Blazing Bows :: LBJ Ranch

Our fiddlers had another fun performance this weekend. This time we got to help celebrate at the LBJ Ranch Annual Barbecue.

Shortly after Ladybird Johnson passed away in 2007, their ranch (including their home) has been open to the public and is now the LBJ National Historical Park. This year marks their 3rd annual BBQ--just like how the Johnsons used to host every year, in the oak grove along the Perdernales River.

This day also marked Kathleen's first solo fiddle performance. Here she is warming up.

She looks terribly nervous, no? Absolutely terrified! Such a pitiful sight.

A fiddlin' cowboy warming up

I love that this kid kept the price tag dangling from his violin scroll...a la Minnie Pearl!

Speaking of Minnie, these are the Jordan sisters, Minnie and Ella. Together they won last year's fiddle competition at the Old Settler's Music Festival.

Our fearless leaders, Cleve and "Sweet" Mary Hattersley

Tuned, rosined, warmed up, and...

...waiting

Our four were featured in "Joe Turner Blues."

Kathleen also did a great job on her solo.

On our recent vacation, she heard this song from the Pine Leaf Boys...and liked it so much that when we got back home she picked it out on her fiddle.

She worked hard at getting it ready for this performance because she thought it would be "cool" to play her first solo at a national historical park.

LBJ loved driving visitors around his ranch. So we got to go on the car tour.

Except we had a "secret service agent" do the honors since LBJ wasn't available.

The restored small Lockhead Jetstar that our 36th prez used to land on the ranch airstrip. LBJ jokingly refered to this one as the "Air Force One Half."

Havin' BBQ

Listenin' to this band

This is probably about when the kids took off with all the other kids at the BBQ and flopped around in the heaping piles of mowed grass, throwing it everywhere, racing and chasing each other (girls still wearing their skirts).

Our sweet friend who gave us the violin Kathleen now uses (Yes, I said GAVE!) came by and told her she played the 100-year-old violin very well.

Dancing to the setting sun

Kathleen's jig



ASSURANCE: No, you don't have a problem with your central nervous system.
APOLOGY: Sorry, I was tapping my foot & dodging rain drops while taping.
LAME EXCUSE: Joe got better video, but it requires editing.

Here's a clip of Pine Leaf Boys' "Jig Cajin." if you care to listen to the original.

A fun afternoon at the ranch.