I’m reminded of what a beautiful part of the world we live in after my most recent show at the Eaglemont Golf Course. The restaurant and patio are set high on top of a hillside in a lush, woodsy area of Mount Vernon. We arrived for our Saturday early evening blues show with our usual carloads of PA equipment and gear. I travel with three guitars; my Danelectro which I use exclusively for slide, my Gibson which is my main axe because the fret board makes string bending easier than on most Fenders and my reclaimed redwood telecaster for those times that only a Telecaster will do.

As I began busily tuning my guitars, I turned away briefly to take in the view – and was in awe. From our tiny stage area set high above the valley, I saw a golf course surrounded by thick groves of evergreen trees that enveloped the steep rolling hills and in the distance was Puget Sound framed by the Olympic Mountains. We had a great show, with a lively and responsive crowd who were all too happy to listen to my eclectic, original songs while taking in a truly stunning view. At the end of the show as the sun began to set, we loaded our gear back into our cars – and I returned to the empty stage, to catch one more glimpse of the sun setting over the valley below. There’s nothing better than the Saturday night blues with a view.