Various Camper Bike Pictures

Camper Bikes!

I appreciate this design, but I feel like this would be way too much of a workout to pedal after my family and I fill it with all of our camping gear.  Plus, it would be way too big of a bummer if we encounter foul weather like rain or hail en route.

This design takes ergonomics into consideration with the built in back rest, but the rider's posture is just all wrong.

This is a nice option for one person, but could cause problems if you have a large family.  If coupled with a tent, it would still be tricky to use for a family.  Good to see the flat screen, but its placement could cause some serious neck strain.

 In all seriousness, bike campers could be a great option for homeless people or people on a fixed income.  They are  a great option for helping homeless people so they can have a place to call home.

Pictures of other Happy Campers (bicyclists)

 

Pictures of Ice House Truck Sleeper

With the unusually mild fall and winter this year in Minnesota, we are off to a late start for ice fishing.  It is no surprise that many of my friends are anxious to get started on the hard water ice fishing season.   I have built quite a few permanent or framed ice houses in the past, and found that without a trailer chassis they are too much of a bother to take on and off the ice.  They also are prone to freezing on the ice, and most friends only show up when it is on the ice, and disappear in the spring when it is time to take it back off the ice!


Here are some ingenious truck sleeper ice house designs.  

The person selling this house has added some really cool creature comforts.  They left the vents on the truck sleeper, and also have some windows to let in sun light.  The door looks like it is well built and my favorite option is the small wood stove.   I am not sure if the trailer chassis is home built or purchase, but it appears to be a perfect fit for the house. 

Interior pictures of the house.   I like the small wood stove.

Entertainment and a Peterbilt sticker

It appears to be for sale! More info. on this ice house can be found here:
http://fishhouseforsale.com/940-truck-sleeper-wheelhouse/

Cornelius, North Carolina and Lake Norman

On my recent trip to Charlotte, NC to visit my daughter, we took a road trip north of the Charlotte metro area to check out Cornelius and a few other cities near a large reservoir named Lake Norman.  My daughter and I stopped in Cornelius to take some pictures of the library and courthouse.  I have always appreciated the architecture of the south, and this town didn't disappoint.

The courthouse was impressive, but my daughter was wondering why anyone would take a picture of this place. I am impressed with the stately columns used to mark entrances in the South.

 This is my daughter Amrie in front of the library in Cornelius, NC.

 Picture of your truly in front of the same library.

 Down by the water at a park by Lake Norman in Huntersville, NC.   I asked some local fisherman what they were catching, and they replied:
"Little bit of everything."

Amrie and I enjoying the warm day by Lake Norman

Sauna Enthusiasts in Minnesota: Star Tribune Article

I was impressed by the article on the rising interest in sauna's among Minnesota's millennials.
I have built many saunas, and was first introduced to them from my father and grandfather.  They
are a nice way to fight back against the long dark winters in Minnesota.  I enjoy firing up my wood burning
sauna stove and filling up the wood bucket with some water, and standing outside between sessions in
subzero freezing temperatures.   A dousing of cold water over my head and maybe a scrub with some
tar soap, along with a few beers is a way to show mother nature that the cold isn't going to win.  I think
this resilience is what the Finnish refer to as SISU, and Minnesotan's could use a little of this when it comes
to our relentless winter weather.

It is also a practice that doesn't incorporate electronics.  They are actually shunned in my sauna, along with
loud talking, and electric light.  The only light in my sauna is a candle, if we use any light at all.


Here is my favorite quote from the article, in reference to how taking a sauna is like a mini-vacation from their electronic leash cellphones: “They are so plugged in all the time, it’s hard for people of that age to drop that, so the sauna has become this wonderful place to do that, like a mini-vacation,” he said.

Read the entire article: Sauna Enthusiasts in Minnesota: Star Tribune Article link

Brainerd Lakes Live Music: November 19-25-MEAT RAFFLE SEASON IS UPON US!

The weather is a changing around the Brainerd Lakes Area.   Winter in the area is known for many activities, and local Brainerdites enjoy going to the local watering hole to attend meat raffles.  After winning a few T-bones, steak tips, and hamburger patties, what better way to celebrate the winnings than going to some live music.  It is okay to stop and check out some bands, as the meat won't spoil in your car during these temperatures.  I won a meat raffle at Jerry's Bar in Boy River one time in the heat of an August summer night, and lets just say I didn't get to enjoy my winnings, because I was sidetracked by the festivities at Jerry's Bar, and forgot about my winnings out on the seat of my truck. Let's just say it doesn't keep in those temperatures.

Best Little Bar In Boy River, MN: Jerry's Bar

Anyway, here is the live music in the BLA via the Brainerd Dispatch:

Live Music
For week of Nov. 19-25; bands perform from 9 p.m. to close with no cover unless otherwise noted.

BRAINERD


Coco Moon



601 Laurel St.

Bluegrass, first, third and fifth Friday of the month

Eagles Club

124 Front St.

Artison, 7:30-11:30 p.m. Friday; $5 for all dances for non-Eagle members.

Last Turn Saloon

215 S. Eighth St.

Katie Wig and Mitchell Gerard, 8:30-10:30 p.m. Nov. 28

Liquor Pigz

718 Laurel St.

Karaoke, 10 p.m. every Wednesday

Jam session/open mic, 9 p.m. every Sunday

Shep's on Sixth

315 S. Sixth St.

DJ, every Friday-Saturday in Elbow Room

St. Mathias Bar and Grill

4640 County Road 121

Soundtrack, Friday-Saturday

BREEZY POINT

Commander Bar

30279 Airport Road

Slapshot, 9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday

JJ's Pub

Downstairs of the Commander

Soupbones, Saturday

CROSBY

The Bridge Tavern

26929 Highway 6

Live music every Friday; Classic Country Dinner Theater, 4-8 p.m. Sunday

MERRIFIELD

Harpo's

2156 County Road 3

Muddy Water Band, 8 to midnight, Saturday

Old Barber Shop Pictures

Barber shop and pool hall, Oklee Minnesota, 1912

These pictures are reminders for me to go to the barber shop and get my hairs cut.  I also like the way the first two photos take me back in time, as I have been waxing nostalgic as of late.

When I was an innocent blue eyed blond haired boy, my mother would take me to the barber shop to trim my page boy haircut.  I was tow headed and a little nervous about going to the barber shop.  But the barber was a friendly sheep farmer, and he would put a plywood board across the arms of the barber chair so I could sit up higher.  It wouldn't take him long to cut my hair and vacuum the cape off, and then he would drip a few drops of Vitalis onto his hand, slap them together, and give my freshly cut hair a good rub down with the hair tonic. Seeing these old barber shops make me think of my time visiting the local barber shop.

Iowa, 1912

Frenchy'

New York Times Article on Barber Shops and Photos

I grew up in a small town in NW Minnesota. I remember going to the barber shop and how he would put a board up on the old school, black leather barber chair. I was only five and needed be elevated so he could cut my hair. After completing the haircut, the barber would dust the hair off with a brush and vacuum my neck clean. Then, he'd put a few splashes of hair tonic on his hands, slap them together a few times, and give what was left of my mane a good old dose of hair tonic that smelled like the Lutheran Church on Sunday mixed with some kind of flowery smelling oil. Mom paid him (he only accepts cash to this day) and he would slide the cash into a wooden drawer, pat me on the back, and thank us for coming in.

I found this recent article in the New York Times on some high end barber in NYC, pairing five dollars coffee with expensive haircuts, and some shops even give you a good bourbon or micro brew to make the hair cutting experience all the more mellow. 

I am a fan of the little, small town barber shops and the fact that many still cut your hair for 10 bucks.  This price doesn't include a fancy beer or coffee, but it does provide for something that is becoming rarer and rarer in the age of smart phones  and social media. Going to the barber has always been a good time to catch up on local stories and hear about the hay crop, or how the mink got into the hen house and killed some of the barber's chickens, and his idea on how to trap the mink so it wouldn't get all of his eggs producers. Going to my local barbershop is a great way to hear excellent narratives, and in-person. I still go to the same barber as when I was five, and he doesn't have to ask how to cut it, and we always start talking about how our families have been and ten dollars later I have a clean haircut and the feeling of talking to a real human without the interference of any electronic gadgets.

Here are some pictures of barber shops:

Barber Shop in Verona, MS

Barber Shop Down South

New Jersey Barber Shop

https://www.birchbox.com/guide/article/an-interview-with-chris-calabrese-of-calabreses-shop

July 12, 2015 Storm Brainerd, Minnesota

Here are some photos from the storm that tore through this area last Sunday.  I will also be adding other photos in the next few days from our place. My heart goes out to all of the individuals without power, and although this area lost many trees, I am thankful there weren't injuries.


Here are a few photos of the destruction:

Northern Lights Display in Northern Minnesota

A solar storm is the culprit in the fantastic display of aurora borealis in Northern Minnesota.  Here are a few of my favorite photos:

Kelsey Moore

Northern Lights over Larimore, ND. Photo credit: Sean Shaffer

My Daughter's Photos From Tonight

My daughter, Amrie has been taking some pictures of the lakes on her visit up here to Minnesota.  We went out for a boat ride tonight and she took some shots of the evening sky. We had a great day today...went to see the new Jurassic World movie in 3D and we both enjoyed the movie.  It was worth the extra money seeing it in the theater.

Amrie has been into swimming and other water sports since she was a child.  She is now getting older and spends time paddle boarding and kayaking when she comes up to Minnesota. She also spends serious amounts of time in the ocean down in Florida. Someday, I hope to have her same schedule in terms of following the seasons. Summer in Minnesota and winters down in Florida.

Here are a few of her photos of the clouds from tonight:

Looking west on Hartley Lake

Peterbilt Show Trucks

Peterbilt

Expedite Truck Sleepers and Interior Pictures

Expedite Trucking is a fast growing segment of the Transportation industry.  Expediters often have longer layovers and wait times when compared to other professional drivers.   The photos below show some very comfortable and user friendly truck setups for expediters.

2008 Freightliner M2 with Custom Sleeper
Expedite trucking is often referred to as the ambulance service of the freight industry.  Expediters specialize in time sensitive freight and corresponding deadlines.

Expedite Truck Sleepers
These images remind me of some high end camper and recreational vehicle interiors.  This would be a great option for drivers that demand the ultimate in on board comfort and appliances.

Wood Duck Box Pictures and Information

For the last few days, a wood duck pair has been checking out his box I built and put up last year.  I went to clean it out yesterday and there was a large defunct wasp nest and a bunch of sticks and leaves some of the local squirrels had stashed.

'

I have been building wood duck boxes for the past ten years.  Ornithology and bird watching have been a large part of my life since I was very young.  I haven't got a chance to watch any baby ducks fly out of this box I built.  I give away the boxes to friends and I have had a few friends get a chance to see the little ducks leaving the nest.

It is sunny hear today, but the wind is cold out of the north. Most of the ducks and other birds seem to be in hiding.  It was seventy degrees last weekend, and it has been cold and snowy for the last few days.

Wood ducks will have up to 12 little chicks, and from the information I read online, multiple pairs will use the same nesting box each season.  Here is link to the Minnesota DNR Wood Duck Page.  It shows their range and has a ton of other great facts concerning this duck.

Pictures from Arizona: Desert Bar Solar Powered Oasis

The Desert Bar

Took a four wheeler trip from Parker out to the Desert Bar.  It is also known as the Nellie E Bar and is open on the weekends.

The name "Nellie E" originates from the old mining claim.
They used to mine copper and then take it to the smelter and get gold.

Dad and I with a picture of the trail we took out to Desert Bar in the background.

 We journeyed out there on a well traveled but challenging off road trail.  It was interesting to see all of the vehicles taking this route, as it was tough going due to all the large rocks and challenging ascents.  Here are some more pictures from the trip out to Desert Bar.

Colorado River viewed from off road trail to Desert Bar

The Desert Bar

This is a picture taken while standing on the third story of the bar.  It is only a little after noon and already very busy.

Cage over Mineshaft

The area is filled with old mines and even some that are still operating.

Here is a shot looking down into the mine:

"Don't drop the camera"