Rainy Week

Ya know, it's rained every day since last Sunday. I'm not complaining, cause we needed the rain. It could be warmer though...that I'll complain about. It's the end of July, so come on summer! It's time to make an appearance.

It should be a busy weekend in Crosslake. The Log Home Tour just ended this afternoon, after two days of looking at beautiful log homes in the area. Clear Blue is playing in the Town Square starting at 6:30 on Saturday. GB Leighton is at Manhattan Beach Lodge on Saturday as well, but he'll start later. You could take in both concerts. I think I will.

Have a good weekend!

Moondance Jam

Went to Moondance on Thursday. Decided not to go last night, because we weren't a big fan of the bands they had lined up. We're going for a while tonight though. As far as Thursday's bands go, they were all very good...BUT...it was so damn windy and cold, it was hard to enjoy ones self. We saw Foghat at 5:00, Kansas at 7:00, Sheryl Crow at 9:00, and Journey at 11:00. Foghat, Kansas, and Journey were good, but Sheryl Crow blew them all away. She was fantastic. I was very impressed and enjoyed her show very much. I was equally unimpressed with Journey. What a disappointment. I know they have a new album out, and bands go on tour to promote the new album, but come on! It's a "CLASSIC" ROCK & ROLL FESTIVAL! One or two new songs would be ok, but 10? Plus, the classic tunes they did do were changed so much at times, it was hard telling what song it was. On top of all that, they have a new lead singer that was ok...no Steve Perry or Steve Augeri by any means. Arnel Pineda is the new singers name, and like I said, he was ok, but that's all. He sounds fantastic on their new CD, but live not so much. Some of what was going on Thursday may not have been his fault...when the band did the songs like they were supposed to be done (the original versions are perfection) he did a nice job on the vocals. When they went off on tangents and screwed the classic songs up, he didn't do so well. He had a lot of energy and great stage presence, but that can only go so far when your audience is expecting something different. Especially when that something different is doing your classic songs like they should be done! I don't care how bored you are with doing them...give your fans what they want, or we'll stop coming. What a let down. :-(

Bean Hole Days, Moondance, & Music

If you're in Pequot Lakes today and tomorrow, you're probably there for the beans. That's right, it's time for the famous "Bean Hole Days". They've been doing this for years, and if you want a taste of those famous beans, you'd better line up early. The line gets pretty long, but it moves quickly. There's a lot to do while you're waiting for the beans to cook, so take advantage of this great family event. Just don't be downwind of Pequot later in the day.

Another big event that kicks off in our area this week, is "Moondance Jam" just up the road in Walker. It's the 18th year for this classic rock and roll event, and if you have tickets, you'll see bands like Grand Funk, Journey, Cheryl Crowe, Judas Priest, Foghat, Kansas, Yes, Asia, and the list goes on and on. This great rock and roll event starts on Thursday, and ends on Saturday night. I'll see you there!

Closer to home in good ole Crosslake, the Boss Grant Johnny Cash Review rolls into town for the Crosslake Music Series this Saturday. Don't forget to bring a non-perishable food item for the foodshelf, and if you haven't already, buy a commemorative T-Shirt. They're $12, and all of the proceeds go to offset some of the $14,000 it cost's to put on this music series every year. It's a great place to play and listen to music, so support the merchants, and tell them to keep it going!

Don't Hug Me!

A "Don't Hug Me County Fair" opens tonight in Pequot Lakes in the beautiful PLHS auditorium. It's a Community Theatre production that I'm sure will be funny and well acted. They always are. Barb & I are going tonight, and I'm looking forward to it. We're so blessed to have these kind of Theatre productions right in our back yard, so take advantage of it if you can.

Another blessing for movie buffs, is the Sunset Cinema located on Hwy 16 near Jenkins. It's clean, well run, and very comfortable. Barb and I went to see "Public Enemies" yesterday afternoon, and last Tuesday, we saw "The Proposal". I recommend both of them, but I don't think Barb liked "Public Enemies" all that much. Those shoot 'em up kind of movies are my favorites, so throwing in a chick flick every now and then, is ok with me.

As always there is a band in Crosslake's Town Square this Saturday night, so if you like music and free, you should be there. By the way, they're collecting food shelf donations every Saturday, so bring along a non-perishable food item if you can. You could also buy a music series T-Shirt, which helps offset some of the $14,000 it costs to put this music series on each week during the summer. Money is hard to come by these days, so shell out $12 for a T-Shirt so we can keep the music alive next summer!

Long Live the USA

As we move into July, I can't help but think about our founding fathers. I am so proud to be from the good ole USA, and if it wasn't for those brave 56 men willing to put their name on a piece of paper on July 4, 1776, who knows where we might be today. I also can't help but think about all of the brave men and woman who have given their life, in order for me to be free. FREEDOM. That's a word we Americans use a lot. But what does freedom mean to you? To me, it means I can go where I want, worship how I want, write what I want, sing what I want, hunt, fish, defend my home and family, love, succeed, and even fail, knowing all along, that these freedoms are precious and fragile. Please, please, please, don't take the freedoms you have in this country for granted. There are people out there that want this country to fail...they want us, as a nation, to go away. What they don't understand, is our people's will and fortitude. They can try to hurt us all they want, but it doesn't matter. We will always remember the people that have gone before us, and we will never forget their sacrifices that have made this country the greatest place to live on the face of this earth. Because of them, we will never give up our freedoms, or bow to the radicals that want to destroy it. Will will fight until we are victorious. Always have, and always will. God Bless the USA.