I think I have been dragging my feet in getting this post up because well – finishing the recap means that it’s really over. I found my pocket pal in my backpack yesterday as we unpacked and put some camp stuff away. I have been washing our camp bedding. We stowed the air mattress under the bed. The lantern is sitting out for me to return to Jax.

One week ago today, as I am sitting here writing this, I was sitting in the rain and watching Sam Bush do his sound check.

I don’t think I need to recap Day Three. We watched amazing music. It rained. We had to take cover in a giant grandstand. We came out and saw Steve Martin. We had to take cover again. I fell asleep before the last music of the night.

We got up Monday morning and hauled everything to the car and drove home. I am still exhausted, to tell you the truth.

Last night I looked up the Railroad Earth concert from the first night of the festival and listened to the song “Railroad Earth” and I smiled and cried a little. It was really a magical experience, and I am someone who barely has a toe in the bluegrass/newgrass/jamgrass genre. I knew approximately two songs going in to the weekend, and I came out the other side obsessed.

I was blown away by the skill level, the dedication, the humility, the good-naturedness of so many performers. The gratitude that they profess for being able to do what they love. The appreciation that they express for the father of the festival, Del McCoury.

It was a wake-up call for me. A reminder that hard work goes a long way toward “living the dream.” A reminder that I have unfinished business in here – I have stuff to write. I have stuff to make. And maybe, somewhere in here, I even have a song to sing or play.

I cleaned out my purse on Friday, and as I shook it out, a piece of the mini-gravel that was on the music meadow at the festival fell out. I picked it up and put it back in, just for a reminder. Just for a few more days.