Friday I got into Lafayette around 4:30.  I stopped at Baskin Robbins to see if Mary was there.  I didn't have her home phone number, just the store’s.  Jill, her daughter, called her.  She didn’t have to work Friday after all!

        So she met me and we went to her house to get me settled.  Then we were off again.  We stopped at a place called Logan’s Roadhouse to eat.  It was a very good meal.

        After we ate, we headed out to the Gathering.  We took lawn chairs and set them over benches.  I went in search of Kathie Gilbert (who I had called from Mary’s and was told she was running a bit late).  There were SO many people, it was hard to find anyone.  I finally gave up.  About 8:30 a girl in her 20’s came up and said, “Are you Diana?”

        I said, with uncertainty, “Yes….”  Then I saw Kathie!  Alisha is her daughter.  She had Levi with her (her son and Kathie’s grandson).  We all settled and talked the night away as we listened to fiddlers.  Some was bluegrass, which I don’t really like, too twangy for me.  They even played Irish Celtic music!  It was BEAUTIFUL!

        If there was anything we didn’t like, it would have to be the fact we didn’t know any of the songs.  But next year we have decided we are ALL going back.

        Friday night the weather couldn’t have been any better.  The moon was out and there was a slight breeze.

        It ended at 11:00.  Mary and I packed up all of our stuff.  We noticed trash others had left behind, so we decided to do our part and helped clean up.  We were pretty wired but tired at the same time.  Before we left, we chatted with Kathie and Alisha for a few minutes.  We all agreed to meet the next day.  Kathie has a cell phone, so I would call her.

        I always get up kinda early, so I got up around 7 Saturday morning.  Mary was still asleep.  Since we went to bed really late, Mary was beat.  I got on the computer and said HI to Pup & I think some others.

        When Mary came downstairs (she has a split level) I was ready.  We headed over to her friendly Baskin Robbin’s shoppe.  She had her morning “coffee” cappuccino ice cream!  LOL!  I had a smoothie made with yogurt.  I used the time to find a place that sold batteries for my 35 mm.  Also a camera bag, mine was getting way too small to pack 2 cameras and a camcorder.

        It was about 11:45 when we decided to go get some lunch.  Mary had paid for mine as an early birthday present.  So I paid for hers.  We ate at the Texas Roadhouse.  After lunch we headed back to the Fiddler’s Gathering.

        We went to the various booths they had set up….Mary had found an old lp at one of the booths that sold used lps.  Mitchell Trio’s Violets Of Dawn.  She paid a whole $10.00!

        We didn’t see anything we couldn’t live without, so we made our way back to the front of the stage.  Harold and his wife, Cathy were to join us, as well as Mike, Mary’s husband.

        I looked around for Kathie Gilbert and her family.  They were going to camp.  It turned out they were sitting in front of us for 15 mins before I even realized it!  The music started playing and we clapped, laughed and had a wonderful time, despite the rising temperatures.  It was HOT!

        Oh, one thing I should mention….Mary, last year in Aspen, got cold and Dreux DeMack kindly let her borrow his blanket….she forgot to give it back to him and she has been DRAGGING it everywhere she travels.  I think that blanket has been more places than Dreux!

        We took turns draping the blanket over us and snapping pix….

CR and Blanky	YW with Blanky

        I got up and walked around to see if I could find Harold and Cathy, no luck.  No Mike either…

        Just as we were about to give up, Mary said, “I’ll kill them if they show up now!  It isn’t worth $8.00 for 2 hours.”

        She was kidding but just as she finished her sentence, Cathy and Harold show up!  We made room for them and we laughed and talked and clapped for the rest of the show.

        Shortly after the concert, it rained and we all got soaked!  We found a practice tent to get under.  It didn't have any sides, just a top.  We used the time to have a ceremony to give Harold a medicine bag.

       After the ceremony, we sat down under the tent and talked about Aspen and the Renewal that Manuel and I are going to have.  Mary looked at her watch and told us it was time for her to go…
 
 

Alisha, Kathie, SK, Cathy and CR

        Mary felt like she had to go back to work and I really wanted to stay.  I talked, which wasn’t too difficult to do, Harold and Cathy into staying.  We walked Mary out to her car and said our “see ya later’s”.  And gave hugs.  We had some time to kill so we decided to walk around the battlegrounds.  Kathy and I walked around a huge monument and noticed what we thought was a plague around by one of the bushes.  We walked over to read what it said, it turned out to be a LIGHT that shown up at the monument at night!  LOL!  We teased Harold about a mound of dirt and soon it was time to get back to the stage.
 
 

Cathy, CR, YW at battleground entrance.

       I had bought a lighter shirt to put on because it was so hot….it sure helped…

       After the rain ended, we wiped down our seats.

       Kathie and her family, who are from around Indianapolis (1 hr away) decided to head back home and come back on Sunday.

        Harold, Cathy and I had a blast!  We clapped, sang (yes, you heard me right) some songs and just enjoyed the evening and each other’s company.  It was incredible.

        The rain came again and as umbrellas were raising, John McCutheon came on stage.  He was so much like John Denver, not by looks or even his voice, but he just felt the same about things, much as JD did.

        He even commented on the audience being so kind to WEATHER THE STORM.  He laughed and said, “Because of the weather, I feel that it only fitting to sing water songs!”  He played the hammer dulcimer and he was great!

        He told stories, much like JD did.  He had the crowd, as Harold put it, eating out of his hand.  People didn’t leave, only lifted up their umbrellas.  It kinda looked neat to see the sea of different colored ones in the crowd.

        John also mentioned the moon later on in the program!  Now who does that sound like???

        The only one of us 3 to use her umbrella was me.  Harold didn't get a drop on him!

        It was going on 11:00 and there was another group ready to come on, but we felt we should leave.  I still can’t find Mary’s house by myself!  So Harold, gentleman that he is, offered to guide me back to Mary’s shoppe.

        Harold and I had bought a release (he a CD and me a cassette) of John McCutheon’s.  I called Mary on my car phone and she would meet us at the shop.  While we were waiting I put in the tape.  I am so glad I bought it and want to buy more.  Looking at the flyer we got for the program, it told how John had been nominated for 4 grammies!  He has 24 releases.

        Mary showed up in a few minutes and we were going to say our goodbyes, but Mary suggested Cathy get something for the road home, they live an hour away.  So we all piled into the B&R for some late night snacks.

        I watched a video as Mary unwound.  She was chatting with someone on the computer.  We went to bed around 2:00 am.

        Sunday morning found me sleeping until 7:00.  Mary slept in again….I got up and washed and dressed.  Then got online and saw some people like Pup and I began to tell her about the concerts…

        The Gospel Sing was at 9:00.  I had a BAD headache so after a few minutes, decided I should lay back down.  I said goodbye and went to lay down.  I fell asleep.  Mary came downstairs to see if I still wanted to go to the Sing.

        I told her yes.  We hurried to B&R to get our morning “pick me up”.  Soon we were on our way to the Gathering.

        We got there and parked near the road.

        The Gospel Sing was free.  We got good seats again.

        We met up with Kathie and her family almost towards the end of the sing.  We talked afterwards and they were staying the rest of the day.  I had wanted to buy some more tapes but the John McC boothe was gone.

        Mary and I had decided to leave to get some lunch.  As I searched for my keys in my camera bag…I couldn’t find them!  I went into panic mode!  I searched all around and Mary helped me trace my steps back to my car.  Kathie was out picking up trash.  She had brought a huge trash bag and I noticed other people were helping her!  John would have been proud!

        I still had to perform the medicine bag ceremony for Alisha.  I told the lady at the gate I had lost my keys, I didn’t know if they were in the car or what.  I was almost crying by then I was so upset.  Leave it to me.

        The gate keeper was extremely nice and they even allowed me to contact AAA auto club.  They told me someone would be out within the hour.  I thought to myself…Ok, I can perform the ceremony while we waited…So we found a wooden spot and I performed it.  I will not go into details about it because I feel it is a private, sacred ceremony and should be kept that way.

        After the ceremony, as we waited for the AAA service to come out, we sat around and talked.

        It was so much fun getting to know new JD family.  I won’t go into details about Kathie meeting John in Indianapolis, or how her daughter, then 7, went with him to pick out a toy for Anna Kate who was 3.  Or that Alisha got kissed on the forehead by John.  If Kathie wants to tell her story, she is more than welcome to in here.  Perhaps someday….

        The AAA guy  finally arrived and popped my car door lock.  We searched and searched and still searched…no key!  I asked Kathie, if I gave her gas money, if she would run me home to get the extra key.  I hated to ask because I live 2 hours away….

        As she went to talk to Alisha, Mary and I sat and talked.  Just as I was ready to give up, I took in a deep breath and centered….then I spotted my overnight bag….I checked it once more, but this time I checked the outside pocket.  There were the keys!  To my and everyone else’s relief, I didn’t have to depend on them for a drive home and back.

      Mary and I said our goodbyes to our new sister, Kathie, and family.  Mary suggested going to eat somewhere.  I asked if we could go to this record store where JD’s picture was painted on the outside of the building and she said sure.  I also asked if we could eat at this place called Arnie’s.  We ate there last time we did a highway clean up.  So we were on our way.  There was a bit of construction but we wound around it and soon were at Arnie’s.  We ate, talked about our weekend and all the fun we had, how it was neat to meet other JD family, and that we would have so much fun in Ohio with all the other JD sisters and brothers.  We finished and Mary took me to the record store where I not only found Different Directions, but also the new CD Live At The Sidney Opera House.  There was also some John McCutheon CD’s as well!

        What an unforgettable weekend we had.  We are looking forward to next year’s, Indiana Fiddler’s Gathering

	Cathy, YW, and CR
Alisha, Kathie, SK, Cathy, CR	CR, SK, Cathy, YW and Blanky

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