Welcome To The Pickin'

Here are some photos, courtesy of DrummerDude, of our time at the Pickin' last weekend. Every year our friend Stef hosts a Christmas party and invites all his friends to dig out their guitars, voices, fiddles and what-have-you and come join in the fun.

Here we are getting started. That's Stef on the mandolin, the host of the Pickin'. That's his log cabin house we're in. And that's his daughter on the left, getting ready to play the guitar. There's me, standing with my violin, next to Hubby sitting down with his bass. And you can see GuitarGeek too. He's the one Stef is looking at, but all you can see is his frizzy ponytail. He's playing electric guitar.















There's MB3 in the back, by the stairs. Do you see him? He's the one in the black shirt. Also, another of Stef's children: the boy with the violin in the lower right.

















The kid with the stand up bass is Stef's son, and he's incredible to watch play. Only a few weeks ago they took away his box he always stood on because he finally grew tall enough to play without it.

















Here I am with Hubby, showing off my five-string violin.


















Here I am actually playing my five-string violin.




















GuitarGeek watching the mandolin player.


















The whole group. You can see Hubby on the left with his huge acoustic bass guitar under his arm.

















Stef, on the mandolin.
















Me, watching for my solo.

















Banjo player leading a song.















Dobro solo. (Oh, and there's Stef's wife, standing by the Christmas tree, wearing a light green shirt.)















The evening winding down. Most of the audience had gone home by this time, but the musicians just didn't want to quit. Except for GuitarGeek who was upstairs giving guitar lessons, or, as he put it, pouring years worth of music theory into the poor boy's head in one hour.
















When we got ready to leave (at around 1 am) we noticed the wind had picked up and it was snowing lightly. We had to laugh because before we left home we had told ourselves that THIS year we wouldn't have to drive home in a snowstorm, the weather was so clear. HA.

It WAS better than sometimes though-- no snowdrifts. And no worship team responsibilities in the morning.

We can't wait till next time.