the morning bull pen

Our first family trip to Florida was a ball of fun and exhaustion all rolled into one. Florida proved to be what everyone had warned us about -- very hot, very humid and very stormy.

Meet-and-greets at Watershed mean a lot of waiting around, so to pass the time at the Gorge last weekend, we started chatting with the employees of LiveNation. They are the unsung heroes behind the scenes who keep everyone safe, help with medical issues, serve food and drinks, work the ticket box office and clean up the HUGE mess left behind...

Here are some of the sights I saw during the first weekend of the Watershed Music Festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre. Don't worry, though: You haven't missed ALL the fun! Watershed's second weekend starts this Friday, three-day day passes and camping is still available for this weekend...

I haven't been camping since I was a little girl, so when my dear friend Kristina wanted to camp at the Watershed Music Festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre last weekend, she had to do some persuading. She basically promised hot coffee every morning, taking a generator so that I could do my hair, hot showers and yummy food...

The Morning Bull Pen spoke with the mastermind behind the Watershed Music Festival, Brian O'Connell, the other day.

I've gone to the Watershed Music Festival at the Gorge a few times, but I've never camped there. That's all about to change this year, though. I'm going camping for the first time!

Normally, when you tell people you're from Yakima, Washington, they have no clue what you're talking about. So when I introduce myself to country artists, I don't expect them to know our small town. Plus, they bounce around from town to town to town to town and I'm sure all the those towns start to blend together. Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to meet Old Dominion, who are on tour with K

One of the little perks of our job is getting the opportunity to meet various artists. You learn that they are normal just like you, so it becomes normal for us to chat with them as if they are our friends. But then there are the artists that we REALLY like.

The world of dating can be a crazy adventure, to say the least. And now that people can find potential dates online, it's only gotten crazier.

Strange citations -- driving in the left lane, giving a dog a beer in a park, urinating in public. What strange or unusual citation have you received?

We promise: It won't rain this week! Get ready for a perfect evening this Thursday (July 14) when the Robbie Walden Band, plus Slings and Arrows, perform at Downtown Summer Nights on North Front Street. The Robbie Walden Band hails from the west side, but they've played Yakima before -- they were at DSN just last summer...

Facekinis -- masks for swimmers and beach-goers that cover the entire face, leaving only eyes, nose and mouth exposed. The mask protects wearers from 99.8 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Umm ... or just wear sunscreen?