Hi Ron. So you're the guy in that little booth in the back! You do a fantastic job. The sound in the new place is flawless and every string comes through. The elementary school had awful acoustics, glad to see you were able to get it right.

My family and I used to go down to the old body shop in the very early 80s and bought many a brick. The kids would save money and buy them too. Then it became harder and harder to do that as the kids got older and work got crazier. I mean, they were the first mtv generation. Bluegrbutt and old time weren't on their hot show lists. Although the younger one is an avid fan of The Band, so I guess maybe it helped.

Those were the days of the Pineconers and an occasional Joe Albert visit, and we used to love the Albert's Angels kids group. Are any of them still playing? Back then, we'd leave well after midnight with the kids asleep and things were still going strong.

We came down every year or two after that, at the school too. Now I live in Manhattan and it's very tough to get down there. My mother lived in Brick, and I used to occasionally rent a car for the weekend and hang out between the hall and the picking shed. I started doing it more often after she died and I was working on the house.

It's a tough place to get to for a New York City person, or I'd be down there a lot more.

At least we still have Washington Square Park to play in. For a little while anyway, until they start the construction that they only have half the money for. Some bluegrbutt folks appear on Saturdays and Sundays there.

Doug

P. S. I'm crazy about that woman that plays the dulcimer. But I'm sure I'm not the only one :)