Kerry's Visit to North Carolina to celebrate Joe Thompson's 85th Birthday

 Kerry ran into Bill Hicks while visiting Gail Gillespie and Dwight Rogers in Carrboro






















Sarah Bryan and Peter Honig hosted a little visitation and music gathering in Chapel Hill.

















Gail Gillespie adjusts her glasses while Kerry and Jack Bernhardt (at right) recount their college hijinks.

After returning to Greensboro from The Triangle, Kerry visits Tolly Tollefson and her mom (both at left), who was visiting from Salem, Oregon.





















The gracious hosts for Joe and Polly (Pauline) Thompson's joint birthday party: to the right - Steve Terrill and ...
...above, Molly Stouten, in Greensboro.














       Here are Polly (at left) and Joe (at right) with some family members, at the party.
Polly and her sister admire a photo
montage.

Joe takes a turn examining the montage.
















Here's the lovely cake whose candles Joe snuffs easily.

















I (Kerry) get a little visiting in with Joe.
Bob and Ben Carlin match wits in the guest bedroom.






















Bob and Joe talk about their next tour.
Paul Mitchell gets Joe kick-started, in high bass tuning.





















Joe is framed by Paul's fiddling and Alice Gerrard's guitar neck.

















  Marvin Gaster came up from Sanford, NC to see and play with Joe.














Alice visits a bit with Joe's nephew.
Richard Bowman fiddles, with Alice Gerrard on guitar and Bob Carlin on the banjo.

















Bill Sluys and Nancy Crooks visit.
Brett and Lynn chew the fat.
















Carl Jones was one of the first arrivals at the party.
Cece Conway and Matt Neiburger.





















Kirk Sutphin and Matt Neiburger.
Lisa Sutphin says hello to Brett Riggs.






















Marvin Gaster checks out the scene.
Matt Neiburger takes a breather.

















Marvin Gaster and Paul Mitchell hold forth.
Nancy Sluys engaged in conversation.


















Pat Gill, Shay Garriock, Dwight Rogers, and part of Rachel Smith, checking out the kitchen action.
In the back of the kitchen, Richard Bowman chats with Gail Gillespie.














Pat Gill and Alice Gerrard take "five" from a tune session.
Paul Mitchell in all his sartorial splendor.






















     We get to see a bit more of Rachel Smith in this kitchen pic.
Sarah Peterson, caught unawares by the camera....

















Joe starts his round of farewells just before heading back to Mebane.
The day after the party, Jay Griffin comes down from Roanoke to visit Kerry, at Tolly's place.














Rich Hartness and Tolly Tollefson regale Kerry with..., no, not Christmas carols, but a song from the Tobacco Tags repertoire.
And now, time for some rags, then soon, off to the airport for Kerry to head back to Seattle.