January 11

Yes, the date of a Vikings playoff game, but I’d rather watch women’s hockey anytime.  It’s not that I’m not a Vikings fan, it’s that game itself is boring and the NFL is run by . . . well, take a gander at “Big Game” by Mark Leibovich . . .

[A beautiful morning for a hockey game, at a balmy minus 17 . . . ]

[With friend John Etnier (black coat), and his friend and former colleague Mike (blue coat)  from Edina, we gathered in St. Cloud, first lunching at RJ’s, before heading on to the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.  It looks surprisingly benign here because we were only one parking lot lane from the building – behind us where we parked was an ice field as generally throughout this whole area this winter ice has been a major issue, particularly for pedestrians . . . ]

[I did not come here to disparage the Vikings, only to note that my favorite spectator sport is girls high school hockey.  This is another level up, but the Gopher women’s hockey program has been the one statewide athletic program that year in and year out takes a back seat to no one.  The Gophers are currently ranked No. 2 in the country . . . ]

[John is a native Twin Citian, but he colleged at St. Cloud State where as you can see here he is a member of the Huskies Hockey Wall of Fame.  Back in the mid to late 60’s, the equipment was not quite up to modern standards, but to the best of my knowledge John still has all his teeth . . . ]

[Our rink view from our private suite . . . ]

[The maroon and gold line of the Golden Gophers . . . ]

[And the opening jump ball . . . ]

[The Gophers won the draw which appeared to have split their defensemen . . . ]

[Of the visible Gopher numbers here, Abigail Boreen (22) is sophomore forward from Hill-Murray, Crystalyn Hengler (13) is a sophomore defenseman from Eden Prairie, and Gracie Ostertag (6) is a sophomore defenseman from Shattuck . . . ]

[Sarah Potomak (26) is a senior forward from Aldergrove, British Columbia, and Madeline Wethington (5) is freshman defenseman from Blake.  Madeline scored the 1st goal of the game just 3 1/2 minutes into the game . . . ]

[A Gopher rush led by (it appears) by Amy Potomak (16), Sarah’s sister and sophomore forward, Alex Woken (20) a senior forward from Shattuck, and Sarah . . . ]

[And Alex looks like she got the shot . . . ]

[And she scored the 2nd goal of the game . . . ]

[Then I somehow missed the power play goal by Taylor Heise (9), a sophomore from Red Wing.  That 3 – 0 first period score would stand up as the final score . . . ]

[Brad Frost, Gopher coach with a 319 – 53 – 27 in 10 years, crosses the ice between periods assisted by his assistants . . . ]

[Mucking it up in the 2nd period, Gopher goalie Sydney Scobee, a senior from Breck, in the background . . . ]

[After two periods . . . ]

[Something learned between periods is that both John and Mike, as ex-college hockey players, mow their lawns in a Zamboni pattern . . . ]

[And here’s “Frosty” again . . . ]

[After a dearth of photos in the first two periods, I loaded up for the third.  The Taylor (9) line with Sarah (26) and Grace Zumwinkle (12), a junior forward from Breck . . . ]

[Although all the Gophers are obviously very good, Grace kind of jumps out you with her size, speed, and shot (in her high school days, considered the hardest in the state . . . ]

[Abigail raced down the far boards . . . ]

[And then mucks it up in center ice . . . ]

[Grace and Taylor in the offensive zone . . . ]

[I’ll just say Grace . . . ]

[Abigail, Emily Oden (21), a sophomore forward from Edina, and a friend pound the net while Emily Brown (2), a junior defenseman from Blaine, lurks in the background . . . ]

[And Grace again . . . ]

[The Huskies goalie is Emma Polusny (32), a junior from Mound.  I’m sure our Cardinals played against her in high school, probably more than once . . . ]

[Olivia Knowles (24) is a junior defenseman from Campbell River, British Columbia, and Taylor Wente (28) is a junior forward from Maple Grove . . . ]

[Kippin Keller (8) is a senior forward from Minnetonka, and it’s either Taylor Wente (28) or Katie Robinson (18), a senior forward from Kasson-Mantorville behind her . . . ]

[And here’s Abigail and the two Emilys again . . . ]

[And it’s 10-player pile up in front of the goal . . . ]

[Gracie (6) and Catie Skaja (3), a sophomore forward from New Prague . . . ]

[And another multi-player pile up in this non-contact sport . . . ]

[And there’s Abigail again.  Watching the game I didn’t realize how much time she spent hanging around the net . . . ]

[Catie and Kippin . . . ]

[Catie and Emily Oden . . . ]

[Time to say Goodnight, Folks.  I’m kind of amazed that in just random shooting I covered every player (I think?) . . .

[The final, as noted earlier, the same as after the first period . . . ]

[Takeaways:  The Huskies aren’t as bad as their record.  Plus, they’re really interesting – looking back up at their roster, it’s very international in nature.  The Gophers weren’t strikingly good, but we were looking at them through the lens of previous teams – specifically the 62-game winning streak teams between February 2012 and November 2013.  I went several games during that great era (through 2016) when the team was loaded with Olympians.  Finally, both John and Mike (who played hockey at Mankato State) agree (as do I) that where the Gophers play, Ridder Arena, is the ultimate hockey venue . . . ]

Goaltending is a normal job, sure. How would you like it in your job if every time you made a small mistake, a red light went on over your desk and 15,000 people stood up and yelled at you?  ~  Jacques Plante

Up Next:  More games tomorrow night

January 10

The Cards were hosting Tartan, a school in Oakdale, a suburb St. Paul.  Ordinarily that would be quite a treat for Alex to host a Twin Cities school.  But the Titans were coming in with a 1 – 10 record so the game didn’t figure to be close against the now 12 – 3 Cards.  And it wasn’t . . . 

[Giving the JV a little shout out here . . . ]

[A harbinger of the varsity game . . . ]

[I’ll start with a little treat.  A video that was actually shot early in the 2nd half will give you an idea of the overall flow of the game . . . ]

[Mia McGrane in pre-game warm-ups . . . ]

[Ditto for Ella Grove . . . ]

[The two seniors would lead the Cards in this game . . . ]

[Coach Kohler chats with, I believe, the Titans first-year coach . . . ]

[Ella in the team’s final warm-up drill . . . ]

[Team intros:  Jaya Hatlestad (3) . . . ]

[Mia (5) . . . ]

[Ella (11) . . . ]

[Some fist bumps are longer than others . . . ]

[Alayna Strand (25) . . . ]

[Lilly Horn (33) . . . ]

[School photographer Mark Ripley shooting 180 degrees opposite me . . . ]

[I think something to the effect:  Beat the Titans . . . ]

[Alayna readies for tip-off . . . ]

[Up, up and away . . . ]

[I don’t remember who got it . . . ]

[The game began.  We did not deploy our usual full-court press (probably thinking that would be overkill) with Alayna at the point.  With a straight man-to-man, Mia would would pick up the Titan point guard shortly after she crossed midcourt.  Then Mia would exercise her natural theft tendencies – I believe she hit double digits in steals . . . ]

[Lilly and Alayna . . . ]

[Leading to a double-team?]

[Jaya brings it up . . . ]

[Ella with low post defense – she’s not averse to jumping an interior pass . . . ]

[With her length and quickness, Alayna is a terror on exterior defense . . . ]

[Swish-swish –  Ella made all her free throws, barely grazing the rim . . . ]

[I’ve mentioned before, she’ll be playing D2 basketball at Mary next year . . . ]

[A Mia steal . . . ]

[First knock the ball loose with pickpocket hands . . . ]

[Then dive to save it . . . ]

[Ella either shot this from underneath or is positioned for a rebound . . . ]

[Summer Gerhardt (35), the 3rd senior, played good significant minutes despite being somewhat hobbled by her wrapped knee . . . ]

[That’s Myah Kremer (15) in rebounding position.  She was a member of our 4 x 800 relay team that as I recall finished 3rd in the state . . . ]

[New members on the floor here are Cate Bloom (21) Mataya Hoelscher (23).  They are part of the usual rotation of probably 10 players in most games.  In games like this when it gets out of hand, all 20 players suited get playing time . . . ]

[Here Ella and Mataya display defensive rebounding block out positions . . . ]

[Looks like Ella got it . . . ]

[And we’ll finish game action, for no particular reason, with Cate running the baseline.]

[The Super came for her first game in at least two years.  She doesn’t not like close games because then she can’t sleep; she does not like blowouts because she feels sorry for the losing team.  She was empathetic for the Titans . . . ]

[We just watched the game in the 2nd half . . . ]

[Except for the bench and crowd shot . . . ]

[Who’s next?]

We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees.  ~  Jason Kidd

Up Next:  Gopher women’s hockey

January 2

One of the biggest things researchers are finding that keeps girls engaged in sports is access to their heroes and mentors—even if it’s just seeing them.  To see a banner or a poster or an ad featuring someone like you is monumental.  ~  Alana Paterson

Hockey

[Future Cardinals (U-12’s?) warmed up the ice before . . . ]

[The girl/boy hockey doubleheader against Brainerd.  The girls had been on the road for a month – their last home game was December 5th.  It was a difficult month, playing big schools on their home rinks.  Brainerd/Little Falls, last year’s class 2A state runner-up, would also prove to be a tough chore . . . ]

[I noticed again at the pre-game introductions we would be at significant size disadvantage again . . . ]

[The player introductions, the one time in a game a photographer can predict what is about to happen and be ready for it.  First up, sophomore Jordan O’Kane (1) . . . ]

[Then senior Mayson Toft (14) . . . ]

[Junior Ali Castle (22) . . . ]

[Junior Anna Doherty (7) . . . ]

[Junior Marki Obert (10) . . . ]

[Sophomore Kaci Trosvig (25) . . . ]

[A secret meeting held in the open . . . ]

[And away we go . . . ]

[Cardinals on the defensive early with freshman Ella Westlund (19) and sophomore Makenna Aure (17) . . . ]

[Makenna scored the Cards first goal . . . ]

[And celebrated . . . ]

[Tough game, not a lot of offense from either team . . . ]

[Anna and Marki, though still only juniors, seem to have been paired together for a really long time . . . ]

[And quite successfully . . . ]

[Then Kaci and Makenna join the party . . . ]

[I’m sure all Cardinal fans are glad she still has another two years ahead of her . . . ]

[Here come Kaci and Anna . . . ]

[And Kaci takes a long shot . . . ]

[Sophomore Hanley Block (28) applies defensive pressure . . . ]

[And appears to have succeeded . . . ]

[Hanley’s linemate freshman Lauren Maras (27) . . . ]

[Kaci and Marki, and if junior Maci Tillesjkor (29) and been out there with them, it would have been the all first name ending “i” line . . . }

[Here comes Makenna again . . . ]

[And then Anna scored the Cards’ second goal . . . ]

[The super young line of Ella, Lauren, and Hanley . . . ]

[I left after the 2nd period to move on to the basketball game.  It was clear the Flying Warriors were a bit too big and strong for our Cards.  The final score was 6 – 2.]

Basketball

[I think they reviewed what the captains discussed at the hockey game.  Likely, as usual, about post-game dining options . . . ]

[I think the ref said whoever lost the coin flip would buy . . . ]

[Warm-ups . . . ]

[Intros:  Junior Jaya Hatlestad (3) . . . ]

[Senior Mia McGrane (5) . . . ]

[Senior Ella Grove (11) . . . ]

[Junior Alayna Strand (25) . . . ]

[Junior Lilly Horn (33) . . . ]

[Alayna jumps . . . ]

[Quick and athletic, she often gets the tip against taller players . . . ]

[With four Cards in this shot, I assume the 5th, Mia, got the ball . . . ]

[I just watched in the first half.  Brainerd has a good team with some good shooters, but the Card full-court pressure makes it difficult for everybody.  I took this shot when I noticed Mia and Ella, our two seniors, had all but 4 of our team’s points.  I asked Mia’s mom, who was sitting behind me, who would be our scorers next year.  Somehow it always works out . . . ]

[Ella for two.  Both she and Mia scored a lot of their points on diagonal drives through the lane and then putting up a short bank shot going away . . . ]

[Alayna jumps center and then plays the point on the press.  If you could design a player for this role, it would be Alayna . . . ]

[The Brainerd player, number 24, was a very good player, but I bet she saw Alayna in her dreams that night . . . ]

[Lilly with a catch and shoot . . . ]

[On a “3” . . . ]

[Ella cuts in for a rebound, while junior Mataya Hoelscher (23) readies for defense . . . ]

[Warriors trying to cross midcourt against the press . . . ]

[Lilly appears to be passing in to a posting Ella . . . ]

[And we end with a “3” attempt by the Warriors . . . ]

[The Cards again got to play a lot of players as we won surprisingly handily . . . ]

[Mia and Ella ended up high scorers, with 19 and 17, respectively.]

Winsome

How good does a female athlete have to be before we can just call her an athlete?  ~  Unknown

Up Next: Workin’ on it . . .

 

 

 

December 29

[A few days before a major birthday, it’s always a nice touch to order up fresh blanket of snow for the sake of appropriate decor . . . ]

[And, it worked . . . ]

December 31

[For birthday eve (sometimes passing as New Year’s Eve or The Super’s sister Rita’s birthday), an evening with Tuesday Night Club at the Garden Bar on 6th hit all the right notes . . . ]

[For those keeping score at home, this boy band consists of (from l – r):  Terry Kennedy on guitar, Jim Faber on bass, Bill Riggs on trumpet, and Mel Lamar on guitar . . . ]

[With just a few more years experience, they could get to be pretty good . . . ]

[And they promised to keep us up not much later than 9:00 . . . ]

[We were with our usual fellow music groupees:  Karin and Dave Berg . . . ]

[Paul Trumm and the birthday girl . . . ]

[And the exuberant Deb Trumm . . . ]

[We were fortunate to have a real professional photographer at the next table . . . ]

[Thank you Mark Weise for the group shots . . . ]

[The aforementioned Mark with Peggy . . . ]

[While Karin and Dave cut a rug (well, concrete floor), The Super visited with even more fellow music aficionados, Barbara and Bob Foss . . . ]

[She was having fun until . . . ]

[Meanwhile, back with Karin and Dave . . . ]

[And the not to be outdone, Barbara and Bob . . . ]

January 1

[The actual birthday arrived . . . ]

[Always patronize (in the good sense) your local independent bookstore and your previously local author . . . ]

[And make sure you don’t get the cheap stuff . . . ]

[Ready for action . . . ]

[OK, pop the cork already . . . ]

[Well, after a few more artsy shots . . . ]

[Ready, drink!]

[And, of course, this was the other big news of the day . . . ]

[After the game, The Super wanted to pay a visit to Deb Paulzine’s (her friend and hairdresser) home to see her Christmas lights, which were featured on the front page of the Echo . . . ]

[And here she modeled to provide perspective . . . ]

[Then back home for the standard New Year’s Day fare of pork and sauerkraut.  Happy Birthday, dear!

Women deserve to have more than twelve years between the ages of twenty eight and forty.  ~  James Thurber

Up Next:  Scotland or girls sports?

July 3

Edinburgh, Scotland

Scotland, like Norway, was a country of first impression (meaning, I ain’t never been there before).  And because it was a matter of concern among the curious minds of the Fat Boys Walking Club:  “Phonetically, Edinburgh is pronounced ed-in-bruh.  We’ll often hear tourists adopting slight variations of this, sometimes with an emphasis in the ‘gh’ – somewhat similar to how you would pronounce Pittsburgh. Others will be aware of the silent ‘gh’ but overcompensate to Edinboro – I expect this is down to people hearing the word pronounced by Scottish people who roll their Rs” (from the Google machine).

[There it is – our first sighting of mainland Great Britain since a visit to London, well, over 20 years ago (I’m just a small town person of modest means).  Ahead, the Forth Bridge, a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland 9 miles (14 kilometres) west of central Edinburgh.  It is considered as a symbol of Scotland (having been voted Scotland’s greatest man-made wonder in 2016), and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Construction of the bridge began in 1882 and it was opened on 4 March 1890.  The bridge spans the Forth between the villages of South Queensferry and North Queensferry and has a total length of 8,094 feet (2,467 m).  When it opened it had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world, until 1919 when the Quebec Bridge in Canada was completed.  It continues to be the world’s second-longest single cantilever span, with a span of 1,709 feet (521 m) (Wikipedia).]

[Ed-in-bruh ahead . . . ]

[A little history before going ashore.  The gist of which it’s always good to be king . . . ]

[But one would not want to become a peasant or a serf on the flip side . . . ]

[We tendered in from what seemed to be an incredibly long way offshore . . . ]

[I’d hate to have to swim there . . . ]

[But we eventually made it . . . ]

[As usual, be ready to be assaulted by the usual tourist stuff . . . ]

[The Super may have thought about it, but no she didn’t ask . . . ]

[And, of course, other things one should know about Scotland . . . ]

[Our Viking host made sure everyone was on the right bus for the right tour . . . ]

[We were on the “Royal Yacht Britannia and Ultimate Edinburgh” tour, an all-dayer from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm . . . ]

[We’re busing through Edinburgh to the port of Leith, home of the Royal Yacht . . . ]

[Something about “Purves” being the one for your final send away . . . ]

[This is Fettes College . . . ]

[I know that because that’s what it says on this out of focus sign.  Fettes College is a private co-educational independent boarding and day school with over two-thirds of its pupils in residence on campus (forested 300-acre grounds).  The school was originally a boarding school for boys only and became co-ed in 1983.  Fettes is sometimes referred to as a public school although the term is traditionally used in Scotland for state schools.  The school was founded with a bequest of Sir Willliam Fettes in 1870 (Wikipedia).]

[Oh, why not?  Established in 1944, we specialise in home and commercial newspaper deliveries from our shop in Comely Bank, Edinburgh. We also now offer milk delivery.  We are a traditional independent newsagents based one mile north-west of Edinburgh city centre. For full details of our delivery services, please click on the appropriate link left. We also have a well stocked shop, and can obtain a wide range of newspapers and magazines from Scotland, UK, and the world (www.jamesborthwick.co.uk/).]

[A suspicion this may be the St. Columba’s Free Church, but don’t hold me to it . . . ]

[Holy Trinity Episcopal Church . . . ]

[Old Edinburgh . . . ]

[The Rutland Hotel, including The Huxley, a self-proclaimed one of the best bars and pubs in Edinburgh . . . ]

[Edinburgh Castle on the hill beyond Holy Trinity . . . ]

[Charlotte Square . . . ]

[Prince Albert on a horse in the center of Charlotte Square.  Albert was Queen Victoria’s husband.  He died age 41 in 1861.  The statue dates from 1876 . . .]

[An old building on an old street . . . ]

[William Pitt the Younger, Britain’s youngest prime minister from 1783 to 1801 during the reign of King George III.  He was famous for wearing live gulls on his head . . . ]

[Taking at face value, The Royal Society of Edinburgh . . . ]

[Who’da thunk?  The Dome is a building on George Street in New Town.  It currently functions as a bar, restaurant and nightclub, although it was first built as the headquarters of the Commercial Bank of Scotland in 1847.  It stands on the site of the Physicians’ Hall, the offices of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburth, which was constructed in the 18th century to designs by James Craig, the planner of the New Town. The Dome is a category A listed building (Wikipedia).]

[Always be aware of pizzerias in your vicinity . . . ]

[Melville Monument (commemorating Henry Dundas, the first Viscount Melville) in St. Andrew Square . . . ]

[Erected in 1823, it is 150 feet high . . . ]

[The Oor Wullie Bucket Trail – 61 of these statues, located across the city, were ultimately auctioned to raise money for children’s hospitals . . . ]

[Just in case you missed the first three photos of this same guy.  The locals seem immune to his presence . . . ]

[And we have indeed been traveling in occasional circles for here is Melville Monument again . . . ]

[Circling its square (is that possible?) . . . ]

[And again from another side . . . ]

[Another Oor Wullie spotted . . . ]

[Rooftop cranes . . . ]

[A unique pub named for some sort of famous guy . . . ]

[The Omni Center is located at the top of Leith Walk and the end of Princes Street, handy for the center of town and very easy to access from all over Edinburgh.  There is a fitness center including a pool, over one hundred fitness machines and a wide array of classes. You can then undo all of that hard work by treating yourself to a tasty snack or a three course meal in one of the many cafes, bistro bars and restaurants located within the center.  Perhaps follow your repast with a trip to the cinema to watch the latest blockbuster or relax and enjoy a drink in one of the two bars (www.10best.com/destinations/uk-scotland/edinburgh/new-town-city-center/shopping/omni-center/).]

[Fanfare guys on building . . . ]

[And we’ve made it to Leith . . . ]

[The place was loaded with Oor Wullies . . . ]

[So the Super had to join them . . . ]

[But I still have no interest in Downton Abbey . . . ]

[And the yacht model, easily seen through the glare off the glass case . . . ]

[Her Majesty’s Yacht ‘Britannia’, also known as the Royal Yacht ‘Britannia’, is the former royal yacht of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, in service from 1954 until 1997. She was the 83rd such vessel since King Charles II acceded to the throne in 1660, and is the second royal yacht to bear the name, the first being the racing cutter built for the Prince of Wales in 1893.  During her 43-year career, the yacht travelled more than a million nautical miles around the globe.  Now retired from royal service, ‘Britannia’ is permanently berthed at Ocean Terminal, Leith in Edinburgh.  It is a popular visitor attraction with over 300,000 visits each year (Wikipedia).]

[OK, better view from this side . . . ]

[The tour of the Royal Yacht begins . . . ]

[The view from the walkway to the yacht’s top level . . . ]

[And we’re aboard – appears to be a lovely day for a cruise . . . ]

[The Super gave the command to start the engines . . . ]

[Because Ole is of royalty himself, he will be featured often during the tour . . . ]

[Ole in the captain’s meeting or dining room . . . ]

[Or the above and the office below may have been for the royals . . . ]

[Never go out in your boat without your safari vehicle . . . ]

[Looking back from the yacht’s bow . . . ]

[The Super’s still trying raise the engine room.  It was hard to understand the prompts.  I think you had to press ‘8’ for engine room . . . ]

[Royalty paraphernalia and accoutrements . . . ]

[Ole rang the royal bell . . . ]

[“The porch” . . . ]

[Ole partook of royal porchness . . . ]

[The royal sleep quarters . . . ]

[I don’t care what people say, I’m still a fan of Charlie . . . ]

[We have the lead on the ‘U-turn’ route of our group . . . ]

[What royal bar would be complete without fine crystal that must be hastily secured in rough seas.  Ole said pour me a tall one, with a little color in it . . . ]

[Now this was nice.  An area of the yacht that would stand up to modern design standards . . . ]

[We broke away from the group here to have a ‘spot o’ tea and a biscuit’ . . . ]

[Note the appropriate pinky point . . . ]

[This is the summer of my content . . . ]

[Hi!  We’re Americans on a royal yacht!]

[Of course Ole was comfortable in his royalness . . . ]

[I’ll have to commend the queen.  The flowers were a nice touch . . . ]

[Pour you a tall one at room temperature?]

[And never go out in your boat without your Rolls . . . ]

[Social area . . . ]

[Crew quarters . . . ]

[I don’t remember the dog?]

[Crew quarters . . . ]

[A closet.  We were advised that officers had to change uniforms like double digit times a day depending on events . . . ]

[Never go out on your boat without your band . . . ]

[I think the Super was checking to see if you signed in from Minnesota you’d win a cookie or biscuit . . . ]

[It’s really great when the tour and toilet signs point in the same direction . . . ]

[The captain’s quarters . . . ]

[If you’re changing uniforms several times a day, you’d better have a big, full-time, laundry . . . ]

[Hail, Britannia!]

[Never go out on your boat without your speedboat . . . ]

[Bidding ta-ta to the Britannia and the Rolls . . . ]

[HMY ‘Britannia’ was built at the shipyard in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire.  She was launched by Queen Elizabeth II on 16 April 1953, and commissioned on 11 January 1954. The ship was designed with three masts: a 133-foot (41 m) foremast, a 139-foot (42 m) mainmast, and a 118-foot (36 m) mizzenmast. The top aerial on the foremast and the top 20 feet (6.1 m) of the mainmast were hinged to allow the ship to pass under bridges.  Britannia was designed to be converted into a hopital ship in time of war, although this capability was never used.  In the event of nuclear war, it was intended for the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to take refuge aboard ‘Britannia’ off the north-west coast of Scotland (Wikipedia).]

[My turn to be shot on the way out . . . ]

[And with the Oor Wullies . . . ]

[Ole says we’re next on our way to Edinburgh Castle, see you next blog post.]

Perversity and obstinacy are integral tae the Scottish character.  ~  Irvine Welsh

Up Next:  Edinburgh

November 14

Still getting crazy on our last day in town . . . 

[You gotta be crazy to eat lunch in a museum restaurant . . . ]

[A T-Rex exhibit was the new thing at the National Museum of Natural History (though the one here wasn’t it) . . . ]

[This wasn’t either.  This is a Portuguese man o’ war – though it isn’t necessarily from Portugal, is definitely not a man, and is more into peace than war . . . ]

[Here’s the previously noted “flying” whale.  Can you guess.  I’m saying it’s a northern right whale . . . ]

[The hall of great creatures . . . ]

[And here’s the new T-Rex exhibit . . . ]

[Snacking on a Triceratops . . . ]

[Not a giraffe . . . ]

[Also not a giraffe . . . ]

[Gretch with the T-Rex . . . ]

[Charles Darwin, whose ideas have led to a record number of lawsuits and confused school and religious leaders throughout the country for years . . . ]

[Proof of evolution from this photo – I used to have hair . . . ]

[Leaving the museum on the Constitution Avenue side . . . ]

[Past a close relative of my interior friend . . . ]

[Approaching the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture . . . ]

[On the grounds of the Washington Monument, this was totally new for the Super and me . . . ]

[Ah, the good ole days of traffic on Constitution Avenue . . . ]

[Ken and Jeanne leading the way to the entrance.  They had spent a short time here earlier when the Super and I were to up to something nefarious . . . ]

[And we’re in . . . ]

[Gretch lives in D.C. and of course had been here previously . . . ]

[The importance of King Cotton in our history . . . ]

[The Gates Concourse Atrium hard by the Winfrey Theater . . . ]

[Saying our final goodbyes to Gretch . . . ]

[And Gretch says goodbye to us . . . ]

[We don’t have any of these in Alex?  They help extend the long Minnesota goodbye . . . ]

[Back outside – lovely evening . . . ]

[Hiking to our subway stop . . . ]

[Which just happened to be adjacent to EPA . . . ]

[Which just happens to be across the street from Trump International . . . ]

[Later we joined some old friends for dinner in Crystal City, at Jaleo to be specific . . . ]

[The 3 guys lined up on the right, l – r:  Bill, Greg Foote, and me.  The 3 of us worked together at DOL (though Greg moved over to EPA after a few years) and were teammates with the DOL Mavericks.  I don’t think I’d seen Greg in over 30 years . . . ]

[And here we are with the aforementioned Mavericks after another championship.  We 3 are vertically stacked 1, 2, 3 on the left side of the photo . . . ]

[Meanwhile, back at Jaleo, Jeanne and Ken fit in nicely with our friends at the end of the table . . . ]

[I guess the gals and the guys each had their own side of the table . . . ]

[Sometimes stuff just happens . . . ]

[A really good shot of Anne and the Super, if I do say so myself . . . ]

[Greg’s wife Robin with Jeanne . . . ]

[Well, I had seen him in a long time . . . ]

[Should have taken this with a real camera . . . ]

[And wrapping up the D.C. trip . . . ]

[With our final goodbyes . . . ]

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.  ~  Abraham Lincoln

Up Next:  Finally back to the Norway cruise?

November 14

Our last day in D.C.  Time to get crazy . . . 

[By getting crazy, I mean going down on the mall and confronting the sight of Trump International Hotel & Tower . . . ]

[And then the mall itself . . . ]

[A monument to a president, as I recall.  Went to the top of it in 1964.  Never did it again though it has reopened since the earthquake . . . ]

[Capitol Hill, including the Capitol . . . ]

[Something was going on down there – we didn’t check it out . . . ]

[Then my job was to shoot Jeanne and Ken . . . ]

[In both directions (Smithsonian Castle on the right) . . . ]

[Wow, they all seem calm exploring their devices while a large tusked creature looms over their heads.  Why yes, we are in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History . . . ]

[This is a Mastodon . . . ]

[Same Mastodon, different angle . . . ]

[Same Ken, Jeanne, and Super, different angle . . . ]

[We went up one floor to the live lepidoptera exhibit – Jeanne and Ken had seen that elsewhere so struck out on their own . . . ]

[Here is one of said lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) . . . ]

[We all took several such photos.  You enter their room in small groups and try hard not to step on any of them . . . ]

[Sorry, I really don’t feel like Googling each species . . . ]

[But they were all quite lovely . . . ]

[Sister Gretch joined us here as we continued our expedition . . . ]

[Here you can do your own research . . . ]

[Whom amongst us doesn’t enjoy a little melon?]

[Try as it might, it wasn’t quite capable of opening the door to escape . . . ]

[The Super found the place quite exciting . . . ]

[As did Gretch . . . ]

[And the moths liked her!]

[A moth selfie . . . ]

[And 5 shots by the Super in the butterfly house.  A staff member hoped to encourage wing display with a paint brush . . . ]

[Also catching my camera in action . . . ]

[The Super got an attractive background here . . . ]

[The Super also got an attractive background here . . . ]

[Thus, they will likely be the ultimate survivors . . . ]

[A fish not normally found in beautiful Lake Darling . . . ]

[From my font of useless information, I was aware this is the world’s largest turtle and 4th largest reptile (behind 3 crocodlians) . . . ]

[All mammals, living and dead . . . ]

[Our large tusked friend again – the center piece of the museum . . . ]

[I bet you didn’t know whales could fly . . . ]

[I’m with the Super and Gretch, so how could we not?  While in here, the place was swarmed over by a bunch of munchkins.  A young woman appeared to be calmly keeping an eye on them.  I asked if she was their teacher.  She said yes.  I told her you people are saints!  She laughed . . . ]

[And here it is . . . ]

[Aquamarine is Jami’s birthstone . . . ]

[Sapphire is mine (though to my knowledge, I have not now nor ever possessed one).  I could I not have gotten the Super’s garnet?]

[The airfare alone to bring this guy here must have cost a bundle . . . ]

[The airfare alone to bring the guy on the right here likely also cost bundle.  We’ll finish our “tour” of D.C. in the next posting . . . ]

You know nothing for sure…except the fact that you know nothing for sure.  ~  John Kennedy

Up Next:  Ending D.C.

November 13

Continuing our tour of the National Gallery of Art . . . 

[“The Mill”!  Heard those things kill a lot of birds?]

[Nooms?  Helping people lead healthier lives through behavioral change and cutting back on the intake of Nut Goodies . . . ]

[A last name of three words is likely excessive . . . ]

[And to think Dutch Masters became famous as a cigar box . . . ]

[My dad is the only person I know who regularly ate mincemeat pie on holidays . . . ]

[With . . . ]

[Or without people?]

[At least he’s wearing a hat – likely an OSHA requirement . . . ]

[This was the special exhibit when we were there . . . ]

[I had no idea of his importance in the grand scheme of things . . . ]

[He taught, among others, da Vinci and Botticelli . . . ]

[Even advertised to and from the indoor facilities . . . ]

[David, and a now much shorter Goliath, by Verrocchio . . . ]

[The next 10 “panels” are all Verrocchio works . . . ]

[Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, one of the great names in art.  Probably because of the way it rolls off the tongue . . . ]

[Classic Monet . . . ]

[It was time to meet up for food and beverages with some of the locals.  Here we’re walking back in the tunnel to the East Wing Gallery . . . ]

[We walked past the Department of Labor again . . . ]

[Then around the corner, the Department of Labor building in the background and off page to the left.  This was our restaurant row across a small side street from DOL . . . ]

[This used to be “My Brother’s Place,” the place of lunches and after work affairs . . . ]

[We’re at the Dubliner restaurant, dating back to our days in D.C.  It’s just a couple blocks from the restaurants above.  The Super received some gifts from my sister Gretch . . . ]

[And here’s Gretch with Bill Gross, my old colleague and boss and now regular travel partner . . . ]

[Photo time!!]

If you don’t mind smelling like peanut butter for two or three days, peanut butter is a darn good shaving cream.  ~  Barry Goldwater

Up Next:  More D.C.

Well, I never finished this trip.  The last post was a month ago, but then events got in the way . . . 

November 13

[The business part of the Citizens Climate Lobby was completed the day before.  But we signed up for “coffee with Senator Tina Smith” on this day.  And we appreciated some beautiful sunny weather though still really chilly (even for Minnesotans).   Here’s a sunnier version of the Library of Congress . . . ]

[The Capitol, with a beautiful blue background . . . ]

[Library of Congress, once more . . . ]

[The Supreme Court, with still some after DACA hearing crowds . . . ]

[Hope you noticed it in the above photo?]

[The atrium of the senate office building where . . . ]

[We met and visited with Senator Smith . . . ]

[Looking out a hall window in the Senator’s building at Union Station . . . ]

[Now we’ve hit the streets.  It was a day to play tourist . . . ]

[We walked down from Capitol Hill along Constitution Avenue . . . ]

[Pretty much down the Hill, a look back at the Capitol . . . ]

[The reflecting pool on the mall directly below the Capitol.  Back in the day, there were instances where I, and other upper midwesterners, crossed the street from the Department of Labor, slapped on the ole hockey skates, and went skating (obviously only when there was frozen water in it . . . ]

[From the bottom of the Hill . . . ]

[Turning 90 degrees to the left, this is where I worked from April 1975 (the building opened in 1974) until August 2001 – the Frances Perkins Department of Labor building at 200 Constitution Avenue, NW . . . ]

[Hard to believe I left there 18 years ago?]

[Across 3rd Street from DOL is the Federal Courthouse – this silo-type frontage is new since I worked here . . . ]

[Kitty corner from the Department of Labor is the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art.  Why yes, we did do lunch there on occasion . . . ]

[Looking further down Constitution Avenue, one sees the building (hint: it’s the one with the tower) that has familiarized the American public with the emoluments clause of the Constitution of the United States . . . ]

[On the west side of the East Wing looking across the street to the original National Gallery of Art . . . ]

[The entrance to the East Wing . . . ]

[And now it’s time for ART . . . ]

[From the East Wing we walked underground to the original gallery where all the following photos were taken – beginning with Chalk . . . ]

[Starting with the brochures . . . ]

[And on December 12th, this from sister Gretch who in her avocation goes to art galleries in D.C. and does . . . art!]

[And brochure again . . . ]

[There was just something about her face . . . ]

[And we have a friend named Rosalba . . . ]

[Ahhh, a little wind and snow . . . ]

[The Super Among the Columns . . . ]

[The super in my maternal grandmother’s Minneapolis apartment building was named Oscar . . . ]

[Whom amongst us doesn’t like a little beach gossip . . . ]

[A torso is fine though I usually prefer the entire product . . . ]

[A jarhead?]

[Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds?]

[The Super takes the lead . . . ]

[Then she takes a seat . . . ]

[I wonder if it was catered?]

[A Lady would not have been my first guess . . . ]

[Ahhh, an atrium with a garden . . . ]

[And we were here with Venus.  The art tour will continue on the next posting . . . ]

Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.  ~  Mark Twain

Up Next:  More D.C.

December 19

And following girls basketball, I finally made it to a boys hockey game as well . . . 

[Yes, I know I said boys hockey.  But I couldn’t get far enough away from it to get the whole poster of the boys team.  Once again the amazing work of Mark Ripley . . . ]

[The pre-game captains meeting – our forever No. 1 rivals, the Fergus Falls Otters . . . ]

[The National Anthem line up . . . ]

[And the Cardinals are off and flying with junior Cole Walters (29) and sophomore Josiah Gronholz (8) and, I suspect, at the bottom junior Grant Rebrovich (20) . . . ]

[Senior captain Derek Pesta (5), following a great football season, with the speedy Joe Westlund (10) . . . ]

[Face-off in the Otter zone . . . ]

[The Westlund line with senior captain Caleb Strong (3) . . . ]

[Caleb on a breakway . . . ]

[He went to the backhand and scored the first goal of the game, shorthanded . . . ]

[And he’s totally excited about it . . . ]

[Josiah taking the face-off . . . ]

[And then circling into the offensive zone . . . ]

[Junior Jacob Partington (7) and sophomore Brennan Lattimer (12) . . . ]

[Contrary to likely first impressions, sophomore Pieter Mulder (38) is not related to the Boy Tenor . . . ]

[Cards 2nd goal was scored by senior Shane Birkeland (25) . . . ]

[The Gronholz line in the Otters’ end . . . ]

[And young Mr. Mulder did something bad and has to sit in the corner . . . ]

[Waters and Pesta, with Walters appearing to defy gravity . . . ]

[OK, more Gronholz.  Can’t help myself.  They only live about a block from our Lake Darling home and Grandpa Gronholz comes to all the games . . . ]

[And I think Josiah is tied for the team lead in points.  He just seems to have a knack . . . ]

[And to score, it helps to hang around the opponents goal . . . ]

[Been a big fan of Caleb’s for 3 – 4 years.  He has great hands . . . ]

[Here he’s skipping past a teammate who’s trying to stay onside . . . ]

[New entries include senior Nathaniel Mulder (9) and sophomore James Schwatz (24).]

[And Josiah wraps up the period on the attack . . . ]

[A rather pedestrian 1st period, but we had the lead . . . ]

[Future Cardinals entertained between periods . . . ]

[You should notice I’ve changed positions for the 2nd period . . . ]

[So I can get up close and personal with our Cards – here’s Caleb . . . ]

[Being hounded by those bad Otters . . . ]

[Holy smoke, there’s Josiah again.  Seriously, I’m shooting randomly . . . ]

[Gotta be tough to win face-offs . . . ]

[Looks like the bench is into it . . . ]

[Joe Westlund and Joe Gronholz in the offensive zone . . . ]

[The Cards did a lot of zone swarming in this period . . . ]

[Caleb and Joe . . . ]

[Our first look at senior Carsten Wessel (17) . . . ]

[With our football quarterback, senior Matthew Carlsen (26) . . . ]

[And Josiah got in with this group too . . . ]

[Caleb snaps off a wristshot . . . ]

[Senior Andrew Revering (2) is in with Joe Westlund . . . ]

[Westlund moves to . . . ]

[Join the celebration of . . . ]

[The Cardinals third goal by Derek . . . ]

[Then Josiah got the 4th goal . . . ]

[Senior Joe Bigger (6) on defense . . . ]

[Josiah and . . . ]

[Linemate Grant . . . ]

[Finishing with some parting shots of Joe . . . ]

[Who may be the team’s fastest skater . . . ]

[The game was now well in hand.  I left to listen to the girls’ hockey game, a 5-0 win also against Fergus, and watch the Gopher volleyball game.  The Cards must have taken their foot of the metal in the third period, but won 4 – 2.  The Cards are now 8 – 2 on the season.]

Statistics are like bikinis—they show a lot but not everything.  ~  Lou Piniella

Up Next:  Washington, D.C.