OH WHAT FUN WE HAD! Georgetown, CA!

My DH likes to surprise me...take me on short trips not too far from home, but not tell me exactly what awaits me/us there. And of course he doesn't always know himself so in a way it's a surprise for him in part as well. Yesterday we drove to Georgetown, CA, about 2 and a half hours away from where we live North towards Auburn past Placerville.

Our first stop was this thrift store where DH found a wood plane for his collection! I did NOT buy that green tube for white water rafting as that is not my cup of tea! We always stop to read historic signs

You can read it too if you enlarge this photo

Further into town there was ANOTHER thrift store!

and there I found some cute ladybug buttons and some pretty beads.

DH got a book by artist Charles Russell and some Civil War relics.

We walked past the fire station

and stopped in at this local grocery for ice cream

I liked the colors and metal work in this shot

the ice cream was good too!

Next we came upon this art gallery!

We met the two proprietress' two local artists

who announced how much I looked like a tourist

with my big hat and camera around my neck!

I had to admit that I was in fact a tourist!

The gallery was full of interesting art by many local folks,

there were wonderful paintings, glassware, bowls made from gourds,

digital art, and one textile art piece of interest.

Unfortunately, they were not keen on my taking a lot of photos,

worried as they were about people copying the art on line.

However,

the woman who made this beautiful glassware, Kristi Kolln of Garden Valley, allowed me to photograph her work and it is stunning!

She explained in great detail the process of making fused glass,

a two stage firing process and I have to apologize for not writing down what she said, as I know I forgot most of it, but the small pieces you see inside the work

are glass fragments. It is beautiful.

and it was so much fun meeting and talking to these two women, who are in the process of getting this art gallery off the ground.

They invited you all to come visit and see for yourselves!

When we left there (after having our ice cream) we headed up the road a mile to

a big park where the "surprise" was to take place.

We had come to hear The Old West Trio again,

one of our favorite Cowboy Singing groups.

It was outdoors in this huge beautiful park full of fir trees, and the local gentry all turned out for the event which was FREE! We had brought two of our canvas folding chairs to sit on.

And the locals sold good food for dinner.

DH had a grilled hamburger & soda and I had a Polish dog and fresh lemonade (no sugar please)

Later we had homemade cookies

that were decadently filled with chocolate chips!

I wish you could hear the beautiful melodious sounds of this American Indian flute music

and drumming that played before and during intermission.

Wow!

Kids ran around and danced and played

and had a grand ole time!

A real delight to see. Okay, I admit, this Steve of the two Steves is my favorite! (I think he is awfully handsome) I have a funny story to tell about the other Steve who is singing here with his wife.

(and I apologize for not knowing her name)

But after the show was over I stopped in the restroom before the long drive home,

and was washing my hands next to another woman.

I just said, "That was a real enjoyable evening!"

And she said, "Yes, it was, and that is MY SON singing!" I asked which one, and she told me

the tall Steve was her son, and wondered aloud if it was okay for a mother to brag

about her son! I assured her it was A-okay in my book!

He has a wonderful voice and she has bragging rights!

I loved it when couples got up to dance too.

I sat and finished off another of my little treasure books I had

started at home. I enjoyed the hand sewing on my lap

while listening to the wonderful music. Thanks DH for yet another wonderful day and night on the town!

This time Georgetown!

;-)