Feeling Like Spring with Claire and Evan

We recently had a chance to spend a day

with Claire and Evan at their new house.

They just love their deck.  And Evan

intends to do everything big sister does.

And if he can think of it first, that's even

better.  Here, he's looking through the screen.

So, naturally . . . .

Sometimes, Claire doesn't like to pose.

Today was not one of those days.

This is Evan's "Say Cheese" expression.

He says "Cheese" with a vengeance.

I have no pictures from our morning visit

to the park at Aberdeen Lake.  We had a 

blast there and also went for a stroll across 

a bridge.  In the afternoon we visited a 

small neighborhood park just a couple of

blocks from the new house.

Evan: "This sure beats taking a nap, 

right Grandpa and Grandma?"

You can tell this is an older park, but

we fell in love with it.  It also has some shade.

Evan: "Now what have I got myself into?"

Which one of Newton's laws says

"The bigger you are, the faster you slide?"

Now that he's decided he likes it. . . .

You may know that Aberdeen is an old

railroad time.  That theme was included

in this locomotive monkey bar. All we

had to do was supply the monkey.

Make that monkeys.

Claire corrected me when I praised her

for climbing from the back of the train

all the way to the front.

"It's not the front.  It's the engine."

And she's right!

Maybe you've noticed.

Claire, Evan, Brianna, and Hunter

are ALWAYS RIGHT!

In my opinion, anyway.

"March-ing" in like a lamb

It's time to share some of these late February

and early March photos.

Brianna demonstrates how easy it is to

ride my new tire swing standing up.

But some might prefer sitting down.

And you can always lay back and

holler "Yee ha!"

In recent weeks we've been able to take

little strolls to the neighboring property

to observe neat construction activity.

We've seen dump trucks, bulldozers, and

busy workmen digging, hauling, and even

pushing over trees.  Can't wait to see

the end results.

Hunter: "I sure could use a GPS."

Grandpa's car becomes a new playspace.

When it's too hot inside,we can just

play on the hood! Under Grandpa's 

careful supervision-- it's a long way down!

Whenever Bri heads off in a different

direction, Hunter just has know where

she's going.  Even if SHE doesn't know.

On another day, we journeyed to nearby

Camelot Park, where Bri tried all the 

slides.  Just look at that smile.

And look at what the static electricity and

the wind did to her hair.

Hunter says, "Bri, let's go this way."

"Okay.  Let's go your way."

You can't tell from this picture what Hunter's

standing on, but it's the bouncy bridge they

call the trampoline.  He likes it fine as long

as he has it all to himself.

As her last hurrah before we leave (see

Grandma and Hunter waiting in the

background), Bri zips down the super-

high spiral slide.  

What fun we have, wherever we may be.

Next post shows similar fun with Claire and Evan.

Can't Fiddle, but Ticklin' the Ivories

This will be my final blog about this year's

Fiddlers' Convention.  I wanted to share a 

few sights from that fun evening.  Here I

am with friends and supporters Jeanette

and Cy.  I met them at the hospital, where

we are all volunteers.  I later learned that

my other volunteer buddies Jim and Lyn

were present (up near the rafters) along

with their lovely ladies.  I had many other

friends who were there, including quite

a crowd from church.

It was worth waiting around past midnight

for the winners to be announced.  As you'll

note on my gold wristband, I was entrant

# 13.  But I've never been superstitious.

The following pictures are just a sampling

of the types of groups that performed.  Note

that each of these three features at least one

young performer.  One of the hallmarks of

this event is the encouragement of young

musicians and dancers.  And if you could 

hear the way they sing, pick, and clog,

you'd appreciate how this family friendly

venue is passing along valuable traditions

in our community and around the state.

North Moore's stadium seating is ideal for

everyone to have a good seat.  This picture

shows you there were almost no empty seats.

And this is only part of the lower section 

of the auditorium.

I took a brief side trip to the practice room,

where groups tuned up and loosened up

their vocal cords.  I don't normally go there,

since there's no piano anyway.

I performed just a little after 8:00 and 

returned to my seat to photograph the

cloggers of all ages, a perennial favorite.

Only acoustic instruments are allowed.

Most common are fiddle, string bass,

guitar, banjo, dobro.  There was one

harmonica player.  I keep waiting to 

see an autoharp player (like Mother

Maybelle Carter) or a hammer dulcimer.

I'm very thankful they include the piano,

which many fiddlers' conventions don't.

This video shows a good bunch of 

pickers, plus the top two prize-winning

cloggers (stage right) who can't resist

stepping to this tune.

This high-energy group does some fast
picking and has good harmony.

This final video is the best fiddle player

I heard at this year's convention.  He

really won the audience's admiration with

this version of "Orange Blossom Special"

which was part Charlie Daniels, part

Vasser Clements.

If you haven't been to the Highfalls Fiddlers'
Convention, you might want to put it on your
calendar for next year.  It's always the second
Saturday of March.  And you might need to
get there early to get a good seat-- the crowd
seems to be growing every year.

Old Time Piano at the Fiddlers Convention

Well, tonight's the night.  The 77th annual

Old Time High Falls Fiddlers' Convention.

And for me it'll be # 4.  I'm giving a sneak

preview of my medley, since very few of

my friends attend this event (maybe this

year will be different).

For the blog I've broken my "Melody of

Love" medley into two parts.  This 2 minute

segment has "You Made Me Love You"

and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love."

This four minute conclusion contains

"Deep Purple," "Cheek to Cheek," and

"You Made Me Love You."

None of these are known as country or

bluegrass, but I'll be playing them in my

style heavily influenced by Floyd Cramer

(and others mentioned in my previous blog).

I hope to be wheeling home around midnight

tonight with at least a little gas money.  

Come on out if you have nothing better

to do than set your clocks.  It's good fun.

77th Annual Highfalls Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention

 This coming Saturday, March 10,

the Highfalls Fiddlers' Convention

will be held at North Moore High School.

It's great family fun and a tradition for

77 years and counting.  

As you can see from this year's

flyer (click it to enlarge), there is

a wide variety of categories.  I would

say there's something for everybody,

but that might be an overstatement.

I have participated every year since I

retired in 2008, and have enjoyed seeing

the wide range of talented performers.

There is a mix of bands and individuals,

plus cloggers.  The whole shebang is

for young and old.

Below is the piano I learned on,

starting in 1959.  It was a clunker, but

it served its purpose well.  Especially

since its quality lent itself to a honky tonk

style, which my brother and I both toyed with.

My first two years in the competition I  played

country/bluegrass/honky tonk medleys, including

songs like the "12th Street Rag," "Down Yonder,"

"The Wabash Cannonball," and "The Battle of New

Orleans."  Last year I did a Bluegrass Gospel medley

with "Mansion Over the Hilltop," "Will the Circle Be

Unbroken," "I Saw the Light," and others.

Records like this one were an inspiration

to me as I've built up a large repertoire

of these types of songs over the last

half century (plus).  I've been heavily 

influenced by the styles of Frankie Carle,

Eubie Blake, Eddie Duchin, and Floyd Cramer.

But this year I'm venturing into new territory.

I'll be playing a medley of less raucous songs

that are more popular with my listeners at the

hospital, rest homes, and occasional dinners.

Some that you'll recognize are "You Made Me

Love You," "Deep Purple," and "It Had to Be 

You." Still, I think I know my audience well 

enough to expect they'll enjoy what I've picked. 

 I may record the medley and post it later-- if

my computer cooperates.  But I'd be delighted

if any of you make your way to the far northern

reaches of Moore County Saturday evening to 

be entertained by me and many other music lovers.

Here are some simple directions if you know 

where Carthage, North Carolina is:

Leave Carthage going west on Hwy. 24-27 and 22.

A few miles west turn right when 22 separates,

going north toward Highfalls.  Proceed several

miles, then turn left on North Moore Road. (If

you come to the town of Highfalls you've missed

the turn.)  North Moore High School is another

several miles, but there are no more turns.

Claire and Evan action videos

Evan and Claire at Camelot Park

(32 seconds)

Grandpa provides the bounce while

Evan steers and Claire does the

"backseat driving."

Evan the Bouncing Baby

(16 seconds)

Claire and Evan both called this little

bridge a trampoline.  It has some bounce

to it, but is much safer.  Especially when

Claire isn't on it!

Grandpa's New Tire Swing

(30 seconds)

I'm very proud of my self-designed tire

swing.  I made it by drilling holes in the 

cut-out rim of a truck tire.  Here, Judy and

Claire demonstrate one of the many ways

to ride it.  No one has been injured on it yet,

but I had a little trouble getting off of it once.

Evan Slides UP
(40 seconds)
Evan is very patient and determined as he
attempts to push a ball and himself up the
slide.  He's very dramatic, but never gives up.

If you've watched all these videos, you're
saturated now.  Go treat yourself to a cookie.

Brianna and Hunter: some fun videos

Bri dances and plays the harmonica

(50 seconds)

I think Bri plays the harmonica just like 

her Grandpa Loyd.  But she has her own

 little dance and giggle.

Hunter can dunk!   A football, that is.

(2 minutes, 8 seconds)

He may be slow, but he's methodical and

deadly accurate.  But man, those footballs

will be hard to dribble!

Bri: ABC's with an attitude!
(37 seconds)
I don't know what possessed Brianna to
sing her alphabet song with such an
in-your-face style.  But she must have
thought it was funny, and I agree.

Hunter is on a babysitting mission.

We were downstairs at Amanda and Stephen's

house when Hunter picked up one of Bri's

baby dolls and wrapped it in a blanket. He

then insisted I follow him upstairs to Bri's

room.  There, he motioned for me to get

another of her babies and blankets out of

her crib.  He proceeded to wrap this one

up, then motioned (and grunted) for me

to put both babies back in the crib (for nap).

He would have gotten in, too, but I stopped

the video then, not knowing if Bri would 

consider this an intrusion into her space.

I'm glad these videos loaded okay.  I used

to be reluctant to even try to load them, but

I've had recent success.  Hope you enjoy them.