the shows, we talked with Kathy and Joe, the owners of Midwest Country, and they have given us an open invitation to come back again next spring to film again. It is really great to feel so at home and be part of the Midwest Country family. Keep watching the show on RFD-TV, as they'll be working us into the rotation of performers every few weeks. After leaving Sandstone on Sunday morning, we took one of our side trips to Minneapolis, and saw the location of where the I-35W interstate bridge collapsed a few months back. We walked across the Mississippi River on the bridge parallel to the I-35W bridge, and could see where the I35-W bridge used to be. That was pretty scary even thinking about it. We arrived and stayed in Davenport, Iowa Sunday night, with a visit to our favorite microbrew house, Bent River Brewery. Have you ever heard of Jalapeno Pepper beer? They've got it, and also have a brew that tastes like coffee/chocolate. Great little place! September, '07 9/6: Another milestone for my Honda Civic – today, she turned 400,000!! It might sound crazy, but she’s really been a true friend to us out on the road. She looks real sharp with those new wheels, and will look even sharper with the new paint job I’m treating her to – she sure deserves it! August, 2007 Travels in August took us to Vermont and New Hampshire. On Friday, 8/19, we performed for a very receptive group at the NH Good Sam Club. They sure surprised me when we closed with the song I wrote, “The RE-United States”, and everyone stood and came in front of the stage, formed several intertwining circles, and walked hand in hand during the entire song! We’d like to thank Dick and Judy Coderre, state directors, along with all the many wonderful folks we met at the NH Good Sam Samboree. On Saturday, 8/20, we performed for the 2nd year at the Running Bear Campground in Ascutney, VT - Ross and Buffy, thanks for the hospitality, great audience, and the invitation to come back next year! Sunday, 8/21, back to NH to perform at the Cornish Fair. This was really a nice event, with lots of great food, a variety of music, and, thanks to Jan and Buzz Lord, an invitation to come back to perform again for the fair next year! July 2007 Everyone thinks of the big city when they think of New York, but on this trip, we sure did see some beautiful country! The Good Sam Club of New York asked us to perform for their Samboree on July 14th. We had a great time in meeting everyone there, the audience was very receptive, and we made a lot of new friends and fans. Some side trips while in New York included a visit to Cooperstown - we missed Cal's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame by 2 weeks, but Congratulations go out to our Hometown Hero! Other side trips included an evening in Niagara Falls, and what a beautiful rainbow over the falls we saw on a nice, cool evening. We left there and stayed a night in Jamestown, which is the hometown of one of my idols, Lucille Ball. After all these years of watching the shows I've seen a thousand times and know by heart, I still 'Love Lucy'! It was a thrill to be in her hometown and see some places where she was born, lived and is now buried at the Lake View Cemetery. While in the area, we had dinner on Chautaugua Lake at the Italian Fisherman, they served up a 'Pot of Shrimp', complete with corn, potatoes, sausage and carrots. Good thing we both didn't order it, there's no way one person could finish it alone! It was a real good trip, and my 'friend', (my Honda Civic), turned 398,000 on this trip! She's just like that Energizer Bunny! Visit the photo gallery for some shots of our July New York trip. June 10: Minneapolis, MN, Mall of America After an exciting weekend of filming the Midwest Country TV Show, we left Sunday morning and stopped to see the sculpture garden in Minneapolis. We then went to the biggest mall we've ever seen, the 'Mall of America'. The stores were okay, and so were the many restaurants in the mall, but the most fun we had was getting on the 'Paul Bunyan Water Slide'! When we get back to that area, I plan to spend a few hours getting on that ride again and again and again! June 9: Sandstone, Minnesota. We filmed the 'Midwest Country' TV show for RFD-TV, and actually filmed two separate shows. The band was really great to work with, they all took the time to chart out our songs and really did a good job on both shows. Midwest Country will be editing the shows and sending them to RFD-TV for airing. At first, we were told that it wouldn't be until the fall until our songs would be worked into the rotation of the Saturday night airings, but after we filmed our shows, they told us they were going to work in a few of our songs in mid-July . . . we'll announce the air dates as soon as we know. And, instead of seeing us on just one Midwest Country show, we filmed enough so they'll have enough to spread over some months of airing. We are really excited to be part of the Midwest Country show, and they told us they'd include some of our songs in an upcoming DVD of 'The Best of Midwest Country'. Thanks Kathy and Joe for being so nice to us, and thanks to the band for their very dedicated and professional attitudes. We look forward to going back to Sandstone in the next year to film the show again! June 7: Winterset, Iowa. This was a very unexpected side-trip, and it was not only a thrill to see the birthplace of the great John Wayne, it was really fun seeing the filming locations of 'The Bridges of Madison County'! We went to the Roseman Bridge, where in the movie Clint Eastwood took the photos of Merle Streep, then we went to the little restaurant where I got to sit on the stool that Clint sat on in the movie! We also saw 'Francesca's house', but only from a distance because it is now fenced off because of some vandalism after the movie. What a great afternoon! June 6: Hastings, Nebraska. The Good Sam of Nebraska invited us to perform for the first night of their Samboree - we had a great time, and made a lot of new friends tonight. Thanks Fred and Sandy for inviting us, and we sure hope to come back again! June 4: Our very first Midwest trip, adding some new states to our travel history. May, 2007: The two nights in New Orleans just wasn't enough, so without any scheduled music performances, we decided to take a week and go back, just because we felt like it! This trip was a little different - with one night at our favorite place, the Sleep Inn in Metairie, we headed further west to Lake Fausse Pointe near St. Martinville, LA. The minute we saw our cabin right on the lake, we just fell in love! It was instant relaxation, and during our 2 night stay, we saw hundreds of birds and alligators, took a canoe out in the bayou, walked the walking trails. We left and headed back to New Orleans for two more days, took a canoe out on the bayou in Barataria Preserve. Tony, who rents the canoes at the Bayou Barn just happens to be a musician, and after talking to him a long time, he invited us back for a West End Musicians celebration the next day. We are so glad we could make it to this special event, and were treated to a feast of shrimp, crawfish, crabs, (all cooked up and placed in the partitions in a pirogue!), along with potatoes, corn and fried catfish! We were so stuffed, but one other mentionable to go along with all that food...as we sat at the tables just a few yards from the bayou, there were two alligators who must've also thought the food really smelled delicious - they stayed right at the water's edge and hoped for someone to throw them something! For me and my love of gators, it just didn't get any better than that! After the Bayou Barn feast, we decided to go back to Lake Fausse Pointe, and we stayed there for two more nights. The place is just so beautiful, and again we enjoyed our cabin on the lake and took a boat out into the bayou to search for more gators. The beautiful egrets, herons and warblers were everywhere, and we even saw some armadillos, rabbits and other critters. We intended to leave the Lake and start heading home to WV, but said that just one more night in New Orleans was necessary! So again we checked into the Sleep Inn for one more round of fun! What made it a whole lot of fun was when we went to the Harrah's location on Wed. May 23rd to watch the live taping of 'Regis & Kelly Live', then went to Café du Monde for one more round of 'café au lait and beignets'! What a trip this has been. The May 23rd front page of the Times Picayune says that hurricane season starts June 1st, and they are forcasting 5 major storms this year... our hearts will always be with the people in New Orleans and all along the Gulf Coast in hopes that they will never again see another Katrina. April, 2007: Mid April took us back to the south, with a performance for the Arkansas Good Sam Club. It was a very nice audience, and we met some great people. A trip to the south just would not be complete without a side journey to New Orleans. So we spent two nights there, went to our favorite restaurants and other stops such as the Café du Monde and French Market. Sat., 4/29/06, we took a side trip to 'Gatorama' in Palmdale, FL. There were hundreds of alligators and crocodiles, and I even got to hold several gators - this tour was a real thrill because I absolutely LOVE alligators! On Fri., 4/28/06, we performed for a great group of Good Sam Club folks in Okeechobee, FL. They really made us feel at home, were very receptive to our music & songs, and we made quite a few new friends in sunny Florida! 4/24/2006: Hey Everybody! Here's something new that we're trying out on the website - with all our travels this year, we thought we'd keep you updated of our happenings out on the road. First update will be this weekend, April 28th, from Okeechobee, Florida, performing for the Florida Good Sam Club. We'll also be roaming around the Everglades with the alligators!!!	Performance Schedule Watch for us on the “Midwest Country” TV Show on RFD-TV (Weekly: Sat. 9pm, Mon. 3pm, Tue. 1 & 7am on Dish Network (Ch.231) & Direct TV, (Ch.379) (We are featured every few weeks, so keep watching!) April: 19 (Sat) Glen Burnie American Legion, Shrimp Feast, 8-12pm, tickets: $35, (410) 761-9869 20 (Sun) Boumi Motor Corp, Annual Bull Roast, Michael’s 8th Avenue, 1-6pm, ticket info: Ray Lunn, (410) 499-2430 27 (Sun) Boumi Temple, Pig Roast, 1-6pm, ticket info: Frank Beever (410) 321-8993 May: 1 (Thurs) National Day of Prayer, Romney, WV, steps of Courthouse, noon, all welcome 10 (Sat) Main St. Festival, Laurel, MD, (We’ll ride with the Nat’l Guard in the 9am parade and perform our Patriotic medley, then join the CSA Jamboree on stage from 10-noon) 30 (Fri) Memorial Day Ceremony, American Legion, Romney, WV (outside, 10am) June: 1 (Sun) Spring Gulch Campground, Annual Country/Gospel weekend, our show: 10am 7 (Sat) Connecticut Good Sam Samboree, Woodstock Fairgrounds, CT, 7:30pm 8 (Sun) Connecticut Good Sam, Sunday morning Gospel music and worship service 28 (Sat) Reinholds Carnival, PA, show with Lorrie Morgan (Our show, 7:30pm - $15.00 admission - PA Rt. 897, Reinholds, PA, call (717) 336-7753) (Schedule subject to change – call ahead to verify.) Private performances are not listed. For our full schedule go here and an automatic e-mail will be sent.	Maria Rose and Danny Elswick perform as a duo at festivals, conventions, corporate events and more. Be sure to check out their extensive song list. While Danny and Maria both sing and play guitars live, Danny personally records all of their music tracks and harmonies. (DuoDemo)
		Maria Rose is also president of PerformAbilities, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization which provides musical entertainment to those with disabilities. Maria's song, "You Are The Flame", featuring 12 Special Olympics athletes from the Maryland and D.C. area is available on CD and single cassette.