BE MERRY

"April showers bring May flowers . . ." or, in our case (we hope) grass. You see, we had a bit of a lawn mishap last year. Attempting to ban our grass of clover, hubby inadvertently double-dosed the weed killer, and wiped out the entire lawn.

While not pretty, a dead lawn does have some advantages. We saved a bundle on the water bill and mowing was a non- issue. See, every cloud really does have a silver lining. Now, new seed has been sown and we're enjoying the April show­ers, and, quite literally sitting around "watching the grass grow".

Speaking of grass, you won't want to miss an opportunity to hear some amazing Bluegrass music, and support the Pio­neer Park Aviary at the same time. On April 19th two groups, the Blue Mountain Barnstormers and Kate & the Bluegrass Gentlemen, will be performing a fundraising concert in the beautifully renovated Plaza Theater, with all proceeds going to support the aviary. Bluegrass is for the Birds will take place at 6:30 p.m. and admission is $10.

Kate & the Bluegrass Gentleman is a band gathered espe­cially for this event. Members include: Jimmye Turner (guitar and dobro), Glenn Morrison (guitar), Bruce DeLeonard (ban­jo and guitar), Dr. Ron Van Yserloo (banjo and mandolin), Bob Johnston (bass) and Kate Hockersmith (guitar). Emma Philbrook (mandolin), Chris Philbrook (guitar and banjo) and Sam McGowan (fiddle) make up the Blue Mountain Troublemakers.

If you've yet to enjoy the amazing transformation that Robbie and Marilyn Johnson have performed on the Plaza Theater, this is your chance to check that out as well. It's truly stunning.

Coppei Coffee, home of monthly bluegrass and rock jams, will be open after the concert and performers will head over after the show to continue playing. Everyone is welcome to grab a brew (of either the bean or malt variety) and enjoy the show.

By the way, if you haven't dropped by Coppei Coffee on the first Friday of the month, you're missing out. Each first Friday is Open Mic Friday where entertainers of all ages are encouraged to "release their inner rockstar".

The Bluegrass is for the Birds concert is an opportunity to enjoy the talents of local musicians in a warm and friendly local atmosphere while supporting the Pioneer Park Aviary. This is a rare case where a concert being "for the birds" is actually a good thing.