Today started out pretty good, we left on time from the dorm at University of Memphis and had a nice breakfast, our first concert was at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitors Center.

Both the Band and the Dixieland bands played and they all sounded great!

Our Guide, Ranger Jeff Penney of the National Parks Service gave us an official escort to the Natchez Village site.....

......where many of the band members were treated to an informative hike through the area.  Since we were going to have a BIG DINNER this night, we decided to have a light roadside lunch  of peanut butter and jelly or balogna sandwiches.

Last night a few of the boys decided it would be fun to shave their heads, and in the process apparently also took a scalp or two!  ;)

Now we are off to Birmingham for another concert.  At present it's raining (again)!  Sylvia and Mary Jane are looking for animals for Bill to see (he won't see them, he's too busy), so far they've seen one squashed armadillo on the side of the road, no eagles, no gators, no snakes, and we still haven't seen any of Bill's Spanish Moss!

It's Birmingham Alabama Time!

Our first stop was at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a place where no picture could do it justice, Birmingham has had a very difficult history and the tour through the Institute goes a long way to explain the trials and tribulations of the Civil Rights Movement.

After leaving the Civil Rights Institute we headed over off to our second concert.  Our concert started out great, nice crowd, and a wonderful location at the Scout Offices in Birmingham.....BUT....

....as you can see, suddenly we were transported to New York at the Statue of Liberty.......

                       ........OK, it's only the largest replica of the Statue of Liberty, and with a REAL flame no less, but in the background, you can see what was coming...... AND IT DID TOO!  Our first rain out, and boy did we get wet, it may take us DAYs to dry out from this one.

So we had dinner, a BIG dinner!  Mashed potatoes, gravy, beans, Barbequed  RIBS, CHICKEN and plenty more, we were all stuffed by.....

Chef Bro'Chette and company (no Bill doesn't work for them, he just works!)  Chef Bro'Chette was also kind enough to act as our guide from downtown to scout headquarters and after dinner he guided us to the hotel.

After Dinner  Father Mark performed Catholic Mass for the Band, and taught us a cheer which we can't spell here :)

Upon leaving for the hotel, we were treated with a nighttime viewing of Lady Liberty.

More Tomorrow!