Boy, this Gathering went fast!

Well, the Sunday afternoon concert just ended, so time to pack up, clear out of Rocky Top, and head over to John and Dorothy Thomas’ home for the closing party.

Things were getting into full swing when we (staff and helpers) arrived…

John, with Jim and DeAnn Worland

The “jazz guys”: Eric Elias chats up Mike Doolin

Stephen and Linda Warburton (Linda took many of the photos you’ve seen in this series)

Stacy Hobbs caught stealing silverware…

Eva and James Platt chat with Steve and Vicki Farmer…

…while in the background, Chuck Thompson and I talk business

Mark Farley describing something harp guitarish to Benoit

HGG10 host Joe Morgan ticking off hazards of the job for HGG12 host Dave Powell

John had hired a gourmet pizza truck, which set up shop out back.  The chef was a genius – the weirder it sounded, the more fantastic it was (clam pizza, mashed potato pizza and peanut butter & jelly pizza just a few of our favorites)!

Michael Schreiner likes it…

An apparent party crasher…

Meanwhile, Dan and Bets got the jams going (Muriel, then I joining in)

The evening quickly turns into an endless game of (literally) musical chairs (Dan, Scott Holloway, Steve Farmer)

Outside, looking in (Frank, Nate, Jaci swapping stories while the band plays on

Brad Hoyt on his AVC, Bets still fiddling, Stacy and I commandeer a couple of John’s high-end 6-strings

Andy doing what Andy does best, with Ed Dowling on John’s son’s snare, while I switch to spoons (plastic, so wholly ineffective)

With no idea what “twerking” actually is, I inadvertently invent a new dance for the AARP crowd (I call it the “irksome jerk”)

The Hess’ dancing daughter Nadja is laughing with me, not at me, right?
Fine, I’ll find someone my own age…

My bemused wife, Jaci

Another happy couple: Joe and Linda Morgan

A very handsome couple (Stacy & Joe)

But all good things must come to an end.  John (Dorothy had gone to bed ages ago), Jaci & I and a few stragglers saw everyone off.  The next morning, all that hadn’t had to leave at the crack of dawn met one final time for breakfast…

… after which, we spend a final hour on last goodbyes…

Leaving John Thomas to go back to work, the remaining staff heads off to the Bennett’s home in Milford for more adventure!…

…or not.   We decided to let the wives go off and play on their own; we had important Harp Guitar Gathering business to discuss…

Well, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

The End

See you next year!

Photos in the HGG11 Blog series by Chuck Thompson, Linda Warburton, Bruce Labadie, Linda Morgan, Dan Pease (plus a few I snagged off Facebook)

To the 11th Harp Guitar Gathering Blog Table of Contents