4th of July: Lorain rocks, Oberlin...not so much

The Buckeye and the Frog and some of our friends are boycotting Oberlin's fireworks because, for the second year in a row, they were held on July 3.  What is the point of fireworks on July 3?!?!  Makes no sense and please don't talk to me about firefighter overtime.  You either do it on the 4th or you don't do it at all.

So a group of us headed up to Lake Erie in Lorain and spread our picnic out on the beach behind the Rose Cafe in Lakeview Park.  A better place to watch fireworks simply cannot be imagined.  The evening was warm and breezy, the sand was soft and cool.  Lake Erie sparkled in front of us as the sun dropped from the sky.  All around people were spreading out blankets, kids were playing football and frisbee.  To the west we could see 5 or 6 different fireworks, from Vermilion to Cedar Point.  At 10, the fireworks at Black River Landing started and they were magnificent!  Each volley was like a finale and the finale went on forever!

Deborah Banyas, Nancy Gray, Terry Speer, the Buckeye, Reeny Annable, Jon Rice

This is where we'll be going every year, at least until Oberlin recognizes that this is a Fourth of July celebration.

The hour-long drive home was not exactly the perfect way to end the evening, so next year we'll get some ice cream at the Cafe and wait for the crowds to clear.

Reeny Annable, Jon Rice

the Buckeye, Nancy Gray

Lake Erie or, as the Frog calls it, la mer

Music music everywhere!

With one of the most prestigious conservatories in the country, you would expect Oberlin to have great music.  But musical events go well beyond the academic schedule of the College and Conservatory.  One of the best things about summer in Oberlin is the many concerts on the bandstand in Tappan Square.  This one featured my friend and guitar/keyboard teacher, Kevin Jones, and his band The Scrooges.  They did a lot of great old songs and even got one couple on their feet to dance.

Kevin and Marcia Jones

 The Scrooges played as a wrap up to the popular Chalk on the Walk event, but there are concerts almost every Friday night throughout the summer with all different kinds of music.

Nancy Gray and the Buckeye

Unfortunately, it seems to be feast or famine here and that night we had another concert to go to at our friends' Riverdog Retreat, with Oberlin's own Soul Proprioters followed by the unofficial duo of Peter "Madcat" Ruth and Dave Boutette.  If we had to cut out early from Kevin's group, at least it was for something as amazing as the show we headed to.  The jam at the end was really special and I don't think anyone wanted the evening and the music to end.  Anybody coming to Oberlin should really check out the Music at Riverdog Facebook page to see if there's a concert scheduled.

Soul Proprioters, the Buckeye

Dave Parsh, "Madcat" Ruth, Brad Conklin, Jakob Faber