Central Oklahoma AGF gathering II

[riorider]

3 weeks from the event, and most are having schedule conflicts, so I'm going to postpone this gathering until fall.

I'll post another thread toward the end of summer.

Thanks for your interest, all!

Phil

[riorider]

bump to check interest... pictures added of our October get together..

rr/Phil

[reddcee81]

Yes, I would be very interested. I missed out on the previous meeting, so I'm ready for this one. One note of importance: we are expecting our second son the end of April, so the earlier the better for me :)

[Thin Crust]

Well...........you can probably count me in again. It was a hoot last time!

[showngo2000]

Also couldn't make it last time....I might be able to join this time around. I'm in the middle of buying and selling a few homes, so things are getting hectic. It looks like I'm a bit younger than everyone else, but I'll bring my Taylor 814ce and/or T5-S to make up for it.:D

[riorider]

Great! Looks like we've reached critical mass, so I'll start chewing on dates and see what's possible. Early spring sounds good to me.

Fridays are easier to schedule with the winery, but Saturday is a possibility. I'll check both.

Stay tuned for news!

Phil

[soundman48]

It looks like I'm a bit younger than everyone else, but I'll bring my Taylor 814ce and/or T5-S to make up for it.:D

OK, so he's younger than us....I can live with that.....but Phil, do we even allow people with factory built guitars to attend????:D:D:D

[riorider]

Ha! No snobs us I can assure you! You'll recall I played my JDCM a bit... and I too have a T5, although it didn't make an appearance!

Hoping to see you, too, Steve, and that wonderfully now-more-opened-up Cornerstone!

So, all, bring on those Martins and Gibsons and Taylors and Seagulls and Alvarez's and anything and everything. And if you don't have one I'm sure we can find one to loan you.

More to come...

Phil

[RogerC]

Ok, so I've been off the forum a bit, so first things first...

CONGRATULATIONS CHRIS!!!!!!!!

You know I had to put that in orange :D



Ok, so I would be interested in another get together as well. Phil, you'll probably have to keep me posted via email because I just don't check in here as often as I used to.

[J.R. Rogers]

Looks like fun! I'd love to come to this. Just a few hours from Dallas?

JR

[RogerC]

Yep, JR. About 3.5 -4 hours north of Dallas. We'd love to have you :up:

[Blindreality]

I'm interested!

[riorider]

We've a ground swell! I'll be out to visit Mike and Gary Greenfield at the winery today or tomorrow, and will float some dates and see what conflicts we can avoid.

Fridays are easy - Saturdays get scheduled far ahead. If everyone's good with a Friday evening again that would be straightforward.

I'll check the winery event schedule and get a couple of dates, and then get a survey out and see what works best for most of us.

For those who haven't been here, you will be surprised and delighted. These guys have a beautiful place looking east over their 4000 vines, and they love acoustic guitars and to host fun events.

I'll gather specifics and post some dates this weekend.

rr/Phil

[franchelB]

I just might be interested...

[missouri.picker]

Maybe I can make it..........i will stay tuned

[riorider]

I placed a poll in the thread to see what day would work best. Fridays are usually unscheduled at Greenfield's, but make it harder for someone coming in from more than 2 hours away to not miss any work. But that may be irrelevant to many, so I thought I'd post the poll.

I'm thinking early April at this point, and will check the schedule this next week.

To make this a more valid poll, please only "vote" if you have a high confidence of coming, depending on the date. I'll take any suggestions or comments via PM or just post them if they are relevant to all!

Gary Greenfield and I settled on the comestibles last evening. He thought smoking a few turkey breasts would be just the ticket, and I agreed. He's brilliant with the smoker! We'd add some good bread, cheese, veggies, that kind of thing. Not really a meal but would be great to take the edge off, simple, etc.

More to follow....!

Phil

[riorider]

Based on the several "votes" on the survey, I'm going to ask for a couple of Saturday dates in April -- 4th and 18th -- and see which is available.

I should lock something in this week..

Basic format like before, I propose: open mic, prepare a 2-3 song set, and we'll play a set each, take a short break, and then another set if we want to keep going - or have enough players that we have a second group etc. Most of us talked a bit about our guitars, and other stories, and that worked very well. It's kind of like family, anyway!

I'll set up early - mics (Audix OM2; 2 so if someone plays who's not "wired" we'll mic your guitar), stands, cables, into a 12ch Behringer mixer (with preamps, so those with passives can patch right in), thence into my Sedona Lite. I'll have a music stand in case you need help (I always do).

The time will be 6p-10p, and in addition to wine grown, vinted, and bottled right there at the winery, they have 3.2 beer, and I'll have soft drinks as well. Food won't be "dinner" but Gary said he was thinking about smoking some turkey breasts, so that plus cheese and breads will likely be the fare.

It's going to be beautiful in April - everything budding and greening up and I encourage anyone coming to come an hour or two or more early and sit out on the deck and relax. This place is really an Oklahoma gem.

I'll post the date when I confirm this week. Looking forward to it!

Phil

[riorider]

Mike, Gary, and I confirmed the date today. It will be on a Saturday this time, in hopes this will help some of you from out of town.

Venue and menu are in the previous post. What I'll need now is some idea of how many will come - both players as well as friends and family.

I'm covering the costs, but we'll have some kind of Charitable donation as a group like last time (we collected $50 for Dan Fogelberg's "Quest" - Prostate Cancer Foundation donation).

Everyone is welcome at this event. If the weather is mild and warm (a possibility) it will be great outside until sundown. If cool or cold we'll be toasty inside.

If anyone would like a winery tour (all in the same building) I can ask Mike or Gary to give that.

Thanks all! Looking forward to it.

Phil

p.s. Clear directions will be in a future note closer to event day, but if you're curious about the winery here's their website: http://www.greenfieldvineyard.com/

[whatshisname]

For a Saturday nite, I'm in.

[riorider]

Thanks, whathisname! That makes two of us confirmed!:D

Getting the idea from one of the threads in the past several weeks I've picked a charity -- The Second Strings Project http://www.secondstringsproject.org/index.htm

What I will ask from all attending is two things:

1. Change the strings on every guitar possible that you own or have access to -- and bring the whole sets of used strings to the gathering. We'll collect them all, box them up, and send them in.

2. I'll make a very voluntary donation request toward the end of the evening from everyone there - and whatever we collect I'll send in. I don't think this group is a 501(c)3, so the donation won't be tax-deductible - but I hope that won't matter to most of us anyway.

I've written to the Second Strings Project letting them know and will post a small flyer to explain what it's all about. This charitable effort is supported by Taylor and D'Addario -- two AGF favorites -- so I feel confident the strings and money will be used well.

Start signing up, my friends!

Thanks!

Phil
riorider@earthlink.net

Confirmed attendees:
whatshisname
riorider

Expressed interest so far:
Thin Crust
RogerC
showngo2000
soundman48
J. R. Rogers
Blindreality
franchelB
missouri.picker
reddcee81

[riorider]

Let's see those cards and letters people!

Confirmed attendees:
whatshisname
riorider

Expressed interest so far:
Thin Crust
RogerC
showngo2000
J. R. Rogers
Blindreality
franchelB
missouri.picker
reddcee81

Regrets:
soundman48

[iq_below_2]

Just yesterday I drove past the Hiland Dairy building on the turnpike and thought about stopping to find
out where this gathering was going to be. :D

I couldn't remember the name of the place or I would have stopped and took
pictures of me there and try to pawn off the fact that I really was there.....:guitar:

I may be back by in April but it would be more than likely later in the month instead of in the early part.

It was 80 degrees when I got out to OK but snowed :eek: at our house before I left to go back to warm sunny Calif.

One of these times I'll make it.....

[riorider]

Ha! You were right at 5.6 miles from Greenfield's winery... There are two overpasses just east of the Hiland dairy, and the east-most one is Highway 18... 3.6 mi north, 1.0 east, .5 north, and .5 winding drive up next to the vines to the winery.

It'll surprise you how nice it is when you do get to stop by! Sorry we missed you. Be sure to let me know and/or stop by next time for a break. The diner at the Econolodge has excellent steaks...!!

Taylor had a road show in OKC this evening - that would have been worth your time as well!

Phil

[iq_below_2]

While driving by I did a search on my GPS unit for winery and only found Tidal School Vineyards in Drumright, Oklahoma and was sure that wasn't the place. I couldn't remember Greenfield being the name....

I'll make to one of these Ok gatherings someday.....

Have fun!

Dennis

[riorider]

Well, if'n we're talking wineries - and since this is the "get togethers" and "gatherings" group I feel a bit of license -- since those who may come to the April 4 gathering may want to take a short Lincoln County winery tour...

Wine grapes in Oklahoma go back at least 100 years to Italian immigrants who worked and settled near McAlester (there are still very good Italian restaurants down that way). In recent decades, though, Lincoln County in central OK has produced more than 4x as many wine grapes as all other OK counties combined. Over the past several years many former cattle pastures have been converted to wine grape growing all over the state, so the last I heard Lincoln County still had a 2x lead but it was shrinking. Not that there are not any LESS vineyards in LC -- just more elsewhere!

Within 20 miles of Chandler there are 5 wineries - most grow some grapes on site, many also buy grapes or juice from other OK vineyards. Tidal School in Drumright (not in my 5 count); Stable Ridge, Territory, and Wine Village (which is owned / operated by Sparks Vineyard) all in Stroud; Greenfields in Chandler; and Tres Suenos in Luther (all 5 of these are on old Route 66) produce some very good wines from vinifra and hybrid grapes.

Stillwater has a nice vineyard and a chatty owner who is quite an inventor and character (Woodland Park); farther east and west are quite a few more.

So, take the central Oklahoma "wine tour", come by the AGF gathering, and make a vacation of it this spring!

rr/Phil

[riorider]

I'll send a PM to everyone who mentioned an interest -- but I am a bit concerned. If this isn't a good time for anyone else we'll reschedule. I don't mind putting up the bucks for this but want to be sure there's enough interest to make it worthwhile.

I just found out that Gary Price makes very high quality guitar, mando, and banjo cases - and his shop is in Jones, OK, just a handful of miles to the west. If we do get enough interest I may ask Gary if he'd be interested in showing one or two of his cases.

So, let me know if you're interested in coming this way for 4 April!

Thanks,
Phil

[riorider]

I've had a few bumps back saying yes - but still hoping for a few more. I've just ordered some of the new AGF CDs, and will be giving one #1 and one #2 out at the Gathering as doorprizes.

Let me know as soon as you can if you'll be able to make it. And don't let the open mic concern you. That is completely optional. You are more than welcome to just come and sip a beverage of your choice, sample the smoked turkey breast, cheese, and breads, and listen to the music or enjoy the Vineyard sites and sounds.

The redbuds are blooming; the wild plums are starting to show; forsythia and daffodils and tulips are blooming... it's going to be a colorful spring.

Phil

[reddcee81]

Well, it looks like I'll miss this one as well. My 10-year high school reunion is that same afternoon/evening out in western Oklahoma. I hope everyone has a blast and maybe one of these times I'll actually get to participate.

[riorider]

Most I've heard from have schedule conflicts this spring, so I'm going to postpone the event until fall.

Thanks, everyone, for your interest, and "watch these pages" for a reschedule!

Regards,

Phil