Willie and the Poor Boys are playing, so bring a nickel and tap your feet....

     This Creedence Clearwater Revival song has a great beat and the chorus goes like this. "Down on the corner, out in the street, Willie and the Poor Boys are playing, so bring a nickel and tap your feet."

     And I love this song, But let me be clear, they do not, however, have anything on the, "Higerd Cousins family band."

     My oldest daughter loves Thanksgiving. She begins to talk about it as soon as the air outside gets crisp and cool.  She loves tradition, friends, family, and has the sentimental heart of her Father. She loves to cook, and I, on the other hand, don't so much, so I welcome her position of "Boss" over the Thanksgiving meal. (She's been trying to take charge since she was born, so it's comes naturally)
     We typically spend Thanksgiving with my son-in-law's family which include his parents and his three siblings, and we all live close enough to share time together during the holidays. 
     In the Eastern Sierra we never know what November weather will bring. We had a wedding at our home several years ago in late November where yellow leaves drifted on breezes and landed on tables. The bride still in her dress while the band played until sundown. We have also had Thanksgivings with blustery winds and snow.
     This year, the weather was warm and sunny so, with the "Boss" at her post in the kitchen, I took Jude and his cousins out on an adventure.  
     I love the ages of children when a walk with a wagon in search of treasures and adventure gets rousing shouts of enthusiasm, so we headed out with expectation and smiles and dug into sagebrush for whatever we might find. The girls squealed with delight as the wagon filled with rusted cans, buckets, old camping utensils and of course, great sticks. I still smile thinking about Annabelle's enthusiasm.

     The kids and I were soon talking about what we could do with all this stuff, and I remembered going to a music show in Branson as a child where this group of men dressed like Hillbillies played tin cans and buckets and washboards. They were called, "The Baldknobers," and we had loved them. So... as the girls and Jude and I made the loop and headed back to the house, we'd decided we would put on a show and use the buckets and cans as instruments like those guys in Branson had done. We were all so excited. And when we found the old Dodge tailgate on the way back to the house, we knew that the ultimate treasure had been found and getting it home was not an option. So Annabelle and I balanced it precariously in the wagon atop the other treasures while Caroline, (a Higerd to the core), pulled, as Jude pushed and off we went.   

     By the time we arrived, we had become the, "Higerd cousins Family band," and I knew exactly what song to play during our performance. So after picking our instruments, and finding the perfect sticks for banging, we did a practice run through and then we were ready for the stage. 

    There are six Higerd cousins. Three girls in one family and three boys in the other. The juxtaposition

of darling-ness between the two is something you can only appreciate live and in person. But it is a precious thing indeed and nothing less than four star entertainment. So I sent one of the girls in to tell everyone to come outside while the rest of us lined up on the rock wall ready to preform. 

     "Ladies and Gentlemen, Moms and Aunts, may I present to you, The Higerd Cousin Family Band!" Then I started the music from my phone. 
      My youngest daughter, wearing a huge smile, jumped right in beside us while Gramma Kathy and the Mommies stood with aunt Hannah and clapped and laughed. 

     I was in my element of happiness that day, playing with the kids. And people know that's where I could usually be found. But this was one of my favorite days. 

     And when the Dads, Uncles and Papas returned from hunting, the Higerd Cousin Family Band was called back to the stage. And as Credence Clearwater Revival sang again of, "Willie and the Poor Boys" Uncle Grant, (a UCLA pre-med student whose classes I can't even pronounce) joined us playing paint can.  
     Grace and Reed and Gideon (the three youngest) were napping when our treasure hunt began but two of them woke up in time to bang on a few buckets along side us. 
     And so...may the, "Higerd Cousin Family Band" have years of performances together in life, love and laughter. And Willie and the Poor Boys may be, "Down on the corner and out in the street," but their nickel down foot tapping doesn't hold a candle to this!