As a last hoorah before I turn 30 next week, we took the family to the Northwest String Summit, one of the biggest bluegrass festivals in the Northwest. Five thousand people pitch their tents at the beautiful Horning Hideout for three days of banjo pickin' good times. There was music from nine in the morning till three in the morning, amazing food and craft vendors, and peacocks roaming amongst the crowd!
We tried to pack light... alas...
Our little neighborhood amongst the vast village of tents.
We camped with Jon and a few of his Portland parent pals, it was a nice mellow scene... and it was great to have others who left the show early to put kids to bed!
We took Norah for a paddle boat ride to beat the heat!
We rescued a butterfly (after Greg shot it down with the water gun!)
Norah loved having it crawl all over her as its wings dried off.
Jon and Wilson hit the water to cool off in the pond.
Hornings Hideout stock the pond with rainbow trout and you can see them jumping all over! They have fishing there, but the five osprey and three bald eagles give good competition!
10th Anniversary of the Northwest String Summit... it sold out for the first time!
The acoustic stage, a smaller more intimate scene among the trees.
Wilson catches a nap in Daynia's arms... so sweet!
Norah and Wilson entertain their caterpillar friend
The mellow mid-day party scene over in Brett and Daynia's camp, the shade was a nice reprieve from the blazing sun of our family camp!
Our precious peacock!
Did I mention that there were about forty peacocks wandering the grounds? Norah was positively enchanted by them!
Coolin off any way we can!
Mid-afternoon at the main stage. The hula-hoopers were amazing... these two are actually passing a beer while hooping... impressive!!
We played this game alot... can you find Norah?!
The only nap of the whole weekend!
Norah loved playing with the hula-hoops...
she was excited to find one just her size!
Our version of hula-hooping was a little different
Festie Family
There were lots of little ones there and Norah had no problem making herself at home!
Dancing and spinning in the hula-hoop!
The main stage in its mid-day glow!
Hee-cock! (As Norah calls them ;)
Norah and Wilson dueling light sabors... NOT swords!
Jon and Wilson and Norah settling in to catch Railroad Earth's amazing set!
The call of these peacocks would put a rooster to shame!
It's quite a way to wake up in the morning!
Norah and Wilson had a great weekend together!
They were good buddies by the time we said good-bye!
Norah loved it when the released a bunch of pink balloons during the last Yonder Mountain set on Sunday! The guy in the fuzzy hat was Conrad, they had quite the game of 'keep the balloon off the ground'!
Feeling the groove!
This cockatiel was amazing! It gave kisses and danced with its tye-dyed master like a pro! He would swing the bird upside-down and all around and it would just hang on!
The peacocks gave us a fine fanned farewell!
I took it as an omen that we should return next year!
