Occasional Musings by Kevin Russell
July 14, 2025 – Along the Mill Brook “Boom!” is taking the country by storm. After an arduous tour in California, concluding the 6-show circuit on Saturday, the Boston Crusaders headed to the proving grounds of Arizona and are now on their way to the crucible of Texas. This is a record of nine straight wins, and so far, undefeated in 2025. I was … Continue Reading →
My hiatus from my DCI tour is just about to end. The five-day pause was very refreshing and needed to restore me for the long journey ahead to several more shows. Taking the efficient and affordable Southwest Airlines from San Francisco to San Diego after DCI West was the right thing to do. Staying with high school buddies who migrated here fifty years ago … Continue Reading →
You know when you have overextended yourself when you hit the wall, or in some cases, the floor. My grand plan to attend the first BAC show, Drums Along the Rockies in Fort Collins, Colorado, was interrupted by such an overextension. At seventy, all of those seven-mile runs, Peak-a-Week hikes, and long ski days in the Green Mountains have begun to catch up with … Continue Reading →
August 12, 2024 – Grand Haven, Michigan Yup, I’m on another lark in Michigan. I left the drum corps world behind yesterday and headed north from Indianapolis on US Route 31. My first stop for a walk and some cultural heritage was South Bend, Indiana. This is where the Studebaker Brothers forged an auto empire from the humble beginnings of blacksmithing and carriage making. … Continue Reading →
August 11, 2024 – Indianapolis, Indiana This is sort of a reprise of the DCI Finals 2024 blog. It is a place to record my reflections on the events of the past few days and months following DCI shows. I will run the numbers when I return home, but last night was my 14th show of the 2024 season. I traveled to nine states … Continue Reading →
July 26, 2024 – Nashville Tennessee I have left the mountains of Vermont for the sidewalks of the city, The Music City, Nashville, Tennessee. Instead of the Friday adventure with my local adventurers ascending to a peak, I am on my solo jaunt amid the tall skyscrapers and hard surfaces of the iconic city of the south, known as the capital of country music, … Continue Reading →
In 1903, the Town of Fayston constructed the iconic schoolhouse along the Mill Brook near the junction of Number Nine Hill Road and Town Highway #1, now Mill Brook Road (Vermont Route 17). The road got its name from Schoolhouse #9, which served the Fayston School District 9. Sixty years of bell ringing and the chatter of the children of Fayston ensued along the … Continue Reading →
May 1, 2023 – Along the Mill Brook Well, the 2022 summer transitioned to fall, then to winter, and now it’s mid-spring 2023. The skis are almost put away, and it is long overdue for me to update you on my goings-on. Coaching high school golf, substitute teaching, serving on two boards, backcountry guiding, skiing, and general outdoor recreation have occupied my time and kept … Continue Reading →
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 new lease on life, … Continue Reading →
August 16, 2021 I want to give full credit to the name of this final blog entry of my 2021 DCI tour to the Phantom Regiment, who’s retro performance of their epic program – Harmonic Journey was the best medicine for many fans who have suffered from DCDD (Drum Corps Deficit Disorder) for over 22 months. It seemed to be fitting to end this series of … Continue Reading →