From The Land of Lynryd Skynyrd

I'm back. Still blue. Okay, make that a funky lighter blue.
I think I can feel the days getting longer.
I am eager for color and spring.


Frosted local fields of dead grass

I was bored almost all weekend while The Lubricator (W4D) spent full days Friday, Saturday and Sunday at a Municipal Government conference. My councilman came home with a wealth of knowledge about basic government at the town level. The Lubricator met a councilman who sits on a small town council with his cousin, his father-in-law and his mother-in-law. The fifth member of the council is not related but the councilman's wife sits on the town's Land Planning Committee. And here I thought that was illegal. Did you know the smallest town in Florida is Weeki Wachee Springs? Seven mermaids reside there. I am not kidding. Hurray for my tax dollars at work.













In the midst of a long and boring weekend came another downer... Georgetown beat #1 Duke and my #2 Gators also got up-ended by Tennessee. Major Basketball Bummer. So, mostly my weekend sucked except for one saving grace. Last night at 8:00, we had tickets to see Alison Krauss and Union Station.

I am certain that when the angels sing, they don't have a sweeter or more pure voice than Alison Krauss. Union Station is also brilliantly talented. It amazes me when musicians can stand so still, maybe just a barely noticeable tapping of the toe, and up bubbles and boils such an awesome, joyful sound. We enjoyed parts of the movie soundtracks from Cold Mountain, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood, Mona Lisa Smile and of course, O Brother, Where Art Thou.

Dan Tyminski of Union Station was the voice of George Clooney in "O Brother," and it was great fun to see him sing all those songs from the film soundtrack. "Man of Constant Sorrow" just about brought down the house. All the members of Union Station are in demand on many albums and each is among the very best acoustical musicians for base, dobro, mandolin, guitar, banjo and fiddle. It was a fab concert in a cozy setting and it made up for a very boring and long weekend alone.

Alison Krauss said she was from the Land of Lincoln, playing in the Land of Lynyrd Skynyrd. That brought cheers from the crowd since this is an area where Southern Rock is very prominent. In fact, many of us remember when Lynyrd was Leonard Skinner and Tom Petty hadn't yet made it big and the bands would play locally every weekend. I noticed how old much of the audience was last night. Where did the time go?