New Rig Delays and Delta State University

Our new rig is HUGE!!!
Jerome Bettis and Trailer Swift made it down to Cleveland Mississippi like a charm! I still haven't driven them yet... But I am excited to. We were just so thankful to have everything working properly this morning.


Yesterday we went through a few hours of not being so sure.... The latch on the side door broke, and we couldn't get in. Other people had, but by the time James and I got home to get it road ready... it wouldn't open. The key would turn in the lock... but that was as far as it would go. Our #1 problem? The ONLY day we had in town was Easter Sunday. Now, how in the heck are we gonna get a locksmith on Easter Sunday???

Fortuitously, my sister-in-law's father is an excellent locksmith (Howell's Lock and Key in Columbia, TN), and was kind enough to come over and bail us out.

It was tough though... there were 2 options.

Option #1 drill out the entire latch from the front. But fixing it would cause so much damage, it would take quite a few days to get it back into working order (which we didn't have).

Option #2: Go in through the back and bust out the wall that we JUST paid to have built last week. But there was a chance we could figure out the latch problem from the inside... if we could just get to it.

I had to leave. I had so many errands to run, plus, when I saw the ax coming out... I couldn't watch.

But by the time I got back from Wally World, Daddy, James, and Mr. Howell already had the wall busted out... put back together.... and the latch was working!!! They fixed it. One of those... stars lined up just right for the screw on the inside to get stripped, wiggle it's way into making the latch unusable.

But they got it back in working order and so far so good!!!

We spent a LOT of money to get high security locks so that it would make it more difficult to break into. Not so good... when you need to break into it yourself. ;)

Big new trailer means big new items. We have completely upgraded the sound system... we are all using wireless in-ear monitors now. There's 2 new fancy subs... ummm... but one stopped working before the show. Gonna have to send that back in. Boo. But no harm done! A new board and rack, and a HUGE new merchandise case. Ben Strano - my go-to friend, engineer, sound guru, helped wire all the new sound equipment for us and even came down to help us out on this first show! It was great to have him here. So wonderful to have help!!!

There were quite a few fiddle players in the audience!

This is the sweetest most precocious little one I have met in a while. She started playing violin at age 4, too. Her grandmother ALSO was the one to get her started. And her sweet Granny passed away at age 99 this year.
Katelyn loaded up on her Peace. Love. Fiddle. Gear and music!


And the two on the left are a Grandfather/granddaughter fiddling pair!!! Jasmine just started taking lessons recently :)


Even the photographer at the show had played for 12 years. And one of our stage hands JUST started taking lessons. So yeah... I was surrounded by fiddlers! Just the way I like it!

Tomorrow - we head back to the Naval Station in Gulfport Mississippi. YAY!

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie