The great lady

At the fathers day festival, walking through the fairgrounds, something important was missing.  Walking down the gravel road remembering good times and old friends, it saddened me to notice  that the spot where Pat and George Calhouns R.V. used to be, had an...

The Greatest Instrument

Nobody loves gear and instruments more than I, and I have often waxed poetically on the joys of fine guitars, banjos, fiddle, basses and the like. That love burns strong. The recent find of a Lloyd Loar mandolin in some old barn was fascinating – can you...

The Guest Shot

How many times have you attended a concert (regardless of the genre), and at some time during the performance, they announce the presence of a “special guest” who’s going to join the band for a song or two. Depending on the stature of the special guest, there may be...

The Guide to Grass Valley Wildlife

(Throwback March – this is one of my favorite columns.  Next week, we get back to brand  new Welcome Messages)The change in the weather lately has me thinking about the Father’s Day Festival at Grass Valley! This is good time to point out that...

The Halloween Story That Never Was

(Editor’s Note: Reaching way back to 2010 for his one in deference to the scary night coming up. Marcos, long-retired from column duties now, was one of our best. RC)It’s one of those Saturday nights when I’m sitting before my computer thinking about a topic...

The Happiest Bluegrass on Earth

As the days turn into weeks, and the weeks into months, there are times when finding things to be happy about is difficult. And face it, bluegrass isn’t known as the happiest genre on earth. If you feel like wallowing in a bit of self-pity, you can find plenty of sad,...