Jimmie Vaughan & Lou Ann Barton @ Artpark!!!

Here we are in Western New York...in Lewiston, NY, hanging out at Artpark on a gorgeous Tuesday night (June 22, 2010), sitting on the gentle slope of a hill overlooking the Niagara Gorge...gazing at Canada across the gorge...soaking up the slant of sunshine under a grey-blue sky...all the while absorbing the fabulous Blues of Austinite musicians extraordinaire Jimmie Vaughan and Lou Ann Barton.

Go figure...we move from Austin, TX, to Buffalo, NY...and then as if kissed by the gods, for one evening, we return in spirit back to the Lone Star State through the tunes of Jimmie and Lou Ann.  Now - that's a winner of a way to enjoy the nighttime if you ask me.  So doing our part...we said "hi" to everyone and smiled as if they were our best friends...yes ma'am, we did our part to help Keep Austin Weird...hidey-ho

Life IS good...the evening proved magical...and the music swayed our souls.  

River Grill on a Sunny Sunday Afternoon

Ahhhh....yes, indeed, summertime is bringing some much yearned for sunshine and laid-back afternoons for relaxing and re-energizing.  This past Sunday afternoon, June 20th, my gal-pal Beth and I headed for a couple of hours of girl-time at the River Grill.  Beth is retiring from an education career (as a 2nd grade teacher) and so we decided to grab a couple of hours and get-away from the chaos that defines the end of a school year and to celebrate her new journey.

Billy McEwen and the Soul Invaders (www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VOy7Dgkbtw&feature=youtube_gdata) were playing at the River Grill on Aqua Lane (don't you love the image "aqua lane" connotes!)...and so off we went.

For a couple of hours we forgot about all of the "to-do" items on both of our Everyday Life Lists as we took in the throaty blues of Billy's band; their music eased our souls while we slowly sipped our drinks (mine a mojita; Beth's a glass of Reisling) and enjoyed an easy conversation.

So for Beth and Susie...that laid-back sunny, summertime afternoon of Blues reminded us both that, indeed....LIFE IS GOOD!

BBQ & Blues

BBQ & Blues Bash…2nd Annual Event...looks like summertime has finally arrived in the Queen City!

…and accompanying its arrival are the outdoor festivals and events that are in full swing!   This being my third summer season in the Buffalo area, I’m still amazed at the unlimited opportunities to enjoy outdoor events of all kinds—culinary, fundraising, music, theatre, wine tastings, art, crafts, tours, celebrations…and more. 

To make the most of things, my goal is to blog in “summertime snapshots”…leaving me more time to actually be out enjoying the great outdoors!  Hi-Ho….here I go….

Friday evening (June 18), Jack and I joined our friends Larry and Barb at the 2^nd Annual BBQ & Blues Bash that was sponsored by Labatt Blue and took place in the Cobblestone District of Buffalo.

Needless to say, the event , which was a fundraiser for Gateway-Longview--an organization that benefits at-risk children, was a huge success as all in attendance were happy to pony-up the ticket fee for a great cause. 

The all-you-can-eat BBQ buffet was delicious (to date, some of the best pulled pork we’ve tasted in the area)…

the cold “brewskis” and glasses of wine flowed with unlimited refills…a handful of Buffalo Bills (Lydell Sargeant and Cary Harris) autographed posters for Susie...

and a few of the Buffalo Jills sidled up alongside Jack...

the guys--Jack, Don (Barb's brother) and Larry--kept things lively...

and Susie kept on dancing...

but all said and done...the highlight of the evening were the fabulous Blues tunes provided by Billy McEwen and the Soul Invaders. 

For hours, we celebrated--music, conversation, laughter, food, and drink…not a bad way to salute a near-perfect summer evening in Buffalo, NY.

When the evening drew to a close, we were reminded once again that, indeed, Life IS Good!  

Yowza….