Next Wednesday is the beginning of the largest Scandinavian festival in the Western hemisphere. Four days of FUN! I myself am German but during these four days I'm full blooded Scandinavian, it's so much fun! If you come early and stay late you may be able to take in most everything in one day BUT it's a lot more fun to take two or more days. Hotel/motel rooms are not always easy to find. I highly recommend The Clarion hotel as it is right across the street from the Hostfest. There are two hotels on North Hill you need to avoid so feel free to ask me which ones. 09/22/2024

The 1 mile walk/jog/roll in the park was in the Minot Air Force Base newspaper, The Northern Century. Regretfully I am a month late in getting this information out to you so you will have to wait until next year to participate. The event was put on by the Souris Valley Animal Shelter so of course you were to bring your pets to the event. Titus is correct, a one mile walk is a long walk for a guinea pig.If you remember/read an older post of mine I used to walk our birds.I hope to walk Baby (my dog) next year if they have it and if Baby lives to be 12 years old. 09/21/2024

The inspiration and back story for this cartoon comes from the Air Force Base newspaper The Northern Sentry. The story was about U.S. Air Force Master Sgt Jonathan Salvador, a very gifted musician. Jonathan says in the article "Music is just like technical orders, a step by step guide on how to do a mechanical task just like playing a new song on guitar, you have to follow each beat note by note". Jonathan has preformed at many AF related events across the country.Still I have to ask, can he do it on a flying B52?  09/15/2024

We have all had frustrating experiences concerning our automobiles (I will get to Real Estate). Last week I called our local Big O Tires to get several things looked over. I called Big O because I know the owner and the service had been sterling, I even wrote a raving review last year. My appointment was a week away for today. I knew because of the length of the list they would need it all day.When I got to Big O I greeted the owner and the man I spoke to as they came around the corner from the shop. My friend asked "What can I do for you today". I told him I had an appointment and he should have the list. Immediately he became combative towards me and then looked over to the other guy asking him if he had notes. That fellows response, "I don't even know who he is". My patience and coun... 09/13/2024

When you live in a four seasons climate it means you need to have many yard tools and maybe even a lot of toys as well.Fall doesn't require much for itself except a good rake or two, a leaf blower, and maybe a tiller to plow over the years garden bounty. That being said, knowing that winter could happen at any minute, you need to know what to winterize NOW. Things like your home, your car, your camper, your boat, and your mower and other small engines. Each of these things need attention. My least favorite is winterizing the camper.Even a small camper like ours (pictured above) has a plumbing system. The fresh water holding tank need draining, the two sewage systems need draining. The hot water heater and all the water lines need to be "blown-out" as well. Then there is food and other i... 09/13/2024

No one knows how long "Fall" will last in North Dakota. I remember years were we really didn't have fall. To explain I will say on one day in August, while the trees were fully green, we had a freak blizzard bring down power lines and damaging many trees. Our weather did not recover that year so winter started with a August blizzard. I remember other Falls that went well into December. In the year 1997 it was in the 60's during the Christmas season up to New Years Day. On that New Years Day we received two feet of snow!On April 4-7, 1997 North Dakota was hit with a Major Blizzard, bringing much of the state to a complete halt. Heavy snowfall (as much as 2 feet in some areas), and winds to 65 MPH, resulted in widespread impacts. This included 100,000 head of cattle killed (10% of the sta... 09/09/2024

The smoke from forest fires in Canada and the Western USA have/had been so bad last week children have not been let outside for recess due to it being a hazard to their health. This is not something I remember as a child and I am wondering why it is happening today.The only explanation I have heard is that environmentalists have pushed legislation forbidding the cleaning up the floor of the forests so there is a lot more flammable tinder on the floor of the forest then there ever has been before.  If this is true it's very ironic. Maybe forest specialist Bob Crane can let us know if it it true.What I do know is that the smoke is costing me money. On days I could turn off the AC at night and open a window the smoke is so bad I don't want it in my bedroom. 09/07/2024

Interesting cartoon being the author has never had a cup of coffee in his life. I used to drink two pots a day but now a days I limit myself to six cups and usually stop at four cups.     "You get to smell it and drink it" says one or both of Joe's pet guinea pigs. Ponder that as Michael Jacobs might say.As advanced as MLS & website listings have become there is nothing that takes the place of visiting a property in person. I have seen several posts in the last few days encouraging Buyers to research the neighborhood and the community. You can do these things on line and even look down neighborhood street via Google maps BUT nothing trumps driving to the location and physically walking through the house and the neighborhood. If you have children actually visit the school they will atten... 09/05/2024

Even when life is good it's still easy to complain... especially on a Monday. My health has been improving at a rapid pace lately. The attack by a pit bull is nearly healed, the movement in my shoulder is greatly improved as has the pain. The cracked rid is hardly noticeable and best of all I can now exercise, lift weights, and use my inversion table. So what do I have to complain about? The Minot International Airport Parking lot. More accurately LAZ Parking (dis)Service. Actually this rant has as much or more to do with the City of Minot & Minot's Airport Authority. The City constantly promotes doing business with Minot Businesses but over and over they themselves don't even though many/most of the out of town services they hire could have been hired right here in Minot.Here is my bee... 08/26/2024

We still have summer here in North Dakota but last week we had an evening where the temp dipped to 32 degrees in one community. Every year we have many new residents from the deep South who have never experienced cold weather. These new residents come to the Minot Air Force Base as well as the vibrant oil industry in North Dakota.HOW to prepare.If you purchased a home or if you are renting a home where you are responsible for yard work I highly encourage you to purchase a snow blower/thrower.The chances of snowfall in the Minot ND is a crapshoot. There have been winters where I only shoved and had no need for a snow blower and there have been winters where the snowfall was so heavy I had to use a snow blower as often as twice a week all winter. When you look at the picture below keep in... 08/17/2024

If there is an artist in your home there is more than likely a stack of sketchbooks in your home as well. This stack, pictured below, is just a few of Timmothy's. Tina's stack is about 10 times the amount.Timmothy's cartoon above is in today's Base newspaper, "The Northern Sentry" the official newspaper of The Minot AFB and it is intended to let the people on the AFB know that there is an extensive collection of sketchbooks at the Taube Art Museum in downtown Minot.It is my understanding that all across the USA mini-sketchbook libraries are popping up like the past decades explosion of "Little Libraries" seen in nearly every town.I remember reading about this little sketchbook library on wheels years ago (below) but I never got to see it.I have to admit I miss seeing my kids works in th... 08/16/2024

Today's strip is nearly the same as yesterday's but here the focus is on your communities ordinances in regards to burning bans. Yes there are regulations as to what you put into your firepit even if its a metal firepit purchased at your local hardware store. Minot, North Dakota has several burning ordinances, including guidelines for recreational fires and open burning: A recreational fire has a maximum fuel area of 3 feet or less, in diameter by 2 feet or less, in height. A permit issued by the Minot Fire Department is required for fires of larger size or other uses. These fires can only be held on private property with approval from everyone involved. They must be at least 25 feet away from structures, dry grass, leaves, or other combustible materials. Fires can only be made with unt... 08/15/2024

I think Timmothy must have been under the influence of Pablo Picasso when he wrote this strip. I wish I could say that our art gallery was full of Picasso originals but I only have one small plaque and it is not an original but I like it.The comic strip above is not the only one Timmothy has penned about things being "off". Of course as a comic strip artist everything you create is just a little off. Besides a Picasso influence Timmothy is even more influenced by The Far Side and Calvin & Hobbs cartoons. The two cartoons above are sold at our gallery for $5.00 each for copies and $100.00 each for the original. Once an original is purchased we retire the comic. Both the original and the copies are printed on 11" X 17" ledger paper.  08/12/2024

It can be hard to get an appointment with your doctor and then to get a second opinion in a timely fashion may seem like a very daunting task. Cemetery's are full of people who otherwise may have lived longer had they seeked out a second opinion. Good RX has some very good information on second opinions. Many communities only have one hospital to choose from (Like Minot ND) but you may be able to get a second opinion from an independent clinic (we have many). I personally benefited from a second opinion just last month in regards to a dog bite.The inspiration for this post is I lost a good friend last week who failed to get a second opinion after she went to her Dr. due to pain in her arm and slurred speech. Her Dr. dismissed her saying "I don't think it's a heart attach". Hours later s... 08/12/2024

Minot's "Out of the Darkness Community Walk" will be held September 8th 2024 at Noon starting at Oak Park.Most of us have been effected by  a suicide. Many of us have even contemplated suicide at some point of our lives. This walk raises money to help raise awareness that there is help for those considering taking their own life and that help can be free and not a financial burden.     08/10/2024

KHRT Radio was the first Christian Radio station in Minot North Dakota. Yesterday the owner of KHRT, a good friend of mine, Roy Levitt announced that the station could no longer afford to stay on the air.I have blogged about KHRT many times as I have been very involved with this radio station. I always help out with their fundraisers. I advertise exclusively on KHRT. I had a Radio program on the air for years interviewing local figures in Minot and on rare occasions I took to the airwaves when they needed me.As Realtors we ask people to shop local. We don't like people using out of state services when looking for and even purchasing Real Estate. We are local. If you are not promoting "Shop Local" then you are hurting your community and yourself.It may seem odd to you that I'd be promoti... 07/24/2024

You will never hear me complain about "good" weather. I would agree that I don't want to see the yard go brown and I'm no longer comfortable with blistering heat.I do like a good Thunder Boomer during the day as long as it's a fast moving one. Other wise I'd prefer it rain at night as that always helps me sleep.By the way...Today is the 1st day of the North Dakota State Fair. Held right here in Minot it is always a very fun time. If any of my fellow bloggers pass through the area in the next 10 days look me up and we can have a great time together.  07/19/2024

Timmothy's cartoon above was produced for the Air Force Base news paper, The Northern Sentry. Minot's flood devastated a third of Minot's homes in 2011. The flood started June 22nd and ran through the homes effected for a full month. Ours was one of those homes so Timmothy is speaking through his cartoon character, Joe. The picture above was in the very early stage of the flood. The water got as high at the top of the door. There was a lot of emotions expressed and ingrained into our memories from the flood. Believe it or not many of those memories were good including the community response to helping out one another. My children learned many good/valuable lessons as did I and Carol.As you can see from the date stamp on the photo the picture was taken 07/02/2011 13 years ago tomorrow. 07/01/2024

The new track will be for people. I have noticed that military aged people are either really health focused or totally NOT! My daughter who is USAF-Guard and her fiancée (Active Duty USAF) are both passionately health conscious. It only makes sense that the AF and all other branches of the military provide facilities for the health conscious.My running days were way back in junior high/middle school. Today I walk the dog. It doesn't bother me a bit that the dog (Baby) stops every 100' or so to mark her territory, I'm not out to impress, I'm just out so I don't lose the ability to be mobile.Walking is a great way for us over 60 to keep in shape. Here are a couple of strong points I found doing my research.Strengthen your bones, and prevent osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (regular walking... 06/30/2024

Pets can be upset over thunderstorms, how much more over the 4th of July?Nobody makes a bigger boom than God but man makes a lot of noise on the 4th of July that often sets pets scurrying for a hiding place. It's not a laughing matter for your pets and it should not be for you either. If you are the one lighting them off when pets are present then you are guilty of pet cruelty as far as I'm concerned.I also ask that you consider your neighbors when using fireworks. In Minot North Dakota fireworks are banned within City limits yet you hear them day and night the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of July. Most 4th of July related to home fires are traced back to a neighbors bottle, or larger rocket, landing on a roof and igniting organic debris on the roof or in the gutters.The independence of our GREAT ... 06/29/2024