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gee, but it's great to be back home
May. 29th, 2007 02:32 pmyes, i have survived the banjo festival! (and even my relatives).
actually, it was rather fun. a little sad - judging by the average age of the musicians and their audience, the festival may have only a few more years before it dies out, along with all the jazz banjo aficionados. but in the meantime, most of them seemed to be having fun. i've got some pictures - even took a movie and some sound clips, if they download, and i can find a place to host them. no parade this year, and i missed the "world's largest banjo band" - would have like to at least get a picture of that. plus they were outside, so one hopes, playing without amplifiers. interesting to see what constitutes a banjo band - my brother warned me that there would be tubas, which i (privately) considered unlikely - but sure enough, congregations of banjos appear to attract tubas. most extraordinary.
i also got to inspect my cousin's cows (complete with new calves) and his newly-shorn llama (the llama rather suffered from the heat last year, but apparently did _not_ appreciate the haircut). llamas, it seems, are protective of cattle - or at least the calves. he is not real fond of the adult cows, because they try to eat his food. i got to feed him, between fending off the cows. when they get too insistent, he spits at them - which actually does seem to make them back off a bit (one wouldn't think cows would mind a bit of saliva, perhaps it's the rather superior way he looks at them when he spits). anyway, it was a pretty good trip - managed to connect up, one way or another, with the people i wanted to, got to see some rain (with lightning, but fortunately no tornadoes).
i had to wait until this morning to pick up the kittens, and i'm afraid they do not seem to have enjoyed their vacation. fred actually hissed at angelina when i was picking them up, and he _never_ hisses at angelina - and then he was ignoring her when i first got them home. but i stuck around a while, and cruising around in the garden seems to make them feel better, and they finally sniffed noses before i left, so i hope when i get home tonight, all will be back to normal. but i think next time i will try to leave them in the house - they may go stir-crazy not being able to go out, but they will be at home, and i won't have to wait to see them.
actually, it was rather fun. a little sad - judging by the average age of the musicians and their audience, the festival may have only a few more years before it dies out, along with all the jazz banjo aficionados. but in the meantime, most of them seemed to be having fun. i've got some pictures - even took a movie and some sound clips, if they download, and i can find a place to host them. no parade this year, and i missed the "world's largest banjo band" - would have like to at least get a picture of that. plus they were outside, so one hopes, playing without amplifiers. interesting to see what constitutes a banjo band - my brother warned me that there would be tubas, which i (privately) considered unlikely - but sure enough, congregations of banjos appear to attract tubas. most extraordinary.
i also got to inspect my cousin's cows (complete with new calves) and his newly-shorn llama (the llama rather suffered from the heat last year, but apparently did _not_ appreciate the haircut). llamas, it seems, are protective of cattle - or at least the calves. he is not real fond of the adult cows, because they try to eat his food. i got to feed him, between fending off the cows. when they get too insistent, he spits at them - which actually does seem to make them back off a bit (one wouldn't think cows would mind a bit of saliva, perhaps it's the rather superior way he looks at them when he spits). anyway, it was a pretty good trip - managed to connect up, one way or another, with the people i wanted to, got to see some rain (with lightning, but fortunately no tornadoes).
i had to wait until this morning to pick up the kittens, and i'm afraid they do not seem to have enjoyed their vacation. fred actually hissed at angelina when i was picking them up, and he _never_ hisses at angelina - and then he was ignoring her when i first got them home. but i stuck around a while, and cruising around in the garden seems to make them feel better, and they finally sniffed noses before i left, so i hope when i get home tonight, all will be back to normal. but i think next time i will try to leave them in the house - they may go stir-crazy not being able to go out, but they will be at home, and i won't have to wait to see them.
