Joyous July!!!

We start with the 4th of July festivities in Edmonds. Then, we celebrated Jasmine's 24th birthday on July 10, went to the Stevie Wonder Concert on July 11, and then spent the weekend of the 13th & 14th at the Mill Creek Festival where Amanda and Bob performed a 45-minute version of "The Great Penelope." Then it was more concert fun at Ringo Starr on July 19 and James Taylor on July 22, which were both at the Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Woodinville. I hosted Bingo this month at my house on the 25th and captured some fun clips of the after-hour fun. We topped the month off with our annual camping trip to Kalaloch. Even though we were really busy... we still found time to hang out in the back yard and enjoy our kitties!! Enjoy the photos.

Camping at Kalaloch in July!!

We went on our annual camping trip to Kalaloch on July 27 - 29. The weather was nice but we were rained out the last day. We woke up the last day to pouring rain and packed up as fast as we could. Enjoy the photos:

The Great Penelope at The Mill Creek Festival

The Applause Players, of Applause Studio in Mill Creek, performed a 45-minute version of "The Great Penelope" production. Starring my darling daughter as "Penelope" and wonderful husband as Penelope's dad.

Mill Creek Festival Fun

Besides the wonderful performance of "The Great Penelope," we had lots of other fun at the community stage as well. Bob helped run sound for some of the guest who performed, Amanda participated in some of the antics of "The Rowdy Refs," and then we were all charmed by the wonderful J.P. Patches... who played a trick on Amanda and company.

An Evening with Stevie Wonder

Bob and I went to the Stevie Wonder concert on Friday at the White River Amphitheater in Auburn, WA. We had wonderful seats and perfect weather. At first, it seemed so surreal that we were watching this music legend live. He put on a 2+ hour show and he sounded phenomenal.

I captured some amazing shots and a few video snippets. I would have had more, however... my batteries were confiscated from me by one of the security folks. Apparently, you can take photos but no video. Had I known that, I would have been much more discreet, such as the other folks around me.

Take a look at the photo album, which tells the story of our night at the show (well... half of the show). The other half of the show will live on as a great memory!!! Here is the playlist from the show if you'd like to groove along as you view my virtual show (minus a few that I couldn't find in the online music library).

Stay tuned for our next concert adventures... Ringo Starr on July 19 and James Taylor on July 22 (both at the Château St. Michelle Winery). We are looking forward to seeing these amazing artists at this fantastic venue. I'll be sure to be more discreet when capturing video snippets.

An Evening with Stevie Wonder

Click the photo or the link below to view the virtual show: http://picasaweb.google.com/JulzNW/AnEveningWithStevieWonder
Enjoy!!





Below is a review of the show from a local reporter:
Stevie Wonder is a living legend and his greatness was on display. Friday night when he delivered a hit-laden set infused with his trademark blend of jazz, funk and soul at White River Amphitheatre.
From "Masterblaster (Jammin')" to "My Cherie Amour" just about every one of Wonder's pop gems made an appearance during his two-hour show. He even managed to make room on the set list of more than 24 songs for a new song, titled "Keep Fooling Yourself Baby Girl." Like the lighter fare in Wonder's back catalog, the track is sure to be a hit on adult contemporary radio stations when it reaches airwaves.
While some of Wonder's music may have made its way into easy listening territory that didn't mean the show was a sit back and relax type of experience. In fact, Wonder made sure it was exactly the opposite. The charismatic singer engaged the crowd with jokes, encouraged multiple sing alongs and had the crowd boogying down to "Higher Ground," which was the first of many songs that got the crowd dancing.
Escorted to the stage by his daughter Aisha, who was one of Wonder's three backup singers, Wonder started the show by dedicating the performance to Quincy Jones. He later sang "Isn't She Lovely" to her, in one of the show's more endearing moments.
The show's closing four songs not only showcased Wonder's musical genius but also cemented his status as a legend. The combo of "Signed, Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours," "Sir Duke," "I Wish" and "Superstitious" were showstoppers. During the latter former "American Idol" contestant Sanjaya Malakar joined Wonder on stage. His voice has improved during his post-Idol days. His hair, not so much.