I decided to return to Perry with Shadowfax and check out the self-guided historic tour. According to the website I consulted, maps of the tour stops could be picked up at the Perry Welcome Center and the New Perry Hotel, the first stop of the tour. I figured it made sense to go directly to the hotel. When I arrived, however, they didn't seem to know what I was talking about. The phonograph record player and phone booth were authentic-looking additions to the historic hotel's lobby. I rode by the nearby cemetary, which had a sign with the phone number for the tour, but I would need a map to find the other stops. I decided to ride to the welcome center.
They woman at the welcome center gave me the map I needed. She seemed disappointed and a little frustrated to hear the New Perry Hotel didn't have any. She noticed my folding bike and asked about my travels. I gave her a brief summary of where I've been and where I'm heading. Upon hearing about our next gig, she gave me three travel brochures for Athens, one for each band member. At this point, I didn't really have time to ride back to downtown and take the tour, so I rode back to the Green Bell to shower and get ready for band practice. Perhaps I'll give the self-guided tour one more try before we leave tomorrow. At least I got a little exercise.
Our mid-afternoon practice went well. We went over some of Brett's new songs. After a while, Brett retreated to his room to work out some lyrics. I stayed in the living room and did the same. It started to rain, which created a relaxed, darkened environment conducive to musical creativity. I feel like I was able to finish the lyrics for two of my song ideas.
Jay drove up in his pickup with his dog, Tucker, in the back. He was heading to the small pond to feed the brim and play fetch with Tucker. Brett and I tagged along. Tucker is a big, happy dog. The athleticism he demonstrated running and diving into the pond to retrieve the tennis ball was impressive. His joyful enthusiasm, as always, was infectious.
We picked up Mikey and rode to the main house with Jay. It was our last dinner with our hosts before we leave tomorrow. We enjoyed another delicious family meal and another evening with our friends. I stuffed myself with healthful vittles, including the rest of the raw kohlrabi.
This weekend we'll be in Athens and Decatur for bar gigs, Asheville to play at our friends' wedding, and the Sweetwater brewery in Atlanta. It's our last weekend of gigs on the road, and we'll be home Sunday night. It's hard to believe we're in the home stretch. We'll have a few days to get resettled at home, and then we've got work to do. We're meeting with the video designer at One Spark next week to shoot our interview, we've got a couple fun weekends of gigs near home, and then we'll head back to Nashville to record. We still have work to do to get ready for the sessions, but I'm encouraged by the progress we made today. The classes I'm taking at UMass Boston also begin a week from Monday. Our stop here at the Green Bell has been invaluable. It's time to get to work.
Cheers, y'all!
- Jon
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