Visitors from down south

My folks came to visit this past week...all the way from Fairhope, Alabama. I wasn't sure how they'd react to the still-cool weather of Wisconsin, and northern Wisconsin in particular. Their reaction (20-plus years after leaving Wisconsin) was a pleasant surprise. They loved it!

Worth noting (Alabama and Wisconsin share a few things):

• The community of Gulf Shores in Alabama has a significant number of Wisconsin transplants and snowbirds.
  
• Alabama's Baldwin County has been highlighted in the recent past as a high growth area for retirees - many of whom hail from Wisconsin and Minnesota (as well as businesses).
  
• Timberland is a big deal in both Alabama and Wisconsin. As a matter of fact, nearly two-thirds of the state of Alabama is covered in timber. Similarly, Wisconsin's "northwoods" features fabulous state forests, including the Northern Highland - American Legion state forest (headquartered in Boulder Junction, WI).
  
• Alabama's gulf coast and Wisconsin's "northwoods" are both riddled with flea markets and resale shops. The town of Lake Tomahawk in Wisconsin, for example, features a total kitsch-fest with its weekend flea market throughout the summer months. It bears a distinct resemblance to the flea markets lining the Alabama country roads in the area known regionally as the "eastern shore", near Mobile Bay.

My father is a retired scientist and government forest economist. He is drawn to the study of plants and ecosystems, and while he was in Wisconsin, we visited the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory . On the day of our visit, the facility was practically empty and very quiet. It offered a pleasant respite in the middle of a summer afternoon. The following day, we headed north for a weekend at our cabin on the Wisconsin river in Oneida County.

These days, I don't need to fish to enjoy a body of water. It's enough to simply spend a little time relaxing on a porch with few concerns save those of determining what to eat, what to read, and where to wander tomorrow afternoon. During our stay on the river, the days were quiet and sunny, and we were fortunate enough to see bald eagles, herons, otters, and deer in the surrounding woods and on the water.

Ultimately, the gulf coast, the northwoods, and family always invoke a torrent of musical inspiration for me. After my parent left, I sat down with song ideas the visit prompted, and started recording sound sketches. When they've reached a state of presentability, I'll put 'em out here. In the meantime, I'll start planning a fall visit to the southland...