This week, Tim and I headed up to Jasper for the ISSMA District show. The reclassification of bands for the 2005 season made the show really interesting. Classes D & C at Jasper are as tough as any contest in the state, Class B was going to be tight as well.

Tim and I had a very busy week leading up to District. We were so busy that both of us forgot to charge our batteries for our cameras. That meant we had to conserve our batteries as much as possible during the show. So in lieu of actual photos, I decided to draw the illustrations to accompany this edition of the Contest Journal.

Picking the right music was crucial to set the mood for a long day of taking photos, so Tim and I discussed our options for several days before we settled on a soundtrack for our trip. After a long discussion we could think of one artist who could prepare us for a long day of shooting: Tapani Varis-Munniharppuunna. Recorded in 1996, this CD was considered the driving force behind the Norwegian folk music invasion of North America in 1999.

Nothing gets as eager to shoot photos of marching bands as listening to jaws harp solos. Check out this recording of the unforgettable "Jesus Thou Sweet Companion."

Tim drove us to the show in his SUV, which is always an adventure. It is kinda like riding a rollercoaster, except it is faster and not as safe.

One of the best things about the show at Jasper is the walk from the parking area to Alumni Stadium.

Tim and I always take the opportunity to do some sightseeing while we walk through town.

Sometimes I get a little carried away while shooting a band and then I get in the way of instructors on the sideline, who are assisting their band during performances. In this drawing a Forest Park staffer kindly requested that I move so she could direct for members of the band who were unable to see the DM.

It was a rather warm day and standing out on the track masquerading as photographers made us pretty thirsty. Fortunately the concession workers turned us on to a new drink that not only quenched our thirst, but had zero calories! It's called dehydrated water. We were told it was very chic and exclusive, and it is sold only to celebrities like Tim and me. It comes in what looks like an empty bottle. One of the concession workers told me that the bottle looks empty, but it is actually filled with dehydrated water molecules. To rehydrate them, all you have to do is add water. The best part is that you can rehydrate the molecules over and over again, so one bottle will last you all day! At $20 for a 12 ounce bottle, Tim and I felt like we were stealing it from them!

As the show neared the end, we ran into our familiar foe - darkness. Poor stadium lighting and the popularity of dark uniforms makes shooting extremely difficult. Often the photos end up looking like this:

Because Castle competed at the Southport District show, the Jasper show ended with class B awards. As soon as the awards were announced, we headed back to Tim's vehicle. On the way out of Jasper, one of the bands had a message for us spelled out on their bus. It was kinda dark in the area and I saw only part of the message so I am not sure I read it properly, but I think it said "SI Success!" It is always nice to know that bandos in the area appreciate our work.

What a great show! The weather was really nice and there were lots of great performances. We can hardly wait until regionals. Best of luck to everyone this coming weekend!