We began making dyes with our good friend Pat, he was an amazing artist! He could whittle a stick into something you would treasure forever, he actually made each of our kids their own first spoons. He would stop by when following the Grateful Dead Tour and make dyes to sell at the shows. If you ever met him at the shows you could never forget his laughter, it would ring throughout the parking lot! When Pat realized his health was failing he encouraged me to work with him on the dyes and learn a bit of his magic. It was an honor and I will never forget those hours spent out in the yard working with him.

While Pat followed the Dead Tours, we would work the Folk and Bluegrass Festivals that were within driving distance. We always worked the shows as a family, with our four kids helping out. We almost always had a bunch of the kids friends along with us. There were some festivals where we had a kids camp of about 20 or so kids, these kids learned to work the festivals too, helping out wherever the promoters might need them. It made for some interesting experiences, crazy road trips and a whole lot of fun. Now the kids are adults and busy with lives of their own, however, they will still lend a hand to Mom and Pop at the shows when they can. For us it was not about making money, but the joy of creating and sharing with others. Working the festivals offered us the chance to meet and work with some great artists and activists, we were able to lend our support to such causes as the arts in education, kids at risk, environmental concerns, human rights, hiv/aids, tolerance and peace.