IBMA Day 2, Raleigh, NC

We got to bed at 1:45 am this morning - whew! But listening to so many great bands yesterday/last night was worth every minute. Not surprisingly, we slept until 8:30 am. Luckily, the last shuttle didn’t leave the campground until 11:00 am. We had a little time before the bands started. We wished my mother a happy birthday, read a bit and enjoyed lunch at Big Ed’s again. This afternoon’s performances have been great. It really is an International event. Last night, Curly Strings (bottom left) from Estonia performed and gave a chilling account of their country being invaded by Russia like Ukraine is today. B.B. Bowness was New Zealand’s School of Music’s first banjo student. Kristy Cox (col 1, row 2) is Australian, to name only a few we have seen. The fun continues tonight into tomorrow morning. Hubby won a great CD as a door prize and he bought me one featuring a young man and woman he has followed since they started their careers. It is refreshing to see how personable these “stars” are. They are award winners and Grand Ole Opry performers. But they will stop and chat with everyone. Hubby has set up a schedule so we will be in this building for all performances. Ahhh. Sending prayers to Florida today as they are bombarded by Hurricane Ian. The track has turned west enough that this town is now outside the bands. We are still expecting a lot of rain this weekend. All outdoor venues will be in the convention center on Friday and Saturday. My knees are very thankful. The center picture is a whimsical statue of Sir Walter Raleigh with a banjo. It stands in front of the convention center. Thanks so much for your visits, heart, stars and nice comments lately. Stay safe. “Bluegrass has brought more people together and made more friends than any music in the world. You meet people at festivals and renew acquaintances year after year.” - Bill Monroe