Made my  annual pilgrimage to the Pickaway County Senior Center today  to sing  for the  150 or more gathered  for their monthly lunch and meeting. Sang a whole list of songs that I don't normally sing in concert, but because I'm there annually,  I like to mix it up. I opened with the hymns, "Are You Washed In the Blood," "I'll Fly Away," and "In the Garden". Followed by Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," then a pair of  Engelbert  Humperdink classics,  "Quando , Quando, Quando," and "There Goes My Everything". Up next, Andy Williams' classic, "Moon River." Closed with the great George Beverly Shea's "How Great Thou Art." Thank You Seniors of Pickaway County!

Back to one  of  my  favorite  destinations,  Las Vegas!  No,  I  don't gamble, or drink or take one of the "little cards" they pass out on the street! I save my time and energy to see some incredible live shows while visiting. This year was no exception. Three wonderful musical productions, plus a trip to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam (see post below for GC and Hoover Dam)! The first night, I saw the group "Human  Nature"  at the ritzy  Venetian Hotel.  Smoky  Robinson  is backing these  4 Aussie's and they are fabulous entertainers.  They specialize in the Motown era, and sing and dance up a storm. Check them out when you're in Vegas. The next evening, it was the premiere of   "Georgia On My Mind"  the  music  of Ray Charles,  presented by Clint Holmes, Take 6 and Kirk Wallum and the Las Vegas Mass Choir. Wow!  It felt like church no matter what song they sang!  Ray Charles was a true genius, and these pros did a great job in saluting him. The final evening,  one of my all-time favorite  female vocalists,  the iconic Diana Ross performing at Caesar's Palace. She performed with a nine piece band,  3 background  singers  and made 5 wardrobe  changes! Singing hits from the Supreme's,  the disco era, ballads and blues, all in the grace and style of the legend she is! Bravo!  What a blessing to me these shows were!

Spent one amazing day at the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam.  I had flown over both before, but had never  had an "on ground" experience with either.  The Hoover Dam was  built in 4  years,  1931-1935.  The engineering that went intov which at the time  was the world's largest dam is simply incredible. The water that it holds is the main source of water for millions of people. You can see the "water line" in the photo below. Pray for rain, pray for snow. It needs replenishing to raise the levels. After Hoover Dam,  which is situated on the  Arizona-Nevada line, the tour went to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon.  Wow! All I can say is "God Made This." The Indians own this part of the  Grand Canyon which is on reservation land, and not U.S. Government land. They have built a skywalk  bridge that you can walk out and over the rim.  There are no fences or any barriers along the top of the rim,  to keep  it more natural.  The Colorado  River  which runs  through  the bottom of the canyon was muddy brown from recent rains. The natural color is an  emerald green  which is due to  the minerals in the rocks. The view down and across is breathtaking, and it truly is one of the "7 Wonders of the World."

Spent three days in Chicago,  September 14-16th.  It had been three years since I'd been there, and there's always a lot of fun things to do in that city.  The first morning I  went to Urban  Village  Church  in the River North area. It's a new church plant from the United Methodist's in the area, and was a real good place to worship. Later in the day, took the "L" train to Belmont and caught the Blue Man Group in the intimate Briair Street  Theater.  They were  entertaining  as usual.  The second day went to  see the  Cincinnati  Reds take  on the  Chicago  Cubs in famous Wrigley Field. The night was cool and misty rain. Miserable for a baseball game. Still, it was worth seeing a part of baseball history by watching a game at Wrigley Field. The third day found me 103 stories above ground in the Chicago skyline.  The famous Sears Tower now name the Willis Tower has "built out" observation decks on the 103rd floor. Pretty cool to step out on them. All in all, a decent three days to get away and enjoy the sights, sounds and food of Chicago!

Last night,  the legendary  Ronnie Milsap  performed live at the Midland Theater in Newark, Ohio. Milsap first hit the country charts over 40 years ago, and has collected an amazing 40 #1 records, mainly from the mid 70s thru late 80s. Now over 70 years old,  this gifted vocalist continues to tour,  release new music on occasion and keeps his fans entertained. Last night, was a great example of the showmanship of this great entertainer.  The curtain opened with Ronnie,  who was blind from birth, seated at the piano and he  and his 5 piece band plus  female background vocalist (pictured here), kicked  off on a memory  filled 80 minutes of music.  Opening with  "Prisoner of the Highway", Ronnie continued through a great set of songs including "There Ain't No Gettin' Over Me,"  "Any Day Now,"  "What a Difference  You've Made In My Life", "Stranger In My House",  and closing with  "Smokey Mountain Rain". Although the voice has weathered through the years, and the high notes aren't there anymore, Milsap still provided a wonderful trip back in time.

Got a chance to sing with the amazing UM Church for all People band and singers this morning for two fabulous services. Katelin Hansen, on the far left, leads these very talented singers and musicians weekly, and it was a joy to be able to reunite and sing with them this morning. So good to see the Pastors, singers, musicians and congregation as I've been away the entire summer!

Singing today with my favorite pianist, Sara DeLucia at the Bloom Presbyterian Church in Lithopolis.  Since this  is  the  4th  of  July weekend, we did the song, "Shine, Jesus, Shine" in honor of God   and country.  My  dad  preached  on  "God's Word  Still  Stands".