A marching band legend has died

George Parks was SUCH an inspiration to thousands of "band geeks" around the country, including me. I personally attended his Drum Major Academy for 3 years and had the priviledge of shaking his hand as he congratulated me for winning the "march off" the final year I attended. His legacy in Massachussetts will certainly continue, and his mark on marching bands across will never die.

His obit piece from the Associated Press:
AMHERST, Mass. (AP) - George Parks, a University of Massachusetts music professor who as led the school's Minuteman Marching Band to national prominence, has died university officials said.

Parks suffered a heart attack following a performance in Ohio on Thursday. He was 57.

The 350-member band was on its way to Ann Arbor, Mich., where it is scheduled to perform at Saturday's UMass football game against Michigan. Band members decided that the performance will proceed as scheduled, department of music and dance Chairman Jeff Cox said.
"This is an extraordinary loss," Chancellor Robert Holub said in a statement. "George's devotion to excellence, his creativity and his passion for teaching inspired us all and shaped the lives of thousands of students during the three decades that he directed the Power and Class of New England."

Parks was in his usual position last weekend, precariously perched on a concrete wall at UMass' football stadium directing the halftime show at the team's home game against Holy Cross, the band stretching from end zone to end zone.

In 33 years under Parks, the UMass band performed at presidential inaugurations in 1981, 1985 and 2001 and in 1998 won the Louis C. Sudler Trophy, the nation's top honor for a marching band.

The band performed at NFL games and at community events across the country.

Parks was enshrined in the Bands of America Hall of Fame in 2006.

The tuba and conducting professor, who was awarded the university's distinguished teaching award in 1989, helped raised money to build a new home for the marching band. The band lost its previous home because of safety concerns and kept instruments and other equipment scattered across campus.

Groundbreaking for the $5.7 million facility was held last fall, and it is expected to open in the spring.

A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Parks was a graduate of West Chester University in Pennsylvania and also had a master's of music degree from Northwestern University.

He leaves behind his wife, Jeanne, and children, Michael and Kathryn.

Funeral services are pending.

Izzie as a Jurassic Park stunt double?

When Izzie got her new cone after busting the other one...I sent a picture to my sister who said she looked like those dinosaurs who spit venom out in Jurassic Park. I've put them up for a side by side comparison. Granted Izzie is a little less menacing...but you get the idea.

Poor Izzie

What an interesting Labor Day weekend we had!
We volunteered to watch our soon-to-be sister-in-law's dog Chloe for the weekend while she and my brother-in-law went to the lake. Chloe is a big dog but is just a sweetheart! This is the first time she had been around Izzie. Everything was going well until Saturday morning. Izzie picked up one of Chloe's toys, and I don't think Chloe liked it very much. The two took off after each other and egos took over! As we were attempted to break them up...they backed into a vase we had sitting by the wall near the fireplace. Izzie backed into it, the vase broke and she ended up with a pretty bad cut on her right butt cheek.
So Scott spent the day at MedVet...and $600 later our puppy came home with stitches and staples in her rear end. This is a picture of her resting while the anesthesia wore off.

She now has to wear the "cone of shame" until the stitches come out...which should be in the next week and a half. She's NOT happy about it but seems to be recovering pretty well. I can't wait to see how she feels about possibly wearing it again on the 24th when she gets her root canal!

So needless to say we won't be taking a vacation this year...all that money is going to vet bills.

It's a good thing she's so cute! :-)