The Wild, Wild North

You know that myth that the north is just a scene of perpetual winter? It's not a myth - totally true. Last Monday Logan got a foot of snow, some of my students who live closer to the mountains reported more than two feet! This week the starting temperatures have been in the single digits, but at least the highs are creeping into the 40, so the snow will melt. It's like living in a freakin' refrigerator! Mom, I thinkin' about moving home.

This weekend was Bridgerland Honor Music Clinic (I think that's the official title). I ended up with just one student playing because the trombone kid was whisked away to Disneyland. Too bad, really. ;) I mean, what kid wants Disneyland over honor band? The kids did a fantastic job, and it was very neat to watch my college band director deal with middle school kids. They had a great time, and all the parents I talked to said their kids loved it and that the really like the director. I'm excited to listen to the recording when it comes. I think last year I may have received mine in May (two months after the event). I'm really hoping for March this year. We'll see.

Every morning when I drive to work I see these two wild turkeys. I have never seen wild turkeys in Logan before. I've seen them in Sanpete, but not here. They're on 600 West, down just south of the golf course. Sometimes they're out in the afternoon, too. I wonder if they've always been there, and what has been bringing them into the open. It's only been since February that I noticed them, where were they before? Are there really more than two?

A Warm Horizon

It's March now, that means two things: 1- that my parent's birthdays have arrived. This week I was on top of things enough to realize that Mom's birthday is tomorrow and gathered the things I needed for her present, but got sick Thursday and Friday and ended up mailing her gift late. I do think Dad's will be on time, though. 2 - that the spring season really is coming. Why I ever chose to live in Logan where the snow never melts is beyond me sometimes. February is one of those times. I feel myself growing increasingly jealous of those that live in warmer climates, even my friends who live along the Wasatch Front have it warmer than I. I would desperately love to be warm and outside right now.

Two of my studnets made honor band - the two low brass players. One got 2nd chair euphonium (he's been playing since mid-December, a switch from trumpet), and the other last trombone. I think that maybe he has no real concept of what it means to be fully prepared, despite my trying to teach him just that. Third student that auditioned said he froze up in part of the audition. Too bad, he really is a good player, but he's young. He has two more years to make it.

This weekend was Stake Conference. Last night when we sang in the chapel the choir stood in front of the pulpit. They are too big to stand in the practically non-existent choir loft. In order for the pianist to see me I had to stand on a chair in the back of the chapel. I felt a little odd about that - especially with two members of the Seventies there - but I could see no other way to deal with the problem. The choir sang wonderfully, and the meeting was really amazing. On Sunday we met in the Tabernacle, and got to rehearse a little with the organ before the meeting started. The choir really sang well today, also, and I think they sang loud enough to balance the organ. I hope they did. We got a new stake presidency today; we'll miss the outgoing presidency, but new ones are always interesting.