Music Man

...for his story go to my blog: http:--www.aggiev.org-aggielogic-story-behind-the-pix.html and scroll down the Story-Behind-The-Pix page to Willie's story.


Mountain Music Man Willie (pictured), and his wife Elicida threw a birthday party at the church for Elicida's 79th birthday on May 20th, 2007. I felt honored to be included by the family in this celebration, so of course, I brought my camera, assortment of lenses and tripod, batteries, memory chips....I was armed and ready.

We got pictures of opening presents, we lined everyone up outside the church, I even sneaked around catching love birds snuggling. But as always seems to happen, "that" moment sneaks up behind you when you least expect it. It doesn't even usually have the courtesy to give you a warning tap on the shoulder.

After the festivities, Willie and Elicida invited us all over to the house to finish off the massive amounts of leftover food, which we did with relish, not to mention with red and green chili. Elicida re-heated everything and we commenced stuffing ourselves all over again.

I was stuffing yet another tortilla when Willie winked at me almost imperceptibly and slowly walked through the arch into the open bedroom adjoining the kitchen. Naturally I put down my plate, grabbed my camera, and followed. To my delight, he reached under the bed and pulled out an accordion and began playing Spanish music and polkas and mountain music I didn't even recognize.

When he paused and I stopped applauding, with his eyes just a-twinklin', he said, "Do you know how old this accordion is? Why, it's the third one I got in 1947. The first two I sold to get money when dating two other young ladies. When I was about to sell this one for money to date Elicida she wouldn't let me. So I kept it, and I kept her." He went right on playing and I went right on taking pictures.
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