Story written for The Bluegrass Standard Magazine June 2018
Graves Mountain Music Festival Divided by the Rose River -- But the show goes on !
Twenty-six years ago Jimmy Graves, Mark Newton, and Sonny Loveland created the Graves Mountain Festival of Music. Over the years, they have adapted and adjusted to make the festival great every year. There is a budget to consider and a menu of music to attract several groups of people. Mark Newton refers to the adjustments as "broadening the fan base" which are necessary to keep up with the demographics of age groups and bluegrass trends that change with the times.

Mark played guitar and mandolin in bluegrass bands for most of 41 years but these days he is doing other things. Booking all the entertainment for Graves Mountain is an important part of what Mark does these days.

Graves Mountain Lodge (GML) has some unique assets for hosting a music festival. There are 70 acres of camping area for tents and motor homes. Hotel rooms and cabins that can house hundreds of people. A kitchen and dining rooms that can feed people in the lodge and another kitchen at the stage area. There is a swimming pool, a gift shop, and several parking lots spread throughout the property. GML caters to their guests and helps them find things to do like fishing, hiking, rock hunting, horseback riding, and site-seeing to historic and shopping locations.
Over many years, 6 generations of the Graves family have hosted visitors to the area. Mr. Graves said " they started in 1608 in Jamestown." Along the way, a place to visit was called an "ordinary", and this area was a natural stopping point on a 70 mile stretch by stagecoach. In 1857, the Graves family moved to it's current location.

This year the Graves Mountain Festival of Music is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday May 31--June 2, 2018 and featured 17 bands.

Thursday May 31
Country Current--The United States Navy Band
Grasstowne
Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice
Lou Reid and Carolina

Friday June 1
Dark Hollow
The Little Roy and Lizzy Show
Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper
Molly Tuttle
Steeldrivers
Blue Mafia

Saturday June 2
Pickin' Daisies
Mark Templeton and Pocket Change
Volume Five
Becky Buller Band
Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys
Darin and Brooke Aldridge'
Dailey and Vincent

Molly Tuttle won the 2017 IBMA Guitar Player of the year and she has a unique 4 piece band with guitar, violin, drums and upright bass. Molly's show was cut short a little due to lightening in the area. Little Roy and Lizzy were cuttin' up as usual. The new voice for the Steeldrivers was comforting. Everybody was patient with the weather and all of the bands showed what they are about.

On Wednesday, some of the Graves Mountain Music Festival participants were there a day early so they could set up their chairs and attend the famous Seafood Buffett. While the buffett was going on, it began to rain and wow was it a frog choker. By 9 pm, the Rose River had swelled up and stopped the traffic going to and from the lodge and some of the housing . The road was impassable until Friday morning for medium sized cars. During the night, the footbridge near the stage was knocked out by high water and falling trees. No way in and out.

On Thursday morning, the team met to discuss the situation. Whoops--they didn't actually meet. They talked on phones and walkie talkies because Mark Newton was on the lodge side of the Rose River and the Graves family was on the stage side of the Rose River. The decision near 11 am was to stay with the schedule--Show time at 2:10 pm today !
As it turns out, about a dozen people from the local area finished dinner and found out they could not get across the river and get home. Also, about a dozen of the kitchen staff could not go get back to their homes. GML housed all of these people in some of the rooms that were all ready for guests that would be arriving.
During the weekend, there were some challenges created when more rain came and when there was lightening in the area. On Thursday and Friday nights, the show was delayed due to lightning. On Thursday night during the lightening, 2 bands played inside the pavillion. When the weather cleared--right on schedule came Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. What a show.
Many people would say that listening to the festival from the porch of the lodge and from the FarmHouse is fine and dandy. The sound carries clearly and the view of the mountains from the porch is wonderful.

Tim Timberlake from Richmond is one of the emcees for most of these years. Rusty Cempre and Mark Templeton share the duties. Tim declares that "this beautiful spot with the Rose River crossing through it attracts the people to this and other festivals." During the festival, Tim stays at one of the cabins and there are some mighty fine jams that happen there.
Crabtree Sound has been managing the sound for the festival for 6 years. Doug Crabtree, Caleb, and Charlie stay in a camper behind the stage area. All 3 are musicians and they like working with Mr. Graves. It's a 5 day job that includes setting up by Wednesday in the afternoon before the chair lottery goes off and people set up their chairs for the weekend. The Crabtree trio know what to do when rain and lightening are happening--and they got to put their experience into action several times during this festival.

There were a few vendors at the festival. Pickers Supply had a swell collection of musical instruments and accessories. There was Poppop's Blue Kettle Corn and an ice cream stand. Bluegrass Unlimited (BGU) was there giving out nice back packs with some goodies in them to people who signed up for subscriptions and renewals to the magazine. BGU has set up a display tent for every year that Graves Mountain has had the Festival of Music. Linda Shaw, the editor, gave me my first writing job when I wrote about the BooGrass on the Lake Festival in Wakefield, Virginia in October of 2016.

Weekends with rain have effects on outdoor music festivals. Just ask the producers of the events. Lynn Graves--one of the 6th generation said that "rain and storms in the forecast can cause "30 % of the people to change their mind". Lynn recalled the thunderstorms in 1995 and Hurricane Fran in 1996 that made Wednesday's rainstorm seem small in comparison.

The bands played on schedule Saturday. During the night more rain came and by morning the river had once again made the road in and out from the lodge impassable. The Graves Mountain operations were once again divided by the Rose River.

Despite the rising of the Rose River, most everything went swell. The music went on, the campers were camping, and the guests were eating family style meals at the Lodge. At outdoor events you have to be patient and able to adapt to situations.
When I asked Mrs. Graves about fixing the footbridge, she said "they will be getting to that right away because the next big event for GML is in 10 days".
Call Graves Mountain Lodge at 540-923-4231 to to buy a ticket or to get on the waiting list for a room for the 2019 Festival of Music.

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Story entered into Guideposts Writers Workshop June 2020

Subject: feline decision

Another cat ?

Cats are a great way to enhance our day to day lives. For most of my 65 years, there have been cats living at my house. There was Fuzzy the long haired orange male tabby and Tommy the white spotted male when we were kids. We loved our cats. They were great to have around. We held them, used them for a pillow, petted them, let our friends hold them, and chased them around the yard.

In 1985 I brought 2 kittens - Greystoke and Tennessee back home from Knoxville to live at my house in Norfolk. VA. I installed a cat door and window so they could come and go. A few years later they moved with me to a house on the beach in 1989.
Not long after Greystoke and Tennessee grew old and departed, Alpha and Lucy joined our family in 1992.
Alpha showed up when we were building an addition and she would sit in the pocket of my carpenters bag as I was working. Lucy-white with orange spots, had found my nephew Jake and he tried to give her a bath in a 5 gallon bucket. My sister Carol brought Lucy to us. Alpha had some kittens in 1993 and a long list of people wanting to get one. Alpha and Lucy stayed with us for 16 years. Our lives were enriched with their companionship and shenanigans.

In May of 2009, we rounded up 2 kittens from 2 different places. Duke and Tess. Duke a solid black male and Tess a flame point siamese female--white with orange. Life was instantly grand with those 2 characters living in our house. Yes, in the house until one of them found a screen to go thru and then they were both in and out of the house. Eventually we put a cat door in the window in the cellar.
There was five kittens in March of 2010. What a great experience having the kittens grow up in the house and finding awesome people that wanted a kitten of their own. We still see a couple of those "kittens" around the neighborhood--all grown up.

One morning in early 2017, I had been thinking about how Duke acted and smelled different the day before. Something was just not right. I headed to the pool for a morning swim. While driving home, about a block from home, I saw a black cat laying on the section of yard between the street and the sidewalk. Turns out that Duke had gotten curious and challenged state route #60 and got hit by a car. We had a little service and buried him in the yard. A strong message came to me -- that "relationships with our pets bring blessings into our lives."

Duke was an exceptionally cool cat and his departure was profound. I wrote a story about Duke and shared it with people who had met Duke. I emphasized some of the cool things that Duke did - like rolling over on his back in the sand and wiggling with his feet in the air, jumping from stool to stool standing on his back legs to get a piece of ham, going for walk in the neighborhood, and bringing us bloomed hibiscus flowers from plants in the neighborhood to to the porch, the kitchen, and our pillows.

The replies from my family and friends reminded me about how much Duke had enhanced not only our lives but also the people who had met Duke or seen him in the videos. This also made me realize that Duke was still around. Cool in a way but sad too. I think I changed a little. Tess was still here and stayed around plenty but it just wasn't the same.

Every once in a while, my wife and I spoke about getting another cat. For Tess. For us. For all of us. Not yet. Not yet for me.

As the months went by, many questions prevailed in the back of my mind. Should we get another cat? Is the trouble and work of having 2 cats beneficial enough for the fun and companionship ? Is having the cat's gone blues worth the price of the the good times?

As the months went by, I did some reading, research, and googling about pets and cats. There is a lot of interesting information out there. The stuff is diversified. Some very thoughtful and some just downright hilarious. Bet it rings some bells for people who live with cats !

This information, and time, helped to develop my faith in what to do about getting another cat.

The Bible does not mention cats--except the lion and the leopard. The Bible does indicate that animals will exist in the Kingdom of heaven. If you want to know if cats will be in heaven, then look around when you get there and please let us know.

I read about how the domestic cat began a loose association with mankind 10,000 years ago but that becoming "a pet" began about 2000 years ago. Only recently have cats became as popular as dogs. If you could ask the cat, their independence and coolness would deny any sort of domestication--at least until it's time to eat or to get in the house during bad weather.

Cats have historically been placed on an ethereal plane as spiritual beings. Many cat lovers tell you that they have a unique connection with their feline companions..

Cat were worshiped in Egypt and regarded as keepers of the underworld. Considered to have a soul.

Cats were hunters but these days the "catfood" provided by modern society provides a balanced diet. Now why do cats hunt? Sport? Instinct? Because they like to bring dead bugs and animals to you?

Cats can be content to be alone but attachments to humans which include rubbing, scratching, purring, and catfood are definitely great. Cats can get along with other cats--as well as other people when they need to.

In a book titled Living With The Lama (1964), Lobsang Rompa's cat Fifi Greywhiskers sent a story about life in the Temple in Tibet. According to the story, animals are not as dumb as many humans think.

Pet psychics have a lot to say about the cat and human situation. They consult with pet owners to help them understand their pet situations. They say that a pet's quirkiness could be some sort of intuition that is shrouded in mystery. Pets may be communicating with their human companions and nudging them along in their lives. So, are cats telepathic ? Cats are way too clever to let humans know the answer.

All of these theories and words only scratch the surface. yukyuk.

Some famous quotes about cats.
"Time spent with cats is never wasted."
"Never trust a person who does not like cats."
"You've cat to be kitten me right meow."
"As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat."
"Cats are like music. It's foolish to try and explain their worth to those who don't appreciate them."

I found George Will's collected 50 Quotes About Cats. Here are some of my favorites...

"Meow" means "woof" in cat.
Cats choose us: and we don't own them.
What greater gift than the love of a cat?
Cats will outsmart dogs every time.
How we behave towards cats here below determines our status in heaven.
If your cat falls out a tree, go indoors to laugh.
Curiosity killed the cat.
Artists like cats; soldiers like dogs.
Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through the snow.
The phrase 'domestic cat' is an oxymoron.

One day I woke up from a nap thinking about getting another kitten. What is happening to me?

Some people down the street always had a batch of kittens coming and going. We visited. There was this orange tabby with a grey tail that interested me.,,,but I found out that kitten had been promised to another person. Oh well, it wasn't meant to be. Maybe next year.

A few months later we were visiting our friend who lived where kittens were often around. While standing in the yard, this young black kitten ran over and sat on my foot. He looked up and went "meow"--(which remember means "woof" in cat.) He just sat there like he was supposed to be there. Then I picked him up and looked him in the eye. Another meow.
There occurred a grand feeling about getting another cat.
Turns out the cat is available and only needs to grow up a little bit more before he leaves his nest.
Maybe it took a while to get another cat. A lot of ideas, words, and reading. In the end, it was faith in knowing that our relationships with each other and with our pets that bring blessings into our lives. So yes. Another cat.

Thor was born on the big solar eclipse in August 21, 2017 and he joined us at our house in October.
The name Thor could be said to be the quiet name for Thornado. Tess was a little reluctant about Thor for a while. As the days and months went by, Thor would chase Tess by in the yard and a few minutes later, Tess would chase Thor back the other way. Companions they were.
We did have to make the cat door out only--so we could have an inspection process of what they were bringing into the house. Some other cats had figured out how to use the door to come into the house and eat the cat food. Reckon we are a 2 cat family.

Not a day goes by when something related to our cats doesn't enhance our daily life in some way. Walking together, changing sleeping places, sounds of meows and snores, and drinking water from a dripping hose or watering can. Running, answering the bells, eating ham, and going for a walk. They all add up to a better life--for all of us. The neighbors enjoy seeing them rambling through their yards, sleeping on their porches, and they like to help feed them when we are gone.

Duke used to roll over and offer us his belly for scratching. Sounds like a dog doesn't it ? Tess must of seen Duke do it and these days she does it. And now Thor does it too. It must be in the air. Getting up on the stools in the kitchen for ham is another cat inspired tradition..

We get inspiration from observing and interacting with our cats. They enhance our outlook for life. Not only for their companionship now but for the presence of unity from one batch of cats to another batch of cats. Our cats enhance our optimism, and make life better.
These days I am more certain than ever that we are spirits living in bodies having experiences in the human/physical world. Our pets are significant parts of our spiritual appreciation and observation of this life.
If cats are spiritual beings too, then they reflect back to us some of the lessons that we need to learn. We are all in it together. People with pets notice the 'connection' of people and their pets and the bigger Holy world.

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Church Hobo --- September 2018
Article in Norfolk Compass in Va Pilot

Well it's been 5 months since we started with the Church Hobo report. At the ongoing rate of one church per month, the 200 Norfolk churches can be covered in about 16 years. During these years some new churches will come, some will go, and some will merge. For this report I will ramble on a little about several churches in the Ocean View section of Norfolk and a spiritual center in central Virginia.

On Sunday 8/26/18, I attended First Church of God-Anderson (FCOG) at 8600 Granby Street. I was extra curious because I had seen a for sale sign in front of the church. I called and spoke with the agent about the price, square footage, zoning issues, etc. The asking price -- $675,000.
The attendance was about 28 and I did get to speak with a few people. According to Sybil who I know from the pool and from the card games at the Ocean View Senior Center, Leroy Tarbos, who has been a member for 50+ years, and Pastor Harold Boyd, there is a lot going on regarding the the future of FCOG. A $500,000 addition to the church, the current mortgage, and a split among the membership have the church strained to make ends meet. Leroy observes that "these days the schools have activities on Saturdays and Sundays and the young people are too busy to come to church on Sundays." After church there was a meeting of the board to discuss what the members need to pray about when they get an offer to sell the property. One of the many things to consider is where will the current members meet for church if the building is sold. An update on the phone on 9/13 by church staff Tamara Wilson indicates that they are still praying and thinking about for their future .Stay tuned.
Another church group-- The Kingdom Builders also rents space at 11 am Sunday in the FCOG building.

On Sept 2, I had a church hobo double feature. First I went to First View Baptist Church at 11 am at 9124 First View Street. Being the first Sunday, both the Samoan group and the First View Baptist met together. Attendance was 26. Some of the Samoan group was at a conference in northern Virginia so the usual carry in buffet after church did not happen. What great food they have at these after church luncheons. Martin Jones, the minister, noted a diminished population today due to the meeting and to the aging population that is dying off. The choir was surpreme.

Afterwords around 1 o'clock, I noticed cars in the parking lot at Ocean View Presbyterian Church at 9200 Tidewater Drive. I went in and listened to the last 30 minutes of the service-including the communion. Very fine piano music with enthusiastic singing prevailed. PJ spoke with me about some of the history of Immanuel Worship and Deliverance Ministries INT'L. After church I got to chat with Rev. Rhonda Vaughn who was fillling in for Dr. Virginia Barnett. The Immanuel church has been in existence for 30 years. It most recently was at 16th Bay and EOV Ave before it moved here. Rhonda told me that at one time that the church owned a former 7-11 storefront but had to sell it years later when attendance dropped. I have been wondering about the few remaining members of Ocean View Presbyterian Church which has been at this location for 40 years. PJ told me that they are still meeting here at 9 am on Sundays..

We were going tubing on the James River in Scottsville, VA, on Sept. 9. Rain and 60 degrees with rain was not good weather for tubing. While in the area, we discovered Yogaville in Buckingham County. Sri Swami Satchidananda founded this ashram in the 1980's. Here they have the L.O.T.U.S. Temple. (Light of Truth Universal Shrine). LOTUS is an interfaith shrine that celebrates the unity behind the diversity of all the religions of the world. In the LOTUS Temple, all religions display artifacts that portray how they are about the light. At Yogaville, you can go for classes, workshops, or rent a room and rest for a while.

As you can see, there is a lot of spiritual stuff going on in many churches. People are gathering to worship and learn. See you around.

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