Date #17 - Strummin my six-string, on the front porch swing...

With all due props to Jimmy Buffet for the title of this post;
and no, we didn't go to Margaritaville for date 17...

...nope, we hung out on the porch.

Not our front porch, mind you, we aren't fortunate enough to have one of those, or even a back one.

We went to the porches of Somerville for their Porchfest, presented by the Somerville Arts Council.

This was an all day affair on a gorgeous hot spring Saturday, where musicians entertained from the porches and balconies of the city. It took place in three different parts of Somerville, at varying times, all for free.
You can read more about it here.

We chose the neighborhood directly behind Porter Square in Cambridge that, until that day, I had no idea it was part of Somerville. Can I tell you it was a great way to while away a Saturday afternoon.

We watched them perform from front porches....

and back porches.....

In side alleyways.....

and even under pergolas.....

This guy performed solo in the front yard...right NEXT to the front porch....

but he still drew a crowd....

There was even an eclectic assortment of roving troubadors on the sidewalks....

and some musicians were so good their audience completely clogged the streets....

We just had the best time on this date. We did a lot of walking, heard some really great music, mingled with great people, and the weather could not have been nicer (note all the folks pictured in shirtsleeves and shorts).

My only thumbs down would be that most of the streets where the musicians performed had resident permit parking only, so they might have attracted even bigger crowds had they held it on Sunday when parking restrictions are not in effect. Although, to be honest, I didn't see any parking enforcement. But still, it might have kept people away.

We cheated by parking in the Porter Square Shopping Center (well kinda, because before we returned to our car we did pick up some groceries at the supermarket). But I really wish we had ridden our bikes over instead. We then might have continued on to the next neighborhood for another two hours of great outdoor music.

Our date ended instead at Castle Island with a walk around the lagoon and an early dinner at Sullivan's. But truthfully, we can't even count that as part of our 35 dates because that's something we do several times a week!!

As beautiful and warm as that Saturday was....the weather did dip the next day, but only slightly. Yet lo and behold, when I came downstairs on the TWENTY-SECOND OF MAY (remember that date), there was TH all showered and dressed... wearing Blue Velour. I couldn't believe my eyes and I honestly burst out laughing, I couldn't help myself. He looked puzzled, but I didn't explain. It's just a lost cause.