alexandriacardinals

February 12

[Yeah, we were looking forward to this – kinda wondering how it was going to work? We have seen other Shaun performances in Alex, both with Tonic Sol-fa and the Big Band Experience, but never with an entire symphony orchestra?]

[Symphony president and violinist extraordinaire, Greg Donahue, sets the stage.]

[Maestro Brad Lambrecht leads the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra with Shaun’s Big Band, consisting of a piano player, a double bass player, a drummer, a trumpet player, a trombone player, and two saxophonists.  Shaun was the singer.]

[The tenor from Tonic Sol-fa joined Shaun for one song.  Loved it.]

[Shaun and a groupie after the show.  Actually, we name dropped.  We told him we were close personal friends of Jeanne and Tom Mulder.  Underwhelmed by that piece of news, he decided he would pose with the Super anyway.  But seriously, Shaun was only too happy to send greetings to the Mulders, and we thanked him for a truly powerful and wonderful show.  Oh, and it was quite obvious that the orchestra and Shaun’s band were really have fun playing together.]

[Citing near starvation, the Super made me stop at Subway on the way home.  The basketball courts across the street (9th and Broadway) were ice rinks created solely by Mother Nature.  This winter of constant thaws has made it necessary for the Obert household to drive the car to the end of the driveway every morning to get the newspaper – walking there is not possible because the entire driveway is a sheet of ice.  It didn’t help that we had rain the night before – on February 11, once considered to be the middle of winter.]

After playing the violin for the cellist Gregor Piatgorsky, Albert Einstein asked, “Did I play well?” “You played relatively well,” replied Piatgorsky.

February 11

Girls

[These were the final two games of a day long basketball extravaganza at AAHS – the Card girls and boys hosting the Buffalo Bison.  The Bison girls had played here during our holiday tournament, like our Cards losing to Watertown-Mayer in a competitive game. The Bison are a class AAAA team with a good record, so they figured to give our Cards a tussle. It was in the Watertown-Mayer game our Cards discovered the offensive capabilities of our wing players, Kiyana Miller and Kelby Olson-Rodel, numbers 21 and 15, respectively, in the warm-up photos below.]

[Our leading scorer Macy Hatlestad, right foreground, has missed several games with a knee.  She was back on the court, wearing a brace, but didn’t play in this game.  I believe the hope is she’ll be ready to play by tournament time.  There are four regular season games remaining.]

[Emma Schmidt (25) second from the right, with Emma Ziegler (1) on the far right.  I do not believe there is a team codicil requiring the Emmas to shoot together.]

[And on the far left is Kara Thomson (23), the team’s designated 3-point shooter.  Her first two such attempts in the coming game were nothing but net.]

[Lauren Stockmoe (33) puts a hand in Kiyana’s face, McKenzie Duwenhoegger (35) is on Kiyana’s right.]

[And introducing the Cardinals . . . ]

[Coach K]

[And the Cardinals introducing themselves to each other.]

[Kayla Feldhake (43) is all concentration prior to the center jump.]

[And we’re off and running . . . ]

[And running the Cardinals is Kendall Kohler (3).]

[Kayla led the Cards on a fast start.  I believe she scored the first 5 points in the game.]

[The Cards were in full smother defensive mode in the first half.  The Bison never had a chance.]

[Schmidty provides long and athletic depth.]

[In addition to her usual stout defense, Kiyana has become a double digit scorer often in the new year.]

[And Kendall was lighting up 3’s and assorted other offensive maneuvers enroute to a game high 22-point performance.]

[Maggie Slagle (15) has earned more PT lately.]

[Free throws from Kiyana . . . ]

[McKenzie . . . ]

[And Kelby.]

[Good, or not?]

[Kelby executes a full speed U turn . . .]

[And hies back into the action.]

[Then tangles with a bigger Bison on defense.]

[Kendall finishes a drive.]

[Schmidty on the line.  Everybody was contributing.]

[Kiyana will catch her.]

[Kendall also on a U turn.  My kneecaps hurt just looking at this.]

[Kiyana on a drive . . . ]

[When she is isolated on the wing, she can usually blow by her defender.]

[About as good a half as we can play.  Buffalo is a pretty good team but they were overwhelmed on this night.]

[Emma Z initiates the offense.]

[Kiyana and Kendall on a 2-on-1 break.  These are almost always initiated off defensive steals.]

[Kendall on the free throw – wastes no time, makes both.]

[Nice power move in the paint by Kayla.]

[The defense hustles back – all whippets here.]

[Kaye Paschke (45) contributes at the end.]

[If Macy is ready, we’re ready for tournament time.]

Boys

[The boys game got off to a similar start as the girls.  With good defensive pressure, making it hard for the Bison to score.  Here Jaran Roste (31) completes a 3-point play, getting the Cards off to a quick start.]

[In fact, it was all Jaran in the early going . . . ]

[At one point he was leading the Bison all by himself.]

[Spencer Hockert (15) is the team’s leading scorer but on this night that mantle fell on Jaran.]

[Jake Drew (33) made life miserable for the Bison at the top of the press.]

[Here he has help from Robert Anderson (3) sneaking in on the lower right.  We’ve been waiting for Robert, 6’1″, to get a breakaway dunk – he got a two-handed stuff in this game that brought the house down.]

[Jake works his way to the foul line.]

[Jaran hit a fall away ‘3’ at the buzzer to complete an 18-point half.  The defense was obviously terrific holding the Bison to 14.]

[In the second half, Justin Balcome (43) goes in for a lay-up.  This was my only photo of the 2nd half as both I, and the team, seemed to lose interest in what turned into a rather sloppy half with the game outcome never in doubt . . . ]

[Still, any win is a good win.]

[And the Alexandria Aces performed at halftime of the boys’ game.]

The NBA is like a small sorority. We’re like brothers.  ~  Rashad Lewis

January 14

The last full day in Sydney . . .

[Beginning with a 90-minute plus bus ride to the Blue Mountains.  Shortly before arrival we made a rest stop in Leura (a town about the size of Sauk Centre).  The Biddies took the opportunity for a quick excursion through town in search of pastries and an ATM.]

[We’ve arrived at Scenic World where you [G]lide between cliff tops and gaze at the rainforest canopy through the glass floor of the Scenic Skyway!  Suspended 270 metres above ancient ravines, the Skyway provides a unique thrill as breathtaking views are revealed beneath your feet through the electro-glass cabin floor.  With 360° views, the 720 metre journey provides the best views of Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters, and Jamison Valley stretching to the horizon.  Disembark at the Skyway’s east station to access lookouts over the valley along with bush trails to Echo Point (scenicworld.com.au).]

[And here we go!]

[And what cable ride is complete without a glass floor?]

[The Super’s having fun.]

[Coming in for a landing – the Three Sisters on the left.]

[Looking back at whence we came.]

[But that was just the start.  Next, [D]iscover the thrill of a 52 degree incline riding the steepest passenger railway in the world, the Scenic Railway.  Custom designed carriages allow passengers to adjust their seated position up to 20 degrees!  The Railway experience descends 310 metres through a cliff-side tunnel, emerging into ancient rainforest at the Jamison Valley floor.  Carrying 84 passengers, the train departs every ten minutes. Disembark at the bottom station to access the Scenic Walkway and stroll through 2.4 kilometres of Jurassic rainforest  (scenicworld.com.au).]

[I’m scared!]

[Bert and Kathy settle in.]

[Photographing the staff photographer (so he can notify the next of kin).]

[Hang on, Bert!]

[We’ve arrived at the walkway.]

[Jamison Valley in the Blue Mountains]

[Time for the selfie-stick shots.]

[Looking back up the tracks.]

[Beginning our walk, this was coal country at one time.]

[Ride ’em, cowgirl!]

[Mine, as in where they found coal.]

[Getting a feel for being in a rain forest.]

[As you could note, the railway didn’t take us all the way to the bottom.  A little Stairmaster action was required for that.]

[Ferns, the world’s oldest plants.]

[Lianas, or Tarzan vines.]

[More signs of past human activity.]

[A really big tree in Australia will either be a fig . . . or in this instance, a gum.]

[Wow, how did we make it through all this?]

[The Super emerges in a “clearing.”]

[Now we have to get back to the top.  So, [D]iscover panoramic views of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains from the Scenic Cableway.  The 510 metre journey gently descends into the Jamison Valley and also returns visitors to the top of the escarpment. The Cableway’s fully enclosed cabin provides a unique vantage point for viewing the Three Sisters, Orphan Rock, Mt Solitary and Katoomba Falls.  Disembark at the bottom station to access the Scenic Walkway and stroll through 2.4 kilometres of Jurassic rainforest.  [t]he Cableway is the steepest and largest aerial cable car in the Southern Hemisphere (scenicworld.com.au).]

[And here comes our ride . . . ]

[The Three Sisters, again]

[And we’re back to the top.]

[The visitor center had a theater where they had a short production on the Aborigines.  Some of us went there . . . ]

[Others went in search of photo ops!]

[We’re heading to the ever popular (they’re found ’round the world) “scenic overlook.”]

[And that’s what it’s called.]

[And there it is!]

[What can be seen.]

[The Three Sisters, again again . . . ]

[Can you see the walkway to the Sister on the left?]

[Can you see it now?  No, we didn’t go there.]

[Overlooking the Three Sisters overlook.]

[Panorama, or an expansive view]

[A flower]

[We started the walk, then realized the sun was strong enough to melt lead, so we turned back . . .]

[To a more sane endeavor.]

[Aaaah, an icy cold sauvignon blanc.  I sat inside in a wingback chair where a gentleman, with a wine in each hand, from merry old England stopped by for a chat.]

[Then the stop the ladies were waiting for.  It seemed unlikely that we were going to see any animals in the wild on these day tours, so how ’bout an animal park?

[A good spot to insert the Super’s photos (the next 7), because she loves critters!]

[Aaaah, a teddy bear!]

[Back to my photos, where we address the pithier matters of wildlife management.]

[Petting a ‘roo.  There are several species, and I believe this was the smallest.]

[G’day, mate!]

[And here’s your answer!]

[The aforementioned wombat having a snooze in the 100-degree heat.]

[I mean, seriously, can that really be a comfortable place to sleep?]

[And little blue penguins, the world’s smallest . . . ]

[Too cute]

[Emu]

[And another ‘roo petting.]

[On the way back, our driver took us through the Sydney Olympic site . . . ]

[Finally, I made a boo-boo earlier.  This is where we got on a boat to avoid vehicle traffic into the city.  Our bus driver noted this was something recently started because it literally is faster to deposit the passengers onto a boat for the ride into city center.]

There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.  ~  Robert Louis Stevenson

February 7

[The JV game against Moorhead.  The Spud players looked really young?]

[Just another day at the office.]

[Then the varsity took the floor.]

[The Cards “center jumper,” Robert Anderson, is 6’1″; the Spuds guy was 6’3″, also not their tallest player.  Go figure?]

[Basketball superfans John and Ann Heydt look on from afar.]

[Referee signalling a foul against the Cardinals . . . or maybe I’m just being paranoid?]

[Another foul?]

[We handily beat the Spuds in the season opener.  They are very young with not a good record.  The Cards came out with the appearance of let’s just rack up some points.  It seemed whoever had the ball crossing mid-court would take it as far as they could before shooting.  I bet we missed our first 10 shots?]

[We eventually settled in to some semblance of team play, and our obvious advantage in experience and athleticism began to take over.]

[Trey Hoepner (1) gathers a rebound.]

[Jared Schneider (13) got extended playing time because of foul issues among the starters.]

[Jaran Roste (1) checks to make sure the cameraman is properly executing the “live streaming.”  Have you watched any of the live streamed sports yet?]

[Jake Drew (33), a/k/a, “Charlie Hustle.”]

[At 6’4″, Jake is a big point man at the top of the defense; offensively he positions down low so he can grab every offensive rebound available.]

[Uh-oh, a Spud splits our defense.]

[Jake again as the defensive greeter.]

[Mr. Hoepner with a jumper.]

[And here’s Mr. MVP.  Spencer Hockert (15) had another great game with 29 points.  He is our leading scorer and will certainly be first team all-conference.  The concern is that on nights like this, when the rest of the team is scuttling a bit, there is a real load on him when he ends up with almost half of the team’s total points.]

[Spencer out front.  What makes him so tough is he can hit the ‘3’, or drive right by his defender.]

[Coming down or going up?]

[And while his teammates often had adventures on the free throw line, I think he knocked down all of his.]

[At the half, low scoring largely (OK, totally) because the shooting percentages were on the lower side.  But you’re always in the game when the defense never rests.]

[Mr. Roste with a little ball movement.]

[Mr. Drew again, and he did knock down his free throws too.  That’s good because as an offensive rebounder, he can get to the line a lot.]

[Still waiting for “center jumper,” Mr. Anderson, to pull off a two-handed stuff during a game.  Ha!]

[Spencer in mid U-turn.]

[Mr. Anderson got a little banged up on this play and had to come out of the game.  Shortly before that, Jaran tweaked an ankle and had to leave the game too.  The trend was not good!]

[Then . . . good news.  It wasn’t that long before both of them were back at the scorer’s table ready to check back in.]

[Justin Balcome (43) goes for the block – he had a few.]

[And while he’s ordinarily one of our best shooters (he swished a couple of ‘3’s’ during the game), he missed 4 free throws in a row down the stretch.  At a time when we really could have put the game away, we missed 6 straight free throws and an uncontested layup.  Gives that ‘ugh’ feeling.]

[The final – a nice win.]

Basketball has so much showboating you’d think it was invented by Jerome Kern.  ~  Art Spander