High Side of the Left Lane

August 16, 2022 – Mill Brook Road, Waitsfield, Vermont It is well overtime for me to complete my summertime blog series with this perspective on my DCI tour. I arrived home around 9:00am yesterday. Daughter number 3 was housesitting and her laundry clogged up my gear room, but the company was welcome. Abby has been to a couple of shows, … Continue Reading →

Finals Day DCI 2022

August 13, 2022 3:00pm  What a great experience hanging in Military Park, the warm-up area for the horn lines and drum lines last night. I did not have a ticket for the show, so that was my destination for the evening. Upon arrival, Carolina Crown brass was in section groups going through snippets of the show to continue to achieve … Continue Reading →

DCI Preliminary Finals

August 11, 2022 – Indianapolis 1:30pm Let the games begin. I’m in Indianapolis, the Circle City for three days of world championships of Drum Corps International at the Lucas Oil Stadium. At this moment, I am in the clubroom in the center of the stadium in between shows of the open class corps. Later this afternoon, I will take my … Continue Reading →

The Power of Positivity

August 9, 2022 – Mounds State Park, Indiana It was my father that taught me the power of thinking positively, and always relating with other in a positive manner. This technique has once again proven itself with respect to the Silver Bullet, my 6-year-old Volvo. Sitting forlornly in the lot at Almartin Volvo, the car will soon be getting a … Continue Reading →

Deep in the Heart of DCI

August 8, 2022 – Wexford, Pennsylvania I am in Wexford, Pennsylvania, deep into my 2022 DCI tour. This is the location where my 2008 Volvo, the old Grey Ghost, had transmission trouble back in 2018 while on tour. Today, I will be stopping into Bobby Rahal Volvo here to thank them again for helping me in 2018, and to share … Continue Reading →

Allentown Bound, Yay!

  August 4, 2022 – Waitsfield, VT It has been a bit of a roller coaster ride of emotions planning and executing my drum corps tour this season. It is especially challenging when your car breaks down. I am happy to report that I will be on my way to Allentown, PA tomorrow morning in a brand-new Volvo SUV. Almartin … Continue Reading →

NightBEAT 2022

August 2, 2022  Well, it was a night of mixed experience at the Truist Field Sunday night. Mother Nature provided a mixture of bright sky, alternated by passing waves of a layered variety of cloud types including cumulonimbus, resulting a passing rain showers replete with a rainbow. The stadium was temporarily dampened, but the performers on the field were truly … Continue Reading →

Love and Peace-of-Mind in the South

Saturday, July 30, 2022 – Winston Salem, NC I am very glad that I changed my plans to fly to Greensboro and rent a car for the weekend. Being in flux on my car repairs, and not really wanting to drive the extra miles, and additional days on the road to start my auto tour, I went for a low … Continue Reading →

Drum Corps Doldrums in Vermont

July 23, 2022 – Waitsfield, Vermont Here I sit along the Mill Brook, whiling away time with my thoughts and fingers. The brook is louder today because of the heavy rain last night. The water is high, but I am in the middle of my drum corps summertime drought. The month of July is the cruelest month for me because … Continue Reading →

BAC in their Hometown 

July 5, 2022 Caffeine, cruise control, and rock n’ roll. That was the motto that I employed with my down-and-back trip to Lynn, MA, just outside the city of Boston for the Bean Pot Invitational, DCI show last Sunday. The Silver Bullet (my Volvo wagon) is getting a little tired at 100 thousand miles and she is running a little … Continue Reading →