by Sheldon Birnie
I was out in Clear Lake this past weekend, enjoying a beautiful Manitoba wedding.Two old friends got hitched down by a lake near Erickson, MB, on a perfect sunny day beneath blue skies and billowing cumulus clouds. Many other old friends were in town, and many laughs were shared as the afternoon spilled into the night. At the reception, the bride and groom arrived by horse-drawn carriage, and the party continued at the Legion hall until the wee hours.
After a shuttle ride back to the Park, our crew stumbled around the lake shore as the sun came up. The first of many summer sunrises. The next day was spent soaking up the sun in various locales, and finally reigned in to a close with the long drive back into Winnipeg. The first real weekend of summer, and it was a beauty.
Cruising the turns and open stretches of Mountain Road, my pal put in Del Barber‘s new disc Headwaters. While I’ve heard the disc already, I’d never had quite as good a listen as I did that Sunday afternoon. Del’s well written and beautifully arranged tunes were the perfect soundtrack to all that was flying by outside the windows, and all the thoughts that were swimming around my head. Del really nailed it with that record. Out of the park.
Summer is a special time here in Manitoba. With so much live music and so many beautiful nights to look forward to, it can be a real nice thing to be alive. With that, I think I’m going to go outside and enjoy some of it. The sun don’t shine in the dungeon, after all. I’ll see you somewhere on the Highway this summer, friends. At a folk festival, or on the beach, or maybe late at night outside the Times or the Standard. Let’s make the most of it. Party on!