CelebrateErie!

This weekend was our city's annual festival to Celebrate Itself-- CelebrateErie!

Zoe is now convinced that there should be an annual, or even weekly, festival to Celebrate Herself--

CelebrateZoe!!

I think that might already exist.

"A Rabbit deserves a Festival in My Opinion!"

Anyhow, we went down to the fest yesterday to see the sights and to hear a little music, so we thought we'd share some pictures.

First, a few shots of some of the ChalkWalk art pieces. Local businesses sponsor artists to draw awesome chalk renderings of all kinds of scenes right on our main street. If it doesn't rain, you can sometimes see these drawings for weeks after! Here's a few of our favorites:






And second, I shared a video about two weeks ago of a guy dancing at the Jazz and Blues Fest, and in that post, I said that usually, he is dressed in more of a suit and playing the trumpet. Here is that guy in his alternate outfit:


If you haven't watched the video of him dancing, it is certainly worth your time. Zoe has watched it more than once.

After doing some strolling, we plopped down at a table in the park to fan ourselves and listen to the Heliotropes play in the park's gazebo, while we munched on some artichoke dip from one of our local restaurants.

It was approximately 1,000,000 degrees with matching humidity.

As we sat there fading away, I kept thinking of Miss Zoe, back at home in her Air Conditioned Rabbit Room. She was resting comfortably, far, far away from the noisy crowds. What a good Rabbit.

We didn't stick around after the music was over. The main Sunday night act was Country Music, which is something neither the Blisschick nor I are particularly fond of. On Saturday night, it was Three Dog Night, which we had planned on going to see, due to the fact that the Blisschick loves their song Joy to the World, or the Bullfrog Song, as we call it, because it reminds her of being little.

But then, somehow the Cats and the Rabbit talked us into staying home that night.

I wonder how that kind of thing happens?

It can't be that we are under Their Control!

It can't be!!

Flip Friday

Zoe can't even believe this.

It's Friday, (that is Flip Friday) and there's....no....Rabbit Video.

OK. Wait. Don't pick up that rotten tomato yet-- PLEASE!! Put it down!

Miss Zoe is The Star. We all know that. Everyone is clear.

But, there's lots of other animals in the house, plus other things that go on outside of the house. Though it seems impossible, it's true!

So, we (yes, I'm including Miss Zoe in that "We," though she's not sure she wants to be included) have 3 videos for you today.

The first, as I promised on Wednesday, is a short, very short, too short clip of the Heliotropes from my most recent viewing on the Steps of our beautiful Erie Art Museum. This clip stars Katie Chriest and Sheldon Peterson singing the original Heliotrope song, "Instead of Wrong." I wasn't planning on filming, and then I decided to, so it's not a terribly good clip, but it gives an idea of Katie's voice and Sheldon's guitaring. Awesome!!



Visit the Heliotropes' myspace page for more music and upcoming show dates!

Next up are two videos taken by the Blisschick!!

The first is one of a Guy Dancing at Erie's Jazz and Blues Fest, which we attended last weekend. You can't really see his outfit too terribly well, but you can surely see his clunky, gold bike helmet. And the juxtaposition of the formal Mickey Mouse vest with the basketball shorts is nothing but genius. At the point in the video in which he spreads his arms wide (wait for it!) you'll see that he holds a giant ice cream cone in one hand and a Tootsie Pop in the other. This guy's got a lot going on. Most nice days in the Summer, you can catch this same guy in a three piece suit playing the trumpet somewhere in the downtown area. You may want to watch this one more than once. I've watched it many times, and it never seems to get old!



And last, but Most Importantly, is a short clip of Miss Rosie and Miss Lilly, doing whatever it is Cats do when I'm not home and the Blisschick is filming them.



Up next week? MISS ZOE, of course. She won't let me go 2 weeks in a row. No Way!!

Jazzfest and Giant Zucchini-- What's the Link?

Ah, Monday.

Who knew it would come so fast?

I guess it normally follows Sunday, but even so, I could have used another day.

I worked at the Library all day Saturday, but our Sunday was wonderful. Although, when we woke up, it was raining, and we feared it might foil our afternoon plans. Our plan was to spend the afternoon and evening at the Erie Art Museum's Blues and Jazz Fest.

"Zoe," I said to her at about 1:00 PM, "do you think you could do something about this weather? You know, maybe help to clear it up? Maybe just move some clouds away?"

She looked up from munching her Lunch Salad and stared at me.

Then she said, "Bring me a sacrifice, then. Isn't that how these things work? It's either that or you have to dance, and frankly, I'd rather not see you dance."

Back to munching the salad. She had spoken.

And, so, I went off in search of a sacrifice. Earlier, we found this lurking in the neighbors' garden, and I took it up to Miss Zoe:

"What?!?!?"

"This is not exactly what I had in mind when I said 'sacrifice.'"

A Disclaimer: Don't fret. We don't just go around the neighborhood pinching people's Giant Zucchinis or other Random and Large Veg. It might seem that way. It also might seem like a Wallace and Grommit movie. But, seriously, our neighbors are out of town and told us that they didn't want to see any Giant Zucchinis in the garden when they got back, and that we were to take them and use them. Truthfully, I'm hoping to get this 2 foot Zucchini cut down to size before it eats one of the Cats or the Rabbit. Or, the Blisschick. I feel sure I can fight it off.

The moral of this story is this: Don't try to bribe Your Rabbit or any Rabbit You May Know with a giant Zucchini. They don't really make a great sacrifice. A Willow Ball would have served the purpose much better.

Miss Zoe did not clear the clouds away. It even rained a bit on our way to the fest.

We set up our chairs in what we anticipated would perhaps later be a sunny spot. I was sitting under the overcast sky and was really starting to regret the Sacrificial Zucchini Mistake, when I heard Miss Zoe's little voice in my head (She has Telepathic capabilities, you know).

"Oh, Good Grief. Alright. But I'd better get that Willow Ball soon, or, well, you don't want to know what."

And then, the sun came out.

Thanks, Miss Zoe.

We enjoyed the rest of the Festival in the comfort of the Sun until the Blisschick got too hot and we had to move into the shade.

We heard the end of the Valerie Horton Brown Project, and then full sets from three other bands, including our new favorite local band, the Heliotropes, the Tessa Souter Quartet, and finally Elaine & Susan Hoffman Watts and the Fabulous Shpielkehs. (The last act was Klezmer music, which Zoe absolutely loves. I think the weather clearing had a lot to do with her wanting to be able to hear the music through her open window. Hey-- whatever works.)

So, what did you do that was fun this weekend?

OK, it's a little scary. Time to make some mini loaves of bread.