Brainerd Ice Fishing Extravaganza is on!

The Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza scheduled Jan. 24 on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay was given the go ahead Wednesday by Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl.

Fargo FX movie series

The series "Fargo" on FX is based upon the classic Coen brother's film.  I'd say the dialogue is pretty accurate in terms of the lingo found on the tundra of Minnesota and North Dakota.  This series is a must watch of fans of Billy Bob Thornton, which plays the bowl haircut main character.  I haven't seen any of the episodes yet, but just watched the first seven minute clip below.  Check out this series...it is easy to relate to the endless snow, jello salad, ice fishing, hot dishes, fishing, hunting, and other stereotypical elements distinguishing this part of the country.

Brainerd Jaycee Ice Fishing Extravaganza Ice Check!

The Brainerd Dispatch reported the official ice check of for the January 23rd $150,000 Ice Fishing Tournament will be conducted this Wednesday, but I don't think anyone planning to visit for the event should stay up late worrying about the results. While warmer weather will return to this area on Thursday (spring-like highs in the 30's) the last few weeks have been below zero cold.  I am sure the ice on Gull is plenty tick...I meant to say thick, and it may even be seasonably warm for the event this year. I don't plan on catching any fish at the tournament, but after attending for the last few years, it is an event for people watching and the entertainment is priceless.  Pick up your ticket and support a great cause!  You can't win the truck or money if you don't attend.  Good luck out there and keep your line in the water!

Tim Cahill on Writing with Obstacles and Interviews

 Life's a Wild Trip by Tim Cahill via Outside
http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/africa/south-africa/Here--Sharky--Sharky.html


Via http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2005/03/wild-life-interview-tim-cahill

Tim Cahill

"I see many people trying to write well about the wilderness, and essentially failing. To me there are basically two aspects of a failed outdoor story. One is the phony epiphany on the mountain top. Listen, I've got 30 years in this – you don't have an epiphany on the mountain top. You might have it five days later when your down the hill and you're in some third world hotel room with the ceiling fan wobbling around over your head, but probably not. Sometimes you figure out what it all meant when you sit down and write it – often that's the way.

The second thing is that many people go into the wilderness to experience it, and if they experience it in comfort, there's very little in a literary sense for them to write about. Remember, my concept of drama requires obstacles, and there's no obstacles in comfort. So they get all spiritual about it. Sometimes I read somebody's spiritual reflections on their wilderness experience and I think to myself, "Hey! Nothing Happened!"

The way one approaches a wilderness story is to fashion a quest – find something that you are truly interested in finding or discovering. That works pretty well because either you find it, and that's nice, or you don't – and failure often makes just as good a story. So in the context of the quest, this provides a literary element of suspense – it’s a page turning device, and you can slip in those ideas of spiritual renewal or the like in the context I guess."

Check out more interviews with Tim Cahill at the following links:

http://www.amygigialexander.com/conversations/2014/10/14/in-conversation-with-tim-cahill

http://www.mercurynews.com/travel/ci_15213240

http://www.outsidebozeman.com/community/people/tim-cahill-mishap-maestro

Plywood Bending Transitions

Transitions

I walk to the garage for more nails and a tape measure. My skate shoes leave footprints in the plywood. The plywood soaks in the morning sun. The days skateboarding don’t get any better than this...I  drop in on the freshly plied ramp, feeling the transitions I patiently cut, and do an axle stall on steel coping, hearing the “tink” sound of my trucks, feeling my weight shift as I slide the metals together, confidently dropping back in, ready before I even leave, for the endless transitions.

Gull Dam: Swan Song

We drove around Gull Lake tonight to see if there were people out fishing but the traffic was pretty light.

We are going to start fishing down here in the evenings, so be sure to keep updated or become a member to hear about the catch.

The swans, despite having wings and instincts to do so, have decided to stay here in Minnesota on the small bit of open water to endure the Arctic temps.  Pretty but dumb swans.

No Lifeguard on Duty

Around this subarctic place...we ice fish. The polar bear's cage flooded so we don't get to see him. Never.

Link to Blogging Jobs at Problogger

The pro blogger jobs board is fun to look through and many of the jobs are for specific niche areas such as a few of my personal favorites:

01/09eCig Vaping Bloggerat Kingly VapesCorporate/Business

01/09Thriving Cougar Contributorat Thriving Cougar, Inc.Co-blogging

01/09Award-winning content writer and creative bloggerat The Site SlingerBlog Networks

01/09Writers Needed Immediately for Adult Content Projects!at JB EnterprisesCorporate/Business

01/08Experienced Article Writers for Women's Authority Websiteat LadiesLifeBlog Networks

01/08Intellectual Property, Branding, and Startups Bloggerat Innovation to ProfitsCorporate/Business

01/08Content Curator For Blogs and eBooksat Digital DominationCorporate/Business

01/08Content Creatorat Penn Media LtdMiscellaneous

01/08Social Media / Internet Marketing Blogger Wantedat Elegant ThemesCorporate/Business

01/07Blog author to write real estate / house flipping articlesat Cornerstone CompanyCorporate/Business

When reading through this list, it may be tough to find a job or maybe you can connect with one of the diverse topics associated with these jobs. It is a good start for find a part time blogging hobby job.

Brainerd Ice Fishing Contest: Jaycee's Ice Fishing Extravaganza

I have attended the Brainerd Ice Fishing Extravaganza for the last five years. It is a great event with a ton of prizes, but I have never caught a fish. The Jaycees are a great organization and the money from this event is donated to many great causes, but the reason I attend is due to the shock value of seeing this many people on the ice.  I was in awe the first time I loaded up my gear and climbed on the bus to head to this great event.  Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what it is like to attend this amazing event:

This picture is amazing when you realize it is -20 F with a 30 MPH wind. Party Time!

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Vendors selling food and cold beverages are found in the center of the event and a police helicopter is overhead to make sure nobody sneaks in with a previous caught fish. It is a very fun event and I was especially impressed with the way it is organized. BIR (Brainerd International Raceway) offers free parking with bus service to tournament, and I have always parked at BIR. This is a great event to take part in during a long Minnesota winter.