Horse Manure Park

Don't forget... The last Farm Fest Thursday Night Kick-Off Theme Party will be the evening of:  August 8th in the West Field. This year's theme is a Toga/Nerd/Animal House College Party Got a toga? Got a nerd outfit? Bring those pocket protectors and olive leaf crowns and get ready to party! What should you bring? Bring a bottle - an adult libation of your choice - for one last batch of "The Best Kick-Ass Wopatui in Oak Valley Township!" Bring a dish or appetizer to share for a pot luck supper - [chili will be provided]. We are looking forward to seeing you Thursday evening for a great night of fun... and remember, it's just the beginning!

Friends, a couple of very exciting announcements for Farm Fest 10... First, after four months of intense negotiations, three cases of Jack Daniels, a package of string cheese and a slightly used bicycle, we have secured a contract for the return of the one and only The Man In Black for a final encore appearance - back by popular demand! After a long hiatus, the Man in Black is coming back! Second, we are happy to announce we have sold almost 90 Farm Fest 10 t-shirts this year - (that's an all-time record, folks)!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!! And remember, 100% of the profit from t-shirts go back to paying for the party. We will see you real soon " where the swamp begins and the party never ends...."

For those who do not have a Facebook account... Farm Fest 10 Invitation

I picked up the boy from daycare this afternoon and he proudly showed me his lilacs.  When I tried to smell them, he pulled away and scolded, "No, Dad!  These are for Mom."   He would not let me near them.  He protected them like a pitbull on cocaine.   To tell the truth, he kind of scared me.  He takes this "gift for Mom" thing pretty seriously. 

I just closed the cover on my most recent read: Love, Janis ;   an in-depth and deeply personal biography about Janis Joplin, written by her sister, Laura Joplin. I sort of feel like I've said goodbye to an old friend who I never knew, except through her music. Even though I tend to think of her as someone who had been around for decades, Janis only enjoyed success as a singer for four years.   Four years. She truly was just getting started. In fact, she officially recorded just 35 songs in the studio (not including live tracks). One of those songs, the popular "Mercedes Benz," wasn't even meant to be an official recording. Between takes of another song, she sang it to her band a cappella for fun on October 1, 1970.  The tape just happened to be rolling. She died 48 hours later. When Beth and I went to Texas in 2001, we made sure to stop in Austin and have a drink at Threadgill's, which was where Joplin got her start while attending the Univers...

It was a long-anticipated day for our family. More than four weeks in the making, we finally got through the paperwork, the interview process and all of the technicalities that the caring, diligent folks at Minnesota Boxer Rescue (MBR) require before adopting a rescued boxer. And it finally happened yesterday, but it was a long and winding road to get there. <<>> We first heard about Humphrey a month ago.  He was three years old.  He's originally from Burnsville, MN.  He came from a home which included two other dogs and a growing family.  His original owners decided Humphrey was not getting the attention he needed, so they contacted MBR. He was a good, smart dog, they said.  They wanted him to go to the best home possible, they said. They didn't want to part ways with him, but they felt it was best for him. So Humphrey was surrendered into MBR's custody at some point in late April. When we saw Humphrey's profile and biography on ...

I think I can let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. We are officially adding yet another furry member to our family. We will be adopting "Humphrey" from Minnesota Boxer Rescue tomorrow.  I will be picking him up near Duluth in the morning! We are very excited!  He is the handsome dude on the right in this picture.  More to come!