BIT 40 – September 18, 2010
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So far our stay in Idaho has been a great blessing of both getting much needed rest, as well as making some new friends!
One of the first places we visited was McCall, Idaho. What a nice drive to get there.
On the way up we went by way of Cascade, another town worth visiting in the area, and spent a few days up in McCall.
On our way back we passed through Council. A small, laid back town, and while passing through I noticed a sign for a leather shop & trading post, so we stopped to check it out, and ended up meeting someone who has since become a good friend & picking buddy, Luke Riehle of Riehle Custom Leather.
While there we also met Skip & Toni Burnett who invited me to play at the Council Gospel Music Festival, and through them contacted Dale Fisk who invited me to also play in the Council Music Festival! I’ll tell you how that went below.
A few days later I played at a church in Horseshoe Bend. I shared many stories of what the Lord has done in our lives, and of course played lots of tunes. Pastor also invited Dad to speak, and it was a blessing to see lives touched.
Incidentally nearly every Sunday was booked up until our departure, so I’ll try and do a brief synopsis for you to get up to date…
Near our apartment is a music store which is a Taylor dealer… American Music in Caldwell, Idaho.
I went in, and was graced by them in being able to borrow one of their Taylors on the weekends for my concerts for the rest of my stay in Idaho.
What a blessing since I had left my main guitars back in Costa Rica not thinking I would be playing but once a month, and instead our host handed me a 3 page list itinerary which as you can see filled nearly every weekend of our stay!
The next Sunday the 13th, I played at Boise New Hope Nazarene.
The 20th I played at both the morning (Spanish), and the afternoon (English) services at Vida Nueva Nazarene.
The 27th I gave an evening concert at Nampa First Church of the Nazarene which was a huge success!
The next day we headed back up to the mountains to a friend of Luke’s in Riggins so we could try our hand at prospecting! So, we loaded up the van with shovels, buckets, gold pans & even some cans of baked beans for a day of panning..
Well, after a long day of trying we (rather than finding) we gave up the search for the yeller stuff, and headed over to Luke’s house for some home made hamburgers & some guitar jamming after dinner!
For July 4th I gave a concert at Lakeview Park’s Amphitheater. The event was hosted by Lakeview Church of the Nazarene, and they had a picnic afterwards, and homemade ice cream!
Next weekend we went back up to Cascade for a few days at a friend’s cabin. We went to McCall, and happened to show up just before a cardboard boat race they were having!
The contestants could either bring a pre-made “boat”, or could opt to make it there with provided materials.
The “boats” just had to be made with: cardboard, duct tape & spray paint (if they wanted to). But, no glue could be used.
After all the vessels & teams were assembled they had to enter the boat from a dock, and paddle their way to the finish line… it was quite a sight, and some of these “boats” were actually fairly sea worthy!
July 18th I gave a concert at Angel Camp Cowboy Church in Midvale, Idaho to a group of you guessed it… cowboys & cowgirls!
July 25th I played in the Gospel Jubilee at the Nampa Civic Center Auditorium.
From there I headed over to Valley Church in Caldwell, where one of the salesmen at American Music who I befriended, Ernie Garza, is a worship leader at. We had a blast as they have had Doyle Dykes there before, and the whole church loves guitar music!
August 8th, I played at Boise Castle Hills Church of the Nazarene in the morning service, and that afternoon I played & shared again at the chapel at Meadow Lake Village in Meridian, Idaho.
August 15th, I gave a concert at Ola Community Church in Ola, Idaho. This was another fun congregation of ranchers & farmers.
August 21st, I played in the Council Music Festival, and the next day, Sunday, they held the Council Gospel Music Festival which I also played in. God blessed us with 2 perfect summer days in a row… it wasn’t too hot, and there was a nice steady breeze. Between that and the music it was a blast!
August 29th, I gave an evening concert at Canyon Hill Nazarene in Caldwell, Idaho. We were supposed to have it in the park, but it was so cold that morning that we changed the venue to inside the sanctuary. After the concert they had a desert bar, yummy!
On September 5th we went to Oregon for the first time, and I played & shared at Baker City Nazarene for my last concert in the Northwest before flying out two days later. This was another “guitarists” church, as many in the congregation love bluegrass. It was like icing on a cake to end what turned into a tour like this!
Although this was our first time visiting both Idaho & Oregon, I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last!
To all of my newfound friends, take care, and I’ll see you down the road as the Lord leads.
As always, keep pickin’ & grinnin’…
Buddy ( )====:::
