The Boys Nite Inn

The "Boys Nite Inn" "The Office" "The Bungalow" - - all names that I've given to this little cluttered refuge of mine in the woods outside Eau Claire.

The neon sign idea was originally made especially for my newly organized band of about four years ago. But I got too nervous to lug it around from gig to gig, afraid I would break the neon, so for a while, it hung in the front window of the office, facing out towards the highway as a party beacon back in the day when I would invite musicians over for an evening of home made pizzas and way too much beer.

There are some pretty good memories here.

It became not only my refuge, but refuge to men who were in troubled relationships and needed a place to "be". Billy Rude lived here for a spell. Matt Capell would crash here for a couple of weeks every summer to escape the heat of West Texas. Trevor LaBonte, originally from Chippewa Falls, took up permanent residence here for a couple of semesters. Then, with my urging and help, secured a job with Barnum's Kaliedoscape Circus, replacing my son Jonathan who was ready to hang it up before his move to New York. Trevor has done well. When the circus disbanded he eventually ended up in Austin, Texas, and is now playing lead guitar for Gary P. Nunn's band.

When the very lovely voiced Perla Batalla came to Eau Claire, she stayed here as well with her road manager. I made her pizza after her performance at the Stone's Throw and the following morning there were blueberry buttermilk pancakes from scratch for breakfast to send her on her way.

Of course, my sons Jonathan and David have stayed here many times over the years. They are perhaps the greatest fans of my cooking and love my popovers. I have enjoyed all of my guests and the time they have spent here.

I have had more than one married man look the place over with an envious eye.

It has been a wonderful place to be in Winter when the snow piles up outside and the wild wind blows. I equipped it with a wonderful wood stove and although it causes lots of dust, I wouldn't give up that wood heat for anything.

Picture it 20 degrees below. I am sitting in front of the stove in just my underwear and a guitar, writing a new song. Many of the songs I did write were written in this place.

It is a great place for my collections of militaria. I have to my right, shelves of die cast World War II aircraft. On my left are shelves of die cast American and German tracked vehicles.

Behind the office is a large open lot in which grows a patch of rhubarb. It is at its peak right now and I have been using it for rhubarb custard pies. Beyond that open space, nearer Otter Creek, is a small woods with some huge virgin pine towering high above everything.

It's funny. When Kim and I first had the opportunity to buy the parcel, we meant to tear or burn down the building as it looked terrible from the outside. but once I got a look at the inside of the house, I knew it would make a great creative space, so with the help and generosity of Kim's dad, Robert Wilson, (God bless him) and my old pal Gary Spaeth, we tore off all the old siding, rebuilt nearly all the outside walls and then had a professional carpenter re-side the entire building with cedar.

It looks like it should be sitting beside some Wisconsin lake. And indoors, it has that peculiar musty smell that you find in cabins on fishing lakes.

Other than constantly battling maurading mice in the Spring and Fall, I haven't had a lot of problems over here. Oh! We did replace the furnace almost immediately upon acquiring the property.

In summer, with the front door open, I have seen deer, turkeys, and even red fox scuttle past the screen door. Do you get the feeling that I enjoy having this place of solitude?