I love dulcimers – the sound, look, everything.

I awoke this morning thinking about one
I'd met back in the early 70s.

On a trip through Kentucky, while stopping
at a remote shop for directions, I encountered
the most beautiful dulcimer I'd ever seen.

Handmade by a woman (whose name I can't
remember) in a traditional Appalachian style,
with a bird carved at the top/head, it was a
true work of art.  As she strummed, using
the quill of a large feather, the pristine voice
of this exquisite instrument resonated within
every cell of my body.

The $80 price tag was an incredible deal (at a
time when monthly rent for an entire farm-
house was that amount); however, sadly, out
of my budget...yet, the spirit of the dulcimer
stayed in my heart.

Even now, this dulcimer visits me
in dreams from time to time.


(neither the painting or the previous rough 
sketch do justice to this artisan's creation)