Beautiful 100 Year Old Lady,...

And what a "lady" she is!...



Two weeks ago I traveled south west from the Adirondacks to Bainbridge, NY, to attend a concert by one of my favorite bluegrass bands, Remington Ryde.





The concert was held in the Bainbridge Town Hall which is 100 years old! The balcony is now fully restored...





Murals line the stairs,...



The community of Bainbridge and the volunteers who have given new life to this beautiful old building are most welcoming. It was a great evening Ryan, Billy, Wally and Danny! I'm sure I'll be going back again.



The next day's drive home included a bit of a side trip to see East Sidney Lake.





I'll be watching to see what the coming schedule is for concerts. It's a bit of a trip, 4 hours drive, but well worth it!

Another Season!...

The bluegrass festival season has started! Thursday I traveled about 4.5 hours west to Stone Mills, NY... or as the festival is called,... LaFargeville. It is sponsored by the 1000 Islands Bluegrass Preservation Society, of which I'm a member.

This is a group practicing at their camper prior to their performance on the stage.

Here's my rig, and a friend relaxing with a soft drink after wandering around visiting with other friends and enjoying the "field picking"... Life is good!

Another 24 hours and it will be homeward bound...

The Manor House And More,...

This past weekend I was in Alexandria Bay, NY for a bluegrass music weekend event sponsored by Thousand Island Bluegrass Preservation Society. It was held at Bonnie Castle Resort. The orginal part of the hotel is called "The Manor House." Here you see that portion with the dining room and conference/stage area which has been added on the front.

The white railing in the first picture is the side of the deck which is accessable by a boardwalk and stairs.
The deck and gazebo provide a wonderful place to enjoy the expanse of the St.Lawrence River flowing by,...

Looking downriver is the view above, as well as the channel marking lighthouse here,...


Across from Bonnie Castle is Boldt Castle. This time of year it looks drab and almost haunted. In the summer it is awash with brilliant colors from all the flowers that border the walkways and porches. Each year more restoration is done. I haven't visited in five years -- definitely time for me to tour Boldt Castle again!


On the back side of the Manor House is the modern motel. This is one of two buildings where the guest rooms are. The bluegrass association booked the whole hotel, so no matter where you went you could hear music coming out of conference rooms and guest rooms.

Friday night on the banquet hall stage everyone enjoyed Dave Nichols and Spare Change, and Beartracks. Saturday night was Dave Nichols again and then Acoustic Blue. Both nights were outstanding shows! One of the nicest things was seeing the next generation of bluegrass stepping up to play. I don't know these little boys, but they were playing with family members in the atrium area when we arrived Friday afternoon.

Only 51 more weeks until next year's Bonnie Castle weekend!

An Evening at Home,...

What a comfy bed a mandolin case makes! Introducing "Peanut"... who's not really very small, in fact he's a very big boy now that he's all grown up!

Here's the mandolin in action!

Friends, music,... a relaxed evening at home!

The Beat Goes On...

Readers that have been with me for the past nearly two years know that I am a lover of bluegrass music. Every summer I take my camper and travel to the festivals in northern New York and in Vermont. My grandson is showing interest in the music. He has gravitated toward the mandolin. He'll be going with me to his first festival this coming June.


Here he was "playing along" with Louis Setzer and the Appalacian Mountain Boys on a dvd.

His expression says it all!

Traditional!...

The skies threatened rain and finally delivered rain as the last band was closing Saturday night. People ducked into the pavillion, and laughed, it was still a happy time. The scene was the 6th Annual Upper Hudson Bluegrass Festival in North Creek, NY. Here the crowd gathers in the pavillion facing the stage at the Ski Bowl Park.

The Town of Johnsburg, home of Gore Mountain Ski Area donates the use of the grounds. Thank you Johnsburg!
For me, this particular festival was all about traditional bluegrass music...the pioneers, the people that have been entertaining for decades. Smokey Geene, and his Martin guitar which he named "Ben A. Martin" are always a favorite. Smokey, now 79, has been performing for more than 50 years.

Traditional music continued with Vern Young, who is now 85 years old. This gentle giant's voice and guitar picking is still strong. I talked with Vern and he's a gracious and most interesting person. And,...he's booked to be back in 2010!

White Mountain Bluegrass continued the traditional music with several sets over the three day festival. I spent some time visiting with Mac and Hazel as they sat in their individual band tent near the stage. I felt honored to receive a hug from each of them as I headed back to the pavillion. They are included in a permanent display honoring Pioneers of Bluegrass at the International Bluegrass Museum in Owensboro KY.

Here Junior Barber of Beartracks visits with Vern Young. Talk about a "meeting of bluegrass minds!" It doesn't get much better than this!

Watch for Beartracks at the Peru Community Church on November 13th at 7:30 p.m. Junior Barber, his cousins Julie Venne-Hogan and Tom Venne will be performing their usual high energy music.

If you have never attended a bluegrass festival give it a try. Bring your camper, your tent, or just bring a folding chair and come for a day. You will leave steeped in traditonal music and warmed by the friendship of the "bluegrass family."

All Of a Sudden....

....I have realized that it's been over a year that I've been doing this blog. I posted about the Upper Hudson Bluegrass Festival before,... last year! You will find that post here.

So tomorrow morning off I go again after being home only three days. Soon enough this will come to an end after Labor Day and I'll be back at work. But until then...... let the camper wheels roll!

Where's Cedar?...

Last week I was in Alburg, VT at the Lake Champlain Bluegrass Festival. This is White Mountain Bluegrass, doing great traditional music. The husband and wife in the middle of the stage have been playing professionally for more than 40 years. They are listed as Pioneers of Bluegrass at the Bluegrass Museum in Owensboro, KY.
Here is my camper on the left, awning to awning with a friend's who is a member of a camping group to which I belong.

This week is our county fair. My grandchildren are showing their 4-H cattle. A fun moment when the youngest won first place and the older one placed second. My granddaughter went on to take many other awards. The cows are all from my son's herd.

The middle grandson.

Granddaughter with her prize winning Jersey cow.

I'll be in and out of the blogger world for the next couple of weeks,... August is shaping up to be very busy. I'll check in with you all every few days. Enjoy the last of the summer!

Queen Anne and Her Friends,...

In front of my deck is a sea of Queen Anne's Lace. The reason is because I've been off having fun at bluegrass festivals and camping trips. That part of the rough lawn has not been mowed. My house is on a hillside, and that part is done with a weedeater once a year. This year I'm a little late and the reward is beautiful!
Ferns, black-eyed Susans, Daisies, have joined in the display!
I haven't been able to identify this wildflower. It is bright purple, and only grows about six inches high.
Can anyone tell me what it is?

I have a lot of these red berries, (honeysuckle?) and they are providing a feast for someone,.. as the low branches are pulled down. Birds? Squirrels? Deer? .... a Bear?

The Queen Anne's Lace will be able to grow for another week. I am leaving today for five days in Vermont. The Lake Champlain Bluegrass Festival begins on Friday. The weather is forecast to be pleasant, so make your way to Alburgh, Vermont for some fun and good music!

Dorothy Jane!...

I have been away, camping for several days at a bluegrass festival in Vermont. One of the attractions on Friday afternoon was "Open Stage" where lesser known acts can do two or three numbers. This young woman, still in her teens, is Dorothy Jane Siver from Crown Point, New York. She plays the fiddle like a wizard, sings like an angel! Watch out Alison Kraus, here comes Dorothy Jane!

A Pickin' Good Time,...

Thursday morning I left the Adirondacks and traveled west to Stone Mills, NY. The 1,000 Islands Bluegrass Association held its spring festival on the grounds of the Agricultural Museum.


We settled our chairs into a nice spot in the 8th row,... Here "Lost Time" entertains.


Many great groups performed on the stage and there was plenty of good music happening all over the parking lot.

The gentleman in the red cap will soon celebrate his 92nd birthday. Let me tell you,.. his fingers just flew on that mandolin and his singing voice was strong.

I enjoyed the camping weekend and even had time for a side trip on Friday morning. Stay tuned for that later this week. For now,... it's out the door to work!