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Sound like we have similar plans for this year TF

1.  New grandson  - although I have two grandsons that live in Florida, my son had a boy born last fall that lives just 70 miles away.  Jen and I visit him at least once a week and plan to continue when we are not off visiting our other kids or out-of-state friends.

2. New knee - I had my right knee replaced about 18 months ago and the left one is scheduled for Feb 3.  It should be healed in plenty of time for spring hiking/fishing/camping.

3. Travel - I hope to visit more out-of-state friends for some fishing, boating and camping adventures, as well as some campfire guitar pickin'.

DE

What date in June are you thinking about Zurf?  The Riversmallies Buckeye Rodeo is usually around the first weekend of June and this year Al Agnew is wanting to put together an RS event in Arkansas or Missouri about the second week.

DE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!

I hung out on the RS site for about ten years and met many paddlers/fishermen/campfire pickers which are now great friends (its where I met Zurf).  The site closed for a short time and I re-registered when it started back up but it has never seemed quite the same so I don't post very often anymore.

Great to hear that things are going well TF. Did you experience an increase in pain after you left the hospital?  My incision was glued so no stitches or staples needed to be removed. Getting range of motion back may take some work. I went to therapy every day for a couple weeks after I returned home and then a couple times a week for the next month, but I assume each case is different.  My house is a two-story with all the bedrooms upstairs so I had to negotiate stairs from day one.  12 days after the operation I was on my riding mower and began driving my truck again at 19 days although I was told to wait 10 weeks since it was my right knee and might affect using the gas pedal and brake.

I plan to make an appointment next week to have my left knee evaluated.  It has deteriorated to the point the pain is keeping me awake at night.  I'm hoping that I can get a replacement operation scheduled for right after the holidays so I'll be good to go for Chordiestock in March.

Again, glad to hear you're doing well.

DE

The song I have problems playing is "I Still Can't Say Goodbye", written by Bob Blinn and Jimmy Moore.  Its been recorded by several folks but favorite versions are Merle Haggard (on his Chicago Wind album) and this one by Chet Adkins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwcYKNxXAcw

DE

After years of sitting in front of a computer as an engineer in the nuclear industry, I've become somewhat of a Luddite in my retirement. I only use a computer for email and to check weather and creek levels each morning (to decide where I'll go fishing), shop and visit a couple sites like Chordie. I never download any music nor upload my own songs, instead I make CDs of my original music and give them to friends who want to hear my songs.  If you want to hear any of my music Bill,  PM me your mailing address and I'll send you some samples (on CDs of course)

DE

I hope all goes well TF.  I had my right knee replaced last year.  I wasn't prepared for the amount of pain the first 3 days or so but the pain got manageable shortly after that.  Make sure you follow the rehab regimen.  I have a stationary bicycle and that helped a lot. I had sciatic nerve issues for quite a while as I adjusted to the difference of walking with the new knee.  It took about 6 months before I felt things had completely healed and the knee feels great now.  I only wish I hadn't put it off for so long.  Like you, my left knee is now a candidate for replacement.

I mostly flat pick but occasionally write/play songs that sound better finger picked.  As I've always been a nail biter and the work I did was always busting my nails, I found that a combination of a Fred Kelly thumb "speed pick" and metal banjo finger picks work for me on my wider-necked steel-stringed acoustics.

I sometimes play with an old guy from Kentucky who uses picks on his thumb and all four fingers and plays a lot of old blues and country songs from the 1940's -50's.  It looks awkward but his fingers fly on the strings.

DE

Sounds like we had similar beginnings Bill.  I also started playing drums when I was 12 years old in Jr. High School.  My folks were pretty poor and drums were the only instruments that parents didn't need to purchase as they were provided by the school.  Through practice, I got pretty good and when I moved up to High School I was the "first chair" drummer much to the chagrin of the upper classmen who were drummers.  I was picked for the "all county" band and received a few accolades so our band director talked my parents into buying me a set of Ludwigs so I could play in the jazz band and looking back they sacrificed quite a bit so I could play.  My heroes were Joe Morello and Ed Thigpen but like you, that changed after the Beatles made their appearance in the US.  I played drums in a rock band in high school that played local high school dances etc and also with a 17-piece "Big Band" that played at country club and Elks dances, etc. I also taught rudimental drumming and had 14 students.

But then one of those "life changing" events happened.  After I graduated from high school, a couple of guys that had graduated a few years ahead of me and were pretty good guitar and bass players,  had spent some time in Nashville doing studio work.  They returned to my home town and were wanting to put a country band together and needed a drummer.  I thought I was too "kool" to play country music so in an effort to change my mind they took me to a country/bluegrass festival hoping that I'd like the music and have a change of heart.  What happened is I didn't care a lot for the country bands but the bluegrass pickers blew me away.  Maybe it was music that appealed to my Appalachian roots, but regardless - I was hooked!  However, as you know, the genre does not use drums but rather a heavy bass line to keep the beat steady.  A changed man, I quit playing with the bands I was in and few months later sold my drums.  It was several years later I finally tried to learn how to "mash the wires" on an acoustic.  I've never been good enough to play bluegrass very well but there's still no other style of music that gets my feet tapping.  Its now been over 45 years since I've picked up a drumstick.

DE

Thanks for sharing Pete. Good songs tell stories, great songs like Derek's paint pictures.  His style reminds me of Townes Van Zandt. 

DE