April in Texas

Well, I'm still pregnant. But this could be my last blog before I am a mother.

Usually I use this blog to inform people at home about life in Grenada. But today I feel like reminiscing about life back in Texas.

April is my favorite month in Texas. The weather is the best. It is usually beautiful, not too hot and not too cold. Highs in the 80s and lows in the 50s. Everything is green. If we've had enough rain the creeks are usually beautiful and flowing. All the wildflowers are blooming. It is the perfect time of the year to enjoy the outdoors.

Our Aunt Denise sent us this picture, which is the quintessential spring photo of Texas. The bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes are in full bloom along all the highways and back roads. And I love the classic country church in the background. This picture made me a little home sick.

And then there is our favorite event of the year, Old Settler's Music Festival. It is always in April. It happens to be next weekend, April 16-19. I am a little heartbroken that we are going to miss this year, since we've been the last five years in a row. It is a four day, three night music and camping festival featuring bluegrass, country and Americana music.

The first year C.J. and I went alone. Since we like camping and we like music we thought it sounded like fun. Also, the Gourds, C.J.'s favorite band, were playing the first night in the campground.

That first year we made friends with a group camping next to us. It all started when they forgot their eggs for Friday's breakfast, and I needed to borrow their grill to heat up my coffee.

Every year since we've camped with them and they have become some of our best friends. We've brought along some of our friends, they've brought theirs and each year it grew until last year we had about 30 people camping together.

We've gone all out, shopping for our groceries together, building elaborate fire pits, bringing in an air stream for the campground stage hangout, hanging parachutes, making T-shirts and cups, creating a camp kitchen...it is an annual extravaganza that we wouldn't miss.

Until this year. And of course, for the first time since that first year the Gourds will be playing again in the campground on Thursday night. Some great acts that we love will be there like Robert Earl Keen and Onion Creek Crawdaddies and Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Greencards.

And it's not just the music we'll miss, it is the whole weekend experience.

We usually get there Thursday afternoon and set up camp. On Thursday and Sunday the music is at the campground stage. These two days are my favorites -the campground stage is so intimate and of course, so close to camp. We usually have an awesome time Thursday night dancing in the pavilion and getting into our weekend groove.

Friday and Saturday the music is across the road at the Salt Lick Pavilion. It is always such a beautiful set up - the grass is green and soft, it is never too crowded, the creek flows by the stage, the weather is lovely, New Belgium Brewery serves beer and hands out free chap stick (where I always pick up my annual supply) and you can get some yummy Texas Barbecue at the Salt Lick stand.

Before we take the bus over from camp to hear the music we usually cook up a big breakfast and take a long swim in the creek (if there is water - I think three of the five years we've been lucky enough to have good swimming). Although the music is wonderful, we have a hard time rallying out of camp when we are having so much fun just hanging out and drinking cold beer.

We spend our evenings floating between stages and listening to music. Getting split up from the group is no problem. The event is so small it is never hard to find friends if you get separated. After the last act they close the road and everyone does the midnight march back to camp.

After the official music is over, the unofficial music begins. It seems almost every camp has some amateur or even professional musicians with their guitars, mandolins, banjos and fiddles. Including our camp.

We usually have a little jam session around our fire and then break off into small groups and wander into the night listening to music at other camps until the wee hours. Everyone has seen the sun rise at some point, waiting for the last musician to give up and go to bed.

Sunday is always bitter sweet - it is the last day but also one of the best. The music is back in the camp pavilion and everyone is feeling tired but happy. We pack up slowly and usually linger until the last band is over around 5 p.m.

It has been an amazing weekend every year and we have so many fond memories. I don't think I've been this sad about home since we sold our house.

To Home Team: We will miss you so much this year. Please dance your hearts out and pick your instruments and eat some bacon and swim in the creek for us. I don't think I have to tell you this, but please go see the Gourds in the pavilion Thursday night and pretend the Eagle of Freedom is there with you. Boogy to Railroad Earth while cooking up some fajitas for dinner. Maybe you should even drink some Beast in honor of Team Winckler - well o.k., I won't make you go that far. Have lots of fun, we'll be thinking of you.

Home Team on the bus

Hanging in the kitchen - year four?

Sarah Jarosz, teenage mandolin phenom, playing at the camp stage on Sunday

Bluebonnet Stage

Hill Country Stage


Onion Creek

Last year's campfire

Making camp doughnuts in the "kitchen"