We are back!! What a grand time! About the same size crowd as usual, and everyone in a Mayberry frame of mind! We arrived Thursday and first stop was Snappy Lunch for the Pork Chop Sammich!! WOW!! If you have never had one, make a special trip to get one but get there before 2 as they close at 2, I believe that is correct. Breakfast is served until about 10:30 and then the pork chops are cooked. Charles Dowell doesn't cook any more, but he still does an excellent job greeting the customers, just as he has for so long. What a great gentleman!! After eating, we went over to Mayberry on Main and even though it is a small store, it is one of the friendliest I have been in and they make a great cup of coffee! It was there we met up with Bobby and Kyle Butler from Fla'da, whom so many of you know. We made our way up to the Emporium where by then it was time for some ice cream, so I had a bowl and Carol had a cone of some mighty fine cold dessert! After looking thru the things in the "museum" of show artifacts plus old Andy movie posters, his childhood slingshot, etc., we made our way thru the 3 floors of the Emporium and then did our annual walk thru of the Goodwill store, and I am sure you will be glad to know barber Russell Hiatt shops there as well!! We went on back to Main St., went into a couple more stores, stopped at te Post Office for my annual postmarks, then went ot the Hampton Inn to check in. After resting a while we walked over to the China buffet next door. Friday we ate at Biscuitville, also next door to the hotel, and went on downtown and got us a parking space and got ready for the Mayor's Proclamation declaring Mayberry Days open for business!! After that we went to the theater for some of the old shows with a Q&A session afterwards with the star of the show. LeRoy McNees was the first one, then George Spence, then David Morris, son of Howard. David is known now as "Jr. T. Bass" or Ernest 2 Bass," whichever you prefer. He has really gotten into the swing of things and enjoys himself greatly! We left there about 3:30 and went up the street to Barney's for a fantastic chicken sandwich, then back to the Amphitheater for the trivia contest. Two of the contestants tied for first place: Pat Bullins and Dennis Beale. In case of a tie, they had a series of three questions to ask each one privately to determine a winner, and they were extremely hard questions! To the amazement of everyone, they both answered the questions, so they had to declare a double champion! Pat was given the trophy and Dennis will get his later as another one is being made! When this was over we retreated to the hotel to get baths and rest a while before going to the 9:30 show with Michael Hoover and Memories of Elvis . What a great show he puts on, and what a gentleman as well!! My goodness, it was fun! That lasted until about 11:20, and then we went back to the hotel where LeRoy Mack, Ken Sullivan, Jeff "Howard" Branch and a fiddler were having their annual jam session in the hospitality room. That lasted until about 1 AM!! Saturday we were all sleepy eyed as we arose and got ready for the parade. Weather was very cool, some folks wearing sweaters or jackets, but it warmed quickly, and at 9 the parade started. Guest of honor for this Mayberry Days, Betty Lynn, was Grand Marshal and rode the lead car. I think Mt. Airy living has done her a world of good! She looks like she is enjoying life to its fullest and has more energy than before! David Browning, "The Mayberry Deputy" and Floyd....whoever the guy is who plays that part...had a ball on the Sheriff's Dept. golf cart, with red light and siren and it looks like they ran it thru Richard Petty's speed shop! That thing was flying up and down the street!! Allan, we are glad he didn't "dump" you like he did last year! There were Otis, Howard, Flora, Opie, Goober, and a newcomer Gomer...sorry Gomer, but I can't remember the name you get your paycheck under so Gomer will have to do for now. But he sounds exactly like Gomer! After the Parade, I got my LP out of the car along with my little statuette and went to the playhouse. The LP went on the table for the silent auction and went for $9. It was Finian's Rainbow starring Jeannie Carson, Howard Morris and Sorrell Booke(Boss Hogg). After I got that to the table I got in line to have my statuette autographed by James Best. When my turn finally came, I held out the statuette for his autograph and he threw his head back and let out a good laugh to see a hog, dressed in a white suit with string necktie and holding a cigar....yes, Boss Hogg!! He signed it across the stomach so my Boss Hogg now has the signature of Rosco P. Coltrane, James Best!! Next year I will take him a photograph of Boss for his own!! We also had a bowl of the hit and miss engine made ice cream, and an hour later one of the barbecue sandwiches from the cookoff. By then we were getting foot tired so we rode out to Rockford General Store. That is a nice ride, beautiful land, cool air, uncrowded, but don't be surprised to get caught by a slow moving combine or tractor along the way, as this is still farm country! After a nice visit there, we rode back to Rt. 52 and turned to Fancy Gap. Love that ride!! After crossing the gap, we turned off and took the interstate back down. We got our baths and put on a clean change of clothes, stopped to get a couple milkshakes, and went on to the playhouse to get a good parking space for Col. Tim's Talent Time. This year, my personal opinion, the ONLY way they could have made the show ANY better was to have Allan do his "yellow Bandana" trick. This was such a great show!! It flows, even thru the mistakes, since no one cares about the mistakes but laughs at them just as if they were planned! And I understand Allan almost called Otis "Tim Conway" at one point! He deserved it! But who was on stage? Elizabeth McRae - Lou Ann Poovey, Maggie Peterson Mancuso -Charlene Darling and her sister Phyllis, Jacklie Joseph - Romeena Ankrum, BETTY LYNN - THELMA LOU, The Fiance" George Spence, Country Boy LeRoy Mack, "Ernest 2" David Morris, All the tribute artists....Allan "Floyd" Newsome, "Gomer", sorry I didn't get your last real name, and then Michael "Elvis" Hoover, Jamie "Opie" Sullivan, Ken "Otis" Junkin, Alma "Aunt Bee" Venable, Dennis "Mr.Schwamp" Beale, Jeff "Howard" Branch, the beautiful Ellen Brown the Manicurist...I finally got my nails shined by her at the end of the show but not too much! Thanks, I enjoyed holding your hand while you did that!!! She wanted to put on a nice pink polish, but I don't think that would have gone well with what I was wearing!! My wife wouldn't have liked it much either!! The 3 winners of the Mayberry Idle contest were all great! Paul Gufstaffson...did I get that right?...what a funny act he does!! And his song has been a hit every time he sings it!! I am sure I left someone out and my most humble apologies for that. Fantastic show, everyone, and to Tanya at the Surry Arts Council for putting it all together, a great big Mayberry THANK YOU!! Hope to make it back again next year and hope to see all the wonderful friends we have made over the years. Look for me on the WBMUTBB pages now and then. Welford TheCameraNut!!
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