alexandriacardinals

[Monday, June 17, the Minnesota Lakes Maritime Museum hosted Gopher Road Trip: Chalk Talk 2013 at the beautiful Maritime Gardens.  Alex was the 10th of 16 venues being visited by Gopher Athletic Director Norwood Teague and several of the varsity coaches.  Here the supervisor hosts Goldy, the No.1-ranked mascot in the country!  😉 ]

Earlier that day, this reporter produced another in a series of award winning travelogues of West Lake Cowdry Road (a/k/a, the way home after a morning at the Y):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MbbZn-Ypwg

[By early that afternoon, a small cadre of volunteers in the protected age group assembled at the Maritime Gardens to collect and set-up 40 tables and some 220 chairs.  Thanks to the RCC for the tables and to Tastefully Simple for the chairs.  Three trailer loads, coming and going, did the trick.  Why yes, it was a beautiful day in Vacationland USA.]

[The back entry to the museum from the gardens.]

[Looking west from the gardens toward the Runestone Museum and Fort Alexandria.]

[A few forward guides for the Gophers arrived early ahead of the main entourage to begin displaying the Maroon and Gold.]

[Where the goodies were served from Depot Express.]

[Returning with the supervisor after an ablution and change of clothes from our physical labors, the anticipated crowd of 300 (?) began to trickle in.]

[Taking a stroll around the Gardens – they really are quite lovely.  There is still much to do on the west side, all done with volunteer labor.]

[Chad Kono, Geographic Chapter Outreach Program Director for the University of Minnesota Alumni Association, i.e., the guy who comes up from the Cities for all our West Central Lakes Chapter of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (I’m exhausted!).  We’re always looking for new members (you don’t need to be a U of M alum) and board members.  Give us a shout out.]

[They’re here . . .]

[Because here’s Goldy!]

[I don’t care if she is a Hoosier.]

[Coaches arrive . . .]

[Goldy fans . . .]

[Setting up a photo op.]

[Athletic Director Norwood Teague deserves thanks for taking the coaching staff on a tour of the state.  Of course, the women’s hockey team would have been a nice addition.  😉 ]

[Volleyball Coach Hugh McCutcheon, who moved “up” to the Gophers  after coaching the Olympic team.]

[Who’s that who has the ear of new men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino?]

[Aha, a locally-known insurance guy and golfer who reported, “He [Pitino] was sorely disappointed when I told him I had used up my eligibility . . .”]

[Take a guess?]

[No, not diving.]

[Yup, the gymnastics coach . . .]

[55-year old Mike Burns, also a former Olympics coach.]

[Sarah Hesser, Women’s Cross Country Coach, who sang the praises of Jamie Piepenberg, Alexandria’s contribution to her program.  She calls her “Peeps,” we called her “The Peeper.”  😉 ]

[I’m sorry, I forgot.  He’s not on the traveling agenda . . . and yet we discussed the upcoming music concerts coming here.  Oy!  I somehow missed a photo of Golf Coach John Carlson who mentioned some golfer from Alex, and former Gopher, named Tom Lehman? ]

[Softball Coach Jessica Allister whose team won 40 games despite being able to have only 6 at home (remember our lovely spring weather?).]

[New Men’s Basketball Coach Richard Pitino, who obviously has little knowledge of, and readily admitted such, outstate Minnesota.   But he was enjoying the trips . . .]

[He echoed all the other speakers that Alex was their first outside venue . . . and they thought it terrific!  The Gardens were a great setting, helped by a beautiful day. 😉 ]

In other news . . .

[The supervisor on hole No. 2 at the Alex Golf Club on June 2.  Only two weeks ago, the leaves were just coming out then!]

[June 11 @ Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale.]

[Uncle Willie’s Gut Bucket Blues Band was doing its 2nd Tuesday of the month thing:  Terry Kennedy, Erik Schultz, and Al Lieffort.]

[Hmmm, what does this band need?]

[A girl singer?]

[Fortunately, Mary Lou Thunselle . . .]

[Of past Hotdishes fame . . .]

[Was available from the front row.  🙂 ]

[She was also fiddling with a mini-iPad, that planted a seed with the supervisor.  😉 ]

[And this happened shortly after we got home.  The one in the middle bottom was the size of a dime.  Made a rat-a-tat-tat on our metal roof and skylight.]

[And then on Saturday, we had the annual Cap Paciotti Memorial Cardinal Athletic Foundation Golf Tournament.  And we had golf weather – finally.  Looking down No. 6.]

[The course obviously is in great shape as we have not suffered from a dearth of rain.]

[Our team on the 6th tee.]

[Hunter Rebrovich, Dave Dittberner, and Dave Rogosheske.]

[Hunter is the 6th-grade son of our golf pro.  He filled in because so many who usually play with us are in various stages of physical incapability.  It’s humbling to play with a 6th-grader!]

[Robo!]

Up next?  Probably music.  🙂

Reminder:  Funky Gumbo begins the season of music in the Gardens this Friday from 5:30 – 9:30.  A la the courthouse lawn, this is a BYOC venue – bring your own chair or blanket!

[But first, just wanted to let everyone know this was the first week we senior golfers were able to play every day we were scheduled to play.  As you can see, we were really excited about it!  🙂 ]

[And Friday, there was Josie at the winery.  As school is now out, blog reporting will be heavily dependent upon the local music scene.  It seems to be growing exponentially.  The supervisor says it is interfering with her gardening.]

[Josie is Josie Nelson.  She is 13 years old.  She has been performing locally for 20 years – well, time flies.  She is now so experienced and comfortable in what she does, one can’t believe she is about to enter the 9th grade.  She will be part of the first graduating class at the new high school that never attended Jefferson High.  Incidentally, her grandmother’s class was the first to graduate from the aforementioned Jefferson.  Yes, this is way better than Facebook!  😉 ]

“The Way I Am”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr12p2qqxlw

[Josie, because of her vast years of experience, has been previously highlighted herein.  But I had never before taken videos at her performances – so I made sure to check with her and her mom for appropriate clearances.  She already has many videos on YouTube which, fortunately, are way better than the ones I took on this day.  As our winter and spring of discontent continues, we were delighted to finally being outside as interior videos have been overwhelmed by bad acoustics and background noise.  But Friday’s weather conspired to wreak exterior havoc.  30 mph winds created their own background noises – once even toppling Josie’s music stand.   I’ll try to do better next time.]

[The supervisor voiced a liking for her blouse.]

“Don’t Know Why”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcdMJ243QL4

[After she channeled Norah Jones on this ditty, I told her family she was 13 going on 42.]

[Since one must discuss all things Alexandria, from a trip into the Way-Back Machine we learned that Roger Perry, of Perry’s Highway (or was it Hi-Way?) Furniture fame, was her great grandfather.]

“Sunshine”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaZ1DufPkoE

[She wrote “Sunshine.”  Then performed it in the Minnesota State Fair grandstand before 10,000 people when she was 11 years old.  She won the talent contest.]

[Josie did 2-hour performances when she was 11, last year at 12 she did 3-hour performances, and this year she’s doing the full 4 hours and will be at the winery several times this summer.]

[The day after Patchouli’s last performance in Alex, they were at the Lake Harriet bandshell in Minneapolis.  So, that would be last Monday.  Thanks to Patchouli Super Fan Sue Elliot for the above and following photos and videos.

“Flamaluna”:   http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=2tiKVhvWzT4&feature=em-share_video_user

“Amarantha”: http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=iJhGh0wmOOM&feature=em-share_video_user

[Great job, Sue.]

[This week at Camp Brosius, the Indiana University alumni camp in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.  Grandson Tom, in the tie-dye bandana on the left, having just completed his freshman year at Purdue, is a staff counselor this summer . . . though Purdue and IU are known to be dreaded rivals!  😉 ]

[Tom’s dad, Danny, a Purdue alum, sticking it to the Hoosiers!]

[The Cardinal girl golf team finished 2nd in the state meet in Class 3A.  Their 655 score would have won every other state tournament since they went to three classes.  From l-r: Mark Storhaug (asst coach), Bridget Amundson, Emily Thul, Brynn Novotny, Shelby Iverson, Amanda Bigger, Natalie Amundson, Tim Zupfer (head coach).  (Echo Press photo.)  A big congrats to the team.]

[Emily Thul (Echo Press photo)]

[Wensia Johnson finished 2nd in the state long jump (Echo Press photo).]

And finally, from the KXRA website, a video on the Red Willow Arts Coalition’s music on the courthouse lawn series:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyDytubSA4U

[OK, it’s June 10, but it’s not quite here yet (summer, that is).  The grandson worked his first week as a counselor at Camp Brosius in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where, unfortunately, for the first week of camp the weather was every bit as crappy as it’s been here.  I believe it was Brother Cam who reported we have had 15 sunny days since March 1.  I have been able to play three rounds of golf in the last month, which makes the cost per round about a million dollars.]

[One of the sunny days, by some magic, was Alex high school’s graduation day on June 2.  (Echo Press photo.)]

[Meanwhile, back to explaining the title.  We’re getting a day ahead of ourselves here, but this is Uncle Willie’s Gut Bucket Blues Band.  That’s Terry Kennedy on the left, Erik Schultz in the middle, and Al Lieffort on the right at Carlos Creek Winery on Saturday.  By consensus of at least Terry and me, their signature song is Wang Dang Doodle.  So, by popular demand, here it is . . .]

“Wang Dang Doodle” –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXnuGfM7bQg

But before Saturday, there was Friday.  Though we were late arrivals for that day’s performance at the winery, we did see the last set by Kalee Guenther.  Kalee just finished her freshman year at McNally Smith School of Music, which would seem to indicate she has more than a modicum of talent.  I did not do any videos myself – she had a large contingent of family and friends there, so I did not wish to be obnoxious.  But she has much stuff on YouTube already, including her own works such as No Matter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1eqSRCCbK0

And as long as I was nosing around the McNally Smith website, looking also for her sophomore classmate, Spencer Christianson, long a star of this blog, I found no more on them but thought you may enjoy Eva Beneke, playing classicial guitar for your dining and dancing pleasure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsINIF_YgfI

BTW, Kalee has many more performances here this summer.

[Now we’re back to Saturday again . . . with Uncle Willie.  One of the few days we could have outdoor performances this year . . .]

“Cannibals” –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5hf2C7tYjU

“Deep Ellum Blues” –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB5XSfQ8ShY

“Clyde” –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee-5Nxl30iY

“Wagon Wheel” –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GfyOpD71_k

“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq4v5av1EPQ

On Sunday, it was another all day rain.  Patchouli was back in town . . . but the elements forced them to play inside.  We enjoyed an afternoon of their music but took no photos or videos just because it doesn’t really work that well inside.

[In lieu of weekend photos, here are a few from blog contributor Sue Elliot of Julie and Bruce at another venue just a month ago.]

[Thanks to winery owners, Kim and Tami, for three straight days of music – with more ahead the entire summer.  Photo likely pilfered from their website.]

[A final shout-out to the spring sports teams.  The softball and baseball teams had terrific seasons but fell just short in the sections.  The girls track team, led by sprinters Wensia Johnson (left) and Madi Urman (right), (Echo Press photos) finished 12th in the state.]

[And now we hope to play some golf – though our lies are likely to look like the above!]

[Finally . . . lilacs!]

Thanks for the great pictures! You both look as young and good looking as ever.  At least it wasn’t snowing on Mother’s Day.  We will have to get rid of those weeds!! Our “Camp” shoreline needs a bit of refurbishment.  When the weather gets better, we want to plant some new trees in front of our cottage…..if the ground finally thaws.  Looking forward to seeing you both in mid June.  Enjoy those graduation parties!   ~  Ruth M.

On Thursday, our No. 1-seeded Cardinals hosted Brainerd, a team they had defeated twice during the regular season, in the 2nd round of the sectionals.  As usual, the weather forecast was dicey.  Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the rain held off.  It was just one of those days.  Every player on the team must have awakened on the wrong side of the bed.  Our pitcher, junior Blake Stockert, was on the mound.  He had only allowed 5 runs all season and averaged more than one strikeout per inning.  Likely because of such, there were scouts from the Minnesota Gophers at the game.  Brainerd’s lead-off hitter bunted and reached base safely when Blake couldn’t handle the ball.  Upset with himself, he walked the next batter.  Then he plunked the next batter on an 0 – 2 pitch.  You just knew that with the bases loaded in such a matter, they would all score.  And they did.  A seeing-eye single and another Cardinal error.  To begin the game in a 3 – 0 hole after one inning on one hit did not bode well for the home team.  It did not get any better.  When it got to be 7 – 0 after 4 innings, several of the elderly crowd excused themselves for other venues.  The final score was 10 – 0.  The Cards will now have to fight their way back in the losers bracket.

[Blake obviously has terrific stuff . . .]

[It just wasn’t all there on this day.]

[He’ll be back.]

[Warriors on the bases again.]

[The fans were dumbstruck.  Including the softball team, whose fine season ended the previous day with a 3 – 1 loss at Bemidji.  They apparently had plenty of chances to win that game but weren’t able to get the clutch hits.]

[You call the pitch?]

[The scoreboard says, Ugghhhh!]

[Credit the Warrior hurler with a well-pitched game.]

[The Cards took a lot of called strikes?]

[Can you find the ball on the throw down to 2nd?]

[Christian Anderson is no doubt happier to be depicted swinging the bat rather than as the guy standing in front of the scoreboard four photos up.  And a happier side, the Beaver (a/k/a Jerry Mathers) turned 65 years old today, putting him in some rather elite company!  😉 ]

[Yes, I did have a valid reason for leaving the ballgame early.  I had to pick up the supervisor for the spring social at the Maritime Museum.]

[Each year the museum rises to a new level.]

[It’s a place the community can take a great deal of pride in.  (Yes, I know you shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition, but I didn’t want to think of an alternative.]

[It’s a great place to take grandma and grandpa and Uncle Tollef when they come to town.]

[The Falls Flyer will be featured in events this summer.]

[The supervisor splits two portraits by Myron Sahlberg, as he works on another in the background.]

[Mingling around Myron.]

[We started working our way to the exit because . . .]

[It was Thursday night date night, so it was off to SAWA.  Keep your eyes posted for upcoming events at the Maritime Gardens – there are five scheduled so far.]

Lightning over Lake Darling, 1:00 am, May 31 – see if you can hear the loon . . . and hear the train.  Oh, not that hard?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q20MLsbh5fY

[Friday night, Lisa Lynn at SAWA.  OK, I hear you, what happened on Thursday night?  Well, Components, featuring Sami Steidl, performed.  And we were engaged with fellow patrons, including Sami’s folks, the entire evening, so I apologize for a lack of photos and videos.  But Components, an off-shoot of Funky Gumbo Trio, will be back!  🙂 ]

“Dimming of the Day”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vy0SpxeFVc

[Lisa is originally from Oklahoma.  In fact, she was with family near Tulsa when the Moore tornado hit.  She obviously took every opportunity to check in with her family as the latest series of tornadoes were hitting the state.  Her family is fine at last report.]

“Superstar”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqVltc5fcaU

Cheesecake and Superstar for breakfast!  Mmm.  It’s my 50th HS reunion this year but the class historian must have died because I’ve heard nothing about it.  ~ Marcus

[There was another Lisa in the house on this night – Lisa Grimes, the teaching pro at the Alex Golf Club.  It turns out that the Lisas are the same age.  😉 ]

A)  Why are you not the president of the local Chamber of Commerce? and B) Would like to have heard “Fanfare,” first heard it on the Works Vol I album by…Emerson, Lake and Palmer in 1977, when I saw them in Tulsa. Love the piece! ~ Lisa

[Lisa will be back again at the end of this month.  Oh, and on Superstar – she started by saying take two.  She said the previous video of that song had too many mistakes (I didn’t notice), so I took the old one off YouTube.]

[On Saturday, Anthony Miltich paid his monthly visit to the winery.]

What an honor. Thanks for posting these. As you might have gathered there was no rehearsal and some guess work going on, but how fun to see that they turned out rather well. I have passed them on to Anna.  As always, great to see you guys. Thanks for your support of live music.  ~ Anthony

[An SRO crowd, with its concomitant background din, made videoing impossible.]

[We keep hoping, for the sake of acoustics, that someday soon these performances can be moved outside.]

[The grill tender will be introduced shortly.]

[Wine trumps corks by a factor of four.]

Tom I always love your blog!!!  I really think Alexandria is the Fun Capital of Minnesota, yaknow?  Great photos!!!  ~ Sue E.

[The supervisor with Dr. Dean Trinh, a fellow aficionado of winery music.  We got to know Dean’s son, David, when he was a high school student, and knew then he was destined to be highly successful.  The following site contains a short bio of David after graduating from Yale last year.]

David Trinh:  http://www.yaledebate.org/coaching.html

[Oh, that grill tender.  Alia Kopischke, Alex hockey star, who graduated last year and just finished her freshman year at a college that I’ve forgotten again for the umpteenth time.  Alia was a hockey teammate of . . .]

[Then it was on to Shanee’ Herd’s graduation party.  Shanee’ was a multi-sport athlete, but because she was a varsity hockey player since 7th grade, it seems we have known her, and her family, her entire life.]

Thank you for coming and for all the wonderful times the past 6 years!  After tomorrow we will no longer have a high school student so I guess that makes us Super Fans!  Great sweatshirts and pics!  You guys look as young as ever!  ~  Marnee’ (a/k/a, the photographer)

Happy Mother’s Day Ruth!  You look fantastic and Jami’s card and note was awesome!  Question for Tom:  Is anyone in Alexandria under 60? ~  The Nanner

[Pointing to her name on the 2008 state championship team roster.  🙂 ]

[With fellow original Super Fans, Viv and “Weakie.”]

[Shanee’ as a 7th-grader – seems like just the other day?]