I go out in the dark now to get the morning paper.  I’m not a fan of summer because of the heat, the humidity, and the bugs . . . but I love the light and hate it when it starts to disappear again.  We had to get a cable box for the one TV that doesn’t have one – you just knew they’d eventually catch up with all of us.  😉  Well, the ad says easy instructions and you’ll be hooked up in a matter of a couple of minutes.  Well, I scoffed at that before we ever got the box.  Sure enough, when we got it, went through the instructions step-by-step – several times – and of course it never worked.  The supervisor eventually got on the phone with the cable company and FIFTY-FIVE minutes later they finally zapped it to make it work.  The super has lost many mornings over the years on the phone with our friends in Technogeekdom.  Sometimes even a simple visual proves too difficult.  Our friend Anthony Miltich performed locally Saturday and said he’d be at a new-for-him venue here Sunday.  The new venue did not show him performing on their website, so we called that afternoon to confirm he was playing and at what time?   The “venue” upon being called was not familiar with his name, said he wasn’t on the schedule, and that someone else was performing?  We thought it odd Anthony would give us bum info.  We drove by later that afternoon . . . and there he was packing up.  He said he had performed from noon to 4:00, so he would have been playing when we called? But . . . I come not to bury Caesar, I come to praise him.  So, here’s some stuff that’s been going around – none of it contagious, but the music is addicting . . .

[August 14, Phase 2 of the Broadway makeover – now between 6th and 8th Streets.]

[August 17, the Mel Lamar Trio at the winery.  Here Mel explains to Bill the finer points of bonsai trimming, as Al listens on intently.]

[Don’t ever use a chain saw . . . ]

[Trim nail clippers will do the job . . . ]

[August 20, a celebration of the new high school.  Class of ’65 (mine!)  principal, Wayne Elton, his first year as such, let’s us know what he thought of our class!  😉   Again, the Mel Lamar Trio entertained, with girl singer Mary Lou.]

[August 22, Josie was at the winery.  A miserably uncomfortable day with tropical dewpoints – we couldn’t last for the whole show.  The following video is by her mom.  The swimming photo was Facebooked by Josie right after she played high school tennis in the morning and before coming to the winery to entertain us.  The wine is new – made from Minnesota’s-own Frontenac Gris grape.  We like it as it’s light and refreshing.  🙂  ]

“Don’t Know Why”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9QHrxEQokI

[August 25, the Tuesday Morning Senior Men’s Golf League’s Annual Steak Fry, Putting Contest, and “Who Looks Good in Shorts” Soiree at the AGC.]

[“Crazy Dave” decided he couldn’t attend the volleyball season (and new gym) opener the following night because when he totaled the ages of he and Warren together, it was more than the entire volleyball team’s!]

[Somebody picked up my camera and captured ‘someone’ who I believe finished dead last in a field of several thousand.  ‘He’ was just there for the camaraderie anyway (well, and the libations).]

[August 28, Components were at Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale.  “Unsquare Dance” by the boys (David, Bill, Marty, and Brian) played for the first time as a result of a request I made, and Bill remembered, about a year and a half ago.  🙂  Thanks again guys!]

“Unsquare Dance”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJX_8kAiq7w&list=UUDt6CCFM-8cxXEwOQhEwkiA

“God Bless the Child”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAWXMIdvXhI&list=UUDt6CCFM-8cxXEwOQhEwkiA

[David’s daughter, Katy (Katie?) joined them for the first time (for me).  She was very good – maybe next time I’ll get a video.]

“Piano Man”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxNf7XQ-owU&list=UUDt6CCFM-8cxXEwOQhEwkiA

[August 29, Lisa Lynn at SAWA.  This is why we had to leave the football game at the half.  Lisa has priority as she only “visits” us once a month, at most, all the way from St. Michael – Albertville.  This was the first time she played “A Thousands Years” (I think), so she asked me to make a video.]

“A Thousand Years”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjdJPVjTzBk&list=UUDt6CCFM-8cxXEwOQhEwkiA

[The super checks out the new stuff as SAWA is also an art gallery!  🙂  ]

[Lisa with Karin Berg, as we and the Bergs are her Super Fans (a/k/a, groupies) whenever she performs here.]

[August 30, the supervisor acquires an autographed copy of William Kent Krueger’s latest, “Windigo Island,” at Cherry Street Books. BTW, it debuted as No. 12 on the New York Times best-seller list.]

[August 30, Anthony Miltich & friends (brother Jim, candidate for the Minnesota House, and Victor Facio on percussion) at the winery.  Three videos amongst the photos.]

“Imagine”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otfGXUyCuho&list=UUDt6CCFM-8cxXEwOQhEwkiA

“Hallelujah”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkscBXw_2gA&list=UUDt6CCFM-8cxXEwOQhEwkiA

“My Traveling Star”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS_1SOJULz0&list=UUDt6CCFM-8cxXEwOQhEwkiA

[And then to complete August 30, it was on to Bug-A-Boo Bay for Enterprise (Kevin Klimek and Jim Faber.]

[“Perferdia” is always Kevin’s gift to the supervisor.  🙂  ]

“Perfidia”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyc-f6m9TyU&list=UUDt6CCFM-8cxXEwOQhEwkiA

Men have a much better time of it than women; for one thing they marry later; for another thing they die earlier.  ~ H. L. Mencken

Up next:  Back to France?