Wild weekend at the VultureFest. (correction to previous post: the spring festival is not called Springfest, it is called MakandaFest) Saturday was a beautiful as a day could be, the fall colors at their very peak: a perfect exercise in perfection. The air was so clear it sparkled, room-temp, calm. Sunday was a turnabout: stinging frost, scudding clouds and a wind that picked the bones of the trees. Another perfect day! I looked up to see a huge flock of vultures swirling like a drain. I wondered out loud why we always see vultures in the sky over Makanda, but never smell anything dead. Someone offered that the vultures are gathering for migration to South America. Cool, huh?

Anyway, lots of music. I "troubed" all day Saturday and Sunday. People remembered me from last year, lots of compliments and support. I didn't get to play officially because they actually booked bands for two-hour slots instead of local itinerates for one. Bands tend to show up, unfortunately for me, but hey, they were great anyway!

Danny Dolinger is amazing. He is a water spout of genius and an ocean of heart... There was a jam afterwards and I crawled home very late. The next night it was Danny O'Keefe, of Good Time Charlie's got the Blues fame. He was very polished, urbane. He tried to be friendly, but only a handful of people showed up. I wondered what it was like to be so famous, and to fall so low. He probably has a low opinion of us hicks out here in nowhere-ville. Sad. I wish him better luck in future. I was really surprised and disappointed at the low turnout, too. Michael stood me up because he was too tired and irritable. After I had talked him up and everyone was expecting to see him! Some people don't even believe I am married, cause I can't drag him off the property....

I did meet a man who is a Johnston City home-boy, about my age, who has been playing professionally for forty years. We hit it off pretty good, and he said he jams around here all the time. Maybe Michael will venture out if the music were a little more local. Carbondale is a long ways from here, and none of my music people circulate in this area, so our house is very quiet.

So, I am still recovering from not enough sleep. Hopefully this weekend will bring me more sleep. Sleep is really all I have on my mind right now...

Love you all, see you soon Maya!

mary