January 24

Girls Basketball:  Fergus Falls – 51, Alexandria – 43

Well, we’re more than half way through the winter sports season – my favorite season.  The Cardinal girls hockey team only has one game left in the regular season.  On Thursday night, they defeated River Lakes, 5 – 1; on Friday night, they defeated Hibbing, 5 – 2, and Saturday afternoon . . . you have to read the “story” following that for the girls basketball game against Fergus Falls from Friday night . . . 

[I arrived in time for the entire 2nd half of the JV game.  I thought there was a scoreboard malfunction when it showed the Otters with a 29 – 13 (as I recall?) lead at the half . . . ]

[Here’s Maggie Anderson (45), 6’1′ sophomore, at the line late in the game . . . ]

[She made at least one of the free throws (again, as I recall) . . . ]

[As the Cards played pressure Wendy-ball the whole half, gradually reeled in the Otters, and then – won it!]

[It would be tougher for the varsity game.  The Otters were riding a 14-game winning streak and had beaten the Cardinals earlier in the year at their place . . . ]

[If it was the normal pre-game discussion, it was likely about post-game dining . . . ]

[Other fans included Chuck (front row left, back cap) . . . ]

[And Goldy (standing, white cap), who are regular gym rats with us in the mornings . . . ]

[A little warm-up, matching the outdoor temperature which finally produced some dry pavement for the walk in from the parking lot . . . ]

[The Cardinal brain trust . . . ]

[The starters:  Jaya Hatlestad (3) . . . ]

[Mia McGrane (5) . . . ]

[Ella Grove (11) . . . ]

[Myah Kremer (15) . . . ]

[Mataya Hoelscher (23) . . . ]

[Ella jumped center . . . ]

[And got the tap . . . ]

[The Otters jumped out to an early 13 – 4 lead . . . ]

[And that proved to be too big to overcome.  Myah at the free throw line . . . ]

[Then Mia . . . ]

[Then Summer Gerhardt (35) . . . ]

[In basketball, there is just no substitute for tall guards.  The Cardinals last long run in the state tournament featured starting guards who were 5’8″ and 5’9″, very tall for the high school level.  And it was here the Otters had the advantage.  They similarly have guards who are 5’8″ and 5’9″, and though they are only sophomores they led the Otters to the state tournament last year as freshmen . . . ]

[Here Mia guards the Otters Ellie Colbeck (5), who at 5’9″ with a complete game, must be on the radar of Division 1 coaches . . . ]

[The first half, quite obviously, was a real defensive struggle . . . ]

[The starters came out for the 2nd half.  This is not the usual starting five, but it fluxuates.  But it’s amazing that only one of these players is taller than 5’8″ . . . ]

[But when you essentually have 10 starters, rotating 2 or 3 players with every stoppage of play, you can be very effective . . . ]

[Myah exits stage left, while Ella screens . . . ]

[Then breaks herself . . . ]

[The Cards were constantly having to break through tough Otter picks . . . ]

[Mia passes around Colbeck, as the No. 5’s cover each other . . . ]

[Myah drives while Ella fights for underneath position . . . ]

[And then shot free throws . . . ]

[Mataya tries her hand on Colbeck . . . ]

[And then Colbeck launched a 3, something at which she excels.  I think the final difference in the game was their ability to shoot over our guards, but our guards had trouble shooting over theirs . . . ]

[Ella on the free throw line . . . ]

[With Cate Bloom (21), one of the 10 starters, on the lane . . . ]

[Ella inbounds late . . . ]

[Later breaks for the basket . . . ]

[While Myah inbounds the ball . . . ]

[Jaya with the ball underneath, with an attempted block by the taller Otter (4) behind her.  The Otters opened up the final margin to 8 with free throws at the end.  They were the better team on this night.  On the 27th, the Cards traveled to Bemidji, won handily 60 – 39, improved their record to 15 – 5 with a chance at the No. 1 seed in the section . . . ]

January 25

Girls Hockey:  Alexandria – 1, Grand Rapids/Greenway – 0

[As the Cards prepared for their 3rd game in 42 hours, the JV played a game with a unique ending . . . ]

[The Cards led 1 – 0 when the Lightning pulled their goalie in an attempt to tie the game.  But the puck broke loose and a Cardinal got to it first with an empty goal in front of her.  She was tripped from behind.  In a normal situation, she would have been awarded a penalty shot.  But in an empty net situation, you are simply awarded the goal.  I did not know that.  Cards won 2 – 0 . . . ]

[The varsity came out looking surprisingly fresh.  Oh, to have young legs . . . ]

[At the opening jump ball, Ella Westlund (19) and Haney Block (28) bracketed . . . ]

[Center Marki Oberg (10) . . . ]

[Cards on the offense with Anna Doherty (7), with the puck, and Kaci Trosvig (25) . . . ]

[Kaci almost . . . ]

[Takes out the goalie . . . ]

[Alli Castle (22) on defense . . . ]

[Kaci in on goal again with Lauren Maras (27) . . . ]

[Anna on one side of the goal, Kaci on the other as the puck exits behind her . . . ]

[Marki fired a shot gloved by the Lightning goalie . . . ]

[But chases it down . . . ]

[Hanley fires a shot from the left circle . . . ]

[Ella and Marki . . . ]

[As you can see, though the Cards often pressured, the Lightning always had their entire team defending the goal . . . ]

[A good, fast paced, evenly played 1st period . . . ]

[Shortly into the 2nd, Kaci put the Cards on the board first with a wraparound backhander . . . ]

[Marki faces off in the Lightning zone . . . ]

[And directs the puck toward the net . . . ]

[Quoting the Dave Clark 5, here we come again, woo-oo-oo, with Makenna Aure (17) . . . ]

[Anna and Riley Nyberg (21) mix it up with the Lightning . . . ]

[Peyton Boesl (6) in the corner backed by Anna . . . ]

[Makenna awaiting the puck arrival at the point . . . ]

[And there’s a big mess in front of the goal . . . ]

[Big mess continued . . . ]

[Makenna made a couple of really nifty full ice rushes, a unique talent . . . ]

[After 2, still a really good game . . . ]

[Cards come out really nervous for the 3rd . . . oh, they’re laughing?]

[Kaci faced off . . . ]

[Lauren’s the first one in . . . ]

[Kaci is fended off by the Lightning goalie – both goalies, Jordan O’Kane (1) for us and Makenzie Cole (31) for them had really solid games . . . ]

[Cardinals swarm again . . . ]

[Lightning fend us off again . . . ]

[Kaci, a final attempt . . . ]

[Not quite . . . ]

[Though Anne and Lauren contested it . . . ]

[Best game I’ve seen in a long time.  The Cards were really flying against a good Lightning team.  The Cards now head into their final regular season game with a solid 15-6-3 season.]

They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they’d make up their minds.  ~  Wilt Chamberlain

Up Next: London?

July 4

At Sea

We’re steaming toward our final destination, England, on the 4th of July.  That’s either ironic . . . or a coincidence . . . 

[So, what do you do when you’re stuck on a boat . . . ]

[Enjoy morning photo ops . . . ]

[And if it’s chilly, take them from inside . . . ]

[And you may get stuck in a Star Wars movie . . . ]

[Looks ominous . . . ]

[The boat is making a run for it . . . ]

[Obviously, something nefarious is going on . . . ]

[And then the creature’s cousin joined the fray . . . ]

[Well, enough of all that.  How about a par-tay?]

[If it’s too crowded, go outside for some fresh air . . . ]

[Then back in for all the goodies.  This is something cruise ships do very well . . . ]

[What’s a swimming pool without surrounding melon tables?]

[As I recall, we had great difficulty finding a table for the four of us.  These people must have staked out their seating in the wee small hours of the morning . . . ]

[We even tried other rooms . . . ]

[Well, enough of the hubbub – find a room with a view . . . ]

[More “aliens” on the horizon . . . ]

[How to do a straight line . . . ]

[The Super with her impression of Leonardo DiCaprio . . . ]

[I’m queen of the world . . . ]

[Where we were, where we are, and where we’re going . . . ]

[This was great.  We haven’t that many cruises where you could comfortably sit on deck and read a book . . . ]

[Back in the theater to learn about our final stop . . . ]

[On the Waves of Love, 1986, Edvard Munch (1863-1944), Lithographic crayon and tusche]

[Lofotpils Pilsner, Norway, likely within the last year . . . ]

[At the theater . . . ]

[Pre-dinner . . . ]

[Dinner . . . ]

[Anne had her fish de-boned.  I don’t know if it was an option, they just did it . . . ]

[As I recall, it was trout . . . ]

[No thanks, I’ll have the prime rib . . . ]

[I joined Anne with the de-boned fish.  Then we were done, and would awaken in London in the morning . . . ]

[And to think I always thought it was just a cliche . . . ]

[Two ships passing in the night . . . ]

 

 

 

July 3

Edinburgh, Scotland

Completing our day in Edinburgh . . . 

[Leaving Edinburgh Castle, the Super called to check on our dinner reservations back aboard our ship . . . ]

[Although we are now going down, Castlehill is the steep hill leading up to Edinburgh Castle.  Area can be very congested at times with hoards of tourists making their way up to the castle along with taxis; buses; etc.  There are a couple of cafes/restaurant on the way along with Camera Obscura; Scotch Whiskey Experience; Tartan Weaving Mill, and if you are lucky, William Wallace might be hanging around with his sword & shield (great photo opportunity) collecting for a worthy charity (www.tripadvisor.com/) . . .

[The Royal Mile is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of Edinburgh.  The term was first used descriptively in W M Gilbert’s ‘Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century’ (1901), “…with its Castle and Palace and the royal mile between”, and was further popularised as the title of a guidebook, published in 1920.  From the Castle gates to the Palace gates the street is almost exactly a mile (1.6 km) long and runs downhill between two significant locations in the royal history of Scotland, namely Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace, hence its name. The streets which make up the Royal Mile are (west to east) Castlehill, the Lawnmarket, the High Street, the Canongate and Abbey Strand. The Royal Mile is the busiest tourist street in the Old Town, rivalled only by Princes Street in the New Town (Wikipedia).]

[Hardly anybody in town . . . ]

[The Super did do some shopping along here – possibly in the House of Cashmere . . . ]

[Oor Wullie . . . ]

[Strikes again . . . ]

[The National Museum of Scotland . . . ]

[William Henry Playfair, famous 19th century architect . . . ]

[May be just an old building?]

[I’ll go with the sign: The Queen’s Gallery . . . ]

[We then drove by a major happening.  The Queen of England was hosting and investiture at Holyroodhouse Palace, a garden party for 8000 guests.  We were not among the guests, but those that were were walking along the sidewalk in all their finery to the palace . . . ]

[For the past few days, Queen Elizabeth has been up in Scotland for her annual “Holyrood Week”—or as it’s known in the region, “Royal Week”—and today, she celebrates one of the tradition’s highlights. The Queen is hosting her fourth and final Garden Party for the summer at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the monarchy’s official resident in Scotland.  As with her other Garden Parties, the Queen has invited local community leaders in order to commemorate their achievements (www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition) . . . ]

[The Royal High School (RHS) of Edinburgh is a co-educational school administered by the City of Edinburgh Council.  The school was founded in 1128 and is one of the oldest schools in Scotland.  It serves 1,200 pupils drawn from four feeder primaries in the north-west of the city (Wikipedia).]

[Nelson Monument on Calton Hill, once more . . . ]

[And a couple closer-upper shots . . . ]

[Housed in a gorgeous Georgian building, ‘Howies Waterloo Place’ is located at the foot of Calton Hill in the East End of Edinburgh.  This place is stunning, a real head turner, where natural light floods the building showcasing original period features and contemporary Scottish style (Howie’s website).]

[Where we lunched . . . ]

[The Statue of William Pitt the younger, stands at the junction of George Street and Frederick Street.  He was Britian’s youngest Prime Minister from 1783 until 1801 during King George III’s reign (http://www.edinburgh-newtown.com/).  It must be a national law that a gull must be placed on the head of all statues . . . ]

[Former home of Robert Louis Stevenson . . . ]

[Well, hello there!]

[17 Heriot Row . . . ]

[A clock tower of limited stature . . . ]

[We appear to making our way back to our boat . . . ]

[Yup, there’s our tender . . . ]

[Well-organized, well-behaved line of American tourists boarding the tender . . . ]

[The Super led my way . . . ]

[Toodle-oo, Edinburgh . . . ]

[Dessert, or a late night evening treat . . . ]

[We would now have a day at sea . . . ]

[While heading to London, our final destination . . . ]

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind?  Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne!  For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.  We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne.  ~
Robert Burns

Up Next:  At Sea

July 3

Edinburgh, Scotland

Leaving the yacht, heading for the castle – can it get any more royal than that?

[So, just hop on the bus, Gus . . . ]

[Grab a taste of Poland . . . ]

[Pilrig St. Paul’s Church of Scotland . . . ]

[I don’t know where Muirhouse 14 goes . . . ]

[And for lovers of under the sea seafood . . . ]

[St. Paul’s and St. George’s Church . . . ]

[We saw this place already outbound . . . ]

[David Livingstone, as in “Dr. Livingstone, I presume” (from Henry Morgan Stanley, November 10, 1871) . . . ]

[Scott Monument (for author Sir Walter Scott) . . . ]

[Cityscape . . . ]

[Balmoral Hotel . . . ]

[ . . . with ties to Harry Potter . . . ]

[A very Edinburgh-looking street . . . ]

[Calton Hill in the background (where the headquarters of the Scottish government is located) with The Nelson Monument (commemorative tower in honour of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson) . . . ]

[Lunched here . . . ]

[And looking back at whence we came, the Balmoral clocktower in the background . . . ]

[Let’s eat . . . ]

[And we thought a surprisingly good, pre-arranged hotel lunch for our group . . . ]

[On the road again, overseen by the Calton Hill monuments . . . ]

[Edinburgh City Chambers fronted by Alexander & Buceophalus by John Steel, modelled 1832, cast in bronze 1883 . . . ]

[Classic building with a white thing on top . . . ]

[The Scott Monument in its entirety . . . ]

[Edinburgh City Centre featuring the Bank of Scotland . . . ]

[We began the long climb up Castle Hill to Edinburgh Castle . . . ]

[A pointy-topped building not discovered under that description . . . ]

[A gourmet tea and coffee house . . . ]

[But I didn’t see a single elephant . . . ]

[A pub of spooky origins . . . ]

[Greyfriars Bobby’s Bar is located in the heart of Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh in Candlemaker Row.  As one of the most photographed pubs in Scotland, you’ll find us within a short stroll of Chambers Street, Grassmarket and George IV Bridge.  Our pub is inspired by the tale of Edinburgh’s most famous dog, Greyfriars Bobby, so it’s no surprise that we love dogs and we’re proud to be a dog-friendly pub (www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/) . . .

[Street scenes along the way . . . ]

[Again . . . ]

[Ditto . . . ]

[And there’s our destination . . . ]

[Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of Edinburgh from its position on the Castle Rock.  Archaeologists have established human occupation of the rock since at least the Iron Age (2nd century AD), although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. There has been a royal castle on the rock since at least the reign of  David I in the 12th century, and the site continued at times to be a royal residence until 1633.  From the 15th century the castle’s residential role declined, and by the 17th century it was principally used as military barracks with a large garrison.  Its importance as a part of Scotland’s national heritage was recognised increasingly from the early 19th century onwards, and various restoration programmes have been carried out over the past century and a half. As one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars  of Scottish Independence in the 14th century to the Jacobite rising of 1745.  Research undertaken in 2014 identified 26 sieges in its 1100-year-old history, giving it a claim to having been “the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world” (Wikipedia) . . . 

[Hiking up the Royal Mile to the Edinburgh Castle entry . . . ]

[Welcome . . . ]

[A look back down the street . . . ]

[Heading to the main gate, on each side the Edinburgh Military Tattoo grandstand . . . ]

[Gathering along the grandstand . . . ]

[For final game plans from our guide . . . ]

[I had a hard time keeping up with her on the march up the hill . . . ]

[And we’re in, looking back down on great views of the city . . . ]

[The Super dials in . . . ]

[Then continued our trudge up the hill . . . ]

[Tourists and more tourists.  Because we were among the afternoon tours, buses were parked everywhere and we had to park well down the hill making our trip up that much longer . . . ]

[Direction signs within the castle . . . ]

[Typical tourist here, body flushed with cameras . . . ]

[Oh, that’s me . . . ]

[Next, follow the signs . . . ]

[We’re off to the museum . . . ]

[Scottish National War Memorial . . . ]

[A lovely place to sit to review place maps . . . ]

[They’re everywhere; they’re everywhere; and going in all directions . . . ]

[Clock tower and Crown Jewels Museum . . . ]

[Our guide offered options here . . . ]

[Crown Jewels first . . . ]

[No photos allowed so you’ll just have to believe they were there . . . ]

[So, next . . . ]

[Photo ops were available here . . . ]

[Early rugby uniforms . . . ]

[Possibly models for the rugby uniforms?]

[This is the Super’s, but I’m not sure what it is – a waiting room?]

[Back out in Crown Square . . . ]

[Looking out a cannon sight, the Military Tattoo grandstand below right . . . ]

[High caliber tourist and cannon . . . ]

[An early weapon of mass destruction . . . ]

[I wonder if there were ever any treaties to limit the spread of Mons Megs?]

[Edinburgh, O’, Edinburgh . . . ]

[Self-explanatory . . . ]

[Panoramic shots ahead . . . ]

[I think that’s our ship, but it’s moved in closer from where we tendered . . . ]

[See!  That’s Edinburgh!]

[A lovely day for panoramas . . . ]

[A heavy influx of cranes that appears to be a single project . . . ]

[Calton Hill in mid-photo, the Balmoral in left-center . . . ]

[The Super ducks (right) out of an artsy photo attempt . . . ]

[Again, the Scottish National War Memorial . . . ]

[Ditto . . . ]

[I found one more set of stairs to climb . . . ]

[Where I discovered the Military Tattoo grandstand and the Spire of the Hub . . . ]

[Leaving the Castle, we’ll finish events in Edinburgh in Part 3 . . . ]

Kilt, n. – a costume sometimes worn by Scotsmen in America and Americans in Scotland.  ~  Ambrose Bierce

Up Next:  Finish Edinburgh

January 14

‘Twas another day of multiple home games: a girl/boy basketball doubleheader versus Moorhead, and a girls hockey game versus Fergus Falls.  I began with the idea of going first to the girls basketball game and then catch as much as of the hockey game as I could . . .

Basketball:  Moorhead – 55, Alexandria – 48

[The pre-game meeting with referees and team captains, to include occasional hair maintenance.  As sometimes happens, a technical glitch led to a solo performance of the National Anthem by the ref on the left.  He was excellent . . . ]

[The Cardinal braintrust of Wendy and Julie . . . ]

[Partners for more years than they likely want to think about – but somewhere around 620 wins . . . ]

[I sat on the teams’ side of the court this time.  JV games were taking place on the court usually covered by the west bleachers . . . ]

[Pre-game discussions, not to include shoe contracts . . . ]

[And introductions with Mia McGrane (5) heading out to meet . . . ]

[The already introduced Jaya Hatlestad (3) . . . ]

[Ella Grove (11) . . . ]

[Alayna Strand (25) . . . ]

[Lilly Horn (33) . . . ]

[Alayna jumped center . . . ]

[A Cardinal shot went up . . . ]

[And off.  This was a game in which the Cards got off to a bad start that got worse.  There are times for all teams when they can’t throw the ball in the ocean while standing on the beach.  This was one of those games.  Leading scorer Ella got two early fouls and sat out most of the half.  The Spuds tall guards gave us problems, leading to many pass deflections and turnovers.  The Cards made no 3-point shots in the half (as I recall), the Spuds made 5.  The Spuds led 28 – 13 at the half.  I made a management decision to leave then to catch the entire hockey game . . . ]

[A real plus for the Cardinals, however, was the play of Summer Gerhardt (35).  She’s has not played a lot this year because of an injury that until this game required she wear a big leg brace that limited her mobility.  She came in off the bench and started the Cardinal scoring.  She is strong enough to mix it up and score inside (she is also a shot putter and discus thrower).  I think her inside strength and athleticism, and senior leadership (with Mia and Ella) will be key as to how far this team can go . . . ]

[Mia battled here, with Summer underneath.  The team played much better in the 2nd half and made a ran at it . . . ]

Hockey:  Alexandria – 5, Fergus Falls – 2

So, next I crossed town to the RCC . . . 

[The Boys on the Rail.  They stand through the whole game.  I guess it’s a form of exercise . . . ]

[I usually reside with them, but I was looking for a different angle.  I did join the boys, and photographer Mark Ripley (on the right), for the 3rd period . . . ]

[The Cards were hoping to duplicate their earlier 5 – 0 victory at Fergus.  Here’s Kaci Trosvig (25) who played a major role in making that happen (you may recall her sister Kristin was twice (I believe) named to the state all-tournament team) . . . ]

[While Kaci seems like an “old” veteran (she’s a sophomore), she’s joined by freshman Lauren Maras (27) . . . ]

[And junior Anna Doherty (7) . . . ]

[And another freshman Ella Westlund (19), who has two older brothers who played and play . . . ]

[Someone or something tickled Lauren’s funny bone . . . ]

[Sophomore Makenna Aure (17) . . . ]

[And sophomore Hailee Bailey (35) makes a junior, three sophomores, and two freshmen meaning unless they turn pro they’ll all be back next year . . . ]

[And we’re off with Riley Nyberg (21) looking to feed Kaci . . . ]

[Ali Castle (22), Ella Westlund, and Marki Oberg (10) battle in center ice . . ]

[Riley, Kaci, and likely Lauren on attack . . . ]

[The puck dribbled by the goal . . . ]

[The Cardinals scored first on this foray when the puck came out to senior Mayson Toft (14) who scored on a strong shot from the point . . . ]

[So hugs all around . . . ]

[The Otters scored on a power play.  And then this may have been the start of a series from Kaci . . . ]

[Who started a rush from her own zone . . . ]

[Went the length of the ice . . . ]

[And scored with less than a minute left in the period . . . ]

[But the scoreboard was not indicative play.  The Otters dominated the period and actually had a 12 – 4 shot advantage.  It was not unlike the 1st half the basketball team had – I wondered whether there was a bad lunch at school or something?  Radio announcer DMac even asked a player after the game if Coach Molly was perturbed (paraphrased) after that lackluster first period . . . ]

[The 2nd period started and the Cardinals picked it up a bit – Ella Westlund (we also have an Ella Johnston), Marki, and Hanley, front to back . . . ]

[Marki and Ella stood over the fallen Otter goalie . . . ]

[But no goal . . . ]

[Here’s Kaci again . . . ]

[And Ella again, chasing . . . ]

[From behind the Otter goal . . . ]

[Sophomore Peyton Boesl (6) . . . ]

[Kaci in a face off battle with Lauren on her wing and Makenna on point . . . ]

[Cut her off, Lauren . . . ]

[Kaci still in the offensive zone . . . ]

[And then she shot . . . the game winning, yet most bizarre goal . . . ]

[The Cardinals began the group skate toward the bench for the goal following fist bumps, but in the background an Otter skated down ice . . . ]

[Before most were aware the Otters were in our zone with only our goalie back on defense.  We all wondered how could they do that without an after goal face off?  Well, apparently the refs never called a goal, which led to a bit of discussion with both benches before the goal was called good . . . ]

[The Cards were in on goal again . . . ]

[Makenna Aure on a defense rush . . . ]

[Then Lauren launched a shot . . . ]

[Otters turn for the puck – no goal though . . . ]

[Then Kaci in the zone . . . ]

[With Makenna on point . . . ]

[Ooops, excuse me . . . ]

[Marki circled in the offensive zone . . . ]

[Hanley fired a shot – the puck is heading my way . . . ]

[Aaackkkk, it’s coming right at me!]

[Up close and personal with Lauren in the corner . . . ]

[Another assault on the Otter goalie . . . ]

[Anna lingered nearby . . . ]

[Upclose and personal with Peyton . . . ]

[The Otter goalie dove after the puck, but it’s in the goal – by Lauren . . . ]

[And coming again . . . ]

[Though still behind in shots, after two periods we had taken control of the game . . . ]

[For the 3rd period, I joined The Boys on the Rail.  Here Meg Shercliffe (5) and Ella Johnston (11) join Peyton on the Otter door step . . . ]

[The Otters scored a goal early in the period.  The Cardinals, however, spent more and more time in the Otter zone as the game waned, likely a result of our overall speed and depth . . . ]

[Lauren chased the puck to the goal . . . ]

[And the goalie held on . . . ]

[Mayson on a defense rush behind the goal with Peyton out front . . . ]

[Mindful that back in the days of my misspent youth, girl basketball players were considered so fragile that crossing midcourt was considered overly rigorous.  Now days the action in front of a hockey goal is the physical equivalent of a WWF match . . . ]

[The puck’s still there on Ella’s stick – aacckkkk!  That’s Micah Summer (8) and Marki in the vicinity as well . . . ]

[Kaci chased after the puck escaping stage right . . . ]

[The Otter goalie made a great stretch . . . ]

[But a  beautiful shot by Anna hit the upper right corner . . . ]

[There was no more scoring . . . ]

[But the Cards continued pressure . . . ]

[To the end of the game . . . ]

[The Cards are now on a 5-game winning streak . . . ]

[And 4 of the final 5 games are at home!]

A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.  ~ Emo Philips

Up Next:  Scotland?

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