It's the last day of my summer composing vacation and, although it will be nice to not be hemorrhaging money, I'm going to miss this place. I've made some major headway on the opera (if I hadn't gotten a cold and subsequently lost my voice I would have gotten further) and it's in a fairly good place at this point. The vocal parts are done with rehearsal piano either written in or recorded for transcription and I feel good about the remaining few days I have left to work on it before "proper" commissions need to be started. I also had the chance to sit down with a stellar oboe player and pick his brain for an upcoming commission for that instrument and choir. I got some great ideas as well as some things not to do unless you want to piss the player off.
A few nights ago I went to Decorah's gourmet restaurant, the La Rana Bistro. I know the executive chef and, for some reason, have never eaten there. The fillet was beyond amazing.
I rarely get dessert but, since the steak was so good, I figured I should try the strawberry rhubarb crisp. Apparently they lost a large portion of their crop during the huge flood last month and, somehow, it had miraculously grown back in a hurry. According to the owner, it was like having a second season.
The burrito mexicana at Don Jose's.
Lunch the next day at a new edition to Decorah: Rubaiyat. I had a great chat with the owner about their name. It has to do with some texts by Persian poet Omar Khuyyam that are all about living life to the fullest with the help of good food and great wine. She actually brought the book over for me to read through and I think I'll buy it sometime in the near future. How many small towns in Iowa do you think you can get an amazing plate of crepes with sauteed scallops and shrimp? I wasn't sure when she suggested such and odd combination but there was nothing to fear. I love this town.
For supper last night I hit the last "proper" restaurant in town that I hadn't yet. Albert's is attached to the cushy Hotel Winneshiek and serves a hell of a grilled-in-a-waffle-iron panini. 
I shared this meal with singer/songwriter Aimee Ringle. We jammed a little before this (she kicks my ass on the guitar but it turns out I can play a mean Middle Eastern drum) and ended up having multiple great discussions about creativity, etc. 
We met a friend of her's later who, when we were introduced, looked me in the eye and said something like, "You're the guy that wrote Moonrise, right? I played the horn part in 10th grade honor band and hated you! How many high G's can you possibly write into one piece?"
Thus ends one of my summer vacations. I have one more writing session today, a late lunch with Weston Noble and then it's off to Dubuque to spend some quality family time.
I've had lots of great discussions over the past week with people about how great this town is. Aimee gave me the best description when she called Decorah "a town invested in its own nourishment." She's totally right. There's good juju here and, since I'm not even close to being as articulate as she is, I'll just let James Russell Lowell speak for me:
It seemed the loveliness of things
Did teach him all their use,
For, in mere weeds, and stones, and springs,
He found a healing power profuse.
Granted, I did get sick while I was here...but you get the idea.
Mahalo.
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