Every year, at the first hint of a sub-80 degree day, there begins a mass exodus from Vacationland USA to points south. These exodusees are known as snowbirds. Of course, someone has to stay behind to mind the store. These people are known as Super Fans.
[Last night’s December full moon.]
Last night, Richie Braun hosted the 2nd Annual “Those Who Stay Behind” Dinner at Arrowwood. We had 21 leftovers from the senior golf leagues – our snowbird brethren long since departed to strange and exotic places like Florida . . . and Arizona, places where passports are required to enter and leave, where the sun makes dermatology the career of choice, and where snow shoveling is banned as a matter of course! The attendees were Vivian and Bob Annen, Marlene and Richie Braun, Sue and Jay Diebold, Merry and Paul Donley, Bill “Walleye Willie” Feriancek, Diann and Al Guenther, Joanne and Corky Krogstad, Laura and Larry McCoy, Ruth and Tom Obert, Barb and Roger Riley, and Joyce and Dave Rogosheske. “Walleye Willie” within the week joined Richie as a first time octogenarian. After a couple of hours worth of North Dakota martinis, stir fry and pasta buffet, and dessert goodies, everyone waddled happily home while dreams of birdies and eagles danced in their heads.
So, why do we stay? I mean, it was 14 below wind chill yesterday morning – the kind of temperature that makes your jacket crackle when you move. Some say it’s for the lutefisk:
[From Echo Press]
Some say it’s for the moose hunting:
But mostly it’s just because we like winter . . . and girls high school sports:
[Amanda Christianson (Echo Press)]
[Jess Syvrud (Echo Press)]
Finally, while it’s been cold – still no snow? Photos from the Cowdry-Taylor channel this week:
p.s. Just went out to get the paper – the lake ice is making sounds like a humpback whale!
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About tomobert63
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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Every year, at the first hint of a sub-80 degree day, there begins a mass exodus from Vacationland USA to points south. These exodusees are known as snowbirds. Of course, someone has to stay behind to mind the store. These people are known as Super Fans.
alexandriacardinals 