The Innocent Years

I need to go down and wash my face
Deep in the river of my old homeplace
I need to walk in the waters that once gave me life

Go over and walk the old railroad tracks
See if I can follow it all the way back
Back to where my vision is clear
Back to the days of the innocent years

You know I'd trade it all back in
For just one day like it was back then
Back before just living my life got in the way

To see my face at sixteen again

When the girl down the street was my best friend
When her smile took away my fears
Back in the days of the innocent years.

You might grow wiser every day
But there's a price you have to pay
The boy I was just disappeared
I left him behind in the innocent years

Now and then when the sun goes down
I can see the moon over my hometown

I can almost hear the train rushing by

I close my eyes and say a prayer
To the wide-eyed boy that I lost somewhere

Maybe someday he'll find me here
And lead me back to the innocent years

When I get lost along the way
And I can't see the light of day
I can almost feel him near

Calling me back to the innocent years
The innocent years.

Lyrics by Kathy Mattea
Revised by the Camera Totin' Idiot

A Great Weekend

Where the Road Takes Me

Thunder Road

Must...Pedal...Faster

Woodcock Hollow II

Woodcock Hollow III

Lap Water Station I

Lap Water Station II

Goody Two Shoes...my partner in crime.

#58 DA MAN!

Last month Goody Two Shoes asked what I wanted for my birthday. At the time I had no idea. Three days later I found out Jack Lambert, my favorite Steeler, and the biggest badass of all time would be signing autographs today up in Butler, PA.






I waited 30 years for this day...and it was worth it.

A Pretty Good Weekend...So Far.

Me 'n Goody Two Shoes went to the Buckwheat Festival in Kingwood, WV on Friday. Mainly to hear Kathy Mattea sing. Had some time to check out the exhibits before the show. NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer's car.

Some award winning maters.

Some sort of animal judging was going on but we couldn't get in.

Checked out the fun on the rides. Look at their faces.

Then it was time for the show. She travels with a three piece band and used no opening act Friday night. Here she's singing, 'You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive,' a song about coal mining in Harlan County, Kentucky.

Kathy singing, 'The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore,' another coal mining song.

Me with Kathy after the show. She signed autographs for anyone that wanted one. She couldn't have been more pleasant. A real class act. I've made no secret that Lee Ann Womack is my favorite country singer, and while I've been a fan of Kathy and her music I was paying attention to Ms. Womack a lot more. Um...with the release of Coal, which speaks volumes to me, and seeing Kathy in concert I find myself making a change at the top pf my list. Kathy has a lot more class, puts on a better show, and she sings from the heart. She's also a West Virginia girl, so that automatically scores big points with me.

Um, passed this on the way back to our car. Not quite sure what this is, but there was a parade earlier in the day, so I'll call it a redneck reviewing stand.

And now for Saturday. I got to go to the mall and meet former Pittsburgh Steeler running back, four-time Super Bowl champion, and Vietnam vetern, Rocky Bleier.

Me waiting in line.

Rocky signing my book.

A handshake from the Rock.

The fruits of his labor. Four Super Bowl Rings.

A big thumbs up from the Rock.

It's good to be a member of Steeler Nation!

Snake Dance

Went cycling on the Highlands Trail over Labor Day and Goody Two Shoes went and found herself a new pet.

Vacation's Over

Where to begin? Well, first of all, we never got to see Cheap Trick. The concert was cancelled. Seems one of the guys from Def Leppard had a death in the family. While I'm sorry for his loss, I wish Cheap Trick and Poison would have still played. I guess the old saying, "The show must go on," doesn't apply anymore. And while visiting with our son was the most important thing, we still paid out a lot of money for hotel rooms and food and gas and other things.

The other down note from our trip was that whoever inspected our new(er) vehicle before we signed the papers and drove it home, didn't get all the lug nuts tight on the right rear wheel. We felt the vibration and heard the 'whump, whump, whump sound and got stopped before any real damage had been done. Here, you can see the results for yourself.

One lug nut was gone and it's stem was sheared off. All four remaining lug nuts were so loose I could turn them with my fingers. If something like this doesn't take the wind from your sails, nothing will.

Other than that we had a good time. Ate at a lot of nice places, went to Nashville and spent the day just poking around. Since the concert was cancelled we ended up with more time to visit with our son and Goody Two Shoes brother and his family.
Down on Broadway. Legends with the Ryman behind it.

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge

A street performer down at the corner of Second and Broadway.

The latest fashion trend?

Goody Two Shoes, the Camera Totin' Idiot, and Deputy Dawg down by the Cumberland River.

Skippy and his girlfriend.

Custom Harley's

Hot country music at Legends

Ran into the Fab Four in Legends.

Ever see a toilet seat guitar?

Jonesboro, Tennessee, on the way home.

A B&B in Jonesboro.

Main Street in Erwin, Tennessee.

In the Beatles booth at the Fuddruckers in Johnson City, Tennessee.

Bristol Motor Speedway....or Thunder Valley, as they call it.

Last stop on the way home. Thurmond, West Virginia. Had to drive over this bridge.

The Thurmond Depot. The whole town is now run by the National Park Service.

What's left of Thurmond's business district. The movie Matewan was filmed here.

The window of the National Bank.

Miner's homes on the hillside.