CMA Picture Dump One

One of the first things that impressed me about Nashville was their ads written in chalk all over footpaths. 

Undisturbed.

Respected.

Not so much as even walked over.

That would last forty seconds on the east coast before someone smeared it with their jogging stroller.
Probably me and my jogging stroller.

This footpath is where most of the chalk ads lived.  

It was a bridge that also gave us our first glimpse into downtown.

Here you can see people (those little colorful dots behind the trees so maybe you can't see them, sorry) sitting tightly together for Riverfront concerts. 

We got in on some seriously great artists like Craig Morgan (an Iraq vet!), Jerrod Neiman and Lee Brice.

Spending our day earning a suntan and an appreciation for stage climbing here.

Can you see him in mid air?  Dude climbed the stage lighting equipment.  

Probably a Marine.

(More views from the foot path)

Streets were blocked off for the Country Music Festival overtaking downtown Nashville.  

I'm sure the locals were happy when it was over.  They got their commute back.  Thank you, locals for sharing your roads with us so we could enjoy your town.  

And enjoy your town we did.  

In style.  

One bucket list item at a time:  Here's Coyote Ugly where our friend, D got up and showed 'em how a Philly girl does it.  

I was too wallflower to join her but I promise I danced like nobody's business in the next couple of bars.  Half Smirnoff courage and half almost forty brazentude.

See? I even bought boots and wore them with a sundress.  They don't even care if things match in Nashville. Everything seems to go well with cowboy boots and a wide brimmed hat.

Didn't quite pull off the look like these cuties but my black thrifted paisley screamed out-of-state so all was forgiven.

And how magical was this football stadium, home of the Titans, when it went from this:

 to this concert hall fit for a country fireball named Miranda Lambert? 

Or how cool was it that the lead singer from The Band Perry went hundreds of stadium seats away to:

so close I could see her perfect complexion.  She's a young one up close, isn't she?  Maybe 20?  Talented as anyone there but so young my husband felt guilty ogling her from the audience.

Maybe I should feel the same about Jake Owen. 

(I don't but maybe I should.)

He was adorable with those white choppers and button-down shirt.  I'm old enough to know better than to call him sexy or even this one (Jason Aldean)...

  

but this one's my age so I can definitely call him..

..."Lay me down in a bed of roses S-e-x-y."

Or just Brad.  Mister Brad Paisley if you're nasty. 

And because we are an equal opportunity blog, I will leave some eye candy for the rest of you who prefer cowgirls to cowboys:

 Carrie Underwood.  Proof that God is real and loves blondes.  She is flawless.

Her legs rival those of my trainer who just ran a triathlon this past weekend.  

Carrie, are you a triathlete in your spare time?

Don't answer that.

And here we have Ms. Faith Hill who looks eighteen, sounds twenty five but had zero joy emanating from her soul that night. 

I know Faith and I aren't texting but girlfriend seemed mad about something.  

Can't you just see it?  

Hope the kids and Tim were okay.  Maybe I should DMher.  

Or just stop pretending I know famous people.

Still, a mad Faith Hill is better than no Faith Hill at all.

And can anyone guess what I'm buying my husband for Father's Day?

In the words of Luke Bryan (the one we missed because we punked out early our last night):

He "makes my speakers go Boom Boom" in that cowboy hat. 

Love me some Nashville, TN.

Especially the people that were in it.

Let's do it again next year.

You in?