Yee-haaar, y'all! Well, Hayseed Dixie - what can I say? Absolutely fucking brilliant. What I had seen on their website and online reviews had whetted my appetite, but the real thing surpassed my expectations by miles. A picked me up and we headed off into town. A good crowd and a lovely mix - everything from family groups (gar- why bring kids to a gig? They should be at home doing sums), oldsters, punks in kilts, metalheads, country guys and just the plain curious.

The support group were bad, sort of Goth metal ish. All had spent a lot of time perfecting their posing. The singer wore a tiny little vest and every time she did an Avril Lavigne style bounce and stroked the back of her head to indicate her inner torment her boobs (which were large for her overall size) bounced perilously so I spent most of the evening waiting for them to escape.

Time for an interval drink and then it was time to head back in for the main event. The band came on wearing their trademark sawnoff dungarees, and got stuck in. Where most bands have a drummer, these guys had a large fridge full of real ales which they swigged copiously. Between songs they expounded briefly on their philosophy. This comprises such nuggets as:- There are only four things worth singing about - Drinking, Cheating, Fighting and Hell, and a surprisingly heartfelt plea for us all to ignore size zero models with salt water bag tits in favour of real women who eat food.

I spent the entire evening in a state of utter entrancement - it's just so bloody good to find a new band to like and watch play live. They are cracking musicians and seem to really enjoy themselves. What can I say about the music? Absolutely great. Particular highlights were Ace of Spades, I don't feel like dancing, and that hymn to pathetic break ups, I keep your poop in a jar. Grinning wildly on the way out, I treated myself to their latest CD, Weapons of Grass Destruction which I have been playing today. It's fab, and I feel it is likely I may be persuaded to purchase some of their earlier offerings. If you get the chance to go see them, do. A bluegrass take on heavy metal sounds weird, and shouldn't work, but somehow it does, defying logic, musical genres, and being grown up and sensible. Long may they continue. They finished the show with the duelling banjos - amazing.

From bluegrass to Andy, who is definately turning out to be a rock and roll sort of dog. Got home from the gig, he had knocked off the butterdish, broken it and had polished off nearly half a pound of best organic butter. I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry, as he looked very apologetic and I was incredibly worried he would hurt himself on the broken china, while being cross he had been so naughty and also imagining what half a pound of butter would do to his poo the next morning. The fun didn't stop there. I went up to bed pretty much straight away, leaving him on his favourite sheepskin, but woke this morning at the usual time around 6.30 to find a slumbering hound at the side of my bed, looking very contented. I wasn't too worried about that, but later on, after I had been to the bathroom, I emerged to find he has mastered the knack of jumping on the bed, and was curled up looking innocent, comfortable and very much at home. I've been pottering round today and when I have been upstairs, he has been on the bed a few more times - I suspect this will not be the last of it.

Finished an article today for an APSE e-bulletin on predicting the future of local authority environmental services. Unfortunately only 800 words, so just getting into my stride and time to cut short. Ended up going a little bit over but Debbie at APSE said that was fine. It's another lovely day and I'm looking forward to going out the garden this afternoon to do some stitching in the sunshine.

My sampler is finished, back from the framer and hanging on the guest bedroom wall. I am very pleased with it. Also in there are our seeds germinating on the windowsill for the ornamental gourds - they have nearly all sprouted which is very encouraging. The young master returns this evening from Scotland and tomorrow I am going to the CIWM Welsh AGM at Swansea, being held at the Liberty Stadium.