Tennessee's Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale on my left, and Knoxville (City) Mayor Bill Haslam on my right. They were welcoming a quilting convention to Knoxville just before I played at the WDVX Blue Plate Special in the Visitor's Center.
Angela was very excited that we got to get our pictures taken with these mayors in Knoxville. Maybe she knows who they are?? Ed from Knoxville informed me that on my left is Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, while the man on the right is the Knoxville (City) Mayor Bill Haslam.
A nice audience for the Blue Plate Special radio show.
On stage, radio, and webcast for the WDVX Blue Plate Special, with Matt Morelock interviewing me and running the sounds. He was WAY competent. Note the very cool blue plates on the wall. They hold photos of past performers. I wonder if I'll end up on one o' those blue plates?!
With two lovely dulcimer players who came to see me at the Blue Plate Special in Knoxville.
Knoxville, TN - second concert of the day at the funky Lost Savant Cafe-Bookstore.
Lost Savant - Knoxville, TN
Practicing with Angela's sister Cassie after I wrote out the flute part for All The Room I Need. Her talented boyfriend weighs in on my notation...
Playing duets for fun with Cassie!
Angela considers the jump at Noccalula Falls - Gadsden, Alabama
Angela can't control her momentum at Noccalula Falls - Gadsden, Alabama. I, of course, rescued her.
Look! It's Noccalula Falls - Gadsden, Alabama... I look like a tourist....
Esther takes action...
Tired of the singer-songwriter life, she threw her leg over the fence to jump... and... then she put her leg down and walked further down the concrete pathway...
For those who are interested....
Statue of Noccalula, who threw herself to her death to avoid a forced marriage...
Angela did NOT think the sculptor got it right. Angela will now act out how she thought Noccalula would have jumped. #1.
How Noccalula would really have jumped #2.
How Noccalula would really have jumped #3.
Seriously. These falls were seriously beautiful.
How many snapshots like this one exist in the world? It hurts my head to think about it...
Then there was this wacky duck.
He seemed friendly and so I pretended to have some food.
This duck was PISSED when he realized I was faking it.
He waddled off in a huff. He was a little strange looking - like inbred or something. The other ducks weren't hanging out with him, but he seemed okay with that.
Angela's brother-in-law Ron Landry took some amazing concert photos. He and wife Heather came to see me (and Angela) in Birmingham, AL. I love this shot!
Another Birmingham photo taken by Ron Landry on Valentines' day at Out Takes.
Out Takes - Birmingham. Thanks to Philip Eggers and Steve Norris and Small Stages for helping me put this show together!
That's Phil Eggers in the black Whole Wheat Radio t-shirt. And Steve Norris on in the red shirt on the right.
Ron Landry is on the left. He's the one who took some great photos at Birmingham and Cleveland. I'll try to get some more of them posted soon...
Accompanying Steve Norris on his new song "You Make Me Smile". It was perfect for Valentine's Day - so sweet!
Harmonizing for Steve Norris...
These two boys - sons of the owners of Birmingham's Out Takes - were amazing! Jeremy, on the right, solemnly suggested I end the night with Dave Carter's Elvis Presley when he heard me practicing it in the back corner. He said, "You will have brought them up. You need to take them down gently at the end." I took his advice... of course!
Left - Whole Wheat Radio listeners Bob Belk and his wife. Middle - Phil Eggers and wife Elaine. Right - Steve Norris. Front - The amazing twin brothers...
Trying out one of Phil's home-made cigar-box guitars.
These really are made from old cigar boxes. And they sound REALLY cool! I think this one was my favorite.
Phil Eggers, known as 65strat on Whole Wheat Radio, displays his work. A cigar box guitar - the white one. A cigar box slide guitar - the black one. AND a hubcap banjo!!
Hubcap banjo. Made from an unusual hubcap Phil found on the side of a road.
Hubcap comes off.
Looks simple, but it was very involved...
There's the slide cigar box guitar...
Now I'm in Cleveland, delighted to greet Gene, Sharon and Russell hill, who drove up from GA for the show. They are great folks, and long-time friends of Jim....
Gene, Sharon, and Russell waving to Jim in Talkeetna...
Wheat Heads Randy and Norma joined us in Cleveland, too, from Blue Ridge, GA.
Randy and Norma are also waving to Jim in Talkeetna.
Sharon gifted me with 3 amazingly awesome felt hats made from wool she sheared and dyed and felted from her own sheep!!!!
A pile o' hats and the artist next to them, except for the top one... that's not part of the group of hats...
The candle-light was sooooo wonderful at the Cleveland House Concert, hosted by Angela's dad, Larry Garner.
Mood lighting for a warm audience in Cleveland, TN...
Ron Landry took these photos in the Cleveland, TN house concert.
Telling the story of my tiny cabin before singing All The Room I Need.
Angela Hill's younger sister, Cassie Garner, played the flute with me... it was magical...
On the way from Cleveland back to Greenville, SC through the Smoky Mtns, we came upon a corn stand. yay! I just noticed the spelling on the sign. :-)
Yum!
Corn Corn Corn!
He put lots of butter and salt on our corn.
There was a big flea market around the corn stand. At the entrance was this country music jam. And they sounded awesome! It was a scene I wished I coulda sat down in, but I had to get to the gig...
And then I made Angela screech to a stop when we crossed the Appalachian Trail...
I was excited because I hiked past this very spot on my attempted thru-hike in 1991.
At Brick Street Cafe, Greenville, SC, with Christi McElrath on harmonies.
My wonderful friend Christi...
Me, Christi and Gina, who has a GREAT sense of humor!
Christi, Angela, Gina and the friendly guinea pig.
Christi suprised me with a trip to this fun retro clothing shop. It's called time Warp. Christi reprimanded me for blocking the fallen over "P" in this photo.
Turns out we may have been the last customers for Time Warp. The owner thought she had found a buyer for her inventory. She's ready to retire... Now you can see the "P".
And the punchline? The owner was Natalie Merchant's mom, Ann. She was a trip! We even had her say hello to Whole Wheat Radio via a wheat gram...
At Time Warp with Ann, Natalie Merchant's very cool mom who ran this very cool store for many years....
Time Warp, Greenville, SC
Ann Merchant, owner of Time Warp. You can see Natalie Merchant's gold record award on the wall in the background...
On an unrelated but stimulating note.... My friend (and harmonizer on Reasonland) Pam sent me this photo of the rising of a renegade bulb... Oh joy!
