the dude abides

so last night after work I went over to the other government housing unit to find a buddy to pal around with. Jim was home from his intense stint on Sand Island, and upon being asked if he wanted to go to town with me, he responded with a resounding "yes!" I got to Bayfield before he did to make some phone calls...talked to friends from school and my parents. It really is a delicious thing to catch up with folks. Just the other day I received an email from a pal in the SCA who is now working out at Olympic, the lucky son of a gun. His pictures and writing are absolutely fantastic.

Anyway, we had a drink at the Rum Line, but the ambience just wasn't the same as before. It was a little too rah-rah for our liking and we went back to our old standby, the Bayfield Inn's upper deck. Now, this is our standby for a reason. It has a great atmosphere, not even depending on the crowd and the deck has a great view of Basswood and Madeline Islands. The bartenders are sassy and competent and there's an incredible variety of libations to choose from. I started the night out with a well-made Key Lime Coke (Absolut vanilla, coke and two lime wedges) and then in honor of The Dude, Jim and I reveled in a White Russian each. while cracking each other up with lines from The Big Lebowski ("That rug really tied the room together." "Shut the fuck up, Donny. You're out of your element here.") the moon rose over Madeline and the deck went quiet until it finished its ascent into the dark sky. It started out as a reddish color, and gradually lightened to a luminescent white as it rose.

The best part of the night was the live music. The regular guy was there, whanging away on his guitar and singing the bluesy-bluegrassy music that always seems to sound so sweet while sitting outside with buddies and a drink in hand. Eventually, though, about the time the moon rose, another man took the stage and proceeded to wow the pants off the crowd. He was a black jazzy guy wearing a fedora, suspenders and a harmonica holster on his pants--able to hold six at a time. He and the other dude paired up to do a couple of songs, raggy surfy jazz...and then the deck went silent as he picked up his guitar and sang "What a Wonderful World." I think everyone feels the same heart swell upon hearing it, and conversations died, glasses stopped clinking...Even the bartender put down his rag and stopped polishing to listen to this beautiful rendition of a timeless classic. We erupted into cheers when he finished and the deck resumed the sassy banter that had been going on before as the two musicians, harmonicas, guitars and saxophones in hand, kept the music flowing.

The second best part of the night was the Herbal Cream Ale that we both tried for the first time. Upon the first sip we both thought cloves to be present, but couldn't figure out what else was part of the herbal repetoire in the ale. It was a great way to close the tab.

Our brewery continues its dedication to innovative and progressive beers. As a Cream Ale it combines the features of a lager (crisp & clean) with the best of an ale (fruity & complex) into one beer. The special feature of this beverage is that we've introduced a blend of herbs into the finished product. A beer for those seeking an alternative to "mainstream" products and flavors. This beer alivens your senses with its unique fresh taste and aroma.
Style: Cream Ale
Flavor: Crisp. Light to medium body. Refreshing. Very light hop bitterness
Alcohol: 3.6% ALC. BY WT.

We sat on the deck and chatted some more (easily the best part about going out on the town with a philosophy major, the conversation isn't stilted in the slightest) and then headed back to Little Sand Bay with the plan to either watch the stars if the moon wasn't too bright, or watch the Big Lebowski. Since there was a little more light pollution than normal we opted for the movie. Great end to the day.

the dude abides.