We took an unexpected trip to West Austin this weekend to attend the Old Settler’s Music Festival. And I wasn’t quite prepared for it. No, I didn’t forget my clothes or toiletries or anything like that, but I wasn’t mentally prepared for a visit to 1969. I didn’t realize that blue-grass had as much of a hippie following. I think I wasn’t prepared too because looking at the website, they didn’t really have your pot-smoking, hula-hooping, ribbon twirling, dread-lock wearing, average music festival patron front and center. Besides — my parents invited us! I thought it was going to be a bunch of folks like them there. Well, I guess retirement has been given them a new perspective on what is acceptable family entertainment!
But once I arrived, I shook off the crazy week of taxes, had a glass a wine, and picked up a guitar — and things were good. The music was amazing — and I’m not even counting just the featured artists. The music around the camp-ground was stellar. I think everyone there could play an instrument and it was not unusual to see more than 6 different instruments in a group (stand-up base and tap shoes not excluded!) And of course, this said music playing could be heard until the wee hours of the morning.
I had such sensory over-load that I couldn’t really take pictures. I also felt a little awkward sneaking a shot here and there and/or just asking for one. (I felt like they would know that I was snapping more for shock value than anything.) Besides, the weather was just too perfect and I felt a little more like relaxing than looking through my lens.





{these little airstreams were just calling to us!}