Well, the last seven months I’ve been swimming’ some of the deepest, most turbulent waters yet on the River of Life and I’ve never felt more alive. I don’t miss that shoreline a bit! It took me years to realize that happiness doesn’t come in achieving your dreams, it comes in chasin’ em’.

Spent the better part of the summer meetin’ folks, promoting “river of Life” to Americana radio and playin’ shows around Austin and San Antonio. Carrie and the kids joined me at the end of June. River charted in the top 100 for a few months on the AMA Americana Chart, peaking at 54. I was a little disappointed at first. I really believed I would Brake the Top 40. But, as I started looking around at all that had happened over the last year, I was quite surprised. I played on Americana Crossroads in March, I’ve shared the bill with some of Texas most amazing Songwriters at the world famous Cheatham Street Wherehouse and the Amsterdam Café in Austin. Even got to play the Café at Casbeers in San Antonio after a live performance and interview with Jim Beale on KSYM. Tom Fahey at Americana OK named “ROL” album of the month in October. Was featured again on the Coming Home Radio Show with Dave Wheaton. Not bad for a Hillbilly Singer from Michigan, huh?

Carrie the kids and I made it out of the Travel Trailer just before Thanksgiving. We were all very ready, believe me! We moved the Innsbruck to the Shady Oaks RV Park in Wimberley Texas, 30 miles South of Austin, just before the kids started school in the Fall. We looked around quite a bit but there was something about the Wimberley valley that we all just fell in love with. There’s no describing’ the Texas Hill Country. It was Small Town Too. Austin was a little overwhelming for the rest of the family.

I got a job with an Austin Area Electrical Contractor at the end of June. I’m the Field Superintendent. It’s a new set of challenges, which keeps it interesting. There a good bunch and work with me on the music side of things. No matter how much I’d like to walk away from the trade, it does always seem to take care of me.

As for the future, well we’ll just have to see. I rebuilt the Buick6 as soon as I got to Texas. Got a great group of guys that are ready to make a new record and see what kind of trouble we can get ourselves into. Check out www.ajdowning.com for changes coming soon. I’m setting in up to be a little more user friendly for keeping’ in touch with Y’all out there in cyberspace. For all you folks out there that have supported me and my lunacy over the last year, I Thank You from the deepest part of my heart. For those of you that didn’t, STICK IT IN YER’ EAR!!