<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="American Typewriter" LANG="0" SIZE="2">Hello again from Ohio…<BR>
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Ahh, it's a new year, still. It's been freezing cold on Nowhere Farm for weeks - temperatures hovering well below freezing, short days, long nights, weather that tempts us to mostly stay indoors, try to stay cozy, draw relaxed, extravagant hot baths in the evenings, snuggle on the couch with sleepy dogs.<BR>
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We do bundle the dogs out doors at least twice a day to let them run around on the farm, play catch with the Frisbee, make ghosts with their heaving lungs in the frozen air. After they're good and tired, as the sun is going down, it's my turn to take a 40 minute walk across the fields down to the creek, the dark creek water freezing here and there this year.<BR>
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We had a lovely Christmas in Canada with my sister Grace's family, my brother-in-law Peter and their 3 college age (!) children in Sarnia, Ontario (just a stone's throw from Narnia as we are prone to say). Every late afternoon, religiously, Grace takes a lengthy, brisk walk around the lake, before the evening meal, and I got caught up in the spirit of these rigorous constitutionals, trying my best to keep up with her. (Grace and Peter are good examples for us in many ways.)<BR>
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So as the Ohio sun is setting, I've been walking as the crow flies across the fields, down along the banks of the tree-lined creek, making my own extended loop. Once I walked right up on a Great Blue Heron, a massive bird springing up out of the creek right in front of my eyes, angling its six-foot wingspan just so to maneuver upward through the overhanging sycamores. Up close, calling that bird </FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="American Typewriter" LANG="0" SIZE="2"><I>Great,</I></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="American Typewriter" LANG="0" SIZE="2"> is no exaggeration. I can still see the infinite, weird blue of its back as it rose. <BR>
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Once, just as darkness fell, I saw a top-heavy owl gliding dead silent just above the curve of my favorite hill before it disappeared into the woods.<BR>
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But dang it's been cold! (Freezing here on the farm, Christmas in Canada, touring Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, Ann Arbor, Chicago etc last December…)<BR>
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Our break went by quickly. We had family stop in here at the farm on a few occasions. My brother Myron and his wife Molly and their daughter Betsy Detweiler moved to Cincinnati late last year, so it's been fun to see them getting settled in to their new house. <BR>
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We tried to catch up on paper work, clean up some of the many loose ends lying around from a busy year of touring. But we did take time to really enjoy this 180 year-old farm house, our little hideaway. And Karin and I took time to dream out loud a bit. On a few occasions we did revisit our restorative formula of opening a bottle of wine and sitting down for extended conversations in the evening. The scrabble board came out a few times. But recently, though we waited as long as we possibly could, it was finally time to take the tree down. Karin festoons the house so artfully, and when we finally put everything away, that usually means it's time to get back to work in earnest.<BR>
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So tomorrow, we fly to a warmer place. We pick up our instruments and try to make a lovely ruckus. We see who walks in the door, we gather 'round, we play our songs, tell a few stories and hope something amazing happens. Somehow, with your help, we often, much to our surprise, succeed. We hope you can join us.<BR>
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OVER THE RHINE TRYS TO FIND A WARM PLACE<BR>
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Tue, 2008-01-29<BR>
St. Augustine, FL<BR>
Cafe Eleven <BR>
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Wed, 2008-01-30<BR>
Stuart, FL<BR>
Lyric Theater <BR>
All Ages - 7pm <BR>
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Fri, 2008-02-01<BR>
Lake Worth, FL<BR>
Bamboo Room <BR>
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Sat, 2008-02-02<BR>
Orlando, FL<BR>
Backbooth <BR>
7:00pm, All Ages<BR>
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Mon, 2008-02-04<BR>
Birmingham, AL<BR>
Workplay <BR>
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Wed, 2008-02-06<BR>
Houston, TX<BR>
Mucky Duck <BR>
(SOLD OUT)<BR>
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Thu, 2008-02-07<BR>
Austin, TX<BR>
Cactus Cafe<BR>
seated, general admission<BR>
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Fri, 2008-02-08<BR>
Austin, TX<BR>
Cactus Cafe<BR>
seated, general admission<BR>
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Sat, 2008-02-09<BR>
Dallas, TX<BR>
House of Blues Dallas - Cambridge Room <BR>
seated, general admission<BR>
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Mon, 2008-02-11<BR>
Little Rock, AR<BR>
Revolution Music Room <BR>
8pm All Ages<BR>
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Tue, 2008-02-12<BR>
Memphis, TN<BR>
Hi-Tone <BR>
8pm All Ages<BR>
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(More details and additional dates at OvertheRhine.com.) <BR>
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Pls share the above info with family, friends and all who might appreciate a soulful, melting-pot evening of American music.<BR>
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And once again, we're looking for a few good volunteers to sell our wares in each city at our concerts. Who better for the job than folks who have actually listened to the music. If you'd be willing to help us out pls send an e-mail to merch@overtherhine.com. <BR>
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(Pls put MERCH VOLUNTEER/CITY/DATE in the subject heading. Include your contact info in the body of the e-mail. If you don't hear back, no worries, it just means we're covered. Thanks again.)<BR>
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Don't forget to pre-order your copy of Live From Nowhere Volume Three at OvertheRhine.com. 2007 was a truly fantastic year for our music - thanks to all who made it so. We are compiling the best 2007 concert highlights onto this limited edition CD. All who pre-order will receive an exclusive treat. <BR>
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Bill Ivester has been doing a great job with our MySpace page. Stop by, check it out and say hello. (myspace.com/overtherhine)<BR>
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We have a few more things to announce soon. Stay tuned.<BR>
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And by all means, if you need to get warm, come find us in Florida, Alabama, Texas and points beyond…<BR>
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Lookin' forward,<BR>
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Linford and Karin <BR>
Over the Rhine<BR>
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