With The Wine Guyz

Friday, February 1, 2008

I had a terrific time in La Crosse last weekend. First off, meeting Cajun Tim Hall was worth the trip in itself. Accomplished cook, raconteur, and all around great guy, Tim was born in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana and knows the bayous and by-ways of his native state like a muskrat knows his swamp, which would have been obvious to anyone who was listening to Here on Earth last Friday. Tim and his wife Carol showed off their southern hospitality on Friday night, serving us a marvelous Cajun meal. My my, but that chicken and andouille sausage was out of this world - so lip-smacking I had to have two helpings. And that was only the second course.

Tim was such a big hit we invited him to come back again this Friday when we'll be featuring his cookbook, Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez, and DVD as a pledge premium. And he's also agreed to host a WPR Cajun Barbeque which will be held at Larry Meillor's bayou in June.

Saturday noon I arrived at The Wine Guyz, which is right across from The Pump House in La Crosse and adjacent to Piggy's, following the weekend's theme. The Wine Guyz turned out to be the perfect place for me to read from "Get Thee to a Winery," the third chapter in my book, I Hear Voices, which flips back and forth between the time I spent in St. Benedict's Monastery and the California wine country. Dan, the owner of The Wine Guyz, another perfect host, handed me a glass of Writer's Block zinfandel halfway through the reading which added immeasureably to the whole gestalt. The best thing was, everybody there seemed to enjoy themselves quite as much as I did!

There will be more readings coming up at various venues throughout the state in the next several months. Look for postings on our website.