Congratulations to Dave for Making Battalion Chief

After 14 years on the Brainerd Department and several of those serving as a Captain, Dave was promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief.  Good job Dave!  This is a big milestone.  You'll make a great chief.

Dave in his "red" captains helmet. 

Another "red" helmet captain photo of Dave.

Dave is in the water practicing water rescue with the fire department.

Dave demonstrating rope rescue at a fire deparment open house.

Irish Acres Pub - Knot Bar

The Pub - Knot Bar is completed at Irish Acres.  I think it turned out great.  Dick did the installation so it's done really good.  It's going to be a nice addition.  It was originally called the "not bar" because it's "not a bar" in the sense that there's no bar keep behind it.  I have since expanded the name to Knot Bar.

Celtic knots are a variety of knots and stylized graphical representations of knots used for decoration, used extensively in the Celtic style of Insular art. These knots are most known for their adaptation for use in the ornamentation of Christian monuments and manuscripts, such as the 8th-century St. Teilo Gospels, the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels. Most are endless knots, and many are varieties of basket weave knots.

St. Patricks Day in St. Paul

I've never seen so many people in one place at one time.  St. Paul was absolutely packed with people.  The temps were up around 80 degrees.  The WCHA Championship was played that night (GO Sioux).  The Wild played that afternoon.  It was complete chaos.  Fun fun fun!

Mike made our shirts.  They are awesome!  For starters they say "Club Irish Acres".



Occationaly a shot would find it's way into our paws.  Slainte!

Friday night we found ourselves at the bar that the Belfast Cowboys were playing at.



Jameson Irish whiskey out of a shoe?  Yes siree.

Tonya Takes the Plunge

Yesterday Tonya jumped in the Mille Lacs Polar Plunge for Special Olympics.  I have to say it was a beautiful day to be outside.  Temps reached nearly 60.

Squirrel Proof My Ass.....

Visted ESPN

Last month I visited the ESPN complex in Bristol Conneticut.  I met with some of the key players for ESPN/Disney Radio.  ESPN broadcasts both their radio and television primarily from its studios in Bristol.  It's a pretty amazing place.

San Francisco

Recently I went to San Francisco.  This was the view from the top floor of the hotel I stayed in.





Weird Winter Indeed

 

Shouldn't those antlers be long gone off this guys head?  I think because of the abnormally warm winter they are still sporting them.

Ice Fishing Extravaganza 2012

 Josh and I participated yet again in the Brainerd Jaycee's Ice Fishing Extravaganza on February 11th 2012.  It was postponed for a month due to the bad ice conditions.  We've had a very mild winter (hence bad ice conditions) but let me tell you this, the day of the tournament it was cold and super windy.

Oh boy what a mess I am..... 

We appreciated the great indoors after a long day on the ice.



Makita worked for the radio stations out on the ice that day. He stopped by and Mark Persons took this photo of us (thanks Mark... I stole this from your site).

Meet my new neice Brailey May Borden, brand new daughter to my brother Bob and Ashley yesterday... leap year day.  I think she looks just like me.  What a cutie!  She weighed in at 4 lbs 13.5 ounces.

March 1st is my friend Ellie's Birthday (that's E.L.L.I.E)

I'm back....

I've been away for awhile.  I was out of town for some of that time and my computer, Levi, died last week.  I finally broke down and bought a new computer...meet Oscar.

Winter just arrived today, leap day.  Makita is going out to plow early this morning.

 

Not Much Food Left for the Birds

Wild Kingdom at Irish Acres

New Faucet in the Kitchen

Yesterday Makita installed a new kitchen faucet at Irish Acres.  There was some cussing and a couple times he hit his head.  At one point he was called out to an auto accident, so everything came to a screeching halt.  He had to stop once to go buy a longer water connection hose.  All that being said, it was a normal project for him. But it works like a champ.  No more dripping.

Ta-Da

After over a year of laying outside the canoes finally have a home in the garage.  Saturday my dad came out and put up 16 feet of florescent lights (that made a HUGE difference) and then Sunday he came out and put together the canoe lift station.  It cranks up and down to lower/raise the canoes.  Very handy and they are totally out of the way.

Redneck Spike

I might be looking for a new hobby.  Boredom causes chaos.