The Good Brothers Will Close Out A Great Barge Season

THE RAIN HELD, THE PEOPLE CAME, AND THEY ENJOYED A BEACH PARTY ON THE HILLSIDE

ENDLESS SUMMER WAS DRY BUT NOW ITS MOIST - AND ISN'T IT NICE TO SEE BROWN TURN GREEN

     IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WE'VE ONLY GOT ONE MORE SHOW, IN THE 2012 "MUSIC ON THE BARGE SEASON," HELD AT GRAVENHURST'S ROTARY GULL LAKE PARK, (SUNDAYS FROM JUNE UNTIL JULY).

     WHAT BEGAN AS A FIRST CONCERT RAIN-OUT, FOR THE WELL KNOWN DISTRICT BAND, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF CONDUCTOR, NEIL BARLOW, HAS TURNED INTO ONE OF THE DRIEST RUNS IN CONCERT HISTORY. THE DROUGHT HAS PLAYED HAVOC ON OUR AGRICULTURAL FRIENDS, AND BEEN DASTARDLY FOR SOME HOME GARDENERS, BUT FOR MUSIC ON THE BARGE PERFORMANCES, IT HAS BEEN A DANDY, DRY, MOSTLY SUNNY SEASON. FOR THIS MOST RECENT CONCERT….WELL, IT WAS OVERCAST, A LITTLE CHILLY, WITH A FEW RAIN DROPS, BUT DEEPLY, PROFOUNDLY NOSTALGIC.

     TO TALK ABOUT THE 2012 SEASON, IN RETROSPECT, IT WOULDN'T BE FAR FETCHED AT ALL, TO SUGGEST IT WAS ONE, OUT OF WELL MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS, FOR THE RECORD BOOK. WHAT MAKES IT EVEN MORE MEMORABLE, IS THAT A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE BARGE HAD MORE HOLES IN IT, THAN A LARGE SLICE OF SWISS CHEESE. THE RENOVATION WORK SHOWED JUST HOW VULNERABLE THE PLATFORM HAD BEEN, AS THE IRON POSTS SUNK INTO THE LAKE, HAD BEEN SHEARED OFF BY YEARS OF GRINDING WINTER ICE. FOR AWHILE, IT WAS LOOKING LIKE THE SEASON WOULD EITHER HAVE TO BE CANCELLED, OR MOVED TO ANOTHER LESS ACCESSIBLE AND VISIBLE VENUE. AS THE DAISY AWARDS FOR GRAVENHURST GARDENS WERE HANDED OUT TONIGHT, GEEZ, I COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK BACK OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE JOINED THE BAND AND FRED SCHULZ ON STAGE, FOR THE COMMUNITIES IN BLOOM PRESENTATIONS. WELL SIR, WE'RE GLAD THEY DIDN'T FALL INTO THE DRINK THEN, BECAUSE TO LOOK AT THOSE EXPOSED, OUT OF POSITION IRON SUPPORTS, GADSIT WAS A CLOSE CALL THAT THE BARGE DIDN'T SLIDE TOWARD SHORE, WITH ALL THOSE FOLKS ABOARD. SUNDAY NIGHT, EVEN WITH THE DAMAGED POSTS VISIBLE, WITH THE LOW WATER IN GULL LAKE, THE AWARD WINNERS AND PRESENTERS FROM COMMUNITIES IN BLOOM AND THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, WERE SAFE AND SOUND ABOARD THE ONCE-AGAIN, "SEAWORTHY" BARGE. GOOD TO KNOW SOME GARDENS FARED BETTER THAN OURS, DURING THE DRIEST JULY IN RECENT MEMORY. NICE TO SEE THESE COMMUNITY MINDED, REALLY GOOD GARDENERS, GETTING THE CREDIT THEY DESERVE FOR BEAUTIFYING OUR HOMETOWN. THIS WAS JUST A SMALL PORTION OF THE ACTUAL GROUP OF PARTICIPATING GARDENERS, SOME FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AS WELL. NICE TO HAVE THE ON THE BARGE AS WELL.

     WE'VE HAD A FEW SUNDAY NIGHTS, HAVING HAD EARLY DAY THREATS OF RAIN BUT NOTHING HAS MANIFESTED, EXCEPT ON THE SEASON'S OPENING NIGHT. EVEN THEN, THERE WASN'T ANY RAIN, BUT A THREAT OF A DANGEROUS, HIGH WIND STORM, THAT BLEW OVER LAKE MUSKOKA INSTEAD. FOR MOST OF THE PAST WEEK, THE FORECAST HAS PREDICTED RAIN AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A ROGUE THUNDERSTORM TO PASS OUR WAY. WE GOT QUITE A BIT OF RAIN, AND THUNDER, ON SATURDAY, BUT BY GOLLY, CONCERT MANAGER, FRED SCHULZ, STOPPED-UP THOSE PESKY WATER-LADEN CLOUDS ONCE AGAIN. TO THE APPROVAL OF ANOTHER ROBUST CROWD IN ATTENDANCE FOR THIS MOST RECENT PERFORMANCE. THE "ENDLESS SUMMER" BAND WAS A CROWNING EVENT FOR THE BEACH LOVERS ON SUNDAY, AND IT TOOK MANY OF US BACK TO THE GRAND DAYS OF BEACH PARTIES AND LONG, WARM SUMMER DAYS, AND THE OLD FRIENDS LEFT BEHIND. AS USUAL, THE BAND GAVE THE AUDIENCE A "FUN" EVENING, OF NOSTALGIC MUSIC, FROM SOME OF THE GREAT BEACH BANDS. THERE WAS SOME CHUBBY CHECKER "TWISTING" GOING ON, AND MUSIC FROM THE BEATLES, ALWAYS A CROWD PLEASER WHEN DONE WELL. AND EVEN THE OLDEST OF CONCERT-GOERS, COULD BE SEEN CHAIR DANCING, AND CELEBRATING SUMMER IN THE MUSKOKA HEARTLAND. ISN'T THAT WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT AFTERALL? A LAKESIDE VENUE, A TIGHT GATHERING OF FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, AND THE MUSIC TO BIND IT ALL TOGETHER INTO ONE HUGELY ENTERTAINING MUSIC ON THE BARGE SUMMER.

     AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, BY READING THIS BLOG ON OCCASION, THERE WAS A LOT OF FEAR IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, THAT THE COST ESTIMATE FOR RESTORING THE BARGE, WAS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM FOR THE TOWN OF GRAVENHURST, ALREADY SEVERAL YEARS INTO AN AUSTERITY BUDGET. IT WAS ADMITTEDLY A TOUGH SELL, TO JUSTIFY THE BUSINESS POTENTIAL, OF RE-INVESTING IN THE BARGE, TO BRING IT BACK TO SAFE STANDARDS. THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE COUNCIL WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO SWING THE COST THIS YEAR, AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING TO BARGE SUPPORTERS, AND OF COURSE, FOR ALL THOSE THOUSANDS, WHO LOVE TO ATTEND ON THESE SUMMER SUNDAYS. SO IT'S A SWEET FEELING, TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE COME THIS FAR, AFTER SUCH A PRECARIOUS COUPLE OF YEARS, WHEN FATE HUNG IN THE BALANCE, AND HOLES ON THE STAGE BECAME MORE VISIBLE, AND USE FOR SHOWS, INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS.

     ON SUNDAY NIGHT, I ENJOYED A SEVEN COURSE PICNIC, WITH FRESH PEACHES, AND NONE OF IT ROLLED INTO THE LAKE. THIS YEAR, I'VE ONLY LOST ONE HARD BOILED EGG, A TOMATO, TWO RADISHES, AND HALF A SLICE OF GARLIC BREAD. SUZANNE ONLY LOST HER BALL OF WOOL, BUT IT WAS FOUND. JUST A LITTLE WET. SUZANNE AND I, AND THE BOYS, HAD BEEN TRAVELING FOR MOST OF THE DAY, PRIOR TO THE CONCERT, SO IT WAS GREAT TO SIT AT THE WATER'S EDGE, AND BE ENTERTAINED BY THE WATER LAPPING ON THE SAND…..TO START WITH, AND THE ENDLESS SUMMER TO END WITH. THE CROWD ENJOYED THE MUSIC AND THE EVENING GENERALLY….AND YOU KNOW, IT JUST GOES TO SHOW, THAT MUSKOKA IS THE PERFECT HOST REGION IN ONTARIO FOR OUTSIDE EVENTS. EVEN IF BY CHANCE, IT HAD BEGUN TO RAIN A LITTLE MORE SUBSTANTIALLY, I THINK FRED MIGHT HAVE SEEN A SHOW OF SOLIDARITY TO THE MORE THAN HALF CENTURY BARGE TRADITION……AND EVEN WITHOUT UMBRELLAS, THERE WAS NO GOING HOME PREMATURELY. SO WE HAVE HAD SEVEN GOOD NIGHTS FOR SUMMER CONCERTS, AND THERE'S ONE MORE TO GO. FIVE MINUTES AFTER FRED READS THIS REVIEW, I'LL BET YOU HE'LL BE CHECKING THE SEVEN DAY FORECAST. THE GOOD BROTHERS CONCERT, THIS COMING SUNDAY, IS NOT ONLY THE FINAL SHOW OF THE SEASON, BUT IT'S FRED'S FAVORITE. HE LIKES ALL THE GROUPS, BUT HIS SENTIMENTAL FAVORITE WILL ALWAYS BE THE GOOD BROTHERS. HE STILL HAS NIGHTMARES ABOUT THE CONCERT WHEN THEY GOT RAINED-OUT AFTER ONLY FOUR SONGS. ONE OTHER, TURNED INTO A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM, MINUTES AFTER THE LAST EQUIPMENT WAS LOADED SAFELY AWAY. SO WHATEVER VODOO HE CAN CONJURE UP, TO KEEP IT DRY FOR JUST ONE MORE WEEK, BET YOU HE'LL BE LOOKING IT UP TOO, AND DABBLING WITH LUCKY CHARMS, LIKE THE OLD RABBIT FOOT HE WON'T ADMIT OWNING, TO MAKE IT THE BIGGEST, DRIEST, SUNNIEST, HAPPIEST EVENT OF THE SUMMER SEASON.

     SO MAKE A NOTE OF THIS FOLKS. NEXT SUNDAY IS THE ANNUAL "GOOD BROTHERS" VISIT TO GRAVENHURST, AND AS USUAL, A HUGE CROWD IS EXPECTED TO ATTEND. BETTER GET THERE EARLY FOR A GOOD PLACE TO SIT. NO KIDDING. WE SET UP OUR CONCERT ENCAMPMENT AT AROUND 2 P.M., AND EVEN THEN, THERE ARE SITES BEING CLAIMED ALL AROUND US.

     IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHY MY BLOG IS ENTIRELY IN "CAPS,"…….WELL, IT'S LIKE THIS…..I'VE HAD FOURTEEN ICE TEAS TODAY, AND I'M SO HOPPED-UP ON SUGAR, I'VE BEEN POUNDING THIS KEYBOARD LIKE JERRY LEE LEWIS. FORGOT TO USE LOWER CASE. WON'T SLEEP TONIGHT EITHER. SUZANNE LOVES THESE NIGHTS, AS I WANDER AIMLESSLY, LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO, LIKE BUILD A NEW PORCH OR BUILD A MOTORCYCLE OUT OF THE BOYS' LEFTOVER LEGO.

     THANKS FOR JOINING TODAY'S BLOG. PLEASE JOIN ME AGAIN SOON. AND DO COME OUT TO SEE THIS FINAL CONCERT OF THE 2012 SEASON. YOU'D MAKE FRED THE HAPPIEST GUY IN MUSKOKA.