A recent trip to California for Jennie and I has created some exiciting news
- Jennie received a "new" fiddle from my Grand-dad; it's actually over 100 yrs. old!!
- we played music all day and night, right up until we had to leave for the airport
- stranded in the Vegas airport for 4 hrs before finally get the go-ahead to get aboard and take off
- Re-connected with my Dad's Dad. "Shorty" for short and found out nuggets of interesting family past. It had been over 24 yrs. since I last saw/spoke with my grand-dad ( I was 4 yrs old)
I really didn't know anything about Shorty besides the fact that we shared the same last name and he was a musician back in the day. I had heard some short stories about how he was a "cowboy" and he rode bulls and all that. But, I really learned a lot about his life and some of the good and the bad that he has endured in his 77 years.
We did walk away with more than just words and stories: again he gave Jennie a fiddle that was in his re-married wife's family for more than 100 years. After I picked her jaw up off of the floor and closed her mouth she was able to whimper an "are you serious? I can keep this?" to Shorty. To which he replied in his own sincerity "Well, I sure as hell can't play the thing, so you might as well have it". He gifted me with a gold and silver belt-buckle with and eagle on it (true cowboy style) and two rings; one of which was my great Grandfathers. He had also given me a ball glove, that was the last I had seen/heard of him until now.
Shorty played with the country star Faron Young - back in the Sixties I believe. He played guitar and sang with him for about 31/2 years. Upon arriving at his house outside of Reno, NV, we were promply offered a beverage and some food, then about 10 mins. after that he was already inquiring as to what type of guitar I had brought with me and about Jennie's own fiddle. So here we were, travelling from TX to CA and points in between and already hitting it off. The rest of the weekend went pretty much like that as well. We met some of his friends, which are hard to come by out in that neck of the woods, as you only have a neighbor about every 10 miles or so...
more down memory lane later, with pics hopefully.
JB
22 August 2005
02 August 2005
Roadtrip box score - Austin to Burlington 6-21-05
The roadtrip boxscore series is back -
This segment: Austin, TX to Burlington, NC for the wedding
travel partners: Chris M. and Elspeth S. (aka El-spizzle)
CD's: lots - but we now need some new ones
car- The trusty Golden Egg - Subaru Forester
great gas mileage and comfort all in one - who would have thought.
Only brought the guitar, chris didn't bring his banjo. (why?)
Day one:
We made it to Birmingham, AL. We stopped in Shreveport,LA for a visit with Chris's mom. We ate at a place that I highly recommend (Strahan's), if not just for their famous 'icebox pies' which were un-equaled by anything else. Not highly recommended - the drive through east Texas. boring.
Day two:
From Birmingham to Burlington; via Atlanta with a stop off in Greenville, SC. Chris's brother lives in Traveler's Rest (T-R for short) which is just outside Greenville, so we stopped there and had lunch with the brother and his wife. Not highly recommeded - the drive through/around Atlanta - there's nothing fun about that commute at any time of day.
Total miles: 1320
Total CD's: 4 This american life - w/Ira Glass shows, 2 Danny Barnes live shows - 3 Tony Rice albums, 3 Wilco Albums - several others that I may have missed while I napped.
1 broken guitar string
1 bag of Bugles
1 bag of corn chips
0 Flat tires or car problems (thank you!)
Driving: Unfortunately (for El-spizzle and myself); Chris was catapulted unto the reigns each day after the lunch meal. Man, he was drowsy too! So his stint at the helm was limited, but that's okay, he made up for it in DJ rotation and bugles.
NOTES: I did realize how lucky I am to have the type of friends that will take an adventure like that and roll with the punches. There actually weren't too many punches to take; for our sake.
MEALS: Maybe the meals...were a punch we stomached. We ate a lot of meat - sometimes when you drive you just can't accomodate that much meat - when you are in a car with others on a long journey that could be a bad combination.
Not to say we had issues with that, but I know I had some personal issues with the diet. Anyone who knows me can attest to some personal dietary issues at times.
This segment: Austin, TX to Burlington, NC for the wedding
travel partners: Chris M. and Elspeth S. (aka El-spizzle)
CD's: lots - but we now need some new ones
car- The trusty Golden Egg - Subaru Forester
great gas mileage and comfort all in one - who would have thought.
Only brought the guitar, chris didn't bring his banjo. (why?)
Day one:
We made it to Birmingham, AL. We stopped in Shreveport,LA for a visit with Chris's mom. We ate at a place that I highly recommend (Strahan's), if not just for their famous 'icebox pies' which were un-equaled by anything else. Not highly recommended - the drive through east Texas. boring.
Day two:
From Birmingham to Burlington; via Atlanta with a stop off in Greenville, SC. Chris's brother lives in Traveler's Rest (T-R for short) which is just outside Greenville, so we stopped there and had lunch with the brother and his wife. Not highly recommeded - the drive through/around Atlanta - there's nothing fun about that commute at any time of day.
Total miles: 1320
Total CD's: 4 This american life - w/Ira Glass shows, 2 Danny Barnes live shows - 3 Tony Rice albums, 3 Wilco Albums - several others that I may have missed while I napped.
1 broken guitar string
1 bag of Bugles
1 bag of corn chips
0 Flat tires or car problems (thank you!)
Driving: Unfortunately (for El-spizzle and myself); Chris was catapulted unto the reigns each day after the lunch meal. Man, he was drowsy too! So his stint at the helm was limited, but that's okay, he made up for it in DJ rotation and bugles.
NOTES: I did realize how lucky I am to have the type of friends that will take an adventure like that and roll with the punches. There actually weren't too many punches to take; for our sake.
MEALS: Maybe the meals...were a punch we stomached. We ate a lot of meat - sometimes when you drive you just can't accomodate that much meat - when you are in a car with others on a long journey that could be a bad combination.
Not to say we had issues with that, but I know I had some personal issues with the diet. Anyone who knows me can attest to some personal dietary issues at times.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)