My big day out, or Sixty goes to Capital City.

I set out this morning to travel to Capital City where some friends were set up and selling at a bluegrass festival. I had a big day of it, traveled far and saw many things, some of which I photographed. Here is my photo essay of my journey.

To start with, there I was walkin' down the street and I saw a guy who looked like Ricky Skaggs, only thinner and older. What do you know - it was Ricky Skaggs. 

Then I saw the sign at the concert hall:

That pretty much tells the whole story.

This sign left me puzzled - what an odd list of prohibited things - rickshaws and drones? Where was I, in Mos Eisley or something? Sure, the place is crawling with lawyers, politicians and other wretched scum, but come on!

Here is a sign you don't see every day:

I can't even...

This is the street scene:

That's the capitol building in the distance.

Downtown has changed over the years - this is one of those sky scrapers filled with luxury condos that seem so popular these days. 

This is the view from the parking deck - you can see why the folks who live here are called flatlanders.

This is my favorite view of the big city:

Raleigh in my rear view mirror. Buh bye.

A bit early, but I do like this song. Plus it is inclusive, which is a requirement these days.

Some days you see things you have never seen before...

...or perhaps hear them.

I was out for a walk this pleasant afternoon, me, my dog and a friend with her dog. Both dogs are somewhat reactive - mine to other dogs, hers to, well, changes in the color of landscaping mulch, deer, skunks, strangers running on the road, the usual stuff, so we walk in an area where we are unlikely to encounter other dogs, although all of the other aforementioned critters show up at one time or another.

So there we were, on top of a hill, nowhere near houses or any other place one might expect to hear dogs, and I heard what sounded like barking. Ruff ruff. That's what I heard. My dog started looking for the source of the sound - she was on high alert then started barking. What? Better not be any dogs over here! They would be loose, and that is never a good thing. My friend then pointed out where the sound was coming from and what, by now, both dogs were barking at - it was a wake of turkey buzzards - on the ground, lurking on the branches up in the tree was had just walked under, and there you have it - today I heard, for the first time, the call of the wild turkey buzzard in the wild.

Listen at your own peril.

I took this picture several years ago - that's how close I could get to that group before my dog decided that she had had enough and it was time to show them who was boss! Of course they simply took flight when she started barking at them and had not a care in the world for non-flying creatures.

This is what the lead vulture told the others.

We never have a dull moment 'round about these parts, bless our hearts.