Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness--late September 2022

Regular readers of this blog know it's prose-driven.  

For this entry, however, I want the pictures to say the proverbial thousand words.  I had the opportunity to go with four other men to the BWCA near the end of September.  From what Boundary Waters veterans told me, it was a great time of year to go largely due to the cooler temps translating to "bug-free" camping.  They were right.  No need for repellent!  It was a peaceful several days of hiking, canoeing, and just enjoying the outdoors.  Yours truly also brought a shotgun and took down a red squirrel, to join the several others hunted by the other two gun-toting folks.  

A Tale of Three New Mexico State Aggie Football Games (2022)

 

The first game:  September 1.  Minneapolis.  New Mexico State Aggies visiting the Minnesota Golden Gophers.  I decided to support my Aggies and attend.  

In hindsight, I chalk this up to: “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”  

The evening began fairly well.  I had no problem with parking, and walking to the stadium was pleasant.  There was no wait for me to enter Huntington Bank Stadium since I wasn’t carrying anything.  My seat was a good one and the fans nearby were cordial.  The pregame skydivers were a nice touch and it’s always good to hear the college bands.  

I wasn’t expecting the Aggies to seriously challenge the Gophers.  And yes, as the first quarter commenced, NMSU appeared very out of their league.  Lots of three-and-outs for the offense and their defense seemed mismatched against the maroon and gold.  

Yet I was mentally prepared for the poor play and being outscored rather easily.  For me, however, the worst moment came via the Jumbotron and fans.  During one of the TV time outs, the video board displayed a message (I think it was one of those Taco Bell-sponsored bits), saying something such as “Having a bad day….means wearing the opposing team’s colors.”  Then the director cut to a shot of a woman wearing an NMSU shirt (yay crimson and white!).  The crowd then let out a loud “Booo!”  

I was livid.  I was furious.  I was incensed.  

Memo to Minnesota:  This is NOT how you treat your visitors.  And lest you think this is a common thing for college football, let me say I attended several Kansas State home games at Bill Snyder Family Stadium and the video crew never did any such thing.  In fact I had a three-game package one year which had me adjacent to the block of seats for the visitors.  I always was cordial to the opposing fans, whether they represented Baylor, TCU, or West Virginia.  They seemed to appreciate my being polite.  

My opinion of the Golden Gopher faithful quickly changed into one of disdain.  I think I was in a state of shock that a school of this caliber would do something so bush-league, so unsportsmanlike.  

The Aggies continued to struggle (unsurprisingly) and Minnesota seemed much more focused and ready.  I sauntered around the stadium concourse during halftime, then lingered into the 3rd quarter, but no real offensive display from my Aggies.  I finally elected to leave about midway through that quarter, given I had over an hour drive home and intended to go to work the following day.  

I was dejected.  Also wondering if the Aggies would even win a game this season, given they had so few returning starters.  

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The second game:  November 26.  The Aggies are at Lynchburg, Virginia to play Liberty.  Turned to the game on ESPN+ as I happened to be home and certainly was curious.  I noticed that the Aggies happened to notch a few W’s in the meantime, including the beauty of them all, beating the University of Nothing Much.  The game was already in progress with the score tied at 7.  Then the Aggies scored a TD.  Then another.  Then another.  

Holy moley!  Liberty is no pushover and they’re at home.  This isn’t supposed to happen, is it?  

The Aggies kept moving offensively.  And scoring.  And scoring.  Not field goals, either.  

Final score:  Aggies 49, Flames 14.  

I think I had some tears of joy flowing.  Quite the opposite from September 1.  

__________

The third game:  December 26.  Quick Lane Bowl.  Detroit.  

I bought a month of Sling TV largely to catch this game on ESPN.  (Of course, the many other bowl offerings on the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network doesn’t hurt either.)  

Aggies score first!  Then they have great control for the next three quarters.  Late in the game it got a bit dicey, as Bowling Green made a game of it.  The Aggies shot themselves in the foot a bit with a blocked punt that wound up being a safety (better than giving up a touchdown, right?) and a punt that went only 14 yards.  However the guys in crimson held it together and they did a great job in closing out the game, gaining some critical first downs in the closing minutes.  

A quick aside:  I got a lesson in geography and one of the schools in the Mid American Conference.  I kept hearing “Bowling Green” as the Aggies’ opponent in this game, yet I kept thinking of Bowling Green, Kentucky.  

Nope Geoguy!  Bowling Green, Ohio!  Which is only 84 miles from Detroit.  Therefore the Aggies winning the game was sweet enough, but to think they did it in front of a largely Bowling Green crowd is even better!  

Incidentally, the institution in Bowling Green, Kentucky is Western Kentucky University.  Which is a member of Conference USA, which the Aggies will be joining in summer 2023.  

Yes, I did a little homework in the meantime.  

While I still have simmering resentment towards the Minnesota crowd, overall I couldn’t be more happy for NSMU’s football program this year.  Congratulations team, and Coach Jerry Kill!  

Final Chapter of This "Trek," And An End-of-Trip Surprise

Saturday morning, I wake up after a peaceful night’s sleep.  Compared to 24 hours ago I’m in a great state of mind.  It’s my last day on the road, I’m well-rested and today’s route is fairly easy.  “Fairly easy” to me means 4-lane highway all the way with no significant grades once I make the climb out of the Missouri River valley heading northeast out of Sioux City.  

Brew my coffee, cook the breakfast and have a shower.  Once I’m dressed I commence with breaking camp.  As this campground has full hookups I don’t even need to make a stop at the dump station on my way out.  Once the draining, unhooking and securing are done, it’s get behind the wheel of my trusty Suburban and within a few moments I’m maneuvering my rig into the Cenex gas station, the same place where I picked up my fried chicken the night before.  Top off the tank, and away I go. 

Homestretch!!

First leg is to again head north on Interstate 29.  Once I’m on the outskirts of Sioux City I pay attention to ensure I’m in the correct lane to exit off the interstate and onto U.S. 75.  

Then begins the climb.  I’ve done this route before but never with pulling a camper that weighs a few thousand pounds.  Yet if I have any concerns or misgivings, I just remember my trek from yesterday and tell myself this is nice wide highway with plenty of room for happenstance or error.  And in only a few minutes I’m on level ground again.  Within 15 minutes I’m buzzing through the town of Hinton and once through that burg I won’t have a traffic light or stop sign again until I hit Windom, Minnesota.  

The travel gods are favoring me today as I notice the wind is present yet at my back, most ideal when one is pulling a trailer.  I’m able to go at the preferred speed of 65 and watch the towns pass by in order:  Le Mars, Sheldon, Sibley.  I pass Hawkeye Point (highest point in Iowa!) and less than five minutes after that I cross the state line into Minnesota.  

Just before Worthington I pull off into the Minnesota Welcome Center/Rest Area.  That morning coffee has made its rounds and my bladder thanks me for the relief.  I also make some small talk with a couple of other travelers then it’s back behind the wheel, with the next stop being home.  

Actually, the RV storage lot, but close enough. 

Nothing noteworthy for the remainder of the drive.  Slow down to navigate the traffic circles on the edge of Worthington then resume speed.  Windom, St. James, Madelia and Mankato all come and go and my adrenaline is really kicking in for the final 10 miles.  

In short order I’m at the storage lot.  I text Geogal I’m here and also meet the lot owner/manager.  We’ve spoken over phone but this was the first face-to-face meeting.  He says I can just go ahead and unhitch at the curb and he will use his Bobcat to move my rig to a designated space.  

Fine by me!

Geogal and Geoana arrive and help me unload from the camper.  I tell them, and the lot owner, about not having the electric jack work when I hitched up in Kansas, and Geogal says, “Yes, the switch is right here,” and puts her finger on it.  

And the electric jack hums with life!  

Notwithstanding I could have used that two days prior, I chalk it up to fate.  A few days later I’m describing this very scene to a coworker and he postulates that perhaps with sitting for so long the jack may have seized up just a bit and all the vibration from the driving loosened the gears just enough.  

No matter.  I’m glad to be home and to not have to worry about taking the rig in for service.  

So, despite one rough afternoon in Kansas, overall I can’t complain about much else this trip.  This was the first time I’ve used the Suburban to pull my camper anywhere other than to Tuttle Creek State Park (near Manhattan, only about a 15-minute drive and not going any faster than 45-50).  Nice to get an idea what this combo can (and cannot) do on the open highway.  

Trek "From" Kansas, A Much Better Day

Following up on my February post (now that was a long night’s sleep!)  While my life remains busy I decided the start of May would be a good time to create a more consistent pattern of writing. 

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When we last left our hero protagonist, he hit the hay at Westmoreland, Kansas, with many miles of driving remaining before again seeing home.  

(Switching to first person)

Friday morning, wake up, and surprisingly realize the sleep was more peaceful than I anticipated.  My mouse “guest” apparently is gone.  I suppose if my presence inside the camper didn’t shoo him away, then hitching up and feeling the sensation of moving may have convinced mousey to take a powder.  

I cook myself a leisurely breakfast and then get things situated for travel.  Since I didn’t unhitch, breaking camp didn’t take long.  Make a quick stop at the dump station then it’s onto Highway 99 and the next leg of my journey.  

While it looks straight on the map, this stretch of 99 is rather hilly, with nary a road shoulder to be had.  Normal drivers wouldn’t give it a second thought (in fact they’d appreciate the up-and-down to break the monotony of Kansas prairie) but because I’m pulling a camper I’m more attuned to challenging conditions.  Even before pulling onto the highway I decide I will be one happy guy once I see Frankfort, as this town means the end of the wrinkly section of Flint Hills.  From there onward it’s fairly straight and flat.  

Fast-forward about 20-30 minutes or so (it doesn’t take that long to drive the distance but I had to wait for a pilot car as there’s road construction occurring).  I get to the outskirts of Frankfort and yes, I am one happy guy.  Slowing down and driving through town at 20 mph is no problem!  Clear Frankfort and it’s again up to highway speed, with an unremarkable straightaway all the way to U.S. 36.  Turn right, then fight boredom while being mindful of the rig I’m pulling.  I’ve driven 36 its entire distance across Kansas (although, thankfully, not in one whole stretch) and it will never challenge California 1, Interstate 70 across the Colorado Rocky Mountains or U.S. 1 from Miami to Key West as one of America’s scenic byways.  In fact, it’s pretty frickin’ boring.  

As I have satellite radio, finding something to maintain my attention is no problem.  Finally I see the overpass for U.S. Highway 75, which I will take north into Nebraska.  I pass by Sabetha, knowing I’m counting down the miles to the state line.  

I make a mental note of the time.  At 10 minutes past 10 a.m. Central time, I cross into Nebraska.  Will I ever again enter Kansas?  Uncertain.  

I’m a little familiar with this highway, as I used it twice before on my way to Minnesota.  It’s an easy drive, even with pulling a camper.  Pass through Auburn, then tick off the miles until I’m nearly at Nebraska City.  Just south of the town proper, I make a right onto Highway 2, knowing in another couple of minutes, it’s cross the Missouri River and enter Iowa.  

Where Iowa 2 and Interstate 29 meet is a Sapp Brothers truck stop.  I decide this is a great place to both gas up and then find a not-very-heavily used section of the parking lot to pause and have some lunch.  While pulling a travel trailer doesn’t make for fast driving, it does have the advantage of using the galley to prepare lunch.  And use the dinette to consume said lunch.  While I’m eating (and relaxing), Geogal calls, needing to vent over a difficult issue at work that day.  I’m glad I had the chance to talk with her right then and not be a distracted driver.  

After a bit less than an hour, I get back behind the wheel and direct the Suburban north on 29.  Again, I’m thankful this a a stretch of mainly flat terrain with no significant grades to make my truck huff and puff.  Wake from 18-wheelers passing me has me extremely mindful of keeping control of this rig and doing the self-talk of “I’m in no hurry.”  

Going through Council Bluffs (a.k.a. the eastern edge of the Omaha metro area) is non-problematic.  It’s the middle of the day and traffic is only moderate.  (Much better than some years ago, when I picked up the camper from being serviced and had to negotiate not only Omaha rush-hour traffic but also snow falling!!)  Before very long I’m again in the country and now it’s just a matter of not missing the exit for Onawa.  

Why is that?  Because Onawa is my destination for the day.  And of course, because I’m wanting to get there and relax, it seems to take longer than heck before I see the green sign marking my desired exit.  

I’m sure that’s all a matter of perception.  Just a short hop from the freeway is On-Ur-Wa RV park, where I’m camping for the night.  Check in is super easy, especially since I had a reservation.  Seems to be run by nice folks, and the fact they just opened for the season probably didn’t hurt.  Just like last night, I didn’t unhitch the rig.  Once the water and electric are connected I decide it’s time to really relax.  I buy a frozen dairy treat from the campground office and kick back.  

Shortly thereafter, I crank up the TV antenna and do a channel scan.  Given my interest in reception (which any regular reader of this blog will know), this perhaps the most enjoyable part of the trip so far.  And I’m not disappointed.  Just using the camper’s batwing antenna, I get all of not only Sioux City’s full-power stations but also the ones from Omaha.  I will have plenty of viewing choices tonight!  

The campground is in easy walking distance of a few fast-food places, but I already have a thought for tonight’s meal that will be both fulfilling and less expensive.  On-Ur-Wa backs up to a Cenex gas station.  Which sells Chester Fried Chicken.  I walk back to the camper with just-out-of-the-fryer-warm-and-moist dark meat poultry.  Pair that with bag of salad and ranch dressing (left over from last night’s repast) and some potato salad and I am one happy camper.  (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)  For my viewing pleasure, I watch Iowa PBS channel 27.3 (the World channel), which was showing a two-hour biography of L. Frank Baum.  

So, to wrap up my second day with the camper, it sure beat the heck out of the first day!

Next post:  The homestretch!  (And I promise I won’t be so dilatory this time!)

Trek To Kansas, A Dead Battery And An Unwelcome Guest

As I mentioned in the previous entry, I went down to Kansas at the end of April to get the camper.

It’s a fair question:  Why do I not already have the camper with me after all those months—given I’ve been here in Minnesota since August 2020?

Several reasons. First there was logistics of moving everything that we had to Minnesota. Most of our possessions got transported in U-Boxes and whatever we kept with us (including items such as electronics, jewelry, other valuables or simply things that we didn't want to risk to a moving company) we decided we would just take ourselves. However, we had but two vehicles at our disposal. There is the Chevy Suburban that I typically drive and Geogal’s Subaru. I already had a good idea what was going to fit in the Suburban and what the Subaru could accommodate. Even with that, there remained additional items and it became clear our two gas-burners would not carry everything. So the obvious answer was to rent a U-Haul trailer, to be pulled by the Suburban. 

And that ruled out being able to tow the camper on our August caravan.

I know what some of you were thinking: why couldn't I just put all these excess items into the camper and then pull the camper as I normally would? Well, there was a fair amount of belongings and I didn't want to load the camper with too much weight. I also figured once I got settled it wouldn't be that difficult to take the Suburban, come back down to Kansas, get the camper.  After all it is 400 and something miles one way, it's not like I was going halfway or all the way across the country.

Another barrier: where would I store the camper once I got here? I was really fortunate that near Saint George, Kansas there was a very good reputable storage lot with secure access, fenced all around and had reasonable rates.  Yet I couldn't find an equivalent in our area. It's surprising but true.  Way surprising, in fact, given the amount of campers, boats and ice fishing RV’s I see in Minne-so-cold.  

So, with April rolling around I did find a place that could store the camper.  It’s actually a local place, they just didn't have a webpage or an online presence so it took me a little while to find them and it took even longer to get a hold of someone on the phone. However once we made contact and I was told their rates I thought, “OK this is very doable.” Once that was set then it was just a matter of arranging to take the appropriate days off from work, get the Suburban in order (oil change etc.) then it's off to the Sunflower State.

First part of my journey is really not much to talk about. Leave work, then guide Suburban onto Highway 60 towards Iowa.  Stop in Worthington to grab a bite at Burger King (gotta love the Whopper).  Then it's continue on into the Hawkeye state on my way to Sioux City where I'll be spending the night. In fact I'd be spending the night at the same Holiday Inn Express that was able to have a room for us on that trip that we don't really like to talk about much.

The following day it’s get up, have my breakfast, have my coffee then I'm raring to go!  Gas up and then it's south on Interstate 29 south and then on through Omaha/Council Bluffs then further south until I get to Nebraska City. Turn off the interstate, cross the river into Nebraska, head south on US 75 and snake towards Sabetha, Kansas. From there, head west on Highway 36 and then turn left on State Highway 99.   This gets me to the old stomping grounds of Wamego.

By the time I get to Wamego I'm quite hungry so I grab a sandwich at Subway. Then it's finally time to head to the storage lot.  I definitely had some anticipation/excitement building as I got closer to my beloved camper.

I get to the storage unit, scan the gate open with the keytag. A few seconds later, there’s my baby.  Good to see you again!!

Open up the door and…

Well I've had an unwelcome visitor. I see mouse droppings right by the door as soon as I open it.  

Oh (unprintable word here)!

Sure enough. Yep, looks like a during the months that I was up in Minnesota and this thing was at its storage site a mouse decided to take up residence or at least pay occasional visits. 

Take some breaths.  Think it through.  First of all how many and do I need to get any of them out of here?  I take a quick look around, check out the storage spaces underneath the dinette, underneath the fold out couch, toward the front where the queen bed is and while I do see the telltale droppings I don't see any mouse.

I think, “OK well I can deal with that once I'm at my campsite for the evening,” but for now let’s get to the business of hitching this thing up.  

I take the battery out of the back of the Suburban, drop it into its battery box on the camper's tongue, connect the leads and… Nothing.

Oh (unprintable words here)!!

Even though I had this battery on a trickle charger, well, it's dead. At least I hope it's dead. If it's not there I'm gonna have other problems so I'm thinking, “all right what's my next move?” Get back into the Suburban and head to Tractor Supply Company which was where I bought this battery back in 2018.  Let’s just see about getting myself a new one.

TSC is only about 10 minutes away, except that they don't have that particular deep cycle battery.  In fact, they don't even sell those kind of batteries anymore. The one positive from this visit is that they put it on a tester and sure enough it is a dead cell so I breathe a little sigh of relief, but still need to procure a new battery.

I then head into the eastern edge of Manhattan. All the while experiencing this odd “familiar-but-no-longer-familiar” dynamic.  Ace Hardware didn’t have these batteries either but Walmart did! And since they took my dead one in trade I think I actually got $10 off.  Hey, take these little victories where you find them.  Back to the storage lot.  Connect the battery and this time YES I have current!

Woohoo! 

Now I can finally work on getting this hitched up. Slide the trailer hitch into my receiver, make sure the cotter pin is securely in place. Time to back it up towards the tongue. Next in the process is to get out and just use the electric jack on the camper’s tongue to raise it. 

Except when I flip the jack switch nothing happens.

Oh (unprintable words here)!!!

Fortunately since the time I first had the camper I always did fear this scenario. And having done homework for a work-around, I know I can  just pry the rubber boot off of the top, use a socket wrench and manually crank the jack. Fortunately I brought along an awesome socket wrench set which YES YES YES had the exact size socket I needed. From that point it was just a matter of turn turn then turn then turn then turn some more. But I got the hitch ball raised up high enough back the Suburban underneath it and then lower it right onto the hitch ball.

Without a spotter or a backup camera.  I’ve perfected this over the years.  

From that point on things weren’t very difficult. Put on the weight distribution bars, plug in the electric connection, check to make sure the turn signals are working and then just get inside and make sure everything is where it needs to be for travel.

Oh and I should mention that in this mist of getting a new battery I also went to the hardware store in Wamego and picked up bleach, a mop and other assorted things that would be very very useful for both getting rid of the mouse crud and keeping mice out of there. 

Time to hit the road. Again, fortunately I had arranged it where my first night of camping wasn't going to be very far away. Maybe 20 miles give or take—a campground in Westmoreland Kansas. So, even though I had an aggravating afternoon, once I got the camper hitched and left the storage lot things went very smooth.  Arrived at my campsite, and it's a pull through so I don't have to worry about backing it in nor do I have to worry about unhitching. Connect the electricity, connect the water, start turning faucets on which de-winterized the camper.  No problems there.

Eat my supper (I cannot remember what I picked up for that meal, except that it was something I could pop in the microwave, plus a bag of salad to ensure my eating was balanced).  Do some cleaning then try to relax and just come down from the stress of the afternoon.  And try not to think of the start of tomorrow’s drive, which will involve Highway 99 going through some hilly terrain with no shoulder to speak of.  Not a good time to have a tire fail or anything else unforeseen.  

But that’s for tomorrow.  Eventually I fall asleep.  Tomorrow is another day.  

Yes, There's A Reason!

Hey Geoguy, wasn't it back in November (when you did your last entry) that you said you had plenty to share?  What's the delay?

Simple.  Bought a house.  

In other times this wouldn't seem newsworthy/blog-able.  However, compared to the other times I've purchased houses, this go-round was it's own brand of insanity.  

When Geogal and I were in the market in Tucson, Casa Grande and Chandler Arizona, inventory and price weren't significant issues.  Of course, there always were domiciles we wanted but were out of our price range yet together with those was an ample number of houses that met our needs and didn't break our budget.  Norton, Kansas was a different story, of course.  When you're trying to find a house in a rural town of around 3,000 people, it's a combination of luck and timing.  

Upon moving to Saint Peter in August of 2020, we knew we wanted to purchase but were in no rush since we had a month-to-month lease at our townhouse.  And for those of you paying attention, you remember 2020 and 2021 weren't great times for homebuyers.  Inflated market, prices sky-high for even the most mediocre dwellings and listings that got stamped with "contract pending" before the ink was even dry on the seller's agreement with the listing agent.  

What followed was many months of frustration, to put it mildly.  Geogal did well to keep her eye on Zillow and Realtor.com, yet anything that seemed promising already had a contract on it (often before we even had a chance to visit the house) or worse, hearing from our buyer's agent that the property had several offers.  With the sellers free to choose from the best one (i.e. the highest bidder).  More than once I had thoughts of just bagging the whole idea and considered buying land near one of the many lakes in this area, then work with one of the pre-fab companies to do a new construction.  

But we kept looking.  

Things began looking up in the summertime.  We connected with a new buyer's agent, one who seemed more aggressive about finding us something that was a good fit.  She had a listing that I liked, but Geogal didn't.  Then she showed us a house that Geogal really liked yet I had reservations.  (Plus it was overpriced.)  Not long afterward we looked at a house near Gustavus Adolphus College.  Really near.  As in throw a rock and it'll land on campus.  No exaggeration.  Price was a bit high but the main level was lovely.  Elegant living room with a huge fireplace.  Remodeled kitchen.  But the lower level needed improvement and the bathroom especially was long in the tooth (this house dates back to 1960).  And no backyard.  A huge deck but the back of the property dropped off significantly, a characteristic of this area due to the Minnesota River Valley.  Nice view from the deck, though.  

However Geogal was right.  She didn't think I'd be happy in a house with no backyard.  So we passed.  

A postscript:  Geogal recently learned the people who did buy that house turned it into a rental.  That's just sad.  

Then in late September there was a listing, in a nice area of town, with a price that wouldn't put us into the poorhouse.  Our agent got us there right away.  Walked through, and it checked enough boxes that we wanted to make an offer.  Later that night the agent had the paperwork ready to go.  I remember heading home from work the following day, grumbling to myself that we would likely just be one of several offers.  

Nope.  Our agent let us know the sellers made a counter, which was a higher price than we offered but not excessive and not more than their listing price.  We signed the counter and the deal was in place!  Our agent also told us not long after that the sellers were on the verge of getting another offer.  Still a hot real estate market.  

We closed at the end of November (our being agreeable to close then, versus the end of October, was one concession in the counter-offer, however as a trade-off the sellers were generous in some other areas).  Due to Geogal's work schedule and us already being committed to attend St. Olaf College's Christmas music event (a BIG deal) on December 5th led to the big move happening on Saturday the 11th.  

The day where we got between 8 and 9 inches of snow the night before.  That sounds like something deserving of a separate blog entry but I just don't want to re-visit that day.  

So, with the move and getting everything situated and unpacked (still a work in progress, by the way), I wasn't overloaded with free time to sit and write.  But now?  Things are working themselves out.  And I have on-deck the account of me going to Kansas last April to get the camper.  Now there's a story.  

I promise, that one will be up in just a few days.  

Has it been that long? (or...yes, I'm still here!)

I realize it's time to do a blog entry and in opening up this thing I realize I haven't done an entry since April. While some part of me was aware this blog needed attention, of course it became easy to put it off...then put it off...and then put it off some more

But now since we're into November I actually have a bit more time on my hands because of, well, the change of seasons.  (Meaning:  Outdoor activities are much more limited.  At least until I get my hands on some cross-country skis.)  I finally decided hey, now it's time to get this going again. Update my loyal readers and provide some information on what I've done over these last few months.  And so forth and so on.

So since April.....especially since mid April...now that is quite a bit of information!

Picking up where I left off (late April), I went down to Kansas, got the camper, dewinterized it, brought it back here to Minnesota, got it ready for the season and got some good use out of it this year. Actually more used it more this summer than any prior temperate seasons dating back to when I bought it.  

Had a great vacation this summer, even if it wasn't to an exotic location.  

Engaged in several visits to Minnesota state parks. Which I can continue even in the winter months (think snowshoes and cross country skiing)!

Yet, as I noted we are now in November.  Oddly enough, last Saturday I went to a football game here in Saint Peter--it was Gustavus Adolphus hosting Saint Olaf and I very much enjoyed the gridiron matchup, even if the Oles didn't exactly set the field on fire.  It also was shirtsleeve weather: bright sunshine; temperatures in the 60s; me sporting a bit of a sunburn on one side!  Sure beats what one person sitting near me mentioned: "First weekend of November. At least it's not 20 degrees with snow already on the ground."  

Ah, but that was eight days ago. Today it is gray, cloudy, chilly, windy and that wind just adds to the cold. And we've only just begun Old Man Winter.  Here we go....

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Do I enjoy being in Minnesota? 

Answer is yes. Probably the only thing I really miss about living around Manhattan, Kansas is that I don't have the chance to go to K-State football or basketball games. But that's a small price to pay for all the other benefits I'm reaping. Such as when I do a road trip, it's actually rather enjoyable. Even driving in the prairie section of Minnesota (south and southwest) it doesn't seem as monotonous or dreary as driving through the heart of Kansas or Nebraska. That might deserve a blog entry all its own...

______________________

Trust me, I have plenty to talk about. What about Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 for the SEC? Or the Big 12 adding some new schools (of which I was in favor --actually they should've acquired a couple of those back when they were looking to expand 12 teams). 

And my beloved alma mater New Mexico State University being invited to join an FBS conference.  (Yes!!!)

Like I said plenty to share here plenty to talk about, plenty on which to reflect. Stay tuned.  

In the meantime, how about some pictures?