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Ten Degrees and Getting Colder

  Cold Sunrise   That's just the name of the song written by Gordon Lightfoot.  It was actually -13 F when I got up this morning (wind chill -24).  Tucson may have pulled back into the lead!  There's a lot of weighing pros and cons of Colorado vs Arizona by the wood stove.  Not much else to report. I did enjoy a few games of pool and a beer with my brother this week.  We don't get together very often, so it's good to try to keep the lines of communication open, especially with my mother celebrating her 86th birthday next month.  He lives in Milwaukee and just started semi-retirement.  Our opposing politics and lifestyles keep things very casual and surface-level.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.   It's important to find common ground.  He and his wife have started going to concerts and recently saw the Steve Miller Band.  Music is one of our common interests.      
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Madison: Concert on the Square

Yesterday afternoon and evening, we went to Concerts on the Square on the grounds of Wisconsin's State Capitol.  It was a beautiful afternoon and evening.  The performers were the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Wisconsin Dells Singers from the Ho Chunk tribe.  

In order to get good seats, it's common for some state employees to leave work and start setting up blankets on the grounds at 3 p.m, returning after the workday is over.

 


We squeezed in shortly before 5 p.m. for the 7 p.m. concert. By showtime, there is no space left on the grass, and tens of thousands of people are in attendance on all sides of the capitol.  Most people can't even see the performers but watch on big screens set up on the other three sides.

Both of us love the people watching.   We bring a picnic and stretch out on a large blanket.  There was a nice breeze to keep the air moving.

 


By the time the music starts, and after a glass or two of wine, I'm usually laying on my back, looking up at the trees.  I'm not a huge fan of chamber music, and I almost fell asleep in the middle of the crowd.

 

There is no sleeping, however, during the Ho-Chunk performance, which is energizing to me.


The Ho-Chunk is not a poor nation, operating two very successful casinos and other businesses in the area.   William Funmaker thanked us for coming out and encouraged everyone to visit a Ho-Chunk Casino soon.  I'll pass but really enjoyed the music. 


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MFH said…
It's interesting how much Native American music sounds alike. When we first moved to Albuquerque a neighbor and I would visit over the back wall, his radio in his nearby apartment tuned to a Native station. And though I couldn't distinguish a difference, now and then he'd join in and sing along.
July 21, 2022 at 8:21 PM
John said…
I've been to a couple of pow wows open to the public when we lived in Green Bay, and there are similarities. It would help me if I understood the lyrics. My understanding is that Native American music is a way that they tell their stories and a record of their history. My musical tastes gravitate towards the story-telling aspects of folk and bluegrass.
July 22, 2022 at 8:40 AM
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