I have returned from a 5-day sojourn to the land of my birth. I'm tired - but have managed to relax for the first time in weeks.

We spent some quality time with the parents in Winston - doing very little which was oh so very fine with me. My mom and I went through some old old family photographs (we're talking 1800s to early 1900s)and I have returned home with a tintype of my great-great grandfather holding a guitar - the selfsame little guitar I desperately tried to play when I was little - though it only had a couple of strings. I need to find out about the care and feeding and proper display of tintypes now. Luckily I work with an incredible photography curator who should be able to set me straight on that score.

We also plowed through a few dozen letters that my mom had found at my great-grandmother's house back in the '70's. We'd looked at them before - but not too closely. Most were written between 1850 and 1906 or so - though none during the Late Unpleasantness. All but the earliest were addressed to General William R. Boggs - a fine Confederate solider who served primarily in Georgia - though later he spent some time teaching at VPI (Go Hokies!).

Don't know if they were Hokies then....

Anyway - I have no idea how or why we are in the possesion of these letters as I know of no family tie - but nonetheless, they were interesting. Jim did a search for the good General on Google and it appears that he was much respected and even wrote a book. He even found a picture of him which was really kinda magical - having read the letters his children wrote to him and then seeing him almost face to face as it were.

I've got to find out more about him. Luckily I know a few Confederate historians who can help me out. I'm looking forward to talking with them.

We also spent three glorious days in Wilkesboro at Merlefest - which is quite possibly the greatest festival known to man. I won't go into particulars right now as I've only just gotten back home and am powerful tired - but it was oh so lovely. Best part - other than the music - was seeing Adrienne again.

Seems like we have a knack for knowing where the other one will be. I was pretty certain that she wasn't there on Friday or Saturday. Can't say as how I knew it - since that's one of those indescribable things. Let's just say that her frequency wasn't nearby. But I knew she was there on Sunday, and sure enough - there she was in the dance tent just like we thought she would be. Seems she had only been able to carve out one day of time to go and so Sunday it was.

After a comical turn at trying to learn French Canadian step dancing, we got to spend some time talking and catching up on what we'd been up to since the last festival. She looks incredible and at peace - felling that her life is going exactly how it ought to. And she's got a wicked red Mini Cooper that I covet something fierce.

Anyway - I'll talk about the music and such later - maybe tomorrow if it's not too crazy. Right now I'm still reeling in the memories and well-worn vibrations of North Carolina. I never thought I'd miss it like this. And it's not that I want to go back there permanent-like.

But every once in awhile I need an infusion - of mountains and fiddles and liver puddin' - and I only just now realized it.

Funny, that.