The QuickTurtle Band had stopped over in Cabo San Lucas to let Robbie get in a little surf casting before their concert in San Diego.  TBone sometimes joined him in the rolling waves but decided to forego the fishing fun for the opportunity to design and build QT Magnolia a new fiddle.  He had been struggling with what to get her for birthday and this was the perfect opportunity for creating and giving her something meaningful.

     Her original fiddle had been recently misplaced or stolen while on their major-city tour in South America.  QT was by no means devastated by its loss but the fiddle did have memories of younger days associated with it.  TBone knew it was his chance to replace it.

     He tipped his hat to Robbie and headed down the beach.

     He scored even before he arrived at the first cove.  He found some great pieces of driftwood in a rocky area that was seldom touched except by the highest of tides.  The right pieces of wood always seemed to speak to him and several pieces jumped out and spoke very eloquently.  If they didn’t talk, they wouldn’t sing and he didn’t compromise when it came to instrument building.  He hauled them back to the beach area near the hotel and went to work.

     TBone loved the craft of woodworking.  He went about the the task of building his instruments as if he were possessed.  He lived on coffee and didn’t stop tinkering until the fiddle was strung and ready to be tuned.  His nerves were standing on edge as he tightened the first string.  When he plucked it, it resonated all the way to his toes and he knew immediately that he had created something very special for QT.  He smiled an laid back in the warm sand completely satisfied and exhausted.

     QT found him that way, fast asleep with the fiddle cradled in his arms.  When she reached out and put her hand on the instrument it felt almost alive.  She couldn’t resist the temptation and gingerly extracted it from TBone’s grasp.  She found Robbie and they headed for her bungalow to get her bow.  Robbie brought along his guitar and they fiddled with creating their new hit song, “The Anchor’s Chain”.

Richard Rensberry, Author at QuickTurtle Books®     http://www.quickturtlebooks.com