Sorry for the delay in posting, it has been a busy, wild week, plus I'm still feeling under the weather.  After the last evening dance on the 30th, a bunch of us sat around afterwards and drank some wine, had some good conversation and listened to a whole bunch of people jamming over in front of the fireplace. It just blows me away how good all these people are. What is really amazing to me is how good the teens and young adults are and how some of them are so good at playing more than one instrument. It is not surprising to see several of them trade around instruments at each new song so that one who was wailing on a fiddle on one tune is playing guitar or banjo on the next.

   It all has to end at some point though, so around 2:30 most of us drifted off to bed. Up at 7:00 in the morning.... what a shock. After a bite to eat and some final goodbyes it was time to hit the road to Asheville. Several of us were going down there for the New Years Eve dance with  the 'Bears' and Beth calling.

  A friend and I caravaned down and other than a couple fuel stops and lunch in Fayetteville, WV it was pretty uneventful.Checked into a hotel there about 5 miles from where the dance was going to be and took a nap and just relaxed.

   We were over at Warren Wilson Collage by 8:00 and ready to dance. Lot's and lot's of young dancers there since it is free for them as well as being right on the campus. The dancing is always a bit frenetic when there are so many young people there. Some are extremely good at dancing, while most make up in enthusiasm for what they lack in skill. I danced all of the 1st half of the dance but I could feel my allergies ramping up as soon as the dancing started.

    Not sure what it was that was giving me so many problems, but my guess is that it was either dust or mold spores stirred up by all the dancers. I danced two dances after the break but really I was feeling pretty puny the rest of the night. The only thing I really wanted to do was go back to the hotel room, pop some pills and go to bed.

    Was feeling a bit better by tomorrow morning, but certainly not up to par. Went and had a late breakfast and then climbed in the truck and headed for Chattanooga. Had originally wanted to continue on to Carraboro, NC for yet one more dance with the Bears last night. But just couldn't do it.

    Got into town around 4:30 and dropped by a pharmacy to pick up cough medicine, a hot steam vaporizer and an electric kettle, big tea mug and a box of tea bags. Once checked in that was it for the rest of the evening. Vegetated the rest of the evening, watched some TV and went to bed early. Feeling a little better today, but I think it is going to be one of those days where I stay in for most of the day. I am hoping to be up and about by Friday night when another weekend dance starts up here in Chattanooga.