Sunday Night on The Barge with The Bifocals

GULL LAKE WAS THE PERFECT HOST PARK FOR CANADA DAY CONCERT

THANK YOU TO BIFOCALS BAND

     A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE BARGE SEEMED TO HAVE MORE HOLES THAN WOOD ON ITS STAGE. WITH AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB BY BEAVER CREEK CORRECTION INSTITUTE, AND FUNDING FROM THE TOWN OF GRAVENHURST, THOSE HOLES BECAME A BARGE AGAIN, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL SIGHT IT WAS THIS (SUNDAY) EVENING, HOLDING "ON A LEVEL" THE LARGE TARTAN-VESTED BIOFOCALS BAND, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF NEIL BARLOW, WHO IS ALSO THE CONDUCTOR OF THE MUSKOKA DISTRICT BAND. (THEY WERE RAINED OUT LAST WEEKEND) WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A "FORMER" BARGE, IS NOW VERY MUCH AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE WITH A FUTURE. THE BUZZ THROUGH THE CROWD WAS VIBRANT AND POSITIVE, AND THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF GREAT THINGS TO COME.

     LIKE ALL CANADA DAYS IN THE PAST, OUR FAMILY PURPOSELY PLACES OURSELVES IN INTERESTING SITUATIONS, TO SEE HOW OUR COMMUNITIES CELEBRATE THE NATIONAL HOLIDAY. SOMETIMES WE HEAD UP TO BRACEBRIDGE AND ROSSEAU, MAYBE OVER TO PORT CARLING, OR POSSIBLY UP TO HUNTSVILLE. LAST YEAR WE WENT DOWN TO WASHAGO FOR THEIR STREET FESTIVAL, AND BY GOLLY, THIS YEAR, WE THOUGHT WE'D INVEST IN BALA AND GRAVENHURST. WE WENT TO THE BALA ANTIQUE SHOW, THE CRAFT SHOW AT THE COMMUNITY HALL, AND STOPPED IN AT TEN OR SO SHOPS ALONG THE WAY. THE CROWDS WERE BOOMING-LARGE, AND THE SHOPS WERE CROWDED….WHICH IS A GOOD THING….DON'T YOU AGREE AFTER A LEAN WINTER? WE CAME BACK TO GRAVENHURST, AND HIT A FEW MORE SHOPS OF INTEREST, GOT A LITTLE PICNIC LUNCH, AND HAD A HARD TIME FINDING AN OPEN PICNIC TABLE……AT ANY OF OUR PARKS. HEY, WE'RE IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THIS REGION, SO WE WAITED UNTIL WE ARRIVED BACK HOME. THEN WE STARTED PREPARATIONS FOR THE CONCERT ON THE BARGE EVENING, AT ROTARY GULL LAKE PARK, WHICH MEANS FINDING THE LAWNCHAIRS SOMEWHERE IN THE STORAGE SHED, CLEANING OUT THE COOLER, FREEZING THE ICE BAGS TO KEEP MY TOMATOES AND MOCK CHICKEN SANDWICHES CHILLED, AND PACKING ALONG ANY MAGAZINES OR BOOKS TO READ BEFORE THE CONCERT STARTS.

     WELL, WE GOT THERE BEFORE SIX, AND WITH AN HOUR AND A HALF BEFORE THE EVENING CONCERT, WE DID WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FOR MANY YEARS. WE HEAD DOWN TO OUR FAVORITE SPOT, BY THE SILVER BIRCH, JUST ACROSS FROM THE WALKWAY TO THE BARGE. ONE OF US DROPS SOME ITEM OR OTHER INTO GULL LAKE, AS A SORT OF UNANTICIPATED BAPTISMAL TO THE BARGE EVENING. LAST YEAR IT WAS A COUPLE OF REALLY NICE BOOKS. TONIGHT IT WAS A BALL OF WOOL, FROM SUZANNE'S TOTE BAG. I'VE HAD MY SANDWICHES SLIP INTO THE BRINE, AND BOTH CARROTS AND TOMATOES. SUZANNE ANTICIPATES "ACCEPTABLE LOSS," AND NOW PACKS A BACK-UP BOOK, ADDITIONAL FOOD SUPPLIES, AND LOTS MORE WOOL. HEY, YOU CAN'T GET MAD AT STUFF LIKE THIS. THE ONLY THING THAT BOTHERED ME THIS YEAR, WAS THE CONDITION OF OUR SPOT ON THE SHORE, WHICH HADN'T BEEN RAKED SINCE……WELL, PROBABLY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THE PINE CAST-OFFS SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THE BALL OF WOOL FROM MAKING IT INTO THE WATER, BUT IT FOUND A NICE LITTLE TRAIL THROUGH THE BRANCHES AND NEEDLES INTO THE WATER.

     IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH COUPLE OF WEEKS FOR SUZANNE AND I, WORKING WITH ANDREW AND ROBERT TO EXPAND THEIR MAIN STREET MUSIC SHOP, TO INCLUDE TWO ROOMS OF ANTIQUES, AND TODAY WAS THE ONLY TIME WE'VE HAD OFF. SO I WON'T OFFER ANY APOLOGY, WHEN I SUGGEST, THE BIOFOCALS BAND, UNDER THE CAPABLE DIRECTION OF NEIL BARLOW, GAVE ME (US) A MOST PLEASANTLY RELAXING EVENING, IN ONE OF THE MOST PICTURESQUE SETTINGS ANYWHERE ON THIS PLANET. I COULD CLOSE MY EYES, AND BE CARESSED BY A SOFT, COOL BREEZE, AND BE CALMED BY THE SOUNDS OF SO MANY CHEERFUL AND APPRECIATIVE PEOPLE, CROWDED ON THE BEACH, UP ON THE SHORE, AT PICNIC TABLES, AND JUST STROLLING ABOUT. LAUGHTER, CHATTER, CONVERSATION, BOATS AND KAYAK PADDLES, ADDED TO THE PLEASING SOUNDS OF THIS TALENTED GROUP OF MUSICIANS, AND I CLOSED MY EYES AND IMAGINED WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE HERE, IN 1959, WHEN THE BARGE WAS FIRST OPENED. I PONDERED THE SAME RENDITIONS OF CLASSICS, BEING PLAYED AT THESE COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS IN 1962, 1971, 1977, 1986, AND ONWARD, AND REALIZED THAT SOME FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE, FURTHER UP THE SHORELINE, KNEW THOSE DATES. THEY'D ACTUALLY BEEN HERE THEN……AND SAT STARING OUT OVER MUSICIANS FROM SO MANY BANDS, AGAINST THE YELLOW FIBERGLASS PANELS, AND SETTING SUNLIGHT; MAKING PATRONS LIKE ME FEEL LIKE A RELATIVE NEWCOMER. THE SENTIMENTS OF OLD AND DEAR PLACES, THAT HAUNT US SO SUBTLY AND PLEASANTLY, WERE ALL HERE DANCING ABOUT, AND IT WAS AN IMMERSION INTO THE VORTEX OF NOSTALGIA, COURTESY SUCH ENTERTAINING, MEMORABLE MUSIC AS SWEET GEORGIA BROWN……THAT DIDN'T THIS TIME, REMIND ME OF THE HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS.

     TONIGHT I CELEBRATED THE BEGINNING OF THE CONCERTS ON THE BARGE PROGRAM, FOR THE SUMMER OF 2012. OVER THE PAST YEAR, I'VE WRITTEN MORE ABOUT THE BARGE, THAN ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE, FRANKLY, I BELIEVED OUR TOWN COUNCIL WASN'T INTERESTED IN SAVING THIS BIT OF MUSIC NOSTALGIA. WITH A TIGHT AND UNFORGIVING BUDGET, IT WAS A STRUGGLE TO FIND THE FUNDS, I'M SURE, BUT WHAT BARGE SUPPORTERS WERE HOPING FOR……CAME TRUE. THEY BELIEVED OUR CLAIMS, ABOUT THE BARGE'S POPULARITY, AND THE IMPORTANCE TO THE COMMUNITY, OF KEEPING TRADITIONS LIKE THE BARGE OPERATIONAL, AT A TIME WHEN OUR IDENTITY SEEMS A LITTLE WATERED DOWN WITH ALL THE CHANGES OVER THE PAST TWENTY YEARS. ALL OF US CLOSEST TO THE BARGE PROGRAM, WERE OVERWHELMED BY THE SHOW OF SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY, ALSO WISHING TO MAINTAIN AND REBUILD THE ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORM, AND THANKFULLY THE TOWN BEGAN TO LISTEN, AND INVESTIGATE FURTHER. WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED FUNDING TO BRING IT BACK FROM THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE, WE WERE ECSTATIC THE BARGE WASN'T GOING TO BE REPLACED BY AN HISTORIC PLAQUE AT LAKESIDE. BUT WHEN I STARTED HARANGUING COUNCILLORS A YEAR AGO, I REALIZED, BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES, THAT THE CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE VENUE, WOULD HAVE TO BE VIGOROUS, AND UNFLINCHING, NO MATTER WHAT THE DECISION. FORTUNATELY, AND WITH A LITTLE HELPFUL BADGERING, WE HAVE A TERRIFIC PLATFORM FROM WHICH TO WORK MAGIC…..AND FRED SCHULZ HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LOT OF YEARS NOW.

     IT WOULDN'T REALLY BE CONSIDERED A GOOD REVIEW, IF THE OPENING PARAGRAPH NOTED THAT, "REVIEWER FELL ASLEEP MID CONCERT." I HAVEN'T PLACED THIS IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH. BUT IT IS TRUE. I DID FALL ASLEEP FOR SEVERAL PRECIOUS MOMENTS. THE PERFORMANCE WAS SO RELAXING, AND THE EVENING SO INCREDIBLY COMFORTABLE, THE WAVES LAPPING GENTLY AT THE SHORE, THE BAND AND CONDUCTOR SHOULD TAKE IT AS A COMPLIMENT…..BECAUSE IT IS. I HAVE INSOMNIA. I'VE HAD IT FOR YEARS. BEING THIS CALM AND FEELING THIS PEACEFUL, BY GOLLY, THESE MUSICIANS PUT ME IN THE MOOD. SUZANNE KNIT MOST OF A SOCK WHILE SHE ENJOYED THE CONCERT. SHE EVEN FOUND A FEW MOMENTS TO HELP TAKE COLLECTION. THERE'S NO DANGER OF ME INTERRUPTING A PERFORMANCE WITH SNORING. SUZANNE HITS ME AT THE FIRST SIGN I MIGHT HUFF DEEPLY, GURGLE, AND SNORT, SO THAT I'M NOT ACCIDENTALLY CONFUSED AS A WAYWARD  BASOON PLAYER, IN NEED OF ADJUSTMENT.

     I GO TO CONCERTS ON THE BARGE EACH SUNDAY, TO RELAX, DAYDREAM, AND LIGHTLY SLUMBER AFTER MY HUGE…..AND I MEAN HUGE PICNIC. SUZANNE IS A "CHAIR DANCER," AND A SOCK AND MITTEN KNITTER, WHO WILL EVEN SING-A-LONG IF THE RIGHT TUNE COMES ALONG. WE HAVE A GOOD TIME, DOING OUR OWN THING. TONIGHT WAS A TEN OUT OF TEN. I'VE GOT ONE NEW SOCK AND I'M TOTALLY RELAXED AND RESTED, IN ORDER TO WRITE THIS REVIEW.

     THANK YOU SO MUCH NEIL BARLOW, AND ALL THOSE MEMBERS OF THE WONDERFUL AND SOOTHING BIFOCALS BAND. WATCH FOR UPDATES REGARDING NEXT SUNDAY'S BIG EVENT ON THE BARGE.

THANKS AGAIN TO THE TOWN OF GRAVENHURST FOR BELIEVING IN THIS TIME-HONORED PROGRAM, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF MANAGER FRED SCHULZ. YOUR TRUST IS IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US, WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE UNOFFICIAL BARGE DEBATING SOCIETY. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK AT THE PARK. BRING A PICNIC. BRING SOME FOR ME.