Waldo

OK, I have now realized that we have been at Waldo now for 6 days, without updating the blog. It is funny how time just sort of runs along once you get to a place of routine. Our routine at a festival is to get up when we want, have breakfast, sit outside if it is warm, or visit, or just sit. Have lunch, then do something energetic like go to Walmart, or go to the concert, or visit, or sit. The evening is taken up by jamming, sometimes just a couple of hours, sometimes well into the early hours. Because Sally has not been so good this week there has been a lot of the ‘just sitting’ activity. As is Connie’s Way, we have eaten together all this week. We are so grateful because it makes a wonderful focal point to met with people and talk and sing together. The concerts have followed the traditional pattern of a Bluegrass Festival with concerts on Friday and Saturday afternoon and evening. There are a number of bands of differing popularity. Each band will perform one set in the afternoon and another in the evening. There have been some very good local bands, like The Palmetto’s and The Wilson Family as well as some nationally known bands. We have enjoyed Special Consensus, The Gary Waldrop Band and The Grascals who are probably one of the top bluegrass bands in the States at the moment, having won awards at the Bluegrass equivalent to the Oscars. The mix makes for a very enjoyable, but long, show, so you inevitably have to choose who you see. Pickin’ takes place around these concerts, Finding others who would rather pick than watch the bands (Grinnin’ it is called here) isn’t usually to difficult, but much Pickin’ goes on after the concerts have finished, which is about 10.30.
Connie always invites the bands to eat with her. At this festival we have had the pleasure of having The Gary Waldrop Band eating with us. They are very nice people from further north, Alabama and Georgia mostly. They joined us for food and then came on over and picked a bit after the concert on Saturday night, which was a lot of fun. They also have their bus parked right next to us, so we have been chatting a bit to them, and listening to them warming up before the concerts.
There is a Gospel day today with concerts up until 3.00, when we all pack up and go home.
The only extra this time has been to get the van souped up and modified! As you will read later