Early Sunday morning at the SVFM

Well, well, well. Three gigs within a week! Amazing.

I really appreciate this two hour Sunday morning gig at this Hellertown farmers’ market. I get to play songs I want to play and some I need to play, and I get to gauge what I need to work on. As usual, I had the mental gaps in the lyrics to tunes I should know, I flubbed the melodies to others and I realize how much this lack of live performances shapes my chops. But, it seems my guitar playing is staying sharp.

It was in the mid-40’s this morning, but no wind and I was dressed for the occasion. I didn’t have the dry hands I had last week, so it turned out to be a good day for playing. Not a lot of folks out, and certainly not as many kids/families these days. I did a couple of Jerry Jeff songs – Little Bird and Bojangles – and they came off well with all the respect that they deserve. He is on my Mount Rushmore of songwriters and FB was awash with stories and tales of his rapscallion ways.

I was able to engage with some folks including a young girl Melody who apparently is a gifted musician, though she was quite shy with me. Another woman, Marie, parked herself right down nearby and it was nice to have someone within earshot to play with and for. She picked up a tambourine and proceeded to do “interpretive” tambouring, as I call it. It was a pleasure to make conversation with her.

I enjoy the repartee with the vendors, and I know they enjoy what I bring to the event. The orchard ladies gave me some apples, the mushroom man some fresh shrooms (I worked up Feat’s It’s So Easy to Slip for him this week, the biscuit lady wants me to include her biscuits with the peanut butter man and the pepper jelly lady in my next visit, so I know they are listening.

The time goes quickly and the weather was remarkably good for a late October Sunday. I came away energized.