Now come  the dog days of August, days of  heat and humidity, sweat and thunder. Days of ripening tomatoes and milkweed pods. Days of monarch butterflies, evenings of fireflies and dog day cicadas. 

The term dog days comes from the dog star Sirius,  which is visible in the night sky at this time.  You can read more about it here. 

There are more hot days now, thanks to climate change. There are more wildfires, droughts  and floods, heat waves and severe storms. The patterns of weather are changing, too.  

What used to be known as Tornado Alley–Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas–has moved east.  Tornadoes have touched down in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania! 

And the virus is still with us, and mutating. This isn’t the summer we thought it would be.  But just think of last year. 

Last year at this time, the vaccines were not even available yet.

Donald Trump was in the White House, there was even talk of postponing the 2020 election, due to the pandemic. Mail was being sabotaged. People were protesting the killing of George Floyd. 

The August 10 derecho in 2020 devastated parts of Iowa and Illinois. People are still recovering. 

Chicago was in Phase 4 of re-opening. There was cautious optimism.

I am still optimistic.  In spite of crowds at Lollapalooza and surge of people at Sturgis,  the vaccines still offer the best protection against the delta variant, and the Lambda variant, too.  Please get vaccine, if you can.

The good news is, vaccination rates are up, even as COVID cases are rising, again.  

Yes, West Nile virus mosquitos are still here in Cook county. The first human case was reported in mid-June. You can read the story, here.

 I wondered if West Nile mosquitos could also  transmit COVID-19 and the variants. According to the CDC, the answer is NO!  That’s good news to me!

It was January 26, 2020. I was watching John Cale perform a concert at Chicago’s Art Institute. Who knew that would be the last live performance of music that I would see for more than eighteen months?

The pandemic changed everything about the way we lived our lives over the last year. The live music industry was affected just like the rest of us. Almost every tour that was scheduled was 2020 either had to be rescheduled or was completely canceled. For people who make their living that way, especially the lower paid behind the scenes folks, it was a devastating year.

Lately we’ve slowly seen the return of concerts. In the last few weeks, there have been shows at Ravinia, the James Taylor-Jackson Browne show at the United Center and last weeks Lollapalooza four day event in downtown Grant Park.

Thursday saw the start of a four day festival at suburban Evanston’s Canal Shore golf course. The first day featured Emmylou Harris as the headliner with Los Lobos as the opening act. Nothing like a little Tex-Mex music followed by some Alternative/Country to get those live music juices flowing after a year and a half industry shutdown.

It really was more about the evening itself than either of the performers. An upper seventies degree temperature with a nice breeze is the type of night you dream of when you plan to attend an outdoor concert.

Los Lobos rocked the house for an hour; highlighted by their version of Santana’s “Oye Como Va” and closing with “La Bamba.” Emmylou was next. She showed why so many of us are still captivated by her lovely and still powerful singing voice after more fifty years of performing and recording. It’s amazing that it still is as strong as it is at age seventy-four.

Hopefully, this is the first, at least for me, of many shows over the next few months, provided we can keep the Covid-19 virus somewhat under control. It was a great new beginning.

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Biden declared a victory of sorts over the antivaxxers. He claimed –twice– that 350 million Americans were vaccinated. Biden, dressed in his tan Obama-suit, read from his notes. The problem is, there are only 330 million US citizens. Don’t think he might have just slipped and was including the recent flood of illegal aliens who have crossed the southern border since he began his job in January.

So, there we have it.

Biden needs to declare victory.

And someone in his family, maybe the great Dr. Jill, or the newest crack artist sensation, Hunter, need to park him in his Lazy-Boy with an ice cream cone and some pictures of young girls and stop the elder abuse.

Come on, man! Would you do this to your senile father?

Back to the Fair! The 2021 Wisconsin State Fair, presented by U.S. Cellular, returns Thursday, August 5 and runs through Sunday, August 15 at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis. Agriculture is the backbone of the Wisconsin State Fair and can be seen throughout the barns, milking parlor and educational exhibits on the fair grounds. Team Gregula is ready to make our annual road trip to “America’s Dairyland” this month to cover the fang-tastic fair!

Live entertainment can be found around every corner of the Fair Park on 30 free stages, featuring family-friendly acts like jugglers and comedians, as vell as contests and music from every genre imaginable. The Bank Five Nine Amphitheater is the largest free stage at the Fair. More live music can be found at the State Fair Main Stage presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, that features vell-known national headliners like Billy Idol, The Beach Boys and many others that appeal to a variety of musical tastes.

You know every hungry boil and ghoul likes food and the “fare” is an attraction all its own at the Wisconsin State Fair. More than 200 food and beverage locations feature famous fair favorites and plenty of adventurous new concoctions from year to year. Piping hot, deep-fried cheese curds, gooey grilled cheese sandviches and butter-drenched corn-on-the-cob should be followed by fresh, delicious Original Cream Puffs for the ultimate State Fair meal. Of corpse, hundreds of foods are available on-a-stick for portable noshing, and a vast array of eerie edibles are added to the menu every year.

For thrill-seekers, SpinCity provides fun that is not for the faint of heart. From hex-citing amusement rides to games of skill, fairgoers of all ages can enjoy a ghoul time on the Ferris Wheel and Tilt-a-Whirl, along vith exciting new rides that change from year to year.

A visit to the 200,000 square-foot Exposition Center is the perfect vay to cool off after a full day at the fair in the sickening summer sunshine. This air-conditioned facility features one-of-a-kind merchandise, products and home-improvement solutions. From mops to hot tubs, jewelry to ornaments, fairgoers vill be sure to find something to love among the extensive offerings in the Expo.

UPDATES FOR 2021
Masks are not required indoors or outdoors at the Wisconsin State Fair. Individuals are encouraged to follow CDC guidance.

DATES 
Thursday, August 5 – Sunday, August 15, 2021

HOURS 
Thursday – Sunday 11AM – 11PM
Final Sunday: 11AM – 10PM
Re-entry handstamps cease one hour prior to park closure. Ticket sales and fair entry cease two hours to park closure.

BUILDINGS/ATTRACTIONS 
Most attractions, including the WonderFair Wheel, open at 11AM. SpinCity Amusement Ride & Game Area opens at 11AM daily. Most buildings are open from 11AM – 10PM daily, vith the exception of the Exposition Center vhich closes at 9PM. On the final Sunday, August 15, barn closures begin at 3PM.

ADMISSION TICKETS
Adults (12 & over): $14
Military / Seniors (60+): $9
Youth (ages 6-11): $9
Children (5 & under): FREE

Admission vill be a cashless transaction. Only credit/debit cards vill be accepted at Admission Entrances. Vhile parking and admission are cashless vendors inside the Fair Park vill still have the option to accept cash.

PARKING
$12 per vehicle including vans
$6 per motorcycle

Preferred Parking available in Milwaukee Mile Lot and North Lot for $25 (can be reserved ahead of time HERE, first-come, first-served day of). Please note that parking is a cashless transaction and only credit/debit cards vill be accepted.

For the most up-to-date information, visit WiStateFair.com.

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It was January 26, 2020. I was watching John Cale perform a concert at Chicago’s Art Institute. Who knew that would be the last live performance of music that I would see for more than eighteen months?

The pandemic changed everything about the way we lived our lives over the last year. The live music industry was affected just like the rest of us. Almost every tour that was scheduled was 2020 either had to be rescheduled or was completely canceled. For people who make their living that way, especially the lower paid behind the scenes folks, it was a devastating year.

Lately we’ve slowly seen the return of concerts. In the last few weeks, there have been shows at Ravinia, the James Taylor-Jackson Browne show at the United Center and last weeks Lollapalooza four day event in downtown Grant Park.

Thursday saw the start of a four day festival at suburban Evanston’s Canal Shore golf course. The first day featured Emmylou Harris as the headliner with Los Lobos as the opening act. Nothing like a little Tex-Mex music followed by some Alternative/Country to get those live music juices flowing after a year and a half industry shutdown.

It really was more about the evening itself than either of the performers. An upper seventies degree temperature with a nice breeze is the type of night you dream of when you plan to attend an outdoor concert.

Los Lobos rocked the house for an hour; highlighted by their version of Santana’s “Oye Como Va” and closing with “La Bamba.” Emmylou was next. She showed why so many of us are still captivated by her lovely and still powerful singing voice after more fifty years of performing and recording. It’s amazing that it still is as strong as it is at age seventy-four.

Hopefully, this is the first, at least for me, of many shows over the next few months, provided we can keep the Covid-19 virus somewhat under control. It was a great new beginning.

Related Post: Homeward Bound-Paul Simon’s final tour

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