It would remain below zero all day, but it was beautiful out there! The supervisor had been housebound all week battling a cold and was antsy to get out of the house for a while. As a prelude to the big girls hockey game against Fargo South that evening, she decided that an afternoon at the winery would test her mettle (caution: only have your mettle tested under the guidance of a qualified physician!).
Matt Veline was playing at CCW, and we enjoy him immensely. Although he was a professional musician for some time (and full-time nephew of Bobby Vee), he said he now only performs about three times a month. He likes that just fine because he was happy to get off the road. He has settled into the Alex area (from Fargo), and he loves playing at the winery because it’s only five miles from home. The winery had a pretty good crowd during the two hours we were there – what we didn’t understand, as people who are close personal friends with everybody within a 10-mile radius of downtown Alex, is why we didn’t see a single person we knew? Anyway, here’s a video of Matt performing Bob Dylan’s Simple Twist of Fate:
When we left, I, of course, had to shoot a roll of film in the winter wonderland. Regulars and out-of-town guests will recognize the CCW pickup and the performing arts area pergola, now up to their whatzits in snow. Ruthie had to visit the doggies – the winery has dogsled rides on Saturday afternoons, $30.00 for a 30-minute ride and they are so popular you have to make reservations. The time spent outside in below zero temps must have taken its toll – Ruthie decided going to the hockey game would be pushing it.
The Journey Begins
Thanks for joining me! This is the follow-up to the original, “alexandriacardinals.wordpress.com,” which overwhelmed the system’s ability to handle it any more. Thus, this is “Part 2.” As the original was initially described:
10-26-07-4
“It all began in a 5,000 watt radio station in Fresno, California” . . . wait a minute, that was Ted Baxter on the Mary Tyler Moore Show! Let’s see . . . oh yeah, it all began in 2003 when retirees, i.e., old people, in Alexandria, Minnesota, who had no desire to become snow birds, went looking for mid-winter entertainment here in the frozen tundra of West Central Minnesota. We discovered girls’ high school hockey, fell in love immediately, and it remains our favorite spectator sport to this day. Initially, and for several years, reports on these games were e-mailed to those who were actually snowbirds but wanted to keep abreast of things “back home.” It was ultimately decided a blog would be more efficient, and it evolved into a personal diary of many things that attracts tens of readers on occasion. It remains a source of personal mental therapy and has yet to elicit any lawsuits.
~ The Editor, May 9, 2014
p.s. The photo border around the blog is the Cardinal girls’ hockey team after just beating Breck for the state championship in 2008. It’s of the all-tournament team. The visible Breck player on the left is Milica McMillen, then an 8th-grader – she is now an All-American for the Gophers. The Roseau player in the stocking cap I believe is Mary Loken, who went on to play for UND; and the Cardinal player on the right, No. 3, is Abby Williams, the player we blame most for making us girls’ hockey fans who went on to play for Bemidji State.
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Photos contained herein are available for personal use. All you have to do is double click on any of the photos and they will become full screen size. You can then save them into your personal “My Pictures” file. They make lovely parting or hostess gifts, or holiday gifts for such as Uncle Ernie who wants to see how his grand niece is doing on the hockey team. If any are sold for personal profit, however, to, for example, the Audubon Society, National Geographic, Sven’s Home Workshop Monthly, Curling By The Numbers, or the World Wrestling Federation, I only request that you make a donation to the charitable organization of your choice. You have two hours and fifteen minutes. Pencils ready? Begin!
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We were pulling into the winery parking lot just as you were leaving. The photos are great, and the last one with the mittens made both Chuck and I laugh out loud. It was 20.9 below last night at Lake Ida. Now for a big warmup I hope.
Taryn
alexandriacardinals 
We were pulling into the winery parking lot just as you were leaving. The photos are great, and the last one with the mittens made both Chuck and I laugh out loud. It was 20.9 below last night at Lake Ida. Now for a big warmup I hope.
Taryn