Stop and Listen To the Roses.

We were busy yesterday.  We brought the T-bird to the car show at the Brunswick Stewbilee during the day and in the evening a bunch of us from the marina headed over to watch Confederate Station, a local country blue grass band.  I'll cover the Stewbilee at some other point maybe.  I want to get right to Confederate Station.

I actually remembered to bring my camera...  OK, the truth.  I forgot it, but then went back to the boat and got it.  I took most of the photos without flash so as not to annoy both the band and the audience.  I cranked the ISO setting on the camera to 1600 so the pics will be a bit grainy.  Sorry.  I took not only pics, but movies as well.  I apparently suck at movies, especially without a tripod, but I included one anyway.  You'll see why.

It was Marvin's 93 birthday!  The oldest person at the event...  Happy birthday Marvin!  Marvin is quite a guy, and he loved dancing with the ladies!

And the youngest.   Next week Jackson will turn 12.  And he's single, ladies.

Singing "Orphan Train"!

Al, the MC, also sang a few songs.

Is there anything better than banjo music?  OK, maybe bagpipes, but that's it.

Or maybe the harmonica.

This pic of the harmonica player is for my father-in-law.  Look like anyone you know, Ted?

I liked the ceiling lights.  Don't know why.  Just did.  Maybe it's because I envision a conestoga wagon sitting on blocks somewhere, its owner really angry.

Linda is one of our marina group.  She borrows my guitar from time to time.  She's an American, now married to Geoff the Scot, and thoroughly Scottish herself.  She sings beautifully and performed two songs for the audience, one written by herself.  I think my guitar is defective, but luckily when Linda played it, it worked OK.  Must be an intermittent bug.

These ladies have obviously been performing together for years. Yes, the blush was off the rose, but I didn't care.  They were fabulous.

Al the MC called up the Scots from our group, Linda, Geoff, and daughter Nellie, and "Blondie" (Leah Ann) to the stage to sing "Auld Lang Syne", a Scot song written by Robert Burns in 1788.  Linda didn't miss a beat.

Linda's chorus may have missed a few beats though, but no one cared.  It was the effort that mattered.

Marvin loved dancing with the ladies!

Poor Nellie had enough of bluegrass music.  Although she made a valiant effort, 12 year olds don't have the stamina of a 62 year old like me.  The poor kid even has to go to school here in the US.   I do see her smile a lot though, especially when our dogs see her getting off the school bus, and bark at her with their tails all a waggin'.  I think she is enjoying some of this boating life, just not in prolonged  three hour blue grass doses.

And here, my friends, is Jackson playing Dueling Banjoes. I apologize for the camera shake.  I'm not good at video.

Isn't Jackson great?  When I was 12, I think I was still learning how to tie my shoes and blow my nose.

At the risk of being blog repetitive, things like this are why I like slowly traveling down the coast and staying put in places for extended periods of time.  We have a chance to really experience local culture and connect with local folks and not just marina office staff and other cruisers.   This mode of slow motion cruising is not for everyone, I know, but it works for us.  I think that all you other cruisers who dash up and down the coast need to stop and smell the roses.  And especially listen to them.  And listen to some good ol' American music for a change.  This is your roots.  Your heritage.  Nope, it won't win American Idol or The Voice, but it  wins your heart because the folks playing it, and the folks listening to it, are having fun and loving it.  

Except for Nellie, but she's only 12.  And from Scotland.  What does she know?  :)

Pam and I are going to miss the December Confederate Station gig.  My daughter Becky is getting married in Vermont on December 8th.  The guy she's marrying seems like a nice fella, but I still haven't gotten a financial statement and background check, or even drug tests.  Sheesh Becky, nothing like waiting until the last minute...