Painting and the Arizona Opry

Thu Mar 24
This morning we took an eight and one-half mile bicycle ride that included the East end of Baseline road where we had a fairly unobstructed view of the beautiful Superstition Mountains.



The Superstition Mountains

The new handle bars on my bicyle that we did earlier were comfortable and looked much better than before.

Then I spent much of the day doing water color painting with Gayle helping me while Dad read a book.



Painting So Far (I May Add More)

 We watched the first half of the NCAA tournament sweet 16 BYU basketball game with Florida before heading for the Arizona Opry. At half time they were tied but when we got home we were disappointed to find that BYU had lost. At the Opry we were served a delicious beef roast and mashed potatoes dinner before the show. There were nearly 500 people there and the place was packed. The show was wonderful with a variety of country and oldies rock and roll music played and sung by some very talented musicians. One band member did a great job as a comedian with a series of one-liners that brought down the house with almost every one. George Staerkel was the primary performer. He played at least a dozen instruments including a one-of-a kind bat horn that was like a trumpet, a huge saxophone that weighs ninety pounds and is one of only four in existence, a one-inch long harmonica and many other unusual instruments from an incredible collection on display on stage. Many had belonged to famous musicians of the past. The one that fascinated Dad most was a tenor saxophone that once belonged to Boots Randolph and the one he played while recording his "Yakety Sax" album. Dad and his friend. Randy Rose, frequently listened to the songs from this album while cruising around in Randy's '67 Chevelle around the time I met him.


Part of Collection on Stage (Boot Randolph's is tenor sax on right of the two in the middle)

George Playing Ninety-Pound Monstor Saxophone



Performers on Stage