Pacing the floor; waiting on his baby...

I remember back in the late 1960's, my dad had shipped his mandolin off somewhere (don't recall exactly where) to be fixed, tweeked and upgraded with some ivory inlays. Maybe he even actually "took" it or delivered it himself. Anyway...he had been informed as to when it was to be returned...it was being bussed from the person who had done the work. The man actually paced the floor, waiting on it to arrive. I guess the bus station was to call when it got to Garland, Texas and then he was to drive into town to pick it up. We lived out in the country at the time. Well, he finally got that call way in the middle of the night. He jumped up, got dressed and promptly went into town and retrieved his "baby".

The man and his mandolin

This blog is about Mitchell Land, one of the very best (some say "THE best) mandolin pickers known in the world of Bluegrass. The comments, stories and opinions written here is how I saw it at the time or how I remember it to be. My writings are in no way intended to upset the applecart, but my impression only. If you agree...great; if you don't...I'm sorry. But I feel it's okay to share his story through my eyes because he was my daddy! Get ready for a bumpy ride and enjoy the pictures!