Sunday, August 29, 2010

Summer love


Last night we went to the Oregon Zoo with friends to see the Prairie Home Companion/Garrison Keillor show, dubbed the "Summer Love Tour." It was a beautiful evening and we sat on the grass and had sandwiches and beer and watched the sun set and the stars come out as Garrison and company performed. It was perfect in so many ways. Nostalgic, romantic and beautiful. As Ray noted, with Garrison Keillor you know exactly what you are going to get and he delivers it beautifully with his deep, sonorous voice and his stories, which are really like memories that jog your own memories.

One of the songs he sang was one of my favorites—"Let it be Me". So sweet, so romantic, so old-fashioned. The Everly brothers were the perfect lazy summer companions back in the early '60s. This song reminds me of hanging out at the city swimming pool, and driving the strip with my girlfriends. Stopping for a Coke and fries at The Red Steer Drive-in and hoping our boyfriends, or current crushes would be there too. (They usually were.) Slow dancing at the Cedars club and looking at the stars and talking in the car, right up until the magic curfew hour. Summer love—longing, whatever, usually didn't last for long, but made those summer days so sweet. It  all comes back on a beautiful summer evening under the stars.

PS  I should add that we saw last night's show with our friends Norm and Paula. Paula and I met in fourth grade and she was one of those girlfriends from High School and college days that shared those great Idaho summer nights. We double-dated back then—best friends (us) dating another pair of goofy best friends—Chuck and What's-his-name (I really can't remember). Shared another sweet double-date last night. We have better boyfriends now.

9 comments:

  1. It was fantastic, but Mia thought there was too much of Garrison singing. And it is Keillor!! Made me smile because you hardly ever misspell anything!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It sounds magical. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh glory, the Everly Brothers. Jer recognized them just by hearing the soundtrack. Good slow dance music, for sure.

    We tried to get tickets to Prairie Home Companion, but Ticketmaster doesn't like us and so I gave up. Glad to hear it was a good adventure for you. Ray is right and Garrison is like mac and cheese -- great comfort food.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Margaret and I were both discussing how we would have liked to have seen that show! So jealous!

    (The Red Steer - loved that place - remember the cheeseburgers with the thin slice of ham? YUM)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds like my kind of an evening! I have long loved Garrison Keillor and his show. I especially like the line about all the children of Lake Wobegon being above average. There's nothing like the music of that era.

    ReplyDelete
  6. We didn't have a Red Steer in Blackfoot. The strip place for us was the Arctic Circle. How fun those summer nights were.

    The Red Steer holds some very special memories though. Not just in Pocatello but in Boise where Bill and I stopped on the way from our wedding and reception for burger. We were famished and it was on the way to the next party. The folks at the drive-in kept pointing and smiling at us in our wedding attire.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love concerts in the zoo :) It sounds like a marvelous trip down memory lane as well as a delightful program.

    ReplyDelete
  8. MtnBarb8:35 AM

    Oh the memories you have stirred! You night sounded wonderful and dreamy. I've really enjoyed your blog so much. Please keep writing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. OMG!! The Dead... I mean the Red Steer!!! We had one in Ontario Oregon for years and years. It was gone by the 90s I think. :( A required stop during cruise night.

    ReplyDelete