Notes from the Road – Thursday, August 5th and Friday, August 6th –

Well, let’s see, where was I?  Oh yeah, the day after The Purple Fiddle – Thursday.  In Elkins, WV the rain continues.  We thought we’d take the boys up to Parsons a half hour away (a small town of 1,800 or so) and show them the two acres we bought a couple of years ago there on the Cheat River.  We’ve packed a lunch, brought some fishing gear and plan to make a day of it, weather permitting.  I also want to show them the wind turbines on the ridge just above Parsons – very impressive sight.

However, the weather is not cooperating.  We rolled into Parsons, past the Kingsford Charcoal plant (yep, Parsons is the home of Kingsford), past the signs for the Bluegrass Fest going on at the Five Rivers Campground (the reason I couldn’t stay there on this trip) and out the other side to head up the mountain to the wind turbines.  As soon as we started to climb the mountain we hit fog, dense fog.  We drove on up to where the turbines sit, but in the fog you couldn’t see a thing.  So, back down to Parsons and out to our property.

Like the Shaver Fork, which flows into it, the Cheat is swelled with the heavy rains and is flowing far too strong to fish with spinning gear.  You’d have to know where the holes and eddies are and I don’t.  We walked the edge of the river behind our two acres and marveled at the size of the deer tracks in the sand of the bank.  Deer sign everywhere – huge acorns from the oaks is the reason I’m sure.  We are really looking forward to being able to build here so we can start enjoying the river and the surrounding mountains.  I’ve started a song idea: “I’ve got sand in my blood and orange blossom honey in my soul, but these hills of West Virginia have taken hold of me and tied loving strings to my heart.”

Since the weather wouldn’t let us really do much we ate our sandwiches and headed on back to the campground in Elkins.  The boys wanted to watch a movie and I’m feeling napish so we all crowded into the bed and they watched the movie while I dozed.  I got a good nap – I needed it too.  At around five I fixed myself something to eat (have to sing tonight, so eating early is necessary) and began to think about my gig at El Gran Sabor in town.  Judy and the boys are going to stay at the campground tonight.  The rain has let up and the boys are going to try their luck in the trout pond.  I’ll rig their rods for them before I leave and Judy will supervise to be sure they don’t get into trouble.

As I wrote last year, El Gran Sabor is more of a restaurant / bar gig which I don’t usually do.  But, since I’m passing through here each year and will eventually be living part of the year in the area I’m trying to get in front of local folks as much as possible.  This is one way to do that.  Plus, Rob Masten, the owner, is a great guy, fellow musician and a real supporter of live music.  The stage and sound system are good and so is the food.  Because it’s not a listening room I won’t have much opportunity for my usual patter and story telling.  So, I’ll approach it like an opportunity to practice, run through my entire song list playing songs I rarely get to and focus on technique.

Even though there is a free bluegrass concert literally across the street and Davis & Elkins College, part of the Augusta Heritage Center’s summer traditional music workshops and programs, we get a good crowd in El Gran Sabor and both Rob and I are pleased.  The folks react well to the material and show their appreciation financially so that it ends up being a better night money wise than last night at The Fiddle.  I run through my repertoire as planned and, as the crowd turns over, I’m even able to go back and run through some tunes a second time to try different approaches.  All in all a very good night.

Although I’ve already eaten, Rob insists that I take a shredded pork dinner home in a to go box – no cooking tomorrow night.  We talk about the tour and when I may be coming back.  He’d like me to do a Friday night the next time and I may just do that if I can book a house concert somewhere in WV for Saturday and maybe a campground gig on either Thursday or Sunday with The Fiddle on the other.  That would make a good run here.

Back at the camper the boys are just hitting the sack.  No luck with the fishing, just one small fish between them.  But, they’ve had a good time and have been great company.  Tomorrow I take them and Judy to the airport in Richmond, Va. for the flight home.  Then I continue on with the tour for another week before turning toward home myself.  Gotta get up and at ‘em to get on the road at a reasonable hour.  G’nite.

Friday, August 6th –

It’s still cloudy out, but it’s not raining and it’s cool, which I appreciate as I set about preparing the camper for the road again.  The boys are up and eating Coco Puffs (yuck!) and we’re on the road before ten.

We head east up through the West Virginia mountains on US 33 toward Seneca Rocks.  What a spectacular drive!  It’s a strain on the SUV hauling the camper up the steep grades (some as steep as 11% or more), but the views and rock formations are breathtaking. 

Judy gets a little car sick on the twisting mountain roads so she closes her eyes and snoozes for most of the trip through the mountains however I thoroughly enjoyed it as did the boys.

Within a couple of hours we make the other side and descend into Virginia where we pick up I-81 south to Staunton, Va.  I was scheduled to play there tonight at the Darjeeling Café’, but renovations did not get completed on schedule and the gig has been cancelled.  Nevertheless, this is where I made my camping reservations and its on the route to Saturday night’s gig so I’m dropping the camper here before heading on to Richmond to deliver Judy and the boys to the airport.  I get a good lakeside campsite with about 30 ducks nestled in the grass as neighbors, simple drop the trailer in place and head out immediately for Richmond.

As the approach Richmond the traffic thickens considerably, but we get to the airport ahead of schedule.  Jet Blue is the first airline in the terminal so I am quickly abandoned by Judy, Chase and Hunter.  It’s been good having them with me for part of the trip.  I like my alone time too, but three straight weeks is a lot of alone.  So, I was glad to have them with me in the middle like this.

Back at the camper I set up for the night, have my shredded pork from El Gran Sabor (tasty!) and decide to try a cast or two in the lake.  With a mini top water lure on an ultra lite rod I quickly snag three small bass.  Fun.  A little of the amber whiskey and I’m ready for some shut eye.  Tomorrow, on the road again.  Stay tuned.