Day 3-4, Port Huron, MI and Belding, MI

Each day now, since Toledo, the weather has threatened. Each day, it has rained or sprinkled late in the afternoon and then cleared up by Showtime. In every case, the show weather has been near perfect with cool and dry conditions. We’ll all be wishing for a breathe of this weather in a couple of weeks.

All of the volunteers are starting to get into the travel rhythm for sleeping and working the mixed shift schedules. In a few more days, the truck loading and unloading will have settle in also and will be a finely tuned effort—each person knowing his role totally when performing the ESL ballet.

I can’t take any credit for the food service this time—although I help get the truck set-up and do odds and ends throughout the day, my primary job is to drive the U3 sleeper. It is a sobering responsibility—with five souls onboard trusting me to get them to the next stop safely.

Since I had driven the pit gator last season, and have helped the pit move a lot of there equipment through move-in, I also became responsible for the pit trailer driving on and off the field. This is very cool since I get to be very close to the action on the field. Downside is that I will rarely see the show from above.

The picture slideshow below are pix from the last couple of days’ load out and some on-field show shots. It is interesting to see the kids put on their game faces and get themselves psyched up for a good show. Polishing horns, tuning the drums, getting on make-up, and making sure everything is ready to go. Then onto the bus, change into uniform and depart for the show.

Dublin was a nice small venue—enthusiastic crowd and the corps performed well, closing the gap to Bluecoats by a fraction of a point. It’s so early in the season, the scores and placings will change a lot, but it is still very encouraging to see them in good company.

On the trip from Dublin up to Port Huron, MI, we passed within a couple of miles of my house at about 2:30 in the morning—I was going to call home and say hi but thought better of it.

In Port Huron, we shared the show/housing site with Bluecoats. The corps worked very hard all day, and had the best show of the first three according to several accounts. Boston returned to the field with Bluecoats for America the Beautiful, and we rocked the small field with an in-arc, in-place encore performance. This show is quickly gaining a lot of fan enthusiasm and standing down front, I have heard many very favorable comments.

The Souvie van came in to join the tour last night in Port Huron and we are still in good shape with volunteer count. Arlene is just getting into the groove and finally getting used to the mobile paint shaker. Sue and Linda are veterans so seem settled into the routine. Eric and I are doing more of the non-kitchen duty although Eric still has a foot in both buckets—kitchen and pit/food pickup/everything/anywhere duty. It is sure nice to work with a bunch of people really dedicated to one purpose.

Chef Ron is, as always, incredible. The man never stops. Tonight’s snack is being pre-done as a box lunch and loaded onto the buses before we leave for the show site. Several sites are so small they cannot accommodate kitchen trucks in the lots.

We perform tonight in Belding, MI and stay over one more night here before departing for Racine, WI. The last couple of drives have been in good weather and we have been doing 180-240 miles. Pulling out of show sites at about 11:30-12:00 PM, we have been arriving around 4:30-5:00AM and sited and connected the kitchen truck and are in bed by 5:30 or so. This is why the kitchen staff has a sleeper—they start preparing breakfast at 6:00!

Tomorrow, I try to do a little tweaking on the sound of the BAC-bone and catch up on some packing re-org. I also need to deal with a rapidly worsening leak in the air-bed. Nothing like hitting the floor for some nap time and then..hitting the floor :)

Anyway, the first big show is coming up this weekend so we can get a solid benchmark.

Eat ‘em up Boston!

Till next time,

Curt