Celt Fest 2013

Last summer, we were invited to a really cool gathering fondly known as Celt Fest.  This was a very neat experience on many levels.  Even though only a small handful of people knew us, we felt like we were amongst a barnful of friends.  Oh yeah, this Celt Fest took place in a very cool, very old, barn.  There was Scotch, Celtic music, Scotch, great conversation, and Scotch.  Here are some photos I took whilst I was there.

The Barn

 Pretty Red Head

Good Music

Fire Poi.  Very entertaining to watch.

There was the Awesome gun show contest

Winner of the Awesome gun show contest!

Little Miss Red Boots when she had a ton of energy

Little Miss Red Boots as the night wore on and she napped on a barn couch

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Quiet time after the Great Minnesota Get Together.

Recently, my friend Steve invited me to tag along with him while he wandered the deserted fairgrounds at night.  With the exception of a red Jeep and an older white BMW sedan that constantly circled the area (security guards?), the fairgrounds were void of people.  There were no lines at the food building either...  Here's a few shots I got.

Looking north on Cosgrove

One large blade in front of the Eco-Experience Minnesota building.  Note my friend, Steve, laying on his back at the base of the blade, gaining a different perspective of the blades's massive size.

No lines at the Information Booth either.  A really cool spaceship flew into the frame just as I took this picture.  I wish I could have got another shot but, um.....  Okay, it's just a street light.

Yes, there is a Caterpillar Kingdom.

This happy, blue-eyed fellow is the king of Caterpillar Kingdom.  A blue-eyed caterpillar...  Alrighty then.

Despite the lack of lines, there was still quite a wait time at the Sky Ride.

Another "Stranger in the Night".  The appearance of shady characters meant it was time to leave.

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Mushroom Hunt

Saturday, when our A/C decided to cause some time-consuming problems, we spent some time with our A/C repair guy instead of going to a baseball game and a beer festival.  Fortunately, this changed our itinerary enough that it afforded us the opportunity to participate in an early evening mushroom hunt at a super secret location in Dakota County.  You see, mushroom hunters are pretty competitive folks, and they protect their hunting grounds something like those guys on the show Moonshiners, so I've been sworn to secrecy as to where we were hunting.

This is "Awesome-A"; home remodeler, two-time caber toss champion, and mushroom hunter.  He is our guide today, with plenty of knowledge about mushrooms - very good to have, considering one mushroom can be delicious while another will kill you.  I don't worry about it too much - I even pick them off of pizza.

Here's Chris.  Chris has a couple of nicknames too, but for now we'll just call him Chris.  Chris is our assistant guide today, and though he has much more hunting under his belt than we do, he is still learning the mushroom ropes by Awesome-A.

At first I thought Awesome-A had the big stick to encourage us to keep the location a secret, but he eventually used it as a tool to dig for the ever elusive chanterelle mushrooms hidden under the grass.

My Little Red Haired Girl.  While I lost nearly a quart of platelet-enriched fluid to the ravenous mosquitoes, my LRHG suffered nary a nibble. Too sweet for them, me thinks.

LRHG searching high and low

Baby chanterelle mushrooms.

I'm guessing this isn't edible. 

This mushroom turned bluish in the area where it was scratched.  Also probably not edible.

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Polar Plunge 2013

On February 23rd, I attended the Polar Bear Plunge that took place on Crystal Lake in Burnsville.  The Plunge is a fundraising event which raises money for the Special Olympics, another one of many fantastic and important causes.  As I know several people who were plunging, I brought my camera along for the event.  I hope you enjoy the pics!

"The Plunge", as many call it, is really quite an event.  It's part fashion show, part fundraiser, part party!  The mood is very light-hearted and fun, with no shortage of interesting people to watch.

Google search www.wherearemypants.com 

As I wander the crowd, I start seeing faces and groups who are familiar to me.

Suddenly, there was a stir in the crowd.  A group had just come off the shuttle buses, and they were very much in to the fun of the occasion.  They were "The Blues!" a group wearing pro wrestler gear, and enjoying every step of the way.

This was a time for brawn and smiles!

This was a time to bare down and rise above hate, um, or hats?

The smiles were contagious!

This was a time for hugs and hair!

This was a time to kiss the photographer!

Getting Ready...

Ready...?

PLUNGE!!

After the Plunge:  I've heard they are very comfortable...

The Polar Plunge is an event where a bunch of great people dress up and jump into freezing water to raise money for a great cause.  Thanks to all the Plungers for a fun day!