Staying within our budget doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. We watch for things in and near Mayberry that could be interesting and this week we hit a late summer jackpot. There’s an old–but still in use–camp meeting ground nearby. When the warm season arrives, its still standing Victorian hotel hosts events like lectures and concerts.
One day as we walked the dogs, Stockton read the community board at the post office and took note of the upcoming piano presentation at the hotel by one of our neighbors.
The evening arrived. Hot, humid, but the sky was clear of gray rain clouds. Stockton and I left the dogs at home and walked the leafy half mile or so thru Mayberry to the hotel. We gawked at the woodwork and wrap-around porch, already populated with other attendees. We made our way to the lecture room. Standing by one of the large, open windows in my white linen dress, my eyes appreciated the natural cool. We found seats, mine was close to a vertical beam.
“Someone will have a bit of a blocked view,” said a lady passing our row.
“Let it be me!” I said with a smile. I don’t know if she saw my white cane leaning against my shoulder.
Our knowledgeable neighbor greeted the crowd and explained his passion for piano restoration, his work for decades. Learning new vocab and technology about pianos fascinated me. A few pieces were passed around for us to touch. Contemplating how wooden rims are produced took me away from a busy mind of daily worries to the pleasant mental travel around a new destination. Questions were answered with a humbleness and good humor. The presentation wrapped up with players of the local jazz band joining a pianist. Bass guitar. Drums. Trumpet. Soloist. We all got to our feet and clapped in delight.
People mingled. Stockton checked out the piano up front and then we enjoyed the offered root beer floats. The sweet, cold drink refreshed us before we made out way through the neighborhood, past the summer cottages, past the places we walk the terriers. Crickets and katydids sang us home. I heard the click of a solitary cricket only to realize as the gentle spray hit me that it was a lawn sprinkler. I grinned and walked next to Stockton. A great night out doesn’t cost much.
What have you done for fun this week? Do you play a musical instrument? Tell me about it.
Adventures in Low Vision 
I’ve attempted to teach myself guitar. Let’s just say I’m not the best instructor.😢. I have such respect for musicians. Their ability to make instruments sound beautiful compared to the noise I create will never cease to amaze me.
Music is truly a gift