Tuesday night I was lying in a bed when a startling, but familiar, sound arose from my window. It was that time of year when the locusts were back. Being a Kansas girl, I love this sound, and accept it as part of the Summer experience. I’ve taken comfort in waiting for the sun to go down, because that’s when (right on cue) the locusts start up their evening-long symphony.

If you live in Lawrence, part of the Summer experience includes a different musical performance. This one conducted by Robert E. Foster. Every Wednesday, The Lawrence City Band takes the stage at South Park, and families, friends, students, uncles, grandparents and children gather from far and wide to listen. I never got my act together in time to see them last Summer, so I made it a must this year. But in May, my job announced that I would be helping with a special project that would run late into the evening for 8 Wednesdays this Summer, and those 8 Wednesdays happened to be the exact same 8 Wednesdays that the Lawrence City Band planned on taking the stage. Although I was excited about my new assignment at work, I was heartbroken.

But this week I got off a little early (what luck!), and high tailed it down to Lawrence’s South Park in time for the show.

People line up nice and early for the good seats to this event. So if you don’t park it early, you’re in the back. Some bust out the fancy lawn chairs, some bring comfy blankets and towels, others bring just themselves.

The concert was great fun. The hubby and I sprawled out on a blanket, closed our eyes, and soaked it in. I was enjoying it so much that I didn’t really take the greatest photos or record the greatest videos for you (sorry).

That being said, here’s a little snippet for your listening pleasure:

But what I enjoyed the most out of the concert wasn’t the music (although it was just fantastic!). It was the people. I laid on my stomach and “people-watched.” I saw a woman dancing in the grass with her grandchild, smiling the entire time. I saw the pitter patter of little feet running and playing in the grass, new faces meeting each other for the first time. I watched these children and daydreamed about the day when I finally get to have my own, and bring them to these concerts, and dance in the grass with them.

Everyone at the show had such a calm look on their face, just the slightest of smiles, and ultimately relaxed.

Life can be just so wonderful sometimes.

And then, right on cue, as the band wrapped up their final song, and the sun finished setting, the locusts started up their concert, filling the air with even more music to keep us company into the night.