Wordless Wednesday (Not)- Strike Up The Band

Strike Up The Band

If your looking for a great way to spend a summer evening, may I suggest that you attend a Drum Corps International show and competition.  This is the third year that this organization has performed in our town and my wife and I have attended all three performances.  Unlike most middle of July evenings in Arkansas, last night felt more like autumn.  There was a light breeze and temperatures in the upper sixties.  So, what are you going to see when you attend one of these events, you ask.

 

You're going to see flashy uniforms and very talented musicians performing very complicated routines desisgned for marching bands.

 

You're going to see talented dancers and colorful flag lines that are integrated into the music.

 

You're going to see original routines performed by young people who have spent their entire spring and summer preparing and performing these routines.  These performers are between 16 and 21 years of age.  They come from various backgrounds and they pay to train and perform in the drum corps.  It's not unlike travel soccer or baseball teams.  Each performance ususally features about eight different drum corps from two different levels of talent.  The "B" groups are ususally a little smaller and less experienced.  They also may not be quite as well funded.  The "A" groups are larger, more experienced groups and the routines can be very complicated.

 



 

I have to admit, these were my favorite drums.  They had a couple of covered wagons in the background as part of their routine and these graphics on their durms echoed the wagon wheels.  I love this kind of creative thinking.

 

 

Perhaps the most decorated group in the competition last night was Carolina Crown.  They are the reigning champions in the drum corps world.  If you want to see one of these performances, just go to www.dci.org for schedules and ticket information.  For a few my readers, they will be in Tulsa, OK tonight, Denton, TX tomorrow night, Dallas, TX on July 21, and Mustang, OK on July 22.  It will be on of the highlights of your summer.

 

I went to YouTube and found this video of Carolina Crown performing.  It's thirteen minutes long, but you don't have to watch the whole thing to get an idea of just how talented these kids are.

 





Skywatch Friday

Fire & Ice

Some days you can look into the sky and there is no denying that there is a God and that he loves painting the sky for our enjoyment. 

 



Inspiration Thursday

Time to let a little music provide the inspiration.  Enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday

Summertime

Ruby Tuesday Too

These geranium blooms are from a potted plant on our deck.  My wife loves the splash of color that they provide and they bloom well into the heat of summer, particularly if shade is provided.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday - Red, White & Blue

Friday we had the family and a few friends (twenty in all) over to the house for burgers, brats and dogs.  After the meal everyone piled in their cars and headed to the local park for the city fireworks display.  I managed to find all of the prompts for this week in one place...kind of.  Here we go.

 Red

There were plenty of bombs bursting in air.  There were red ones, and...

 



 White

white ones.  The white ones were interesting, everyone came for the color, so let's move on.

 

Blue

The blue displays were very nice looking, but every one was looking for a little more sparkle.

 





 

 Sparkle

You want sparkle?  We got sparkle!  Some of the displays were really spectacular.  

 Play



The whole show was enhanced by patriotic music playing in the background.  It was the perfect combination of music and explosion.  The whole show lasted about thirty minutes, but it was some kind of show.  What did you do on the fourth? 

Inspiration Thursday

How do we handle life's difficulties.  We may know someone who has been severely injured in an automobile accident.  A friend may have been diagnosed with a terminal illness.  It is not unusual for us to face issues that leave us feeling helpless.  Our response may have been, "All I can do is pray."  Well, prayer should have been our first response, not our last resort.  God created us with the intent of having fellowship and an eternal relationship with Him.  His letter to us is the Bible.  It is a life instruction manual.  Our communication to him is through praise, worship and prayer.  Through our prayers we can praise and worship Him.  We can bring our concerns to Him.  We can share our lives with Him.  Honestly, God loves it when that happens. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to "pray without ceasing."  Prayer should be a part of our everyday life.  Prayer relieves anxiety.  Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  The reward of time spent in prayer, is peace of mind.  Others may not understand how you can be calm in the midst of a storm.  You may not fully understand it yourself, because the peace of God surpasses human understanding.  It is never to late to become a person of prayer.  Find some time today and enjoy a "Sweet Hour of Prayer."  Have a blessed day.