Hey diddle diddle

The people and the fiddle(s)

lots and lots of fiddles, banjos, bass fiddles (cello???) guitars, mandolins...

I think the first photo is dulcimers, but not certain (Jon or Candy care to chime in here?)  Last night reminded me so much of you two - a long long time ago with banjo and guitar in hand at a Peck party I believe (maybe the one where baby Owen slept in the drawer ~ speaking of which Owen may have the pictures of the event I am remembering)!

Anyway, this is the weekend of the 39th Annual Fiddlers Convention here in Mt. Airy (being broadcast live, streaming live on the web at WPAQ).  I know I'm posting this late but hopefully someone may read it in time that they are still broadcasting (they do broadcast live every Saturday morning from one of the downtown Mt Airy venues).  I believe the broadcast of the convention will go through tonights performances.

We attended last night and had so darn much fun.  This is the music/instruments we wanted to hear in this area.  Last night's performances (being judged) started at 7:00.  The rain started around 7:35 (at least it was a bit later than last Friday nights outside entertainment!).  It did clear up enough about 25 minutes later and the entertainment resumed for about 45 more minutes and then the skies just opened and we decided to call it a night.

The photo above is of a family (well I did assume they were related) doing some dancing.  I think there is a dancing competition today but I'm not positive (there were no printed programs available at the convention!!)

Last nights program started with Bluegrass Music and ended with "Old Time".  I'm not sure what the definition is of Old Time, but boy we loved the Bluegrass.  The program tonight starts with Old Time and ends with Bluegrass (both are being judged again).  I don't know what the itinerary is for today, because we will definitely NOT be there ~ it is predicted to be in the low 90's today and it so humid I just can't deal with being outside.  So after I finish this post I will be settling in to work on some doll clothes!

The pictures in this post are just random photos in and around the event.  I don't remember, unfortunately, the names of the groups so I won't be a wealth of information today (useless or otherwise).  

The photo just above is a group that had just gotten off the stage (look how young they are).  Each group performed one song then the next group came on.  I was very very impressed how rapidly and smoothly it all went (I guess that being the 39th annual, they've worked out all the "kinks" ... well they do have no control over the weather!!)

Strolling the grounds there was lots of strumming and fiddling and pickin' going on - Rick was so disappointed that we were not staying there.  I did read that dogs were not allowed in the campground area which really surprised me - seriously, fiddlers don't travel with dogs ~ how is that possible.  It would have been a hoot to stay there, surely we wouldn't have gotten much sleep but what a terrific way to be exhausted - staying up listening to these local tunes all night!

The photo below is one of my favorites.  This little girl with crossed arms (all right "young lady") was so intent on what was going on.  I never did see her perform, but check out that fiddle case with all those stickers.  She was just precious.  The Arts council here has free fiddle and guitar lessons on Thursday nights for children 6-16 years old.  I am so impressed with how the area keeps this aspect of their heritage alive and promotes it so actively.

So the photo below .... was one of our favorites from last night - Kill Basa Bill's Roadshow.  OMG, hopefully you can enlarge it and and check out the "outfit" front and center ~ hopefully truly appreciate them.  Their entertainment starts as soon as they step on stage - without even opening their mouths!  The song they performed last night was titled something to the effect of "I Met Her in the Porta Potti Line" or "I Fell in Love in the Porta Potti Line" - it was, not surprisingly, hysterical.  Unfortunately, it is not on the play list on their myspace page -BUT the page is worth going to!

Hopefully, the heat and humidity will back off a bit, the rain will hold off (predicted at a 40% chance tonight - UGH) and we will return to the 39th Annual Fiddler's Convention ~ we sure had fun.

With all that said, I still have a post to do about our pic-a-nic day last Saturday, in search of the "festival" aka miles upon miles of "flea market" in Hillsville last week.  

We are out of here on Tuesday morning - headed north and west - Sioux Falls here we come .... slowly slowly, ever so slowly, but here we come!