Bluegrass

Dix finally honored her promise of three years ago to join me at the Denver Mid-Winter Bluegrass Festival. Even with 60-mph wind gusts and snow squalls, she overcame her aversion to winter travel. We saw four overturned tractor trailers, and a whopper of a rear-end collision had us creeping at 5 mph for five miles at Loveland. The bluegrass was worth the hassle and Dix loved the performances, and that made me happy too.

Beppe Gambetta was spectacular - from Genoa, Italy - a flatpicker with a down-down-up cross pick style that produced amazing runs with no need for accompaniment. I bought a CD that had, if you can imagine, a flat picking rendition of Ave Maria.

Red silk shirt and red shoes was his fashion statement.

Long Road Home was a group of college kids that met at the festival two years ago. If they were listed on the stock exchange, I would buy them. The blond base player was from Laramie and Dix gave her a third-degree top-to-bottom evaluation that did not fail. I was more discrete.

Many attendees bring their instruments and pick up in jam sessions in the courtyard. Gabby was playing a harmonica.