alexandriacardinals

February 10

Let’s begin at the end.  The Cardinal girls basketball team won its 12th straight game last night, 69 – 60 in OT over Becker, raising its record to 18 – 3 and its state ranking to 8th in class AAA.  How do they do it?  Volume!  (No, wait, that’s a different concept.)  They do it in the manner reflected in the following photo pilfered from the ‘Echo Press.’  Floor burns are merit badges as demonstrated here by Emma Schmidt and McKenzie Duwenhoegger.

[It was the Winter Lakes Classic, an all day affair.  The Card boys beat Becker 83 – 73 in the final game . . . ]

[The boys game between Pequot Lakes and Brackenridge went into OT.  A portent of things to come?]

[I think this is some version of “Twist and Shout”?]

[Let the game begin . . . ]

[In the photo for the Cards:  Courtney Gould (31), senior; McKenzie Duwenhoegger (34), junior; Kaye Paschka (3), junior; and Ella Grove (11), sophomore; and likely hiding behind Courtney, Emma Schmidt (25), senior . . . ]

[McKenzie goes up . . . ]

[And wins the tap . . . ]

[Likely back to Emma . . . ]

[The Bulldogs had a bunch of freshman guards, including the ball handler here, Julia Bengston (11).  Therefore, Ella, our No. 11, is back defending her . . . ]

[With Kaye moving in from the right flank . . . ]

[Cards set the defense . . . ]

[And it’s not like our defense wasn’t good in the first half . . . ]

[It’s just that it seemed eveything the Bulldogs threw into the air, went through the hoop – including a high percentage of 3’s throughout the game . . . ]

[Emma’s ability to contest passing lanes would ultimately become an issue for the Bulldogs . . . ]

[In what must have been a defensive switch, Kaye ends up with the Bulldog center . . . ]

[Oooops!  Ole!!]

[Coach isn’t happy . . . ]

[Mia McGrane (5), sophomore, and Alayna Strand (55), freshman, part of the Cardinals endless bench . . . ]

[Alayna will be a nice fit at the point of the defense next year . . . ]

[Planning begins for the 2nd half – adjustments have to be made when you’re down 36 – 20.  Kohler didn’t win 600 games by reading “The Life and Times of the Lima Bean” . . . ]

[Of initial import, while we had good shots in the first half, they weren’t dropping.  So go to where you have a match-up advantage.  The Cards began working the ball inside to McKenzie, who scored 7 points in a row to begin the half, and Courtney . . . ]

[McKenzie was either getting “and 1’s” or two free throw fouls – and she was knocking them down . . . ]

[Kaye looks like it’s hard to defend when they ricochet passes off the ref’s head . . . ]

[Kaye had a super game at point guard, with 17 points – many off key drives to the hoop in the 2nd half.  Here she demonstrates the art of the free throw . . . ]

[Mataya Hoelscher (45), freshman, part of the freshmen cadre Kohler sent out to counter their freshmen guards.  It turned out to be a master stroke . . . ]

[We knew we would make a comeback . . . but all the way from that far back? We finally cut the lead to under 10 with about 5 minutes left, but then they hit another 3. We were still down by 12 with about 4 minutes in the game. Could we . . . again? The Cards pressure defense and double team presses began yielding results. With our length and quickness we managed to make several steals down the stretch. Ella hit a big 3 late (the photo), and we tied the game in regulation!]

[This is the pressure the Bulldogs experienced down the stretch . . . ]

[The Card student section was really getting into it . . . ]

[How ’bout that?]

[The all-gnat line up began the OT.  With the length of Emma (jumping center) and Ella, Kohler sent out the equally opponent-annoying Kaye, Mataya, and freshman Cathryn Bloom (41), who made formidable contributions in the 2nd half . . . ]

[Emma gets the tap . . . ]

[Cathryn gets the free throws . . . ]

[Emma began getting steals on the Bulldog in-bounds passes.  Ella fouled out, but we had the game under control by then . . . ]

[Wendy was making offense (Courtney)-defense (the gnats) substitutions with every stoppage of play.  Here it looks like Mia on the line . . . ]

[Emma and Cathryn lead the full-court defensive assault . . . ]

From FB earlier in the evening:  Remember this? From last year? Well, tonight our Cards played Becker, and they have a freshman point guard. This video came immediately to mind. Yes, she did all these same things, could make 3-point shots, and was the star of the team . . . but it isn’t the same player? The player in the video is not on this year’s roster – moved away? But this year’s player, Julia Bengston, is equally adept at behind the back dribbles with ankle breaking crossovers. And Becker had the Cards on the run for most of the game.]

[But even as a freshman guard wunderkind, Ms. Bengston found it’s no fun being defensively engulfed by the likes of Emma and Cathryn . . . ]

[A back pic sent Cathryn crashing to the floor.  Hoots arose from the crowd . . . well, at least from me.  It likely was a legal, if somewhat jarring, screen . . . ]

[Emma smoothly closed out the big comeback with a couple of freebies . . . ]

[Only 5 games left in the regular season. This team is finding ways to pull out wins in close games.  Let’s see if they can keep it going . . . ]

The trouble with officials is they just don’t care who wins.  ~  Tommy Canterbury

A little family shout out here. Lest you didn’t know, the Korean Olympic Village was designed by Cuningham Group Architecture, in which our sister-in-law Karen is a partner. You’re likely aware that Cuningham Group is probably more famous as the designer of Alexandria Area High School!

 

December 22

Costa Rica

[After a week of “out and about,” we’re finally back on a continent again.  Yes, we’re approaching the Isthmus of Panama in Central America.  “Isthmus,” incidentally, is a word that’s impossible to pronounce if you’ve had more than one beer.  I suggest it be changed to the equally descriptive “skinnyland.”]

[Arrival at the port of Puerto Limon . . . ]

[This would be a two excursion day, beginning with the Monster Bus & Rainforest Trek.  And speaking of beer, our guide, Eric, and driver, Jose, who are partners in this business, would both be the kind of guys you’d love to – well, join for a couple of beers.]

[Uh-oh, single lane bridge . . . ]

[There is a saying in Costa Rica, it’s actually the unofficial motto of the country: Pura Vida. It literally translates to “pure life.” But really it’s more along the lines of “life is good.” And it’s used in everyday conversation. It’s a greeting…if someone asks how you’re doing, you can say “pura vida”… If that attitude appeals to you, you might want to consider retiring in Costa Rica. This country of 4.8 million is tucked between Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east.  ~  internationlliving.com]

[Eric said he hated history as a student growing up.  Now he loves it, has made it his life’s work, because he loves telling people about his country . . . ]

[Rest stop in the Monster Bus . . . ]

[Eric and Jose always wanted something like this to take people into the rainforest.  But they don’t exist.  So, the made this, scavenging from other vehicles – I believe the chassis is from a Russian troop carrier . . . ]

[Eric takes advantage of a photo op.]

[What’s up there?]

[The Super joins others for the photo op.   According to the U.S. Department of State, more than 20,000 U.S. expatriates live in Costa Rica, many of them as retirees. That’s because Costa Rica has one of the highest standards of living in Central America. With an economy catering to a growing middle class as well as tourists from around the world, you’ll have no trouble finding theaters, galleries, and fine dining in virtually any cuisine. Plus, there is excellent healthcare, high-speed internet (even in seemingly remote areas), reliable electrical service, clean water you can drink from the tap, and good cellphone coverage (including 3G and even 4G in some areas). In addition to its natural beauty, culture, welcoming attitude of the locals, and convenience, Costa Rica attracts many expats with its lower cost of living and slower pace of life.  ~ internationalliving.com]

[BATS!!!]

[SLOTH!!!]

[A gal or fellow enjoying a nap in the heat of the day . . . ]

[They are hard to spot . . . ]

[Costa Rica has been known for its stable democracy in a region that has had some instability and for its highly educated workforce, most of whom speak English. The country spends roughly 6.9% of its budget (2016) on education, compared to a global average of 4.4% . . . Costa Rica also has progressive environmental policies. It is the only country to meet all five UNDP criteria established to measure environmental sustainability . . . Costa Rica plans to become a carbon-neutral country by 2021 . . . ~  Wikipedia]

[Really not a lot of traffic here . . . ]

[I believe some sort of hive . . . ]

[Really feeling far from civilization . . . ]

[Uh-oh, a notorious and ubiquitos band of Americanos homo sapiens . . . ]

[You’re about to see a poison arrow frog.  Do not try to eat one!]

[Ready!  Aim!  Fire!]

[So, we’ll adopt the buddy system here . . . ]

[Seriously, there 3 of them in here . . . ]

[They look like this (store bought off the internet) . . . ]

[I saw them when I took the photo – can’t find them now?  I should have brought my telephoto lens because they are little guys . . . ]

[This tree is not native to Costa Rica.  And though it grows staight and tall, it apparently does not produce usable wood.  I don’t recall it’s name?]

[A different kind of, more normal rainforest, tree . . . ]

[Hi!  I’m in a rainforest.  But it’s not raining.]

[Back to the place where we took a break, you know, the place with the . . . BATS!]

[Eric and Jose are going to introduce us to the Costa Rican national beverage . . . ]

[With fruit and snacks . . . ]

[Cacique Guaro is a brand of guaro produced by Fábrica Nacional de Licores or “FANAL”. The Cacique Guaro is a sugar cane liquor of high purity and is the best selling distilled spirit in Costa Rica.  It is known as “Costa Rica liqueur”.  As it has a neutral taste, guaro can be consumed pure or combined with any natural or artificial mixing.  ~  Wikipedia]

[Come and get it!]

[It was pronounced good by all!]

[Meanwhile . . . SLOTH!]

[A sloth neighborhood?]

[Bananas!]

[The bio-degradable blue bags enclosing the bananas are for protection . . . from rain!  Yup, rain can “bruise” the banana peels making them less attractive for marketing.  I learn something new everyday (though usually don’t remember it).]

[No creatures in view . . . ]

[These are so unique looking . . . ]

[I’m stunned I can’t find out anything about them?]

[Another SLOTH!]

[Our guides and drivers were really good at spotting them.  I would never have noticed any of them if they hadn’t been pointed out . . . ]

[It was election time.  The country has been a democracy since 1948, at which time the country also eliminated its military, certainly easing budgetary stresses . . . ]

[Back across the single lane bridge . . . ]

[Through the markets . . . ]

[Back to the ship, where I believe we had lunch . . . ]

[Then on to excurson number 2 – the Tortuguero Canals . . . ]

[And even more SLOTHS.  All involved noted that we had a super-duper day for sloth sightings . . . ]

[And here’s a kin to our boat . . . ]

[And appears to be our boat . . . ]

[Percy was our enthusiastic guide . . . ]

[Aaaah, another one . . . ]

[I remember when they were called 2- or 3-“toed” sloths.  DYK, they are now called 2- or 3-“fingered” sloths?  Why the change?  I believe it came at the request of the creatures themselves who did not want to be known as foot fetishists . . . ]

[We’re really getting up close and personal here . . . ]

[I think boats have pulled in to visit this guy before.  He seemed relatively indifferent to our presence . . . ]

[Although commonly referred to as two-toed sloths, this description is somewhat misleading as all sloths have three toes on the hind-limb. The true difference in digits lies in the forelimb, with sloths in the Choloepus genus having two fingers. For this reason, the correct terminology should be two-fingered sloth, a term which has now been recognised in several scientific publications.  Two-fingered sloths are much larger than their three-fingered counterparts, reaching 80cm in length and weighing up to 11 Kg (although the average is 4-8 Kg). They have a long, pig-like snout and can sweat from the very tip of their nose when hot or stressed. Their hands and feet have fleshy, hairless palms and soles. They have long, brown hair which is lighter in colouration around the face and can stand on end when threatened, helping to make the sloth appear larger. Two-fingered sloths are more active and generally faster-moving that the three-fingered sloths. Their activity is primarily nocturnal, although occasional diurnal movements have been observed.  ~ slothconservation.com]

[Busy canal . . . ]

[Percy announces we have witnessed a sloth bonanza on this day . . . ]

[And a bonanza of these tourist canal boats . . . ]

[Earthquake reinforced bridge construction . . . ]

[An avian species on the roof – appears to be of the buzzard variety . . . ]

[Guess who?]

[And we wrap up our first day in Costa Rica.  We will visit again on the Pacific side.]

Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.  ~  Maya Angelou

Up Next:  It will always be between Panama or Cardinal sports . . .

February 3

Keeping it local!!  The Alexandria – Breck girls hockey game in the morning was acknowledged by the Minnesota Girls Hockey Hub as the state game of the week – between the 3rd (us) and 2nd (them) ranked teams in class A.  And there were snow machine races all day at the fair grounds.  And Alex’s-own Josie Nelson would be providing the entertainment all afternoon at the winery (see the two videos).  Oh, and we finally got snow!

[At the Runestone Community Center for the hockey game . . . ]

[One doesn’t like mixed crowd events?]

[Pre-game introductions, with Card captains Calley Richardson (19) and Kristin Trosvig (15) . . . ]

[Lest you didn’t know, Breck is a private school in the Cities.  We’ve had a long competitive history with them as both schools always have good teams.  But we “tease” them as well, as their whole team had matching parkas with the Breck logo.  Impressive . . . ]

[Our Cards were on an impressive 10-game winning streak and had only allowed one goal total over the last three games . . . ]

[Hailee Bailey (35), 8th-grade goalie (uffda, I generally tell folks that in 8th grade I was still trying to put my underwear on over the top of my head?) . . . ]

[Allison O’Kane (36), senior defense . . . ]

[Tayor Breitkreutz (34), senior defense – it’s nice to have that senior experience on the back line . . . ]

[Anna Doherty (7), freshman forward . . . ]

[Taylor Ellingson (24), junior forward . . . ]

[Alexis Heckert (20), junior forward . . . ]

[And the kick-off!]

[The beginning of pushing and shoving . . . ]

[Meg Shercliffe (5), sophomore forward, taking on three Mustangs all by her lonesome . . . ]

[Oh-oh, they’re bookending her . . . ]

[Josie Minnerath (6), senior forward, comes to the rescue . . . ]

[Face-off in the Mustang zone.  We must be shorthanded because Allison is up on forward line.  Mayson Toft (14), sophomore, soloing on defense . . . ]

[Kristin gets off a shot.  I thought she had another terrific two-way game . . . ]

[The senior captains circling together . . . ]

[Anna and McKenna after it in the right corner . . . ]

[Marki Oberg (10), freshman forward, joins McKenna on the attack . . . ]

[Olivia Kopp (13), junior defense, on right point . . . ]

[The two freshman forwards apply pressure . . . ]

[Ohhhhhh, there’s the puck!  We had a lot of these moments in the game . . . ]

[At first glance one might think, OMG, Breck has a 5-on-oh break!  But we were celebrating Marki’s goal, a nice wrister from the left side. Unfortunately, it would be our only goal of the game . . . ]

[Well played between evenly matched teams . . . ]

[2nd period, a shout out to Taylor and Allison on defense . . . ]

[Oh-oh, here come the Mustangs . . . ]

[There was a slight pause in the action for no apparent reason.  So Kristin engaged in conversation with the ref.  So, how are the wife and kids?]

[And, Do you have a favorite movie for the Oscar?]

[OK, here we go again . . . ]

[We have Meg and Marki and an unidentified Card on a blue line face-off.  As always, Coach Arola keeps mixing the lines.  Behind the bench in civvies are Kaci Trosvig and Erin O’Kane – hoping to have them back for the tournament . . . ]

[McKenna and Anna in on goal . . . ]

[Here Talia Olson (27), senior defense, joins Marki and Calley in an offensive zone face-off . . . ]

[Allison is on defense with Olivia, mixing the 5 defensemen rotation . . . ]

[Looks like a Cardinal is tackled as she neared the end zone . . . ]

[I believe there was a penalty call on that one . . . ]

[Josie and Talia . . . ]

[Chase it down . . . ]

[Drat, stifled again . . . ]

[We thought their 3rd goal was of dubious authentification.  Nevertheless, it’s still a game . . . ]

[The 3rd period was ours.  I don’t know if they went strictly into a defense mode, or if our pressure was wearing them down – maybe a combination of both . . . ]

[Still, we just couldn’t get one past their goalie.  Here Kristin’s in on offense again . . . ]

[McKenna fires a shoot . . . ]

[Ooops, deflected off to the left . . . ]

[And this was the scene particularly through the last half of the period . . . ]

[Cards are buzzing all around their net . . . ]

[But there goes the puck out the other side . . . ]

[The metaphor for the game – McKenna’s right there, but . . . We all thought, certainly unbiased, that the Cards had the better of the play.  Not only in territorial edge, but in shots, both on-goal and total.  So our fans had a good feeling about the game, even with the loss, and gave the team a nice ovation at the end.  We now have 10 days to get everyone healthy for the start of tournament play. ]

[Breck 3, Alexandria 1. Olivia Mobley scored twice to push Class 1A, No. 2 Breck past No. 3-1A Alexandria.  Marki Oberg scored the Cardinals only goal in the first period, while Mustangs goaltender Uma Corniea stopped 19 shots in the final two periods protect her team’s lead in a 26-save performance.  ~  Minnesota Girls Hockey Hub.  Their star, Mobley (17, you can see her in some photos), lived up to her billing.  She’s only a sophomore, but she’s big, fast, and strong, and apparently has already committed to Quinnipiac’s Division 1 program.]

Then it was on to the entertainment portion of the day’s festivities.  Josie was on a weekend break from her freshman year in college, and was back performing at the winery which she has done since she was 12.

[The aforementioned Josie . . . ]

[Why yes, we are wine club members and picked up our quarterly stock . . . ]

[Everyone loves Josie; and everyone who has been to Budapest loves the city.  So, here’s Josie singing “Budapest.”]

[By 3:00, all tables were taken . . . ]

[You can see through the windows it was a nice wintery day.  As usual, there was a weekend wedding at the winery.  They were taking photos of the wedding party outside – the bride just in her gown in 15-degree snowy weather.  I applauded her Minnesota-ness . . . ]

[I always think of this as Julie and Matt Velline’s song.  But that’s OK.  Josie and the Vellines are a mutual admiration society . . . ]

[So, even with the hockey loss, it was an all around terrific day!]

[Thanks, Josie!]

You can’t get too much winter in winter.  ~  Robert Frost

Up Next:  Uffda?

February 1

[This was my first boys basketball game of the season – retirement schedules can be awfully busy!  What I first noticed in the roster is that . . . hey, we have size in our future!]

[But initially I must report that this team, not on anybody’s radar at the start of the season, has now cracked the Top Ten in the state’s ranking system with its 14 – 3 record!]

[And we’re off and leaping!  The Cardinals Justin Balcome (24), 6’10” senior, v. Rocori’s Matthew Waletzko (55), 6’7″ senior, gotta be pushing 300 pounds . . . ]

[Waletzko is not fast, but he’s a good athlete and effective scorer . . . ]

[Here Card coach Forest Witt “helps” Justin play pressure defense . . . ]

[Carter Stockert (44), 6’3″ junior (and a fireballing lefty for the baseball team), attempts the “hiding behind you” defense on the Spartans point guard . . . ]

[As I understand it, the new kid on the block – Carrson Jones (11), 5’10” sophomore guard . . . ]

[The student section, with some of our girl roundballers, cheer a free throw attempt.  Emeritus football coach, Deny Kalpin, looks on from the right . . . ]

[Based on their respective records, it shouldn’t have been this close at the half. But the Cards kicked it up a bit in the 2nd half . . . ]

[And the shot of the game by Emma Schmidt, a starter on the girls team . . . ]

[For comparative sizes, Bryce Ludwig (25) was the tight end on our football team.  His task was to keep Waletzko away from the basket . . . ]

[I took more photos this half because now the Cardinal offensive zone was right in front of me . . . ]

[Trey Hoepner (0), junior, and Jared Schneider (13), senior, play catch out front . . . ]

[Until recently, Card scoring came mostly from Justin and Trey, but Jared has now had some big games . . . ]

[Interesting arm positioning by the ref . . . ]

[Jared applying a little backcourt defensive pressure . . . ]

[Justin ISO?]

[A big guy with a big game . . . ]

[A good ball handler, he can score inside and out – a good 3-point shooter . . . ]

[We have a connection here with Michael Kuhn (3), senior guard, so he will be featured a bit . . . ]

[His mom, Beth, took the most famous picture in Alexandria “Y” history . . . ]

[And here it is . . . ]

[Meanwhile, back at the game, Justin and Trey backing on defense . . . ]

[Bryce, on the lookout for Waletzko?]

[I noticed this kid in the JV game . . . ]

[Dane Galloway (35), 6’1″ sophomore, looks to be a player . . . ]

[And a shout out to the real athletes . . . ]

[Nice catch!]

[Michael playing catch with Trey . . . ]

[Then cutting hard to the hoop . . . ]

[Bryce had a nice offensive game too . . . ]

[Then Trey . . . ]

[Let’s talk about it . . . ]

[OK, let’s wrap it up . . . ]

[We are now 10 – 6 overall, in 4th place in a 9-team conference.  Justin had his usual big game; Jared had a 14-point 2nd half (18 total) that helped us pull away.]

Basketball, a game which won’t be fit for people until they set the basket umbilicus-high and return the giraffes to the zoo.  ~  Ogden Nash

Up Next:  Hockey . . . and Josie?