Only in Maine

Well, it started out as an invitation to go to a concert tonight with our pastor and his wife. We were picked up at 5:15 and our journey began. We were basically being kidnapped as we didn't know where we were going or who we were going to hear.

We traveled through the towns of Peru, Dixfield and into Carthage. By now it was beginning to be dusk and I began to get a little uneasy when I realized that our kidnappers had only been to this "place" once before. They told us we were going to the Skye Theater. Well, that told us nothing other than it might be up high, but then again, you really have to trust your pastor.

Pastor decided that he had the correct turn after passing on a couple of others and we quickly left a nice highway, Route 2, for a dirt path wide enough for a car. Nice log houses along the way led us to believe we were still in civilization.

After several more side roads that were little more than trails, we arrived at the top of a mountain to a large building under construction. Pastor backed into a spot in the parking lot, (I use the term loosly) and I hopped out to take this picture of the theater. (I'm still not in a complete trusting mode.)

We were early, but it was a sold out crowd and we had to come early as we wanted seats together. We heard fiddles in the outer rooms where people are invited to come and jam with the guest artists before the concert begins.

Finally it was time to enter the building. The bottom floor was filled with construction material, but when we went upstairs, the stairway walls were filled with branches and vines lighted with tiny white lights. What a nice feeling! Maybe this wasn't going to be a disaster after all.

The room was filled with 115 plastic chairs. (We had been warned to bring cushions) and those chairs filled up quickly. How in the world did so many people know about this place and not only know about it, but were able to find it??

When the performers, Evergreen, walked onto the tiny stage, magic began. There was one lady who played stand up bass, guitar, mandalin and autoharp, her husband who got more out of a harmonica than I though possible, a guitar player and a school teacher who was the winner of this year's Maine blue grass banjo playing.

Not only could he play a mean banjo, but also the accordian. He had a wonderful voice that was just pleasant and restful. They all had nice voices and unlike most bluegrass music, you could hear most of the lyrics. I'm not a true bluegrass fan, because the real stuff all sounds alike to me. However I am reminded of people who walk into my daylily gardens and can't tell the difference between all the hybrid yellow ones, or red ones or whatever. You get the drift, I'm sure.

You get the idea that the evening was a wonderful surprise. We were not taken off to some faraway mountain for a small concert. These people were pros. In fact, if you google the group, Evergreen band, you can find out all about them.

The theater gives all ticket sales to the performers, many of which do Scottish and Irish concerts and many come from the Cape Breton area.

I rest now from our big adventure. You see, we do have other things to do that watch beavers in our woods!!