Finally, trip update

OK, this is the abbreviated version of our trip last weekend. Yes, I know that it's been too long in coming, but this has been one of those weeks. You know what I'm talking about. We were in Montana, Idaho, and Washington over the weekend, singing Thursday through Monday (a longer tour than usual). We had the privilege of spending time with some of our great friends. In Libby, MT a fantastic young group by the name of Accounted For opened up for us. I found a fellow SG historian in Pete Milne, Sr., their lead singer. Their baritone was ill that evening so our very own Doran Ritchey filled in. He did it with no practice whatsoever, and nailed it. He's my hero (OK...that might be a stretch)!

We had a weird weekend in the sense of doing a lot of backtracking, this due to some scheduling conflicts, so we put on many, many miles. We were up in Libby, MT and then back down to Lapwai, ID where we reconnected with The King's Heirs. These guys are fun to meet up with. Their sense of humor combined with their heart for God have endeared them to our group. They opened up for us and then treated us to a home-cooked meal afterwards. Good food! I didn't know guys could cook that well. Ham, chicken, all kinds of desserts...it was awesome!

We also spent time in Bonners Ferry, ID before heading over to Spokane, WA for a full day at the First Church of the Nazarene. What a church! We thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the morning service and listening to the ministry of Pastor Jerry. I think Royce even raised his hand for prayer (no, not really...we wish he would, though*)! The worship pastor at Spokane First is Royce's former college roommate, Gary Woodruff. What a great guy! We spent most of the day hanging out with Gary and his daughters. His wife was helping her family move to CA, so she wasn't able to be at our concerts. I'm convinved that some of the friendliest people in the world live in Spokane. We had an outstanding turnout for the evening concert. All the way around, this was a good weekend. We finished up our tour Monday in Colfax, WA and then headed home.

Enjoy the pics from the weekend:

Royce and Gary. Royce looks a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps it has something to do with all of the stories Gary shared concerning his conduct in college.

The Kings Heirs. Too many jokes about the King's Hairs. They're lookin' mean in green.

I enjoyed hangin' out with the boys from Accounted For. Here's Alex, the tenor.

Royce and Pete Milne, Jr. of Accounted For (2 great, young...well great basses)

This young lady was very impressed with my green shirt. I reminded her of Kermit.

Doran fills in with Accounted For. He tried to bust a few moves, but he should stick to singing. Dan looks on in wonder.



*In this sentence I am employing a form of humor called sarcasm. For those readers who may not be aware of this type of jocoseness, let me clarify that Royce is a born-again Christian who is serving God and does not need to raise his hand for prayer. This disclaimer brought to you by the Church of the Nazarene who emphasizes that Royce is a minister in good standing with their denomination.