As you may have been able to tell by my blogging absence (as I’m sure you were all saddened by my silence over here, right?), we have just returned from a triple threat vacation. We packed three vacations into one in a bit over a week, and boy, did we have a time! We hit up the Kate Wolf Music Festival in Northern California where Taylor’s band, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit played Friday and Saturday night, then we drove up highway 101 through the Redwood Forest otherwise known as the Avenue of the Giants, and finally we drove on over to Mt. Shasta for Fourth of July with my family. What an adventure! So much that I will be breaking this into three parts so as not to bore you to tears.
Part one: Kate Wolf
We left last Thursday evening to get a head start and stayed at a hotel in Ukiah. You have never seen anyone so excited as Josephine to sleep in a hotel. She was STOKED! for lack of a better extreme excitement to the brink of nauseating joyful explosion word.
We arrived at the festival the next morning and set up camp.
And now a word on potty training training while camping… Wow. I didn’t even realize we were doing this until it was done. Remember to take bags to dispose of the number twos. It actually went well, but for your sake, that slice of advice, plus this picture, is all.
Josephine is a professional camper, and looooooves having all her (our) friends around. She danced, played in the dirt, swam in the creek, and made lots of new adult friends. She even got to meet kd lang while in line for dinner Saturday night (I said nothing to her, however Josephine thanked her for complimenting her on her butterfly face paint. She’s less socially awkward than me and she’s just friendly that way). Our friend/TGLSTO drummer, Aaron, brought his niece Mia, who was visiting from Japan, and Josephine just about died with love for her. Mia was very gracious with the constant, “Mia, play with me. Mia, Mia, Mia, come to creek to go swimming. Mia! Mia!! Mia!!!…MIA!!!!”.
Our girl slept like a champ, even being super close to the main stage (artist camping was just behind and to the side of the biggest stage). She fell asleep to loud ass Leftover Salmon jam banding it up on Friday night. Saturday morning Josephine woke up early in the morning, looked at me and said, “Camping is easy, Mama.” then went back to sleep. That’s my girl. Sunday morning she was sleeping so soundly that we broke down camp and loaded up everything except the tent, her air mattress and her. Completely perfect!
So, on to the reason we were there: the show.
As I said before, TGLTSO played two shows, Friday afternoon on the main stage and Saturday night on another stage. It’s always so much fun to see people that I don’t know enjoying the music that this group of talented men work so hard on and put so much creative energy into.
It was also nice to hear some songs off the new album and songs that have been reworked and I haven’t heard in a while. And of course, watching Josephine watch her daddy play is something special, although she gets a little demanding about what she wants on the set list. Burden of Sea Captains is her first request, and she won’t quit til it’s played. She’s quite persistent.
waiting excitedly for daddy to play
I felt filled with joy and pride watching Taylor and his group of friends sharing their music with people. It was a good start to the festival!
By Saturday night we were all pretty dusty, and the boys put on a good show.
By the end they had everyone up and dancing in front of the stage. Josephine stayed up late to party with everyone. At the end of the show it was getting pretty loud so I made her wear her eardrum protecting sound blocking earmuff things. She kept them on, but was not happy, telling me, “Mama, no! I like the sound!”
Chris Doud
Will Taylor
Mr. Matt Cordano, who had a new baby boy just ten days before this show. We missed his wife and that sweet baby at the festival. Maybe next time 🙂
Chandler Pratt, aka Uncle New Guy to Josephine. She refuses to let me reference him by his real name
The amazing (and seriously badass) Aaron Burtch. He’s a good guy.
And finally, Taylor Webster. One handsome, talented, wonderful man. And one hell of a bass player.
This picture of Taylor is a little blurry, but I love it because I know how in the moment he is in this picture. I wish I could be so present ever in life. It makes me smile. Taylor enjoyed himself, even though his back was out and he was in excruciating pain the entire darn time. He didn’t complain much, although I know it bummed him out. At least he was able to take advantage of a free massage. The whiskey in his jug helped a bit too.
And so part one of our vacation comes to a close. Festivaling is my favorite, and I’m glad we’ve gotten a couple in so far this summer. And that’s all for leg one, folks. Be sure to tune in soon, as I know you are waiting with bated breath for Part Two: The Redwood Forest!
lazy to living 