LIVE from St. Paul, Minnesota!

We got into St. Paul with no incident and no trouble with traffic through Minneapolis or St. Paul. Jake recommended a perfect accomodation in that it was in city (close to him) but next to a bottling plant that had pretty constant work going on, the hotel was very safe. Visiting cities is lovely, but it's a bit more fun A) in a car, preferably UNDER 10 feet long and B) without ALL of your belongings with you.

Our visit with a dear friend named Jake Esau, whom we haven't had the good fortune to see in person in for about 3 years since he left the Seattle area, was worth the hazardous driving. He took us to the local co-op to replenish our veggie and other supply stocks, have dinner, and then regaled us with his latest work in progress (a remarkable one called Voices of the Bible) for the evening entertainment. His work is amazing for a few reasons, one because he is a "one man show" - a character actor of great talent. His voice has a fabulous resonance, and his care for the characters, his phrasing, and the stories themselves make for a mesmerizing performance. His pieces from the Old Testament included the stories (personally paraphrased, sometimes dramatized in prose and sometimes in a rhyming couplet format) of Ruth, Deborah, Tamar, Job (especially powerful), Daniel and others. The grand finale was a 6 minute humorous piece by Twain. This was a fabulous treat. Jake's works are thought provoking and highly professional, if you ever get the chance to see him, especially if he is performing his latest works "Voices of the Bible" please do! You will enjoy it immensely.

Till we meet again in person, Jake! In the meantime, we'll both read Martin Chuzzlewitt next, though perhaps not at the same time.