Nancy Bartholomew

Saturday night they celebrated farmer, John Brown's 86th birthday out at the barn.  Mr. Brown hosts Brown's Old Opry- A local institution.  Local musicians gather on Friday and Saturday nights in an old tobacco barn on Mr. Brown's property and entertain the local neighbors. 

Steel Magnolias, the mostly female bluegrass band, played for most of the evening.

The house was packed- so it was standing or dancing room only.

I think the only one who felt left out was Little Elvis. He's a regular out to the barn and sits in with most of the musicians. For much of the night, I think he felt a little like the big brother who's just found out he now has a younger sibling. For awhile he seemed content to sit it out. But a musician is a performer at heart and the stage is his home. Elvis was in the house-and then he was backstage, picking along with the band behind the scenes.

He looked so lonely just standing there.

The Steel Magnolias played on, unaware perhaps that Elvis was even still in the house. Cindy played a couple of the tunes she's written for the band's CD.

Marti and I tapped our toes, enjoying it all and dancing the fast ones.

We had cake- a John Deere tractor birthday cake.

And then...finally...the girls called it a night and Little Elvis sprang to life. No joke. He actually sprang...to life.

Musicians seemed to start coming out of the woodwork as Act 2 began with Little Elvis holding court.

Brown's Barn is an oasis in the vast wasteland of modern urban life. Where else could you ride out to an old tobacco barn a mere 20 minutes from town and find Elvis?

Happy Birthday, John!