July 20, 2013 - Getting into the Heartland

Headed to Max Meadows today!  Just off the I-81 there's this real nice campground called...

I knew when I spoke to Laney on the phone, that this place was going to feel like "home".  She was so nice when I came to the office to sign in.  Showed me places we could visit.  One's called Big Walker Lookout, and she said - tell them Laney sent you and you'll get a free ice cream...and if they don't give it to you, let me know and I will give them a holler!  

Since I was concerned about having a level spot so I could unhook the jeep easily, she drove me around in her golf cart (I want one!) and showed me different spots!  Picked a nice one, next to another RV and then she had me follow her with the RV to show me how to best get into the spot. Incredibly helpful!!  I thought it might be nice to stay here a bit, since it's a pivotal area between where Greg is riding for the next few days.  So we have decided to stay through Tuesday morning.

The logs in the foreground are from an old cabin that used to be there.  They are all numbered and being reassembled near the office.  Laney hopes to have a store as well as office in it when it's through being "put back together"!

They have Killdeer birds that nest on the gravel rocks at the sites - their eggs look just like the gravel!  So she often has to close off sites not to be used!  They just had 4 baby birds hatch!

Had the usual fun unhooking jeep, but Laney said just let her know if I need help!  She lives right behind the office!  I decided to try my hand at hooking up all the connections. The electric is easy, have done that enough times...the water, well, I couldn't get the water to flow from the pump, and all of a sudden, there's Jim, our next door neighbor, ready to help!  He got the pump to work...dark water came out first, then clear.  So I set that up.  Then the sewer hose...ew...is all I can say.  I hooked it up okay, but...I'm not fond of doing that!!

Then headed out to pick up Greg.

Bouquets of fresh flowers are wonderful...but there's just something about finding flowers growing in the wild...
Met up with Greg and he wanted to ride a bit further, so I wandered around and took more pics!

This is the official sign designating the routes of Adventure Cycling...the number 76 represents the year they mapped their first route - 1976.  

Thunder and lightning were beginning their dance, so I was glad Greg was finishing up riding for the day!

Looking through the brochures, I came upon one that told about music at the Wytheville Community College - the third Saturday in each month - Bluegrass and Old Time Jamboree!!

Dinner wasn't ready in time, so it got put in the fridge for later and we booked it to Wytheville. Took us a while to find the building, but as soon as we opened the doors and heard the music we knew we were in the right place!   What a blast!!

The band was called Crusher Run and they played bluegrass.  Bluegrass music is defined as country music played on stringed instruments - mandolin, violin, guitar, upright bass and banjo, sometimes harmonica is played too.  It is also characterized by improvisation with each instrument taking a turn playing solo and by close high-pitched harmonies. 

That's the dictionary definition...mine would be...a blend of those instruments, but played as an extension of their souls.  Each one's personality became part of their instrument. 

Their vocal harmonies had such resonance.   
I'm definitely a bluegrass gal!  

The guitarist/leader of the band mentioned that he and the lady in the band had been married just two years.  
They did some lovely haunting duets together.   

And she sang How Great Thou Art - a different rendition than we do, but still great!  Took videos during the concert.  Hope to figure out how to put that on the blog soon!!

They played for an hour and we thought it was over, then a second band came out!!
The New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters!  They played Old Timey music!  

From Bill Martin's "Old Time Music Newsletter" - Old-time refers to the rural traditional music & song from the South and Midwest. It’s played primarily on acoustic instruments, such as the fiddle, the banjo, guitar. A modern old-time band often looks and sounds like a really redneck bluegrass band. Old-time, however, is often played solo, or the songs are sung by a single unaccompanied voice. The repertoire is a grab bag of folk songs, popular tunes, gospel songs, ballads from the British Isles, and square dance tunes. 

My definition - a stirring just gotta dance relative of bluegrass!!  As soon as they started playing, people got out of their seats in the auditorium!  They did this dance called flat-footing...it was awesome!  The pics are blurry 'cause they were hoofing it!

I'm gonna be checking this dance out on YouTube to learn it!!

This band also did some slower songs, that the lead singer said you could dance a 2-step to.  He sang songs sung to him by his grandmother many years ago, and played the auto harp. 

He also played the fiddle - the best I've ever heard! 

Afterwards, we talked to the emcee - wanted to get the names of the bands.  Turns out he is the president of the college, Charlie White.  Obviously has a love of music!  The NBB Bogtrotters played a favorite song of his...Keep on the Sunny Side.  Actually knew that one - it was sung in the movie O Brother Where Art Thou!  

We had a great conversation with him.  He used to be a biology teacher and decided one day that, yeah, he'd like to run the college!   Told us about this awesome festival in August called the Old Fiddlers' Convention in Galax, VA.  The NBBB fiddler had won top awards there many times.  I checked out their website and they have a video of jamming at the festival!  Great stuff!  

Also, Charlie asked me to send him an email when Greg finishes at the Golden Gate Bridge!  

So we headed back for our late night supper.  Arrived "home".  Jim walks over. Laney pulls up in her golf cart.  Oops!  We forgot to turn off the water spout filling our fresh water tank! (newbies)  So the grass was a bit soggy!  Jim had shut off the spout, thank goodness!  They were all very concerned that the water had overflowed inside the RV. Such thoughtful souls!  Everything was fine, Laney headed home, and Greg, me, Jim and his wife Jeanne hung out and talked for a while!!  They hail from Texas, have a real nice RV and pull a Smart Car - so tiny!  They've been here for a while and were considering staying until November.  It's been unbearably hot in Texas.  Another place they live sometimes is in Panama City.  I looked it up, it's on the west coast of Florida. They've been coming up here 3 years in a row.  Told us about some nice places to check out in the area.  Such a nice couple!  Hope we get to talk with them again!  

Okay, so we had a late late night supper!  Wouldn't change a thing though!  Great night!