This weekend could be an instant replay of the same weekend a year ago: Balloon rally in Hartford, Arab World Fest in Milwaukee, last weekend for State Fair in West Allis, car show in Waukesha, Bluesfest in Delafield. Heck, it even rained on Saturday afternoon, same as last year! Guess you have to stick with what works.

A little nervous when I heard that the only change to Bluesfest, beside performers, would be the ticket prices. Not enough people showed for the first one and, though we enjoyed it, thought it would take something major to bring it back again this year. It was $37.00 for a one day ticket last year compared to $15.00 each for advance tickets this time.

The restaurants were the same as last year, vendors same, artists same. Same park, Naga-Waukee. OK, even the same person accompanied me, Mom-in-law. But are fourteen artists in a tent gallery enough of a distraction for a 9-1/2 hour fest? Is there anything for kids to do?

Yesterday I'd heard that Friday's crowd was pretty light. I was afraid of that. I wanted to see this work for people like myself who enjoy this type of music, and for Waukesha Rotary Club's Charitable Fund, recipient of the proceeds.

We arrived around 1:00 for it's start and found everything as we left it from last year. All eyes were on the people, ears on the music. Would more people show than last year, and did the lineup suffer from the ticket price cut? The same tent with the same amount of chairs were filled with a similar number of blues fans. But then something started happening. A couple decent local acts played and people started arriving. Portable chairs were set up, picnic tables filling, artists seeing customers. It was a relaxed atmosphere where us mainly middle-aged folk could go barefoot, smoke, drink or get the blues without much restriction. I didn't see anyone get out of hand, mom-in-law excepted.

By the time the first of the three head-liners played, the tent seemed to be 3/4 full. We were really getting into the artist born in Two Rivers who later moved to New Orleans. His nieces took the stage to toss Mardi Gras beads to us and I caught one for Ma. People started cheering for me and I didn't know why. Correction, people were cheering for Bryan Lee not Brien Lee and it was because his group was really great. He signed my t-shirt the same way I often sign my name, B Lee, a neat trick considering he's blind.

As the evening wore on the tent filled almost completely and I was satisfied the one change made to the ticket price was enough. Younger fans appeared as day turned to night. Many dancers were enjoying themselves, especially to the tunes of The Bel Airs. We had an enjoyable night and will go again next year.

Spent several hours at Pewaukee Lake yesterday. With the no wake law still in force it's unusually quiet, and if my canoe didn't still have gaping holes in it... So we fish from shore. Very peaceful watching the regatta of around 50 sailboats. Later in the day was Taste of Lake Country and fireworks, but that's another story.

Making every cent of my weekend dollars count I went to Milwaukee today to do several things. I parked under the Hoan Bridge by the river, saving $10.00. I attended a very nice Lutheran service in the Marcus Amphitheater and was allowed into German Fest free, saving $13.00.

German Fest is one of the few festivals I missed last year, (Pride Fest will still have to wait) and I wanted to get there for the food and music. I haven't been to this one before. I wasn't into the music and dancing all that much, but the scents, tastes and sights were overwhelming. Got my first look at the new Harley Stage also. Very cool.

Wandered over to Discovery World next door to use the pass I obtained with the purchase of my Les Paul concert ticket, saving $17.00. I spent the next couple hours in my first tour of the Technology and Aquarium Buildings and the Les Paul House of Sound exhibit!  The Les Paul exhibit, indeed all of Discovery World, was way more than I could've imagined. I enjoyed handling everything, trying it out, playing with things, discovering at my own pace.

Discovery World has to be seen to be believed. When I thought nothing could possibly top the Les Paul exhibit, I had doubts while touring the rest of the building. The bed of nails was one very interesting interactive feature of the Technology Building. Fun to try. The Great Lakes are to scale in the Aquarium complete with interactive locks, rain and storms, and bluegills (not to scale). Also had fun touching the rays and lake sturgeon.

The schooner in the Aquarium Building is a fun play thing. Lots of things to touch, turn and see with many things identified with labels. I played with as many things as I could today and the best thing is I only got yelled at once - at the German Fest Splash Pad for not taking my shoes off!  

I'm 100% in favor of opening downtown to bikes by closing streets to cars. Of course I'd probably feel different if I lived downtown or if I hated loud music or bikes. But while listening to last night's Common Council meeting, all my questions were answered and I actually let my mind imagine what a wonderful thing this party could be. The alderpeople asked a lot of difficult questions and I always heard good responses. I could feel the enthusiasm from here. The only person to vote against it was Ald. Payne, who incorrectly thought he wouldn't have a voice in determining street closures.

The only business owner to speak against the Labor Day Harley party was a lawyer from the Nelson House, adjacent to Cutler Park where most of the music and drinking will be centered. She complained she'd have to pay her staff for the four days they'd have to close because they couldn't park nice and close to the building. I guess I must be really out of touch because I thought most lawyers had Labor Day weekend off.

I'm surprised more residents of downtown didn't speak up against it -- I can just imagine trying to sleep! But maybe they're like me and just want to wander around town with an open intoxicant while listening to free music.

This party will happen whether Harley endorses it or not.  They say that if it is endorsed it would give our city global exposure. Did I mention I saw Japanese bikers at the Expo Center campground during the 100th?

You might think it all seems so rushed. That it takes a year to prepare for an event like this. Actually, the organizers are experienced promoters who seem to work well with the many important people and large companies like Miller Brewing and Kirk Topel, owner of Hal's Harley, that things like this require. They know their limitations and are willing to take the financial risk that will ultimately benefit the city as a whole more than it will themselves.

New people in town think they can come here and not only turn a condemned dump of a building into a high class hotel and restaurant, but have the vision of something more for the city? And do it all at the same time? Their's isn't the only construction that has to be done by the 105th. I walk past the Harley Museum every day on my way to work. They don't have to work hard to attract people. People would come if the old bikes and memorabilia were stored in a tent on an old soccer field. Instead, a beautiful black building surrounded by water on three sides, with the majestic white 6th St. Viaduct suspension bridge on the fouth, is within months of welcoming visitors.

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So it could be with our own museum and The Les Paul Experience. Time is running short. It should be a priority to get it done while Les can still come and see it's completion, and he's over 90 now! We could avoid town at all costs when the Harley enthusiasts come, but that would be a big mistake. We should promote our museum, we already know music will attract people downtown. Let's run raffles and promotions. (don't tell my wife, but I once bought a $100.00 raffle ticket for the chance to win a Harley V-Rod. I didn't win.) Let's get this Les Paul exhibit built! 

Within the last week and a half I walked, drove, rode a bike and chased a hot air balloon to the University of Wisconsin Waukesha.

A week ago Saturday was the last time I crewed, possibly for the season. All three balloons that took off together from a park on County K in Pewaukee landed together on the north parking lot of the university. Distance of travel; about five miles. It was fun landing in my own neighborhood for once.

This last Friday I attended the free Fall Instrumental Concert featuring the UW-Waukesha Handbell Choir and the Symphonic Band. Really impressed by the music and little stories behind the music. This was the first year of playing for five of the six handbell choristers and they did a fantastic job. The Symphonic Band took on more than one challenging piece and played extremely well also.

Sunday the university offered free hot chocolate and fireworks after the parade. Friendly volunteers had tables set up to do craft activities with the many children there. It was the second day of the second annual Festival of Trees, a fundraiser for the UW-Waukesha Foundation, a group that supports and promotes students and programs at the university.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting the current photo exhibit in the Fine Arts Center on the south end of the campus. The gallery, open just 10:30 to 1:30 M-F, is currently showing 20 or so large, beautifully mounted and arranged photos by Janica Yoder.

Today I enjoyed even more meeting photo artist Janica Yoder during a Visions and Expressions lecture at the university. We saw many slides of her work and she commented on every one. She told us what camera she used, where her models were from, what she was feeling, where she took the photos, how she created certain effects... I found several of the things she said very interesting. First, she loves to photograph at Paradise Springs, the same place I was taking pictures at Thursday. Also, she always uses film, not digital cameras and she exclusively uses natural light for all her photos. We all enjoyed learning how her photos were created as much as seeing the slides themselves. But one of the nicest things of the afternoon was viewing the exhibit once again after learning how the photos were done. Janica's talk gave a lot of substance to the exhibit and I appreciated even more.

The outfits and costumes were large and colorful Sunday at Indian Summer. We sat in the sun watching the Grand Entry then joined in the circle dance with Native Americans and others. The food was very good. I had an Indian taco made with fry bread and a cup of wild rice soup. We enjoyed listening to Brule' perform. There was a very good turnout and the many shops selling wooden flutes, art, clothing, music and jewelery were crowded.

The dancers are wonderful! I enjoyed them last year and will see them again next. But the one new thing I enjoyed the most was trying to start a fire. Without matches or lighter. Notice I said trying. I really wanted to light that fire by spinning a basswood dowel against a second piece of basswood. I tried over and over but finally gave up in a pool of sweat. It was going to be a big ego boost - something I could brag about on my blog. The Native American instructor gave us a little folklore behind the first people to tame the flame and said it's the one thing that set us apart from other animals. Several people did start fire and were allowed to place their names on a big board. Because I didn't get a flame going, I limped away to join my animal friends in darkness and cold.

Hope my wife doesn't mind, but I spent nine hours at Naga-Waukee Park yesterday with an older woman. We were there to hear performers on the last day of two day Waukesha BluesFest, a Waukesha Noon Rotary fundraising event. Besides the music, my mother-in-law and I enjoyed jambalaya, crawfish bisque, blackened catfish and barbequed ribs.

We washed the spicy food down with several of the many interesting beers offered and the music was washed down with rain. The rain came sometime after the 6:00 p.m. act, Shemekia Copeland, and stayed long enough to wet the grass but not make muddy waters. The sturdy tent holding close to 2000 chairs could have withstood a much greater storm but didn't even need the side curtains closed for this one.

The seven groups seemed to progress in quality up to headliner, Mavis Staples. I enjoyed them all, but my favorite was Ollabelle, an interesting New York quintet with two agreeable female singers who play accoustic and electric guitars and mandolin. Ollabelle is also one of Mavis' favorites and she's godmother to one of the female singers.

The sparse crowd for the first Waukesha BluesFest became a running joke for many of the bands so I gave it some thought. Obviously the $40.00 or so per day ticket price is the first thing to look at. As a fundraiser wanting to showcase quality acts it's understandable, but tickets should be low enough to fill the seats until it's well established. Besides, even if Waukesha was a big blues area, it would be hard to find another venue with prices as high. As a matter of fact there's a fun-sounding music, barbeque and fun festival coming up Sept. 28th through 30th at Menomonee Falls Village Park. The three day free "Big Pig Gig" offers 23 musical acts on three stages versus fourteen on one during BluesFest's two days.

Other things to look at would be the accompanying vendors or attractions. I saw the favorable crowd at the 2007 Waukesha Car Show in the Park today and wondered why a bike or car show couldn't be combined with blues music. Also, it was nice to have fourteen art vendors with the artists present but I saw the same thing for free during last week's art crawl.

On the happy side of the blues, with at most two hundred people in attendance, there was no waiting for anything and we could sit anywhere, taking up as many chairs as we needed. What the small crowd lacked in numbers it made up in enthusiasm and I was glad to be part of it, me and mom-in-law. Our quality time together.

How was your weekend? Sunday was a day of firsts. First time I went to Polish Fest. Finally tried paczki for the first time. Attended a Polish mass, walked around Wisconsin's newest state park, Lakeshore, stepped inside and checked out Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin.

Mass at the lakefront started at 10:15 but I was already up by 4:30 a.m. to crew for a first time hot air balloon flight for someone who was turning 50 Monday. To get in to Polish Fest for just $4.00 I had to attend mass and, because I was attending mass, was the only one I could talk into going.

Because I was alone Sunday morning I had time to see what interested me. I enjoyed talking with an interesting man who was selling beautiful paintings he had done on large linden leaves. I listened to the Chopin Youth Piano Competition and was amazed by the skill of the 10 through 14 year olds. I played the benches under the Wind Leaves in front of Discovery World. Watched the sailboats, walked the beach...

With Summerfest starting tomorrow there is perfect opportunity to explore all the new things just outside the gates. On July 8th everyone gets in to Summerfest free from noon to 4:00. You can get a wristband any day from noon to 6:30 to leave and re-enter so you can check out the park, play the benches and turn the Wind Leaves, visit the gift shop in Discovery World, pick up brochures for sailing on the Denis Sullivan, walk the breakwater...