As I sit here typing, the only sounds I hear are palm fronds flapping in the breeze and waves gently lapping the sandy white beach. That's it. Nothing more.
I'm an idiot if I EVER complain about my job.

We're on San Salvador, a tiny island on the north-eastern side of the Bahamas island chain. The island is only 12 miles long and 5 miles wide, but it hold a pretty important place in history. This is the island that Christopher Columbus first landed on back in 1492.

The Club Med folks were kind enough to invite us down to their Columbus Isle resort.
The trip is part of our dedication to "Country in the Rockies" - the annual T.J. Martel Cancer research benefit week in Crested Butte, Colorado.
Who would have thought a week in the snow would result in a 5 days on the sand?
John Vanderslice- That's who.
The President of Club Med North America decided it might be nice to help raise funds for Cancer research by offering an auction package that includes a week at one of his premiere resorts, plus the opportunity to help write a song with mega-hit songwriters Dean Dillon and Aaron Barker (look them up on your google search if don't know who they are. You'll be impressed, I promise you.)
As added incentive for the auction buyer, we tossed in the promise that the song created on the excursion would be documented on our show.
Ironically, the two times we've participated in the auction challenge, it was another huge songwriter who ended up buying the trip. Two years ago it was Bob DiPiero (again, look him up.)
This year, Scotty Emerick joined the party ( I hate to sound repetetive but....look him up. Toby Keith fans know who he is).

Our trip started kind of rough. Two of us- including me- forgot our passports. Not good for a trip to a foreign country. Somehow, we both managed to contact people who had access to our respective birth certificates and they were able to fax copies to the airport just in time for our departure.
Quick sidenote- Thanks Mom and Dad.
The other guy, the emcee for Country the Rockies, Tom Gross, got his birth certificate faxed by the manager of his condo complex. We were on our way.

But when we arrived in the Bahamas, we were alerted to the fact that our TV gear had been held hostage by customs officials. No gear, no show. Period.
Long story short, we got our stuff 36 hours later. That left us just a day and a half to shoot everything we needed to. We counted on 4 days.

As I pack up my things to leave this beautiful island, I can't believe we pulled it off. And I mean WE.
The writers pounded out a great song called "The Key's in the Conch Shell." My cameraman Tom Zaleski captured everything we needed. And Club Med bent over backwards to help all happen.

Besides capturing the creation of a song from start to finish, we also were lucky enough to capture a wedding!
Dean Dillon married his fiancee Susie Ringo at a stunning sunset waterfront ceremony. It was truly a fairytale event.

We do alot of traveling for our show. We've been to 20 states and 5 countries in our short 2 and half year history as show. But nothing matches the magic of putting the true masters of songwriting in a tropical setting to let them do their thing.
I do what I do for one simple reason. It's the closest I can get to music, without knowing ANYTHING about the art of creating it. I don't play an instrument. I don't sing. I don't write.
But I love Country Music. And to be able to get the opportunity to observe the creation of music at it's inception is one of the most thrilling parts of my job. Oh yeah, the backdrop of paradise doesn't hurt either.

To Dean Dillon, Aaron Barker and Scotty Emerick - Thanks for letting us tag along.

Should the song they created - "The Key's in the Conch Shell", or any other song written during this trip - get recorded by an aritst, proceeds from the song will go straight to Cancer research. You can't beat that combo.

Tomorrow, it's back to reality.

Speaking of reality, my sincere condolences to Bonnie Owens' family and friends. Bonnie was the first ever recepient of the ACM Female Vocalist award.
Buck Owens' kids lost their Mom and Dad in just 30 days. That's tough, to say the least.
She was amazing lady. I've only had the chance to be around her twice, but each time she lit up the room. She was married to both Buck and Merle Haggard in her lifetime. Both knew a good woman when they saw her.

This recent heart-breaking trend of losing legends must stop. i can't take it.
Country Music will continue on, but when the heroes that created it's foundation continue to fade away, it's tough to imagine an industry without them.

More about our trip and what you can expect on our next show in a couple days.

Thanks for checking in!
From the Bahamas- over and out.

Storme