Scattered and Smothered; Nashville; No Cruising; Honky-Tonks; Guitars; New Blog!

Karen Taylor-Good met us for breakfast Friday morning at our favorite morning dining place, Waffle House. We had asked Karen to meet us there after hearing how she was inspired to write the words for her song Precious Child on the back of a Waffle House napkin. This song was adopted by Compassionate Friends, which supports parents who have lost a child. The song will really touch your hearts, and is available for free download on Karen's web site, www.karentaylorgood.com (click the Free Downloads button). Karen is an extraordinarily talented singer-songwriter, and we again enjoyed her company over breakfasts of eggs, bacon, omelet, scattered and smothered hash browns, and waffle. Suzanne tried to mimic the “pull, drop, and mark” orders of the WH waitresses, but fortunately the short order cook got the order right, and we didn’t get poached eggs with raw chicken wings. Here is Our Heroine about to lose control and inhale her hash browns.

We then headed into downtown Nashville. The modern AT&T Tower rises like a monolith above the much older and earthy honky-tonk district. Here is Your Faithful Correspondent, apparently walking the dogs, but secretly lusting at the silver Porsche Carrera’s sleek lines. Fortunately I didn’t walk right into the lamp post... 

This warning sign does not refer to embarking on big ships for holidays... and we didn’t hang around until 2 AM to see the young ladies in skimpy skirts and tight blouses who work as tour guides and cultural advisers to tourists. (“Darn it, Suzanne! It would have made an interesting human interest story, don’t you think?” Smack!)  

Nashville is of course a mecca for country music singers, songwriters, and musicians. They pay their dues in the small clubs and honky-tonks here, and hopefully work up to bigger and better things. Suzanne popped into one club at 10:30 AM to see what was happening, and the bar was full and a C&W group was hard at work pickin’ and singin’.

This coach is certainly more colorful than The Bus we travel in, but it doesn’t have slideouts for comfortable living, and we would prefer a Sonoma Valley vineyard over an energy drink as a sponsor... 

I’m reading the hysterical (okay, historical) sign for Ryman Auditorium, the original home of The Grand Ole Opry, to Rudy and Gretchen. I think Rudy was more interested in reading what we euphemistically refer to as “pee-mail”; it’s not that he doesn’t like music, but he enjoys sending and receiving olfactory information from other dogs. Fire hydrants, curbs, and corners of buildings seem to hold more interest for our Rudy. 

I would have stopped at Cecil’s for a shoe shine, but he was apparently on a break, or playing the guitar inside. 

The Stage is a famous Nashville music bar. The elk is saying, “No Dancin’ on Table with Spurs On”. Fortunately, I had left my spurs at home, so I was safe to dance, Suzanne’s comment of “That would not be a pretty sight.” notwithstanding.  

Gruhn Guitars is an amazing place. I haven’t been around so many guitars since I played as backup drummer for Mick Jagger decades ago (that’s another apocryphal story that will have to wait to be explained, maybe next year). There are hundreds of top-of-the-line guitars, banjos and mandolins here. Musicians can come in and play them before buying, and many of the best in the business drop in when they are visiting Nashville. 

The cheaper guitars go for about $3,000. The Martin guitar behind Glen Tracy, a really nice guy who has worked here for 10 years, would sell for $80,000, if you are interested. Regrettably, Glen’s golden retriever is in his final months of corporeal existence; you can tell that Glen is a good Dog Dad by the way he is holding Rudy. He is considering being adopted by a long haired dachshund like Rudy when the time comes... 

The puppies were getting thirsty, so I put water in one side of a double bowl, and as you can see, they share very well. 

We met Gay on her Segue with her cute  Brittany spaniel outside a praline shop. Suzanne had gone inside to tempt her sweet tooth, but when she asked the cook there if the pralines were as good as in New Orleans, he said that they were not... but then, he was from New Orleans, so what else could he say?  

Back to the coach after lunch, and Suzanne gave a reading to Karen Taylor-Good, which went very well. Then we got dressed for a long-anticipated visit to The Grand Ole Opry. I will report on that event tomorrow.

Also, my new blog, Life As Ty Sees It, is now live on-line and available for automatic email signups. Posting will begin early next week after we get settled back home in The Villages, Florida. The last post on this site will be Tuesday, October 2. Visit www.LifeAsTySeesIt.com now to get started.