Following Our Yellow Brick Road

This morning James and I got the most disturbing wake-up call of all... THE FIRE ALARM.

Ugh. Throw on warm clothes (it was in the 30's this morning in NY!!!!), grab the fiddles and computers, and run outside.

Good thing to know we would have no band right now if the fire had been any worse... Matt was in the shower. Panther thought he heard it, but David assured him it was just his alarm... Still not sure exactly how that one worked. (???) Turns out someone threw their ash tray in the trash can and the trash caught on fire. OOPS.

After a little Starbucks to jolt the ringing out of my ears... I was ready to go for our show at Jefferson Community College in Watertown, NY. It's Chilly up here!!! And Miguel isn't even with us ;)

It was another great Spring Fling with crazy inflatable jousting, laser tag, caricatures, free food and balloons! They had an awesome tent set up for us. But once we got the stage set up... well... this was one time where it was advantageous for me to be short!!! The front of the tent almost hung down in my face! Almost... :) But then we taped it up and you could even see David's face!

Big thanks to Adam Pate for my new favorite artwork hanging up in the trailer! Seriously took him less than 5 minutes!


And thanks to Mary and all the students that brought us here!!!




Our awesome sound guys - Mike and Tom!






After the show... we found... TERIYAKI!!!!!!!!! It wasn't Seattle. we have still yet to find ANYTHING that lives up to the teriyaki phenomenon that exists in Seattle... The search will never end.


Umm. First door we saw when we walked into the hotel for tonight. I really wish we were staying in that room.


Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Our Favorite Boca Baristas and Gretchen Wilson Pics!

We went back to our awesome Starbucks in Boca Raton today before we headed out of town. Both of our Baristas that were there the other day were working again! We got to talk a little more after they had both found us on facebook. And this time, we all got pics together. Courtney (on the left) told me that she saw our posters all over campus today after she met us :)

Thanks Angie and Courtney for being such awesome Baristas!


And last night, my best friend, Sarah, posted her pics from the Gretchen Wilson show! She and her current/my former bass player, Amy, drove all the way down to Augusta to see our show. But that was the day of the freakish snow storm that hit the south. It almost prevented the show from happening... and the snow definitely prevented my girls from getting to the show in time. They arrived about 35 minutes after we finished our set. :( but we still had a great time!!! And Sarah got some fantastic pics! (Most of the time I was at the merch booth... but we still had our fun!)

Sarah, Amy and Me


Gretchen Wilson and Me!!!!


Signing one of HER shirts for a fan :)


Sarah expressing how we ALL felt about the snow in Augusta, Ga!!


Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Daddy Bought a Boat! Miguel Bought a House! I saw a Monkey!

What a day!

I saw a Monkey in Starbucks. The people in front of me were carrying the little Chimpanzee in a pink baby blanket. She was beautiful. But it was very strange. I wanted to hug her... But I restrained myself.

Daddy bought a boat :) War Eagle.
Can you see it??? I don't know... It's kinda tough... ;)~



And Mamma has already picked out a lake house to go with the boat :) I love my parents. They still to this day will scour the town to find the cheapest gas... they've always been the epitome of "frugal". They've been saving their entire lives to get to this point - where they can drive to Virginia and buy a boat. And look at lake houses. They are also the reason James would make fun of me in college because I wouldn't buy the crackers at the corner store because they were $.35 more than the ones at the grocery store.

Miguel was pulling a bigger trailer than we have tonight! We helped him pack that thing FULL with stuff tonight. He and Jenn and Ella are moving into a new house right now! So fun!!! They are almost completely out of the apartment. But of course, we have to leave again in the morning. Poor Miguel! He's only had two days to get most of his stuff moved. It's been an intense process. I know he'll be glad to get home for more than a day or 2 at a time. But of course that won't be until Thanksgiving.

Wow. I just looked at our calendar and I didn't realize how much we are gone in the next month and a half. We are only home for 3 days total between now and Thanksgiving. Ha! What a life.


Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Thank You Darsey's!!

We are back home in Tennessee. It is hard to believe that we were in my father-in-law's this morning in Seattle!!! James and I flew back to Atlanta, called our favorite Nigerian limo driver (who had JUST bought a brand new Suburban - new from the one he picked us up in last week) and headed out to Norcross to pick up our own Suburban and trailer.

We had parked it at the Darsey's who graciously let us park it in their drive-way while we were on the west coast all week. We were able to leave it there for safe-keeping - even though they had never met us before we showed up on their doorstep at 3am the night before we left!!! They are friends of my mother-in-law, and now friends of ours :) And don't the kids look AWESOME in their Peace, Love, Fiddle Tees?? They were wearing them when we showed up!


(I'm not sure who to credit for the awesome photography skills, but she was one of the neighborhood kids, and she was only about as tall as my waist. I see real photography potential in her future!)

We left not one but TWO permanent marks on the Darsey's pavement right in front of their driveway. We felt horrible, even though they reassured us it was no big deal. The angle of the driveway did NOT like the bottom of the trailer... there was just no avoiding the 3 foot scraping.

James and I were beat on our drive back to Tennessee. We weren't sure how we were gonna make it. But Austin Powers, Arrested Development, and Starbucks helped us get back home. And now we can spend time with our sweet puppy who has been very sick while we were gone. She's back to her "boiled chicken and rice and cottage cheese" diet per the Vets orders. So she's a happy monkey!!! She loves her chicken and rice. :) And I love being home to take care of her. Even if it is only for 1 day. Soon monkey. Soon you'll get to come with us.

Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~natalie

Ashland Band Shell

After an odd, but good night's sleep, the guys and I went exploring in Ashland Ohio. They have one of the more impressive gas station/ food marts I've ever seen! Starbucks, Popeyes, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and eh emm... a "Sweet Counter" : )

We discovered even more mattresses in the parking lot in the daylight. :) This place is hilarious.

The Ashland Band Shell we played today was REALLY cool. It's their 60-year anniversary and there were pics in the hallways of the Glen Miller Orchestra playing there. So many people from the community came out tonight. It was a gorgeous night for a concert in Ashland and the rain held off until after we finished packing up!

Millie and I made friends immediately! She hung out with me before and after the show. Sweet puppy. There were so many awesome dogs at the show, and I wanted to run off stage and hug them all during the show. But I didn't...


She saw us at APCA in Atlanta and then came to see us here in Ohio!


These two were walking by right after we finished sound check. Apparently, we didn't scare them off!!! They were still here 3 1/2 hours later after the show!


More awesome people!

Starbucks Scat

I better stick to country...



Peace. Love. Fiddle.
~nat