The Armistice Day Blizzard -- Novermber 11, 1940

 Growing up in Minnesota as a kid and duck hunter, there definitely was a hushed lore about the "Armistice Day Blizzard". 

It all happend on Armistice Day -- Novermber 11, 1940.  Armistice Day commemorated the peace treaty signed between the Allies and Germany that ended WWI in 1918.

Thousands of waterfowlers across the Midwest hunted into the afternoon as clouds of snow and clouds of ducks filled the atmosphere. As the weather got worse, the duck hunting got better.  What was taking place was a collision of cold, dry polar air from Canada and warm, moist, subtropical air from the Gulf of Mexico. The result was a "perfect storm" blizzard that brought 2 feet of snow, 40 to 50 m.p.h. sustained winds (with gusts of 80), and a 30-degree temperature swing from above freezing to single digits.  The two weather collided with each other right over the midwest. 85 duck hunter died on that day.  

Now, I've seen large fronts come in and the wild birds will ride the front edge of the storm while heading south to to winter-over in more temperate climates. Once while hunting a slew in southern Minnesota, such a situation arose.  Got up early to hunt a public walk-in area near Sherburne, MN. As the sun came up, ducks would jump up and settle down in waves -- from one side of the slew to the other. 

I was shaking so bad when legal hunting time finally came, that I flock-shot the first group I saw and missed them all. But thereafter, did not take much time to fill out. Spent an hour or so sipping coffee from my thermos and waiting for the big swarm to rise up off the water. When it finally happend, what a sight to behold!  The sky was nearly blackened and the sun blotted out by the cloud of waterfowl rising to head south to warmer locals.  It was a glorious and once-in-a-lifetime sight!

Critical Race Theory

The media creates division by sensationalizing events beyond their true scope to manipulate the public to support their political agenda. 

Political division gets voters polarized. Polarized voters turn out in greater numbers.  

You want the minority vote? Cry foul and scream racism against that particular group.  I'm sure it must be my white priviledge that has made me blind, but I think  racism is getting worse not better -- and the reason is division and the root-cause is political.  

Now Biden wants schools to teach "Critical Race Theory", that says we are a country based on systemic predjudice, and a worldview that says racism is everywhere and anyone who disagrees is oppressing other people.  

So ask yourself and answer honestly: Deep down, do we really have a systemic racism problem in America, or is it just a manipulative tool used by political groups to fit their narrative and agenda??

Dumbfukistan

 With over 50% Positivity Rates, it's obvious we need to do more COVID-19 testing here in South Dakota.  Testing, tracing and quarantining -- you know "SCIENCE"! I recently saw a post questioning why South and North Dakota are not one state (to try to eliminate one set of two senators -- ie. Republican senators). One person commented join the two states together and call them "Dumbfukistan". Considering our leadership (Kristi Noem), I guess I can't argue with his logic...

Not wearing a mask in public is like drinking and driving drunk. No regard for others. I guess the dumba$$ logic is: "Well, I haven't killed anyone yet, and I've been driving drunk almost every day since March and nothing's happened to me , so I guess it's okay". Wear the damn mask!

Overall, America is seeing 35 cases per 100,000 people as of November 9. South Dakota, meanwhile, has 137 per 100,000, and North Dakota has 177 per 100,000. The Dakotas were the first two states in the US to surpass 100 cases per 100,000 people. Using science, means understanding and using statistics Kristi. With positivity rates above 50%, that also means MORE TESTING, TRACING, AND QUARANTINING. You know, your original plan a "TARGETED APPROACH" that you seem to have forgot...!!!

NOTE: Positivity Rate is used by experts to gauge testing capacity, is more than 16 percent for North Dakota. In South Dakota, it’s an astonishing 54 percent. The recommended maximum is 5 percent. That suggests that, if anything, testing in the Dakotas is still missing a lot of cases, and each state’s outbreak is even worse than the official figures indicate.

Ilhan Omar - Polygamy & Politics

As a native Minnesotan, I'm not a fan of Ilhan Omar.  Her anti-American sentiment and rhetoric is disgusting. She was elected when Rep. Keith Ellis withdrew at the last moment.  A prescripted cheap political move.  

She also "allegedly" married her brother to cheat the immigration system, so he could become a citizen.  So add polygamy and immigration fraud to the list.  BTW, if you did not already know -- polygamy is a tenant of the muslim faith, as is sharia law.  

This is not Mogadishu, it is America, assimilate or leave!

Gateway Drugs

Pot is a gateway drug -- you can't deny it, no matter what the so-called "experts" say. It's a lifestyle. You hang around with people that sell the drug and you, by association, enter that world.

That dealer that sells weed, isn't limiting his profits to weed-only. He wants you to try some prescription opioids, then maybe some heroin, or how 'bout some meth? It's waaay cheaper man, check it out.

Here's the economics of it:  Prescription opioids are pretty safe, but expensive!  And wow!  A dime bag of heroin is just that -- $10.  So let's say you lose your job (because of a drug test, of course) and you still have that chronic pain that led you to taking opioids in the first place.  No you got no money.  And, you still have pain.  What to do?  go for that dime bag, man.   It's cheap.  Or meth, it's even cheaper.  Pay no attention to those boils on your skin caused by the chlorox...  Don't mind your teeth falling out.  No biggie.

How about the health aspect? What about the guy who morbidly over eats or drinks a six-pack a day? Same-same. Yah it is pretty much the same. Doesn't make a very compelling argument to legalize though, does it?

Oh but I have self control, man -- I'm not worried. You try meth once and you are hooked. One time. That's all. And once you do get hooked, you can't just go cold-turkey. No man, that will kill you sure as shit. You have to reduce your use SLOWLY over 18 months or you don't stand a chance. All the while, still using so it don't kill you.

Then there is the issue of enforcement.  How do you field test for sobriety, after you have pulled someone over for DUI?  Just ask Colorado?  There is no way.  Takes a month to get the blood tests back. And are blood tests really legal constitutionally?

Finally, what about the money?  Right now, pot is not legal at the Federal level.  That means you can't keep money from a state sanctioned marijuana business in the bank.  Why you ask?  Because banks are insured by the Fed's - aka. FDIC.  Soooo, now you've got people running around with huge wads of cash, stashing it at their house and wherever.  Geeze.  That might prehaps attract an unsavory element...  Do you think????  An organized crime heyday is what it is.

Welcome to the "Drug Life" America (I mean Canada)! Ain't it grand!

The Civilian Conservation Corp

You want free healthcare? Here's the answer:   Then you gotta give the CCC (from Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal") at least 10 hours a week!

The "CCC" -- that's the "Civilian Conservation Corp" for those of you that are too young to remember or historically challenged...!

It's also the answer to curing entitlement, fixing our crumbling infrasturcture, training the unemployed (think of it as free college, except geared toward the trades -- for you weird Uncle Bernie lovers)... 

You don't have a job? Lack skills? Well, here's the keys to a D8 dozer, get to work!

How I Caught (and Released) the Colorado State Record Rainbow Trout

I drove up to do some lake fly-fishing in northern Colorado a couple of years ago during mid-March. It was just after first ice-out, with plenty of snow on the ground, and only a small section of the lake open on the north side of the lake.

I hiked around the lake from the public launch area to a small beach area that was relatively shallow adjacent to a rip-rapped dam that created this reservoir-lake.

I was wading casting black tunghead wooly bugger and catching 12"ers, one after another. I look down, and there is a huge trout near my feet, nosed into the rocks.

I was alone at the time, but after a few minutes, another guy shows up and takes a spot just down the shore.

After closer examination, I could see the fishes huge gills working, so I knew it was still alive. I guess the icy water was still cold enough to slow the fishes metabolism down or maybe it was old age. In my best estimate, the fish looked to be four feet in length, or possibly longer.

Having caught great lakes steelhead in the 28"+ range, I knew this fish was probably 20+ pounds and most likely a state record.

After fishing for an hour or so and observing this gigantic fish, I decided to reach down to see if the fish would respond. I reached down into the water and grasped the fish by the tail, and in one swell swoop put my other hand under it's belly and lifted it out of the water. At the same moment, I yelled to the fisherman down the beach to take a look.

His expression was one that can only be described as dumb-founded.

The fish was so large that when I lifted it, it could only shimmy side-to-side in a slow-motion wag. Forty-eight inches (48") was a base minimum. After a triumphant whoop, it occurred to me I had to make a decision. Turn and walk back to shore with my trophy, or release this magnificent fish.

With little regret, I gently placed the fish back in the water, head first, still grasping the tail. After a couple swishes back an forth to revive him, he gave a mighty thrust of the tail and with a splash returned to the icy water.

You would have to have used a shovel to wipe the smile off of my face as the perma-grin stayed resident for quite some time.

Author's note:  The current Colorado state record rainbow trout is 34", caught in 2003 in the Morrow Point Reservoir, Gunnison County. It's weight was 19 lbs. 10 oz.  The fish I caught was 14" longer.  The Colorado state record "by length" is 40 1/4", caught in the Taylor River.  My fish was easily over 8" longer than that fish.