Sun Oct. 17th

On the road again! Here we are in Sierra City (just northeast of Downieville), beddin down for the night, awaiting the beginning of the challenge. I must admit that I am happy that everyone seems ready to go and happy about it-it must be like childbirth, so shortly after the travails and wonders of 66, we are ready to have at again, without any trepidation…or at least no one wants to admit it. The addition of Richard Chon our stellar fiddler (violinists cost too much!) seems to have merely added another voice to the insanity and hilarity. Of course, I neglected to tell him that we were departing in the am with only $100 to make it all the way to Oakhurst (which is south of Yosemite, about 350 miles from here), ah, let him sleep, he'll find out soon enough.

We have already had our challenges, mostly weather, a nasty early fall storm (more like a deluge) welcomed us to the Gold Country, I hope it doesn't stay this way, it'll be like street playing like Venice…Italy! No matter, this area is famous for the pioneers who risked it all in order to find a fortune, and create something and forge a new beginning, in a completely foreign place, wits and commitment their main resource. So what's a little water? We'll bring em all some swingin Cow Bop-style and let the rest take care of itself.

Arriving in the dead of night the chill of early autumn has set in and our meteorological calculations might have been a bit askew. However, if the air is any indication we are sure to wake up to a piney forest, crisp mountains and a fivesome ready to go. Wahoo!

PS... Allow me to take this time to remind you all that we are doing this in support of JazzMasters Workshop, a music-mentoring program that's free for kids, and we hope that you will pledge $49 in support of this, I mean, if we can risk starving and having to sleep in van…ah, you know what I mean….thanks