It seems to be Monday - so I think I should update a bit. Farm Fest 7 is in the books and what a terrific weekend. I was absolutely exhausted when I got home yesterday afternoon. How tired was I? I didn't even stay up to watch the end of the Vikings game last night. That is nearly unheard of, but three nights of staying up way too late, imbibing in too many cocktails and getting way too little sleep will do that to a guy. I am so thankful that Beth and I had the foresight to take today off. Some times I'm smarter than I look.
But as I said during our performance Saturday night, I think this was the most fun I've ever had at any Farm Fest. There were many special moments during the weekend which made it especially memorable.
The first special moment was right away on Thursday after getting to the farm. Our good friend Scott ("Scooter") is serving in Iraq and he came home on two week leave just to be at Farm Fest, so it was fantastic to see him for the first time in eight months or so.
To get things started, our big Halloween party was on Thursday night. The Kampens take it upon themselves to throw a differently themed party every year and this year it was trick or treat time!
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| This is (left to right), Korey, Doug and Scooter setting up for the Halloween Party Thursday afternoon. |
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| Me and my better half... I think. |
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| My brother Bob (the farmer with the pitch fork) and Brian, a member of the "Purple Press." | | | |
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| Bob and Kathy... the farmer and his wife |
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| Dale and Mel whooping it up at the Halloween party! |
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I have a feeling there are more Halloween party pictures to come, which I'll post later. Unless, of course, there is incriminating evidence of some sort...
On Friday we rehearsed for much of the afternoon, preparing for Saturday night. Then after supper, a bunch of us sat around under the "big top" shooting the breeze when Uncle Ray decided to grab the acoustic guitar and start playing a little music. As the night went on, more people gathered around and it ended up to be a big, improvised "hootenanny." Someone would throw out a song suggestion and Ray would start playing and everyone would sing along. We've never done that before, but it sure made for a fun night. I don't think anyone took any pictures, but if you did please send them to me!
Then came the big day, Saturday!
The day started out with a bang as my great-nephews Jake and Luke unveiled my dad's remodeled tractor. My nephew Dan and his boys rebuilt the old 1956 Farmall 230, which my dad owned for over 40 years. It brought tears to my eyes - yet another special moment of Farm Fest 7:
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| My dad's old tractor |
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| A very special touch was added to the paint job. |
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| Me and my brothers in front of dad's beautiful red Farmall! |
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After lots of visiting, then cam show time. My brother Dale started things off with a short "opening act" on saxophone.
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| Dale a-wailin' the sax. | | | | |
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| Meanwhile, my sister-in-law Kathy had a HUGE game of bingo for all the kids with a ton of prizes. This is my daughter's favorite part of Farm Fest, by the way. |
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At the end of of Dale's "opening act," we had a surprise birthday tribute for my Uncle Kenny and Aunt Bev. Kenny turns 80 and Bev turns 78 next month! This was yet another special moment of Farm Fest 7.
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| My Uncle Kenny and Aunt Bev just minutes before we surprised them! |
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| I did a quick presentation called "Six Degrees of Separation," in which I connected Kenny and Bev with Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln through a series of six people through history. |
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| Afterwards, each of Bev and Kenny's seven kids told them about their memories, and then many people in the crowd came up to thank them for being a part of their lives. This is Aunt Jo (Bev's sister) and my cousin Lydia saying a few special words. It was a very touching and emotional tribute. That's Kathy, Bev and Kenny's oldest, to the right. |
Then it was time to eat - a good ol' Minnesota potluck - and it was a feast of feasts!
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| I love this picture. These are my mom and dad's grandkids. Or at least most of 'em. My nephew Chris and my two little rugrats are missing. My parents' grandchildren range in age from 42 years to 13 months! |
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Then came showtime. We played well into the night and had a blast! I think everyone else did too...
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| Brian and Ray |
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| "DB and the Family Jewels" |
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| The show wouldn't be complete without an appearance from the "Man in Black." |
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Before I knew it, the night was over... but what a night! All in all I think it may have been the best Farm Fest we've ever had.
I am sure there are more pictures to come. (Thanks to my niece Stacy; I stole most of these pictures from her Facebook profile... I didn't think she'd mind!)
