4th of July

This is leftover pie.  I’m showing you this last, lonely piece of peach pie (with a soggy crust) tonight, which I am eating while I type, because I took no pictures on the 4th.  Not one.

I’d intended to march in the parade this year (instead of riding on the float) so I could take pictures and maybe free up a spot on the truck for someone else. And last year they needed more people to throw candy. I figured I could take pictures and throw candy at the same time. While wearing my special blue Scotchman Peaks Wilderness t-shirt.

But the band girls protested.

Here are some of the band girls. Band women. Fellow musicians.

They make life fun.  And you don’t want to mess with them.

And here’s the brass section.

They make us sound like a real band. The kind of band that has won a trophy three years in a row.

Here are pictures from a past parade so you can see what we look like:

I have to admit the view from the float was spectacular. It was great fun to watch the crowd’s reaction to the music and hear the cheers. And it was the perfect morning for a parade, with sunshine and blue skies.

After we admired our trophy, we stripped the decorations from the truck and went back to the high school’s front lawn to watch the foot races and eat ice cream.

And I still didn’t take any pictures, which was really dumb.

But it gets worse, because later that evening there were fireworks on the water. And pie. And homemade huckleberry ice cream. And an absolutely gorgeous guest, three-month old Delaney.

I was so busy watching fireworks, eating pie and ice cream and waiting for my turn to hold Delaney I completely forgot to take pictures. I even forgot I owned a camera.

But it looked like this…

(photo by Will)

(Will–I’m sorry we missed your phone call, but I told everyone you wished us a happy 4th.  We missed you on the dock!)

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the day before the parade

There was a cake.

And champagne. And a great big truck to decorate.
But there were a lot of people helping.

Instructions were given.

We all happily do what the keyboardist says.
Even her little sister, who blows a mean trumpet. See?

We had a surprising number of Nebraskans at the pre-parade party and practice this July. They’re a cheerful group. Go Big Red!

This cute little future musician was thirsty. And then he wasn’t.
So he poured the rest of the can onto his shoes.
I’m still wondering why.

You’ll be meeting all of the band members in the coming weeks’ blog posts, but for now here’s the truck:

 

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the centennial gig

July 2 was a hometown celebration, in front of the high school in the center of town. And the band played from 12-1 in the music tent. Glen and I tried to keep up as best we could, but I was so tickled at how great everyone sounded I forgot to be nervous about not knowing some of the songs.

Road manager:

Getting ready for a sound check:

The dancing mandolin player’s boyfriend filmed the show, so when we put it on youtube I’ll put a link in here.

Afterwards, the band members wiped their brows, packed up their instruments and returned to their gardens, houseguests, family reunions, grandchildren and partying. Oh, and there’s a float to decorate tomorrow.

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Name that cow.

Really.  Name this cow.

 I saw her in Montana.  She was surrounded by friends and relatives.  And they were having lunch outdoors.

I’ve never seen a cow with a bull’s eye on her midsection.  It was quite impressive.  Fashionable, even.

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Practice makes perfect. We hope.

The Cougar Creek Band is playing a big gig tomorrow afternoon.
Most of us are nervous.
Some are not.  Like this mandolin player.

I forgot to take pictures at this afternoon’s practice session. Isn’t this a beautiful stage? Picture it filled with guitars, keyboard, mandolins, washboard, harmonica, fiddles, trumpet, trombone, banjo and recorder. It’s a multi-talented group, folks.

We’ve come a long way in two years, since we first played at the dump.

Yes, I said “the dump”. We were a big hit.

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travel trip #1

Never leave home without calamine lotion and nail polish.

(I know this is a semi-disgusting picture, but not every photo can be as exciting as a guy posing with an ear of corn).

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Day 6: End of the Road

We’re here. The car is unloaded, the guitar cake pan is on the kitchen counter, the instruments are unpacked and tuned, laundry is piled neatly in baskets, and we sat on the screened porch and drank some wine and ate apples and cheese for dinner.

It’s good to be off the road.

Miles: 380
Restaurants: 1 Crackerbarrel
Road kill: 2 unknowns

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I love him.

He does anything I tell him to.

Stand over there with the corn, honey.

He loves being a tourist.

Don’t mind the screaming children. Just look like you’re a gunfighter.

The famous Wall’s Drug gave me a headache, but the gunfighter/corn lover bought himself a fancy new pair of slippers.

Give the folks a big wave and get back in the car.  We have to get to Minnesota and find a Perkins.

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South Dakota loves big animals.

It’s really quite amazing what you see in front of motels and stores.
I missed the picture of the giant red and purple horse.
Maybe next year.

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Right here in River City

“We’ve got trouble, right here in River City”.  Ring any bells?  Are you old enough to know the lyrics to THE MUSIC MAN?

Day 3 of The Road Trip was long and rainy.  But the sun broke through the clouds in the late afternoon, while we were heading north on I-35, through Iowa towards Minnesota.  There was a notation on the Iowa map that said something about the Music Man Museum in Mason City.  Turns out that Mason City = River City.  Meredith Wilson, creator of the musical, grew up there.

Being tourist junkies, we had to stop.

First we saw the water tower.

The museum was closed, due to a wedding. But we will try to go back next year.

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