Friday night, Football Playoff Game

It was a nice day on Friday, sunny with a light breeze.  I didn't need my stocking cap until almost halftime, but then the wind picked up and things got chilly on the sidelines.

First level playoffs brought the Frederic Vikings to Luck to play the undefeated Cardinals.  These two towns are close together and the baseball team has been consolidated between Luck and Frederic.  But make no mistake, the Frederic fans were all Viking and the Luck fans were all Cardinal on this night.

I usually shoot my photos from the opponents side the first half.  I like getting the Luck team & fans in the background.  But by the second half, I want to be out of enemy territory and join friends and family on the Luck side of the field.

This Frederic team is big and marched the ball down the field.  It gave our boys a chance to see what it was like to be threatened and they rose to the challenge.

The 3rd quarter was ridiculous with penalties.  Lots of fans yelling "let them play", but maybe the boys, on both teams, should have tightening up their game.  It made for a long game, almost every play having a flag thrown.  All the while, the temperature was dropping and the wind was picking up.

Here are some of my photos from the night.

The camera did pretty well, the photographer was a block of ice!

 Gage is #6

Some photos are my favorites this is one.

I was happy to see the final score and started to think about the heater in the car!

But not before some after-the-game photos.

Jude is always the first out to give Gage a big hug!

Gage and Great Uncle Harry

Gage and cousin Owen

Mom Heather and Dad Kyle with #6 

Jude with his hero big brother

Grandma Lois with Gage

Uncle Aaron with Gage and Owen

Siblings Jens, Jude, Ruby and #6

Gage and his photographer

Gage, Levi, Dawson, Wyatt

After the game, Heather and Kyle had a crock pot of chili ready to warm us up.  

After a few cold beers and a big bowl of chili, 

I spent the night at their house before heading back home.

Another win for the Cardinals moving them into Level 2 of the playoffs, next Friday, they meet Northwoods, a team made of up kids who live in small towns up in the woods.  It might be another challenging competition!

And another night in the cold weather!

Sports, Family, Fun

Laila was here from Tuesday night to Saturday.  Wednesday we were kind of lazy, ate at my favorite place Tokyo and just hung out.  

Thursday was game day.  

We headed to Luck to watch Stella play middle school volleyball.

It was fun and sitting with Kyle & Heather gave Laila and I some more family time.

After a stop to garb up in our long underwear and winter clothes, we headed to the football field.

It was Senior Night.

A special recognition of the Seniors and their parents was pregame.

Mom Heather, Gage & Dad Kyle

During the game, it was a little chilly, so Laila was bundled up, Kyle stays on the move the whole game.

Gage kicking off

Gage catching a touchdown pass from Levi.

 After the game, the players pick up the field and then head to their fans.

The first hug was for little brother Jude.

Then Gage let us take a few photos with family.

The Great Aunts & Gage
Laila, Gage and Wanda

Little brother Jude & Gage

Sister Ruby and Gage

Gage and Sister Stella

Gage with Mom Heather

Grandma Lois with Gage

Dad Kyle with Gage

Dad Kyle, Gage, Mom Heather

Gage with Cousin Emily 

Little brother Jens and Gage

Cousins Emily and Ruby

Cousins Stella, Emily and Ruby

It was another win for the Cardinals

On to tournaments!  Go Cardinals.

After the game, Kyle hosted a few of us for 'afterglow'.

It was a very fun day of sports and family.

Friday Road Trip with Laila

Laila and I headed North on Friday morning to see the Great Lake Superior.  Along the way, I showed Laila a few spots that I talk about and we had a good lunch too.  At the end of the day, according to Google Maps, we had driven 266 miles.

First stop was The Prime in Trego, WI for a good cheeseburger and fries.  From there we headed North and made a stop in Solon Springs.  First we visited the overlook of the lake and then we did a drive by of where I go to Quilt Camp.

 It was a perfect fall day.  Lots of color still around and a slight breeze.

Sister Laila

 I always enjoy stopping at historical markers, I learn so much about my state.

Snapping a photo lets me read them later when I might retain a little more.

One of the reasons we headed North was to take a quilt top to the long arm quilter, Fisher Under Cover, is Port Wing, WI.  We needed a bathroom stop when we got to Port Wing, so we stopped at Johnson's Corner, a small market & gas station.  These people were really into Halloween.

Pop machine guard

Women's bathroom window

In the meat case with the smoked fish that they sell.

 Just missed the butcher I guess, hee hee hee

  There were a lot of other decorations around equally as ghoulish.

This little store has a huge display of Yogi Teas.  I love these teas and I stocked up on several of my favorite flavors and a few new ones too.

Laila scored some great, and inexpensive, Lake Superior souvenoirs.

We dropped off the quilt, of course I bought a few more items to sew and a few notions.

Then we headed West towards Superior.

We stopped at one rest stop near Port Wing.

 We took the mandatory selfie of the sisters.

Trying for more lake, less sisters.

Next stop, Wisconsin Point.

It was a perfect day at Wisconsin Point.

Walking out the breakwater.

 The DNR has added boardwalks to protect the dunes and natural habitat.

It is so awesome for visitors, easy walk and safer.

A view of Duluth from Wisconsin Point.

The wave action was nice, not too violent (which it was on Monday), but some nice wave sounds.

A couple of the boardwalks have parking area for wheel chairs or lawn chairs, or sisters.

I'm always trying to get the perfect wave shot.

 I love Wisconsin Point, it has never been crowded when I've been there.  This day, there were a few beach walkers and a few lighthouse tourists, but mostly it was just us and Lake Superior.

We finished out visit at Lake Superior and headed South to Almena to meet Andy, Glenn & Kathy for Friday Night Fish Fry at the VFW.  We had a good visit, a few laughs and some good fish.

It was a long day of driving but work every mile.

Saturday morning, Laila and I had breakfast in Cameron, stopped at Glenn's cabin to check on the re-roofing project and then I drove her to the airport in Minneapolis.

According to Google Maps, another 216 miles racked up.

It was an excellent visit with Laila, lots of great sporting events and time with the family.

Life is Good.