Birthday Cheer

(No, not my birthday).

So I’ve been meaning to write something about the Texas border struggle, but that situation is still developing and I’ve decided to let it percolate for a bit longer before sharing my thoughts.  Instead, I want to offer something that is in shorter supply:  A cheerful story.

The photo above is of Bill Barton, father of my friend Ben Barton, who had his 80^th birthday this weekend.  To celebrate, he performed an acoustic set at the Jig & Reel, a Scottish whiskey bar in Knoxville’s Old City.  The room was filled with friends, family, and acquaintances, who sung along with many of the old favorites.

He didn’t move or sing like an old man, but with the easy, loose-jointed movements of someone much younger, and with a full rich voice.  There was cake.

(And by the way, aren’t these photos, taken with my two-generations-obsolete iPhone 13 Pro, amazingly good?  Phone cameras constantly shock me with their performance these days).