We had gotten our tickets but our friends were not able to
make it this year so Sally and I went by ourselves. We rode the Sportster and
found a place to park in the shade along the fence that is directly behind the
stage. We had taken folding canvas chairs but
were not allowed to take them in so we left them on the bike. Others waiting to
go in had beer that they were not going to be allowed to take in so Sally
accepted the offer of one.
Security was very tight and everyone and everything was inspected on our way into the venue. As usual this time of year the weather was
very hot and so we sought about to find some
a bit of shade to sit down in but were
thwarted at every turn due to our late arrival. The bleachers that last
year were in the shade of a large tree in the center of the fairground were now
placed in the sun so there was no respite there either. The heat proved to be
problematic, I can't say for sure how many were stricken by the heat but I
personally saw a few folks being helped by medical
personnel due to the heat.
The first band was Hot Apple Pie, then came Mark Wills, Hal Ketchum, Craig
Morgan, and Tracy Byrd. We tried to go the front of the audience for one or two
songs of each band but were worn out by the time Hal Ketchum was done so we
headed out to where the bike was parked. We set up our chairs and sat
comfortably in the shade, listening to Craig Morgan. We watched while some folks
left, others still arriving and spoke with a group that had decided to spend the entire show along
the fence, in the shade, and had even put down blankets there. We went back
for Tracy Byrd and even though the show was coming to a climax many people were
leaving. One got an invitation from security.
You can purchase a CD of all of the pictures, unedited and uncropped for $10.00 + $3.50 S&H. Email me from the front page for details.
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