10 am
This isn't the kind of venue that has all the built-in conveniences that we're used to. The crew has been working since 6:30 am, and they've almost finished building the main stage from scratch --amazing. The showers are in porta-potty type receptacles and look a little challenging, so I think I'll eat breakfast first then deal with showering after having had a cup of coffee.

10:30 am
There are flies everywhere! Insect repelling candles adorn the dining tables while sticky fly strips hang overhead, yuck! Catering is right next door to the stables (it being a racetrack n'all) and the flies have discovered there is better food to be had here. I eat breakfast trying very hard to ignore them, and never taking my eyes off my food for fear of an aerial attack.

11:00 am
I take a shower in one of the portables and it's not that bad. Apart from having to hang everything on two tiny hooks on the door, it's actually better than some hotel showers I've taken.

12:30 pm
Today's my last day, so I'm putting off going out to work and stay in the bus longer than usual to chat with Jennifer and Jill. We have a lot of fun joking around with each other, and I think an outsider dropping in on our conversation would be taken aback by the heavy sarcastic tone, strange topics, and off-colour language used. We just enjoy being silly and making each other laugh.

2:00 pm
We head over to the stables to take pictures of Jamie feeding one of the horses. The horse seems a little unsure at first, but quickly gains our trust, enjoying the apples and carrots offered to him. I get to pet him on the nose while he sniffs my hand with his huge nostrils, this brief connection with this beautiful animal will no doubt be the highlight of my day.

3:00 pm
While we're at the press conference, the gates open to a few hundred ticket holders who've been waiting in line for a couple of hours. Screams are heard from the press tent as they run to the front of the main stage, blankets and lawn chairs in tow, to find some prime grass space for the day. It'll be grass or nothing for the approximately 30,000 concert goers expected here today.

3:15 pm
Arone Dyer takes to the village stage and her off-beat songs and eccentric mannerisms charm the crowd. Afterward, a handful of young women call her over to sign t-shirts and ticket stubs even though she's scheduled to do a signing at Tower Records in a few minutes. Arone obliges, posing for pictures and giving out hugs. Today's audience seems more colorful than usual: lots of punk rock girls --and boys -- with their manic panic hair, piercings and tattoos.

4:00 pm
It's my day for shooting the performances today, and I can see that I'm in for a whole lot of walking, or rather, schlepping. This is a huge place, and the three stages seem to be placed as far away from each other as possible.

4:20 pm At the B-stage, N'Dea Davenport performance
It's N'Dea's last day today. She and her band are almost ready to start. Ash is helping out on percussion as per usual, and he soundchecks his mic by saying hello to me as I wait at the foot of the stage. Paula's drummer Jay is also playing on N'Dea's set today, and I spot Sarah and Joan Osborne waiting behind the stage - they'll be getting up to sing with N'Dea shortly.

N'Dea gets the crowd grooving, but they scream and push against the barriers when she introduces Sarah and Joan; they get up to help N'Dea on her cover of Neil Youngıs "Old Man." They make the audience very happy who are obviously over-the-top with excitement from getting to see them up close.

5:30 pm
I catch the end of Jepp's set. Today's an especially good day for Jepp, since Minneapolis is their home town; they receive the warmest response yet, and give away free cds to a few lucky fans. After their performance, singer Sarah's mother notices me with my cameras and points to Sarah and says with great pride and joy, "She's mine." How sweet, and she should be proud since Jepp is making quite a few fans with their Lilith shows.

8:00 pm
Taping the main stage is challenging today. The stage is very high, and not only is it next to impossible to get a decent shot with the still cameras, the photographers' trench is what one would describe as a patch of dirt. I have to elbow my way in between the "professional" photographers and camera operators who are an aggressive bunch. Jocelyn is there to herd them in and out of the pit, and she gives me this look like she's ready to hurt one of them. I'm there just long enough to get bonked on the head by a beach ball --not fun!

9:00 pm Front of House production office
We're dog-sitting Mary Lou Lord's pomeranian Mona while she's busy doing artist things. I have a few last minute photos to upload, but I'm completely distracted by Mona, who's experiencing some separation anxiety without Mom and Dad but is happy to entertain us pet-deprived types. I get Mona to sit quietly on my lap while I work on the computer. It feels so strange to be holding this tiny dog who's smaller than my cats, but it's wonderful to give her attention while I'm hankering for my own pets at home.

10:00 pm
I get my bags together, say goodbye to my bus mates, and get a ride on a golf cart to meet up with the runner who will drive me to my hotel. My last goodbyes are to Jill and Jennifer. It was great getting to know them - they made my time on the tour so much fun and I'll miss them. We make plans to keep in touch, and I wish them luck on their very last week of the tour.