To begin with, Madison, the state capitol of Wisconsin, was a treat. An absolute first-class small Northern city, like small cities in Europe and a bit like Burlington, VT. Surrounded by big Lake Monona. Very college and young professional oriented, coffee shops and quaint restaurants all around the downtown area where we stayed. We gave a concert at the Overture Hall, a facility with a lengthy year-round schedule of top rate acts. Steve March Tormé had many friends and relatives in attendance.

But then the snow came! 4-5” had fallen as we left the venue to go back to the hotel. And sure enough… the bus got stuck on a patch of snow at a street corner. Couldn‘t go forward, couldn’t go back. Tires spinning, more snow falling. Streets nearly deserted. Bob, our driver, um… let’s say he got a bit irritated.

Out of nowhere, a large Ford pickup 4-wheel drive pulls up and out steps the brother of our sax player, Gary Herbig! (He had been at the concert). He attaches a nylon towrope to the front of the bus, and with his help and the combined 650 hp of the two engines we climbed the slippery, hilly streets back to the hotel.

Yesterday we left the hotel at 7:30 am, after Bob and Pete had to dig the bus out of the snow which had fallen overnight. Luckily, the conditions en route to Michigan via the Chicago area weren’t too bad at all. No snow, good visibility, but high winds.

They PREDICTED a big blizzard starting later… we’ll see. Nope. Didn't happen.

Good show last night in Jackson. We have still skirted the really bad, icy weather that has hit the Midwest. I can’t believe our luck. I hope the same holds true for my drive home on Monday/Tuesday.