Life in the rural fast lane just got its speed limit raised.  For such a small mountain town, there sure is a lot going on.  Not only did we turn our house into a gallery this weekend for the Sixteen Hands Art Tour that my son is a part of, we went dancing to the live sounds of Wildfire at the Pine Tavern Pavilion. (Video clip HERE.)

In between sets, Ilima Ursomarso of Rhythm Fire Dance Company performed a hoop dance.  Last year she danced with fire and before that she balanced at sword on her head during a belly dance at Floyd’s first Hafla. (Hoop dance video clip HERE.)

At the BlueCow  (the non-profit arm of FloydFest)  Arts in the Park free concert the next evening, we spread out a blanket on the lawn, ate Dogtown Pizza, talked with friends, and were generally amazed at the turnout. Are we seeing the start of a new kind of Floyd jamboree, I wonder?

Those Hackensaw Boys put on some kind of show.  At the end of it they jumped off the stage and started a foot stomping jam session as the crowed gathered around.  One of the band members (far right) is a friend of my son Josh, having lived in the same dorm as Josh at Warren Wilson College in Asheville.   Josh went out to eat with the band at Oddfellas Cantina after the show.  (Watch a video clip of the jam HERE. )

Now it’s Monday and I’m thinking that I honestly don’t know how people with 9-5 jobs do it. I need weekdays to recover from all  these full Floyd weekends.

Post notes: Life in the Rural Fast Lane is an essay I wrote and read on WVTF radio a few years ago, which can be read HERE. To read a Flourishing of the Arts in Floyd, a 3 part story I wrote for a Floyd Press insert, Know Your County, click HERE.

Colleen Redman blogs daily at looseleafnotes.com.