My Pictures from Sweden and Greece

Last Friday I got back from a trip to Sweden and Greece. It was a great time-- amazing food, weather, and people. I have just begun posting some picutes to my Flickr account but thought it would be interesting for you all to take a look at them. Lots more to come too. Enjoy!

Wedding Thought of the Day

"Aisle alter hymm"

New Quote

"Have you ever noticed? Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac."
George Carlin

Here are a few pictures from the 1st Annual Dragon Boat festival in Bemidji! A good time was had by all. The decision to have them next year was made today...Next year Aug 3-4...Mark your calendar. Maybe we should get a family team together...for nrxt year. Any takers???

March of the Dragonboats

Gary sent me this video of the dragonboats and asked me to put it on the blog. He's got a story to go with it, so stay tuned!

Dragon Boat Festival

I came back to Bemidji yesterday and the lakefront was buzzing with activity. It reminded me of the 4th of July at the lakefront. As it turns out that Bemidji is having a Dragn Boat Festival. The festival seeks coorperate sponsership and raises money for charities and has lots of fun doing it. I thought this was some strange thing Bemidji dreamed up untill I did a Google search and saw these events have been going on for a long time and all over the world. Below is a article about Dragon Boat Festivals.
One of today’s most colorful and widespread festivals was born of legend more than 2,000 years ago. The Dragon Boat Festival originated in China but now is celebrated in such disparate places as: Bergen, Norway; Prague, Czech Republic; Berlin, Germany; Rome, Italy; Auckland, New Zealand; Melbourne, Australia; and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Festival elements vary from place to place and might include entertainment, a marketplace, specialty food vendors, art exhibitions and demonstrations, and even a parade. But the highlight is always the Dragon Boat Race.
Heavenly Dragon
Dragon Boat Racing began along the life sustaining rivers in the valleys of southern China as a fertility rite, performed to ensure plentiful crops. Races, intended to simulate dragon battles, were staged to awaken the hibernating Heavenly Dragon and to encourage the rains needed for prosperity.
The boats were long canoes decorated to resemble dragons, with open mouthed heads projecting from their bows and scaly tails on their sterns. Each could hold a team of 20 or more rowers plus a drummer, a hand clapper and as many as four singers. Smaller boats carrying food and wine for the competitors might accompany them.
For many centuries, Dragon Boat Races were violent naval battles. Crews of competing boats would throw stones and strike at one another with sticks, while people on the riverbanks cheered their favorite teams and pelted opposing boats with rocks or other objects. And, perhaps a throwback to the ancient human sacrifices to the Heavenly Dragon, it was believed to be unlucky if there wasn’t at least one drowning.

Team Spirit
The special canoes used in Dragon Boat Races apparently have changed little over the centuries. They still are designed to resemble dragons, with ornately carved and brightly colored heads and tails. Before a boat enters competition, a priest must perform a ritual known as “awakening the dragon” by painting its eyes.
Dragon boats generally measure about 40 feet in length. Their crews usually include 20 paddlers, sitting two abreast, with a steersman at the back and a drummer, who sets the rhythm for the paddlers, and a flag catcher at the front. Any number of boats may compete in a race, with the winner being the first team to grab a flag at the end of the course.
After a race, the water is considered “blessed,” and in some places, people traditionally dip their hands or even swim in the “dragon boat water” in the belief that it will bring them health for the rest of the year.
Modern races in many countries focus less on myths and legends and more on what is referred to as the “spirit of the dragon,” the experience of working as a team to reach a common goal. Serious dragon boaters train throughout the year and sometimes travel around the world to compete in more than one annual race.

The Grilling Bible

Nancy bought this great new cookbook called The Grilling Bible. As Carol says you need to use your cookbooks early so you know you get a couple of great recipes from the book to help cost justify you purchase.
We knew Lois was spending a bit of time alone while Dale was traveling, and we thought it would be nice to have her come to dinner. As it turned out Alicia and Kane were in town and they were invited as well. Nancy and I had loads of fun, visiting with everyone and playing with Kane. It seems that when kids are around, everything is so much livelier.
Anyway, we used three recipes from the new book...Lemon Herbed Ice Tea, Tequila Lime Shrimp and for desert a Grilled Banana Split. I have to say they we all very good especially the desert. Basically, you slice a banana lenthwise, keeping the peel on the banna. Brush the cut side with melted butter, grill for two minutes, flat side down, the flip over and grill for two more minutes. Remove from grill and remove grilled banana from peel, place on a desert plate, add a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream, drizzle a mixture of herseys chocolate syrup and orange flavored liquor (we used Triple Sec) then topped it off with a few sliced almonds...Very good!
Oh I forgot to mention that about an hour before we ate I went out to our little garden and picked a few green, yellow and purlple magic beans and we had them next to a bed of pasta with some home grown pesto tossed in.
The cookbook was a validated and I would like to recommend it to all you back yard chefs.
We had a great time and I know we'd like do it again some time!

Minnesota State Fair

Meet Corn Dog Amelie! Straight of the Minnesota State Fair's website. (is this a corn dog or a pronto pup?)
Nancy and I are thinking about going for a weekend but were not sure yet. Nancy has not been there and I have only been there once. As I remember, most food was on a stick...(see attached pic).
What was your favorite food on a stick?
Can you do the fair in a day or do you need more time?
Any input would be help us make our decision.

Thought for this week...maybe a new regular

"Life isn't getting any easier. And you're not getting any younger. If you don't seize the opportunity, you will look back a year from now with even more regrets than you already have, and think 'I could have, should have, would have . . .' "

Beltrami County Fair

I forgot my camera so I googled Beltrami Fair and got these results.
Note the lady on the left is carrying a Chicken and oh, by the way this is a water color by Jane Freeman.
Nancy and I went to the fair and had a good time...Looking at pigs and goats, rabbits and chickens, horses and cows. We did eat a bit of fair food. We hope to go to the state fair this year...Something on a stick is calling...Where's the tums?

60th Pictures-Thank you Scott Lunt

Scott did a great job in taking tons of pictures. He has copied these pictures to Disc. If anyone would like copies of these disc, let me know and I'll copy them and drop them in the mail. There were over 300 pictures taken...Also, if you took pictures and want to share them let me know also.

Blog Problems (Mike in Iraq)

Matt and Randee...You guys are having a hard time posting to MIKE IN IRAQ blog...Here is what you need to do...Go to the DashBoard and there you will see which blogs you are associated with...Select MIKE IN IRAQ and treat it just like the family blog..Pete...Any other suggestions?

NOTE TO THE REST OF YOU...If I have not asked you to join and you want to help support Mike Lamon, serving us in Iraq...just let me know and I'll send you and invite.

Mike-in-Iraq

Mike-in-Iraq

Hope everything's well on the other side of the world, Mike. We're keeping you in our thoughts here in Minnesota. It makes me think of my days in the Army. I feel lucky I never had to serve overseas in hostile conditions. Be careful, stand proud, and remember everyone who's behind you here at home.

Matt Saunders

The Family Blog

I came back a few days ago from my annual hiking trip along the Superior Hiking Trail. We had beautiful (dry) weather during the trip. The only rain we had was Sunday, and by then we didn't care because we were hiking out that day. We started last Wednesday at Caribou Lake and headed East to Co. Rd. 58, just east of the Devil Track River. The scenery was outstanding, especially along the Devil Track River, Cascade River, views of the lake and overlooking the city of Grand Marais. No wildlife sightings, but I'm pretty sure a bear was trying to get at our food one night after we turned in. From the sounds of it, fairly big branches were being snapped from the tree where our food was hung. We must have done a pretty good job of hanging the food, because it was still there in the morning.

Mike's Mailing Address

One of the best things I remember about being stationed oversea was "Mail Call". When I was in Korea and then later in Iraq we would have a formation (a gatherering of soldiers) and the First Sergeant would pass on information to us about the next days events or whatever information he wanted us to know. At the end of the formation, the mail clerk would come forward with a large canvas sack which held the mail. He would start the "mail call" by calling out names of people who got mail...One by one... "Johnson; Carter; Smith...Etc. You would run up and get you piece of mail. You never knew when you would get mail but you always really looked forward to the communication from family the most. Pictures were always welcome. Soldiers would pass pictures that they received from home and the guys would always take the time to look saying what a lucky guy to have such a great looking ____( wife, girl, baby etc). The most coveted thing was a box from home filled with things like home made cookies, beef jerky, candy etc. Nancys always packed in in newspaper from home so I could read the local news from home as well.

I know Mike would love to get a hand written bunch of letters...Don't expect to much response from him back to you...After all we are in a war!
I'll check but I think you cannot send packages anymore...
Below is Mikes Mailing Address while in Iraq.

SPC Michael Lamon
A Co 2-136 CAB
Unit #60000
APO AE 09381-0000.

You think it hot here...

Think about our boys in uniform in Iraq...Mike Lamon can tell you what hot is!

Hot, Dry, & Unending

Well, the title really says it all...it is 77 degrees inside & 92 outside & it is after 5:00 on Sunday afternoon. Our trees look like they have their leaves on upside down as they are curled upwards. When I walk on our grass it sounds like I am walking on ashes, crunch, crunch, crunch. I am hoping that we don't go too much longer without some badly needed moisture. It seems windier today than it has been recently...does that mean we are in for a change? I sure hope so. Is it quite dry in other parts??

Hey there! I took what I thought was a very good picture of Grandma and Grandpa at the anniversary party that I thought I would share with everyone! I hope everyone's summer is going well. It's flying by for me!

Set Up Crew

This is the best picture of the SET-UP crew for the 60th Anniversary.
I want to publicly thank those who helped. I did not have to ask any of these folks to do anything special...They just did.
These folks also stayed and helped with the clean up and there were a few more who really helped out a lot...Most
notably were Pete and Nick. I hope I did not forget any one.
Thank you to all!

Carnage

If you haven't been watching one of the most interesting Tour de France contests in recent memory, you're missing out on action like this:



Today's the rest day, but you've still got a week to see who the winner will be!