Happy Valley Fiddlers Convention…by Mule
Note: I’m writing to you from a mountain pasture with an internet connection as slim as a cow pie. That means I’ll have to post the full photo essay in parts. Here’s the first part, a glimpse in to our first days on the road with our mules. Bernie. Wring to you from a Happy Valley, NC cow pasture.
Flat foot dancing, fiddle music and river swimming: greetings from the 2018 Happy Valley Fiddlers Convention. Julia and I have spent the last 2 days on the banks of the Yadkin River soaking up the tunes, wood smoke and a bit of a cow pasture rash. But that’s not how it all started. No, it started when we walked out the front gate.
The past weeks, we’ve been getting ready for our “Ride out the Front Gate” mule ramble. The name says it all. We pack some gear on to mule Polly, climb on our mules Brick and Dusty, ride out the farm gate and just hit the road. No advance planning. No bucket list. Just see how the road and adventure unfolds.
Okay, we pre-planned a wee bit. We wanted our first stop to be the Happy Valley Fiddlers Convention. The Fiddlers Convention is 8 miles from our home. That’s 15 minutes in a car but 5 hours on a mule.
Here are some photos of the Fiddlers Convention.
A great big thank you the Caldwell County Arts Council and Tony Jones for organizing and hosting the Fiddlers Convention.
We’ve got some great audio and video footage gather up for you. Now we need to take care of critters though. Oh, and stroll around the riverbank at dusk. It’s lined with laughter, old campers and fiddlers playing in the dark. ‘til later. Bernie
Al, your pal …..
2018-09-02 21:22:10
What a refreshing break from a long day of “caregiving” . In another life, been there, done that ……. just not on a mule! Still, so much fun to be had at those “conventions”. Fall is here, and now is the best time to do some camping, and smoochin’ ……… though I never did it with a mule! That’s one of the things I like about you Bernie ……… you always introduce me to new horizons. You da’ man!!!
Bernie Harberts
2018-09-04 11:00:22
Howdy Al, It cheers my heart that I could introduce you to the pleasantries of mule smoochin’. Once you get used to those ticklish little hairs, the rest is easy. Well, that’s what I tell Julia. My beard is rapidly filling in since I’ve quit shaving. Pretty soon, it’ll be smoother for Julia to kiss a mule instead of me. Should I be concerned? Hang in there with your caregiving duties my friend. Bernie
[…] Published November 22, 2023 Wake up and smell the mule. Mule Polly giving me a little wake up kiss the time my wife Julia and I traveled with her from our farm to the Happy Valley Fiddlers Convention. You can read that story here. […]
[…] Published November 20, 2023 A while back, Julia and I borrowed a mule named Dusty from our buddy Ronald Hudson, saddled my mules Brick and Polly, and rode from our farm to the Happy Valley Fiddler’s Convention. We pitched camp, strolled along the South Yadkin River and listened to all sorts of amazing mountain music drifting from the campers, tents and circles of pickers sitting around campfires. Here’s a video Julia filmed of Guinea “aka Donnie” showing off his toe-to-heel technique. For more on that magical gathering, and photos of Guineas “real” tap shoes, click here. […]
[…] and I at the Happy Valley Fiddler’s Convention on our 2018 mule ramble. The saddles we’re sitting in cost about half of the QVM I’m […]