WVF

After two weeks of controversy, the Wisconsin Valley Fair is here! Three weeks ago, it was announced that the fair board had decided not to give out promised season passes to Ag members, which stirred up a flurry of letters to the editor complaining about the mismanagement of the fair board and how incredibly expensive it has become to attend. Daily admission this year is $9 - more than ANY fair in the state of Wisconsin, including the Wisconsin STATE Fair! It's become ridiculous. I myself wrote a letter to the editor about ten days ago bemoaning the fact that the fair is out of reach for most area residents - and unless they start charging for the grandstand shows and lowering admission, the fair will soon be a thing of the past. Read the letter to the editor here: http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070711/WDH06/707110384
At any rate, opening day was a blast, and the kids had a great time at the Weird Al concert - something they'd been begging me to see for months. More photos as the week goes on!

Monday

Have you ever felt a strange sense of foreboding? The unnerving feeling that something isn't quite right in the world? That's how I've felt for the past week or so - and the feeling is getting stronger. I am plagued by dark dreams and bleak emotions. I'm not usually one for regrets or self doubt, but lately I can't seem to stop questioning myself. Maybe it's just that this entire summer has been so different from years past - or maybe my moral compass is just off kilter. Let's hope it hasn't been irreversibly broken.

Styx and Head East

The concert last night was spectacular - and being backstage was fun. David threw the t-shirts out to the crowd as I introduced the bands and I think he liked being a "station person" for one night. We met every single member of the bands - EXCEPT TOMMY SHAW. Cripes! We did say hello to one another and I said thanks after the show from about 3 feet away but we did not shake hands or say anything else, so that does not count as a "meet". Or does it? :) They kept him under some pretty serious wraps and even escorted him from the dressing area to the bus without stopping.
The boys from Kansas City based Head East were friendly and fun, and we watched Styx with them backstage. Lead guitarist Glen Bridger, who runs a Kansas City guitar store by day, was nice enough to grab us a few beers and lead singer Darren Walker was wonderful to his fans. It was nice to see.
The most personable member of Styx, by far, was James "JY" Young, whom I have met before. He remembered being in my studio in 1995 when Duff brought him in as he toured in support of his solo effort, and was very gracious.
However, it was definitely the oddest backstage experience ever. Usually there is a lot of drinking and commiserating, and everyone just co-mingles. Not so with Styx - no one drinks (they had coffee, which is probably why they sound so terrific) and they herded everyone away from the stage steps before and after their appearance onstage. Strange - you've gotta wonder if one of them is having a problem with a stalker!
Regardless, we had a great time and I'm posting some of the photos I was able to take from behind the line.

A New Post! A New Post!

I can't believe it's been nearly 2 weeks since my last post. It's been crazy here and there's been very little time for posting. Dana's father in law, Clarence, passed away. He was 93 and had been ill for quite some time. Still, it's a difficult time for their family. I'll never forget the sight of Clarence at Keith's birthday party this year. He had come for the afternoon from Hospice House, where he'd been a resident for the past year or so....and brought his harmonica. After singing happy birthday, Clarence began to play - and stunned everyone with how great he was. It was a magical moment that I'm certain the family will never forget.
Tonight, I'm headed to Marshfield with my brother to see Styx in concert along with Head East during Hub City Days. Big Cheese is sponsoring the show and I've been asked to introduce the band. Going backstage is always fun, and my brother will get a big kick out of meeting the musicians, as he has been a fan of both bands for many years. David is coming along to toss t-shirts to the crowd for me - a great excuse to bring him along! I myself have previously met and interviewed James "JY" Young but am looking forward to meeting Tommy Shaw, who I have a great respect for and always have. Shaw's latest release in March was a project with Jack Blades of Night Ranger fame called "Influence" - a compilation of covers of songs that influenced them both in the 60's and 70's. The covers of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" and Seals and Crofts' "Summer Breeze" are particularly good, and the CD is definitely worth picking up.
I'm hoping to get good photos at the show backstage and will be sure to post them tonight. Looking forward to it!

Happy Hodag!

....or so goes the saying everywhere in Rhinelander, WI during the weekend of the Hodag Country Music Festival. It is one of the largest of it's kind, and we go every year. I am not a country music fan by any stretch of the imagination, but Dana loves it and my good friend Duff Damos (pictured with me here) is kind enough to score us free passes every year. We make a weekend of it - stay at my mom's lake cottage, kayak, float on tubes all day, then go to town for dinner, head to the fest, and hit my favorite area bars afterward. It's usually really fun. This year.....well, Dana had fun. And that's good. But holy COW can that girl pack away the Jack Daniels. So it was a little like babysitting all night. And frankly the locals weren't as friendly as usual, which is a long story. But I've got photos posted here, including some of the crazies at the fest (always fun to watch!) and if you'd like to see what the festival is all about, visit www.hodag.com for the scoop. Danielle Peck, Trace Adkins, and a young upstart named Blaine Larsen played last night, and I really enjoyed Blaine, who is pictured in the photo here.

The photo says it alll......

BALLOON RALLY 2007 was bigger than ever before. I have never seen so many people attending, and the airport was packed. The boys went to see the Flying Elvises, and partake in the Pigs in the Sky Rib Fest. I came for the balloon glow and fantastic fireworks. The glow didn't go as late in the evening as other years, because they needed to get the balloons and accompanying propane out of the airfield before starting fireworks - so my photos this year aren't as spectacular as years past.
The fireworks show was a new addition to the lineup this year, and one I hope they keep - it was a brilliant show!

CHALKFEST 2007 has been a huge success once again, with artists coming from all over the state to compete. I know my stuff won't win (you should see these amazing things the artists do!) but I love participating just the same. This year I chose a jazz motif and created a three piece jazz ensemble in sort of a watercolor-ish finish. I was pleased to have quite a few people stop to take photos of it as the work progressed. Devon chose to do a cartoon character from Invader Zim that he likes, and his turned out wonderfully. The festival runs through tomorrow, but Devon leaves for scout camp in the morning, so we had to be sure he finished his today. I am just about finished as well, and may just leave it as is, depending. The weather was brutal today with a high of 95, and let me tell you, my hands are burned from the concrete. We took two pool breaks but even so were pretty wiped out afterward. We're home now to rest up and at 8 plan to head to the Wausau Downtown Airport for the balloon glow and fireworks as part of this year's balloon rally. I'll try to get some good shots to post later.

Gotta love vacation. The weather was crummy most of the week, but today was beautiful. I spent most of it lying in the pool on a floatie with a book and a beer. (Love the new Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy......mmmmmm!) Made a great dinner, and had my ass thoroughly kicked in basketball by my 4 foot 5, 10 year old son. Nuts.
Too much time on my hands always leads to melancholy, and today was no exception. Floating in the pool, I couldn't help but let my mind wander and take stock of my life and how things can fall apart so easily. It seemed only yesterday I was happily making plans for the rest of my life.....happy in my relationship, happy in my career choices....and in a flash, fifteen years passed by and I find myself increasingly dissatisfied, filled with regret, and seemingly powerless to change a thing.
Maybe I'm just tired of having to be so independent. Maybe I'm just a coward who can't take a stand......maybe I'll just never grow up, never stop wanting change. Whatever it is, no amount of burying myself in work is easing the knot in my gut. The one true thing I know is that I love my children, and dread the day when they leave me for college.....the silence in the house will be deafening.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th - a different celebration than years past, for sure. The kids are up north, and I'm home and on vacation. Today I played downtown with the Wausau Concert Band, a bunch of fun patriotic stuff....a lot different from our usual picnics and fireworks from Rib Mountain. Tonight I'm settled in for a quiet evening at home, a quiet celebration and memories by candlelight.

Cookout Photos

Despite the crummy weather today, I still enjoyed my first full day of vacation with absolutely no plans for the week (except for Chalk Fest - can't wait!). It was cold and rainy, but we still managed to have a good time at Bluegill Bay Park cooking out brats. The kids went berry picking this morning and we have fresh strawberries galore......and I'm settling in for a night of reading and a glass of wine. Hope the weather clears up so I can work on nothing but my tan for the rest of the week.

Stargazing

This weekend's full moon hangs lower in the sky than any other full moon of 2007, according to NASA, and it's a good time to be fooled.
When low on the horizon, the Moon can appear to be larger than when it's higher in the sky. It's all an illusion, scientists say, and it does not involve any enlarging effects of the atmosphere. Rather, it's all in your mind.
Here's how it works:
Our brains think things on the horizon are farther away than stuff overhead, because we're used to seeing overhead clouds that are close compared to those on the horizon. In the mind's eye, the sky is a flattened dome.
With this dome as a reference, we expect something on the horizon (such as the moon) to be father, and because it is actually no farther than when overhead, our brains goof and imagine that it is larger.
Skeptical? You can test this from home.
When the moon first rises, hold something small like the eraser of a pencil at arms length and compare its size to the moon on the horizon. Do the same a couple hours later when the moon is higher. Or try this: Take a picture of the moon in both positions, then cut, paste and compare. Another trick: Make a tube from rolled-up paper so the opening is just slightly larger than the moon when it rises. Tape the tube so the size stays fixed, then check later to see if the moon has changed sizes.
The big-moon-rising effect will be evident Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On each evening, the moon will appear nearly full. Interestingly, the moon is never fully full from our point of view, but that's another story.
While you're out, check out Venus and Saturn, which are snuggling close together in the western sky as darkness falls.

Flight Camp

The kids participated in Top Gun Flight Camp last week, and as part of the package, they are allowed to go on a one hour flight in a small aircraft. They are up in the air at this very moment, and of course I'm a nervous wreck. When I say they're flying, I don't mean they're sitting back enjoying the view - I mean, they're FLYING. Taking the controls. They practiced in simulators all last week, and of course the pilot is able to take control if necessary - so it should be fine. My good friend Angela and her husband John run the municipal airport and not only is John the pilot, their daughter (and Devon's good friend) Isabelle is along for the flight. They're going to Merrill and then to Antigo. Devon took the first leg and Rowan will fly the last, and I plan to take the video camera along to record their landing in about 25 minutes or so. Here are some photos from the takeoff!

Concerts on the Square

The Summer Series has officially started, with the first of 8 Concerts on the Square tonight. Now in it's 15th year (is that possible!?) the season has begun with my good friend John Greiner's band, Swing Shift. His wife Dana, also a good friend (not the one I went to Mexico with - different Dana!) sings with the group, performing big band style hits from the WW2 era. I love these Wednesday night shows. We pack a picnic, grab a bottle of wine, and head to the same spot we've been hitting for years. Every year the series grows. I took a panaoramic photo with my digital camera - though it's not the best lighting (we were in the shade by then) you can get an idea of how many people were there to enjoy the show. Debbie brought her "world famous" fruit kabobs, and I made paninis for everyone before we left home.
Next week there's no show with the 4th of July, but the week after John Greiner is back along with another good friend, John Altenburgh with their award winning group, Johnny and the Mo-Tones. Their current CD is number 4 on the national blues chart, and it should be a roaring good show.