Adventure 230: Fredericksburg, TX/Post A

Everybody is Somebody in Luckenbach.

We rolled out into the beautiful West Texas dawn at half past eight, girding ourselves for another long day in the saddle (We're still trying to gain some 'Piney Wood' time in East Texas by grinding out hard driving time in West Texas. Fortunately, all went well today. We rolled into Fredericksburg just after 1 P.M. This is just the second repeat spot we've been in (Kral's was the first), and we're here because of Luckenbach, TX, which is just eight miles away. For those unfamiliar, Luckenbach is a private town (Population: 3) that has become a special place in the music world. There is music nearly every night, from local "picking" circles to Friday night dances to big name acts. They even have special events such as the Texas Chili Cook Off (Next weekend). For us, the place is magical. Tonight we went out for the local "picking circle" hosted by a duo known as Sol Patch. Soon, three other fellows showed up, including a guy name Neil Ford and a guy named Kelly Luker. Both of these guys had main line music lives somewhere in the past. Now, they're retired in the Texas Hill Country. Luker, a lead guitar player, brought his little battery powered amplifier, and deftly filled in below the rhythm line, above the rhythm line, out front of the rhythm line, and behind. His touch is light, his sound melodic, and he seems always ready to add a perfect phrase. Ford made his name fronting a sixties rock band from Houston called the Fanatics. Tonight, he took a few turns leading the circle, but seemed most at home filling in the gaps with his harmonica. Judy and I just sat under a hundred year old oak tree on a picnic bench behind the Luckenbach Post Office swaying to the music like a couple of bowls of strawberry jello. Melissa Weatherby, lead singer of Sol Patch, has a quiet soulful voice most adept at singing Gospel. She sang several songs other than Gospel, but the whole night was a religious experience. Finally a man they said used to be a studio musician for Willie Nelson played a song he wrote about coming to the cross. One line I liked a lot went something like "...what will you do when you come to the cross roads..." The song was so moving, the crowd around the singers, which had been jibber-jabbering (Using quiet voices) at their tables all night, suddenly stopped. Not a sound could be heard except the reverberating question: What will you do when you come to the cross roads? Good question. The road can be wide, and it's often quite hard to ride a straight line.  We weren't sorry to drive all day and then a little more just to get to Luckenbach. We left happy as a couple of jello slurpies. Our insides were jjigglin' and our hearts were beating warm red. It made life good, especially today.

 Sunrise in Ft. Stockton, Texas.

 Fric and Frac at rest in the Fredericksburg RV Park.

 How come you don't come 'round here as much as you used 'ta red roosta?

 Cash only when you belly up to the order window in Luckenbach.

 I had to have one Lone Star just because...

 Sol Patch opened the "picking circle". 

 Then Kelly Luker brought in his fabulous riffs (White guitar, black shirt).

 Pretty soon a whole crowd of pickers showed up.

 Neil Ford getting ready to lick his harmonica.

 Of course, we had to enjoy some pizza at the West End Pizza Parlor.

 We even showed enough restraint to take some home.