My staff may be celebrating a bit. But I'm not. For me it always feels bittersweet to begin disassembling our outdoor stage and putting away the patio furniture in preparation for another northern Wisconsin winter. Sad too to say goodbye to our summer snowbird guests who will soon begin flocking back to Florida, Arizona, and other points south as the last leaves fall.

Sure, I know there are many of you who can't wait to break out your skis. Or fat bikes. Or snowmobiles. And perhaps this is the year I'll finally quit procrastinating about purchasing new xc ski gear myself. There are only so many times I can attribute my lack of enthusiasm for winter to the fact my feet have grown too big for my old ski boots. Of course I always rationalize that by telling myself...and others...that I do still get out there now and again on snowshoes. Yet not enough last winter, apparently, to ward off a little weight gain around the midriff. Nor, it seems, did I  do enough biking this summer to fully dissipate all those extra pounds I was storing up last winter.

Thanks by the way, to the guest who so helpfully pointed that out to me the other day. You know who you are. Bob!

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. It's our last weekend of live outdoor music at the Rookery this season. And if you enjoy watching and listening to a magnificent guitarist do his thing, then you should plan to be here.

Ric Gillman, who now lives on Madeline Island, has recorded, played, and toured with some of the music industry's best regional and national talents. Bobby Vee, the late Sixties teen idol with whom Ric recorded and performed on numerous occasions, called his playing "some of the finest guitar work I have heard, anywhere."  Now you can hear it too, right here at the Rookery.

What a great way to cap off our summer. And yours!