alexandriacardinals

[Julie Patchouli, of Patchouli, at Carlos Creek Winery on Saturday, May 18 . . . and thus began another music weekend.]

[Bruce Hecksel, of Patchouli, also getting major play in the art world.  In fact, prior to performing at the winery, they stopped at Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale to display some of his works.]

“Labyrinth”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Xb174I9PY

[Bruce also noted Patchouli has started to appear on some Billboard instrumental charts.]

[And they were delighted to finally be performing outside.  We didn’t think it would happen that morning . . . but during the course of the afternoon performance, Tami Bredeson, winery owner, came out to tell them there was a flash flood watch in the area about the time they were scheduled to finish.  Whatta spring!]

“Hide”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv1FT0Z5Q58

[As I recall, Julie announced that they will be performing in Alex every month this summer for the first time.  Wahoo!]

[The ever smiling troubadour.  😉 ]

[The t-shirts are new, designed by Bruce . . . stage displayed by the supervisor. 😉 ]

“Patchouli”:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8AzNjWovo4

[The Cub Reporter’s Camp Social directives finally produced some results on this day.]

[OK, maybe the performers had something to do with that.]

“Rest of the World”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocq7Ra8d-K8

[Cardinal hockey alum, Alia Kopischke, was working the grill.  Her dad, Dan, just happened to be helping her this day.  Give her a visit the next time you’re there.]

[So, what do we do next?]

[Yeah, that one!]

[Till next month then.]

[Sunday at the winery was the final performance of the season for the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra.  A local compilation of gray heads and high school kids under the direction of Brad Lambrecht.  They just get better every year.]

[As a male of the species, I have to admit to once again not reading the “instructions.”  Thus, I almost flew out of my seat when the concert began with Copland’s stupendous “Fanfare for the Common Man” and the tympani rattled the joint!  I wish I had run a video on it – they did a terrific job.  As well as a marvelous rendition of “America the Beautiful” next.]

[Not wanting to get caught short again, I did step to the back to video:]

“Bugler’s Holiday”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpNcM1T69Cw

[Not too shabby for outstate Minnesota, huh?]

[I believe still in warm-up capacity.]

[Well, let’s wander over and get a glass of the local product.  And next year’s hockey co-captain, Melissa Drown, was helping with the intermission goodies.]

[The orchestra – meaning, of course, some day we believe Mr. Lambrecht will be sought after by a larger venue.]

[A full house!]

[Maestro]

[Ending with the colors and the National Anthem.]

And remember, the coming week in Vacationland, USA, is a blockbuster . . . music-wise (starting with the 5 videos herein!)!

[Thursday, May 16, the last regular season home games (oh, we won the 2nd game, too – 10-4) of the year.  It was thus also . . .]

[Oh, but before we proceed – Dusty Johnson’s predicament on the 6th hole at the Alexandria Golf Club the preceding day.  Yes, that is his ball in the tree . . .]

[Dusty, of course, is known to many of the ladies as the undefeated singer of the National Anthem at many girls’ hockey games.]

[AD Hartmann noted at the game that if the Cards won both, and the doubleheader on the road to end the regular season, we would be the No. 1 seed throughout the sections and have all home games!  🙂 ]

[Thank you, ladies!]

[Taylor Ellingson was on the mound (or in softball, “the flat”).]

[Taylor breezed through the 1st inning; Sarah Bruzek got a lead-off single for us in the bottom of the first, but we could tell the Otter pitcher was going to be tough.]

Video of the 1st inning:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq7WAb7copg

[Jess Syvrud @ 2nd.  Jess batted 2nd last year; this year she bats clean-up.  She’s a not really very big guard on the basketball team, but she has hit some balls over the fence this year!]

[Dani Strater @ 1st (well, when she’s not making my chocolate malts at the Northside DQ).]

[Sarah Bruzek @ 3rd.]

[“Baby Bruiser” again; I suspect shortstop Danielle Carlson was blocked from my view.]

[Team meeting after the top of the 1st.  Again, this is to discuss eating arrangements after the game.]

[Now batting, No. 4, catcher, Emily Kuennen.]

[Still waiting to see Em really launch one this year.]

[Nope, not that one.]

[C’mon pitch, lay one in here.]

[She’s on first.]

[The Otter pitcher had good stuff.  Our two runs in the bottom the 2nd were produced without a hit – a couple walks, some fielders’ choices, and probably an error.]

[Ms. Strater, I presume?]

[Here comes a hard one . . .]

[Whaddya think?]

[Kaila Dewanz, No. 8, playing rightfield on this day, I believe.  She was the accidental major subject of the day, though also being a hockey player probably didn’t hurt.  😉 ]

[On your mark . . .]

[Then on 1st base.]

[Then on 2nd base.]

[Hmmm, can’t remember what happened to Kaila?  But here we are back in the field again.]

[This was probably the celebration of the day . . .]

[We had just ended the inning with a nifty . . .]

[6 (Danielle) – 4 (Jess) – 3 (Dani) double play!  🙂 ]

[I took a glance over at the JV game on the adjacent field.  Seemed there was always a lot of cheering with 3rd base coach Mitch Loch waving home runners by the dozen.  The JV won the game 31 – 1.  Not really fun for either team.  It was decided not to play a 2nd game.]

[Back to the varsity and Rachel Peterson, No. 3.  Rachel was either in leftfield or DHing?]

[Nice swing!]

[Taking one the other way?]

[The dugout, with the ex-coach and state political candidate supporting the fence on the far right.]

[Why, here’s Ms. Dewanz again!]

[In my day, the Dark Ages, it was a term of derision to say, “You swing like a girl!”  Now I would consider it the ultimate compliment.]

[Right on it!]

[“It’s outa here!”  OK, I don’t really remember.]

[“Baby Bruiser” has a great power swing.]

[Roger Riley, Alexandria Golf Club president, appears distracted by events at the JV game.  Roger and the aforementioned Dusty are our designated National Anthem singers.  I wonder how much he paid for that great box seat right behind home plate?]

[Emily coiled and ready for action.]

[Em uncoiling.]

[As I recall, centerfielder Jana Roste hit a good shot here.]

[Good rip by Dani.]

[Dani again.  Cards got a tad sloppy in the top of the 7th, allowing the Otters to score their run.  But it looks like we’re ready to make a run in the sections.  The Super Fans left after the 1st game – it was date night, after all!]

[And the spring sports season winds down . . .]

[Little did we realize when we awoke on May 14 . . .]

[That the state would be setting record high temperatures that day, a mere couple days after lake ice-out!  Alex would hit 93 degrees – many places in southern Minnesota went over 100!  Once again, it’s time to consider that move to Pickle Lake.]

[After the requisite hour and a half jaunt around the track with the Fat Boys, it was off to the golf course.  It was starting to green up nicely as we played down No. 6 . . . and Lake Darling now greeted us with blue water instead of white ice.]

[Checking on the progress of No. 7 – the sprinklers are out, with the year in and year out anomaly of drought conditions minutes after the last flake of snow melts away.]

[The Minnesota green is starting to look like Minnesota – which, after all, is the idea.]

[And they’ve moved us back to the new, but similarly placed, No. 8 tee boxes.  So, this is Minnesota as viewed from Canada, back to its tee boxes up the hill.]

[Golf round completed, I decided I had not yet been sufficiently abused by the temperature and so it was off to . . .]

[Wake up, Tom!]

[Oh yeah, the one home track meet of the season.  By stopping to chat with my fellow Education Foundation ex-board member, I missed a school record tying high jump, 5’6″, by Briquelle Bowden, putting her in the top 5 in the state.]

[The temperature was now 93 and the winds were howling.  Card tracksters of the future hugged the fence for the beginning heat of the 100-meter hurdles, which would include Becca Illies of Cardinal hockey fame.]

[And they’re off – athletes from Sartell (blue) and Willmar (red) flanked a Cardinal in black.]

[Apologies, I do not know our Cardinal.]

[As the inner lanes come into view, we spot Ms. Illies for the first time (in black, on the left).]

[Becca appears to have an early lead.]

[. . . and down the track they speed.]

[Our Cardinals are in the hunt.]

[A closer-upper.]

[. . . down to the wire.]

[It’s gonna be close!]

[Becca hit a hurdle late and finished 2nd, but with a PR.  I learned all this in a bit as I sauntered down to the stands where I joined hockey parents Illies and Herd for the rest of the festivities.]

[And now from the other end of the track I caught the next 100-meter hurdle heat with Jaylen Rodel-Olson, of Cardinal basketball fame.]

[I once noted that Jaylen, as a roundballer, had good hops.  I guess it was natural fit then that in track she would jump over things.]

[Looks like her and the Sabre.]

[Yup, a dead heat here.]

[Willmar’s making a move on the inside.]

[Looks like a battle of the Cardinals.]

[At this point Jaylen was experiencing “visibility” issues as a result of the strong tailing wind and finished 2nd (as I recall).]

[I believe this was either the 400 or 800.  The Sabre in the lead was impressive in other races as well.]

[Effort!]

[Highlighting one of our Cardinals.  This was a meet where many of our athletes competed in events other than their specialties.  Both for fun, experience, cross-training, and speed work – OK, that’s twice as many as “both.”]

[Here’s Becca on the lead-off leg of the 4 x 200.  Did I mention I used up about half my “film” just on the two heats of the 300-meter hurdles?  Well, I tend to focus on the athletes I know from other sports.  And that’s why there are no boys in this report – besides, it’s mainly about just giving the ladies their due.]

[Staggered lanes around the turn.]

[Coming down the back stretch, Becca’s closing.]

[Really stretching it out now.]

[Closing in on the relay part.]

[I think we had a little problem on the pass . . .]

[Need help re our Cardinal here?]

[Another relay race.  It seems I should know our Cardinal here, but then I didn’t know the Aral Sea had dried up either!]

[Madi Urman, senior sprinter.  This is her gig – I don’t know her from other sports, but she’s been pretty good at this for a while.]

[Some people just look their part – Madi looks like a sprinter.]

[Another relay and Ms. Illies is entering the traffic jam that is the baton pass.]

[Go, Becca!]

[And we have to admit to helping “raise” Shanee’ Herd from a pup.  Varsity hockey player for 6 years, almost as long in volleyball.  She’ll be matriculating to that little school in St. Paul . . . that one across the street from Cecil’s.  😉 ]

[Shanee’ was having knee issues but gave it a shot in a couple races.]

[Senior middle distance runner Julia Sieling.]

[. . . finishing kick.]

[Noted for making her grandparents, Carol and Dave Dittberner, internationally famous.]

[Karly Betterman, of Cardinal basketball fame, leading the pack of 3 on the right in the 300-meter hurdles.]

[Shanee’ was also in that race.]

[And around the bend they come . . .]

[Go, Karly!]

[Go, Shanee’!  But she was struggling at this point.  I left after this race because the supervisor and I had a date with Uncle Willie’s Gut Bucket Blues Band at SAWA.]

Just Strummin’ With:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi8svtKFH2g

“Harvest Moon”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3hkGTRfHhs

Softball soon to be published . . .

[I believe I can now say, without fear of retribution, that beautiful Lake Darling, as of this date, May 13, 2013, is finally ice free.  Of course, I do not know what would happen to me if I was retributed?  Is that like a misdemeanor?]

Actually, the entire weekend was The Supervisor’s Day.  She did not, however, receive breakfast in bed on either day.  I have a heck of a time getting crumbs out of the comforter.  If we think of the weekend beginning Friday, I went to the previously posted baseball game.  It was a bit of a blustery day, so the supervisor remained home to maintain a constant vigil over the yard lest a stick be blown off tree and upon which she would immediately pounce.  While I believe the offending sticks could be rehabilitated for their transgressions, the supervisor prefers prompt immolation, with or without due process.  Saturday morning I’m sure we did something related to spring maintenance.  Then in the afternoon it was off to the winery to see BFF’s Mikko Cowdery, Bruce Kelly, and Annie O’Flynn, a/k/a, Skilly & Duff.

[The supervisor occasionally is called upon to act as a visual interpreter for the assembled masses.  She is invited “on stage” to lead audience participation in The Black Velvet Band.  See if you can join in . . .]

[Annie is bemused.]

THE BLACK VELVET BAND

Her eyes they shone like diamonds,

I thought her the queen of the land,

And her hair it hung over her shoulder,

Tied up with a black velvet band.

[First stanza . . .]

[Eyes shining like diamonds . . .]

[Annie was sitting to the left of the boys in this day.  She always sat on their right previously.  We suspect a Communist plot . . .]

[Queen of the land . . .]

[Hair hung over her shoulder . . .]

[Tied up with the song’s title.  🙂 ]

A little video from the day:

“Nancy Whiskey”:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7r5Oqtv_1k

[Attempting to capture an in focus of the Hecksel art.]

The softball team had a game later in the afternoon.  There were 40 mph winds.  That is beyond the capabilities of this reporter to withstand.  We beat Moorhead 7 – 5.  Woo-woo!  The Velines were performing at Eddy’s that evening.  That evening, however, was beginning at 8:30.  The supervisor and I were still recovering from our late afternoon nap by then and were fearful we would be hit with a DWO&T if we attempted to go out again at that hour.  DWO&T, incidentally, means driving while old & tired.

[We have a tradition of having Mother’s Day brunch with the Annens – Bob, Vivian, and Angie – at the golf club.  So here we are, on a sunny, if chilly, Sunday morning.]

[I was “invited” to become a subject, to their subsequent dismay, to show off my yellow sweater I wear twice a year – Easter brunch and Mother’s Day brunch.  No disrespect to the sweater – just that I’m not into long sleeves.  And now I’m sure our server, Angie, is fully aware that I am incorrigible.]

[A little exploring after lunch turned up ice on the east and south sides of Lake Darling.  From our side, it looked like the lake was ice free.]

[Scanning over in front of the golf course.]

[From Arrowwood to the point in the west side.]

[There was still plenty of ice on Lake Carlos as we crossed the Carlos-Darling bridge.]

[After a short respite at home to allow the brunch to settle, it was off to the winery.  Here you will find the May entertainment schedule.  🙂 ]

[Happy Mother’s Day!  A selection of 6 different chocolates, to be enjoyed with 6 different wine tastings, in a glass that you can actually take home with you!]

[With entertainment provided by . . .]

[With Professor Anthony Miltich, of Minnesota State, Fergus Falls.]

[Anthony has become a rather regular performer in the Alex area and has done some teaching in our adult education curricula.]

[To paraphrase Woody Allen, 90 percent of life is just showing up!  😉  Well, we lucked into life again this weekend.  Anthony mentioned during an early break that his daughter would be showing up . . . and that she had a terrific singing voice.  Well, he’s a dad!  But, talent obviously runs in the family – he performed at the winery recently with his sister, who was terrific also.  Both daughter and sister live in the Cities, so it’s not likely we will be graced by their presence all that often.  Drat!  Oh, his daughter’s name is Anna Miltich-Krenik, whose business is Swan Song Karaoke – Dance Like No One Is Watching, Sing Like It’s Your Last Song.]

I missed Anna’s first solo dashing to the car for a new camera battery.  I can’t remember the song (or much else any more) but it was a torch song of Dinah Washington vintage and it was wonderful.  But I was able to capture:

“Glitter in the Air”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2lj7fvG6RU

And with dad:

“More Than Words”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua7oiecrUiA

“Me and Bobby McGee”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHvGXi4nHPQ

Yup, I think we were pretty lucky to “just show up.”

And Anthony also sang the following song.  A great song.  He snuck it by me before I could video him.  I’ll catch it in the future.  It’s a Bob Dylan song, here performed by:

“Make You Feel MyLove”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv2tHHAdfbQ

Adele’s “Make You Feel My Love”:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiVwtdgJ1DI

[A pretty darn good Mother’s Day.]

[This is the Mother’s Day card from daughter Jami.  It is handmade of cloth.  She does these things.]

[My card is the one at the top of this page.  Without waiting for a secret ballot vote, I will cede that Jami’s is way better.  But then the supervisor is not ‘my mother.’   😉 ]