Barely audible above the roar of Longfellow's legendary Minnehaha Falls, came the lilting sound of Swedish music and the chant of songs about frogs, as they raised the midsommar stångar (Midsommar pole) and carried out the per functionary dances around the pole.

Minnehaha Park was bursting with exhibitors of every sort of Nordic item, artwork, crafts and foodstuffs (the meatball dinner was great!).

Whenever I had a second to play my fiddle, it inevitably brought over someone who wanted to talk. Of course, the children were always curious, so I could see the smiles, I let them pluck the strings and encouraged the proud parents that it's never too early to start them on an instrument...and unlike the guitar, the violin doesn't have those bumps that get in the way along the neck. That always draws a frown from the little, would-be rock stars.

Plenty of Swedes, Danes and Norwegians stopped by.  A friendly Dane played a lilting waltz on my fiddle; he spoke so fast, I never did get his name.  As always, many old friends passed by to talk about My Enemy's Child and pick up Vallkulla's first book.  I made more new friends, too.


Like last year, promptly at four o:clock, the skies opened and briefly closed the event with a rain shower.

Though I didn't couldn't take time away from the stand to enjoy the entertainment, I did sneak out to hear Eva Engman sing a couple of songs from Kristina från Duvemåla.  What a voice...what range!  She told me later that we were rival neighbors, in Western Dalarna.  C'est dommage....