Halloween Weekend 2010

Last night, with the help of a very smart, very cute arborist, I was reminded of something SO noteworthy and amazing that I totally did not write about it. I write about lots of trivial stupid shit, but not THIS? Anyway, it's kinda nice to have something great to write about because right now, aside from the forsythia, hyacinths, and daffodils, not much is going on.

The Stage:

Who: Eric and I

What: Overnight concert, Big Spring, Cupola Pond

When: Halloween weekend, 2010

Where: Van Buren, Missouri and the Irish Wilderness, Missouri (I think)

Last year, I discovered the oh-so-lovely, Elizabeth Cook, thanks to Outlaw County on Sirius XM. I missed her at Off Broadway in August because of Ava's kindergarten open house. Then I read she was going to be playing in Van Buren with Ralph Stanley. Wow. Super wow. I think I bought the tickets on-line as I was on the phone "asking" Eric if he wanted to go.

I bought a package at The Landing which included two days, one night, dinner, breakfast, and concert tickets. The Landing sits on the Current River. What makes this resort even better, is that the River Centre, where the concert was to be held, is just a short walk up the hill from it.

The River Centre is a great place for a concert. It was built just a few months before, and is elegant and humble at the same time. I guess the Ozarks have that affect on a place. A wall of windows overlooking the Current River is the backdrop for the stage. The seating consists of small tables that seat four. We found our table (complete with place cards and candle) and met the couple whom we would be seated with for the evening.

The show was amazing. I mean, how else can I describe it? There were three bands. The first was a local bluegrass group featuring a super serious, super talented 17 year old banjo player. They were followed by Elizabeth's three piece band. I was worried that she wouldn't even be able to play this show. She has a show on Outlaw Country called Apron Strings, and had recently been missing from it because she had the flu, passed out, hit her head, and ended up in the hospital suffering from dehydration. I guess a day in the hospital hooked up to IV's cured her fast because she still put on quite a show-complete with a tap dance routine.

Ralph Stanley came out last with a large ensemble of musicians. I loved how they all lined up straight across the stage. Each one in his own element, masterfully showcasing immense talent. His 18 year old grandson is part of his band. Everyone in his band has multiple solo albums. Great surrounded by great. He sang "O, Death" which gave me serious goosebumps. I think this was one of those rare performances where there was such an overwhelming feeling of awe and respect given to an artist. The audience was completely mesmerized.

After the show, I had a chance to meet Miss. Cook. She autographed her Welder cd for me. I usually shy away from meeting celebrities, but this was such a laid back, intimate affair, it felt fine. She is lovely x's a thousand.

One last cocktail was followed with a walk down to the river where we enjoyed a clear night's sky. We gazed at the stars and goofed off. There's nothing better than being in the country as far as I'm concerned. I love that my husband is learning to love the places I've been around my entire life.

Before the show, we visited Big Spring State Park. I've been to many springs in the Ozarks, but not this one. This is Missouri's largest spring. On average, 276 million gallons of water is discharged on a daily basis.

A pretty bridge leads into the park. We hiked the heck out of the place. We navigated up and down steep slopes, identified trees, and marveled at the huge un-fishable trout. The green watercress waved with the current, adding even more color to a beautiful fall day. It was nice to be able to savor our visit at our own pace. We saw so many things-even a wedding.

The day of our departure was Halloween and we had to make our way home to take our lion tamer and Dorothy, trick-r-treating. Eric and I decided to do one last bit of sight seeing. We had a brochure with vague directions. I had heard of this place and had wanted to go there for years. We drove and consulted the county road numbers a hundred times. We turned around a LOT. We were very determined, and in the end, it paid off.

We found our way to Cupola Pond, a National Natural Landmark in the Mark Twain National Forest. This place is in the middle of NO WHERE. The definition of sticks. It was so exciting and we were the only people there. We walked down a steep hill littered with slippery, crunchy dead leaves. Cupola Pond is a 5 acre swamp located in a sink hole. In it, water tupelo trees grow. This place is ancient, mysterious, and beautiful. I hope to take the girls there this year.