The Next Leg of the Journey

I increased the contrast in the picture so you could see the magnificent masonry artwork that the State of North Dakota has designed into their updated Rest Areas. This is the first one we decided to stop at to stretch our legs at after lunch.

Spending a few minutes walking around inside and outside of the building I got a better idea of the history that makes up the people that call North Dakota home.

We made great time getting across Minnesota, arriving in Fargo just in time for lunch. Our first call was to Kyli to get her suggestions for the "Best" places to eat after we had driven down some streets packed with delectable dining establishments.

Corey and I made a lucky choice on a side street. As we talked to Kyli we pulled up in front of what appeared to be a Hometown 1950's style Restaurant called

Kroll's which happens to serve German/American Cuisine

Kyli was quick to share that one of Kroll's specialties was Knoephla Soup . A staple of the North Dakotans hearty meals. 

We had the opportunity to give the Knoephla Soup a try last year when we visited a Devil's Lake establishment during the Easter weekend. 

Speaking honestly, Corey and I, weren't used to the flavor and probably won't be fixing it on our  own as a staple to our diet.  

Upon asking our waitress for some suggestions, we decided to try their Clam Chowder ,after discovering it was the creamy style... what even turned out better was that it came as apart of  our meal.

We both ordered a bowl of the hot soup but I think I would have been very satisfied with just a cup.

Being of German descent I wanted to try one of the specialties Kroll's had listed on their menu.

It was something called Fleischkuechle, a deep fried meat pie. You could order the Fleischkuechle with or without sauerkraut. So, Corey tried the one without and I ordered one with.

I was already full when the order arrived but gave it the good  German try anyway...I liked it because the sauerkraut was subtle in it's flavor,  blending in with the meat and cheese for an almost melt in your mouth consistency. Corey even gave it a try and said he preferred the sauerkraut meat pie over his own plain one.

All in all we found our dining experience to be pleasurable and the atmosphere congenial. Thanks to our waitress who made our visit a good one to the Fargo Kroll's location!

Good Friday Morning

Please forgive the picture quality...I'm making excuses for myself this evening, just have to complain once in awhile.😇 The weather was gloomy, the car windows were speckled and my cellphone camera couldn't take the bumps in the road! Well, now that's over we can get on with the rest of the post!

Good Friday morning Corey and I set off for the far North of North Dakota.

This was our first trip to visit Kyli our daughter and her husband Justin at the United Methodist Church he now pastors in Langdon.

The rising light of the morning brought us to our favorite Truck Stop not far from Albert Lea, MN., Trail's TA Travel Center.

I love catching these three jets as we pass the Owatonna Airport just as we arrive next to one of my favorite  shopping venues.

Yes, we decided to take this familiar route again along I-35  to save some time.

Again, I say..."I'd take a ride  around the patch today,Please!"It certainly would get us to where we needed to go a little faster.

Whoops! Did I just show my impatience?

                                                                                                                                                                     

I'm glad to travel by car in all actuality. It gives me some wonderful opportunities to use my camera and now my cellphone gets a workout to capture whatever I think worthy of remembrance.

I not only saw this Cabela's at Owatonna, but we sped past the one at Rogers, on the otherside of Minneapolis. Ahhh,I learned about another store over in Grand Forks,ND as we passed one of those great advertising tools, "THE Roadside Billboard."

I'm always intrigued by our abilities to convey messages ....Some like this barn that spells it out without a doubt and others that take a few minutes to catch the meaning. I saw some cute mind entertainers along our way too but of course the camera was shut-off and the brain just wanted to enjoy the moment.

I too "Thank You Farmers!"

We depend on the Ag Products to cover so many aspects in our day-to day existence.

We hit the 494 off  I-35 on our way to Interstate 94 to get us to our Western destinations.

One of my favorite building decorations is at the BMW Headquarters as we come up the ramp to join the morning traffic.

Watching for interesting driving patterns came right away when a lady decided it was alright to stop to let us in to the chagrin of those behind her...Thank you for your kindness Lady.
These towers are welcome reminders for me to let me know I'm headed in the right direction. I'm one of those individuals that looks for markers to show me where I'm located. 

They were important to me a couple years ago when I decided to try a new experience, drive through the cities on my own. I got off on a side path where I didn't want to be...keeping these twins in sight allowed me to get back on the right road.

They almost became an afterthought when I tried to hurry-up and get my cellphone turned behind the driver's seat this trip. Helps to sharpen the reflexes!

Come back and I'll share some more of our Easter weekend adventures with you! Until then have a Great Evening!

Voisin Reconstuction Begins

Our work space for the Voisin 3/5  rebuild has reached the point where we can now bring in the wings to start the process. A few days into the process it was decided another shop light was needed and has now been added for our low-light refurbishing hours.
 The Voisin 3/5 has suffered storage decay when she was parked in 2011, after a weather related mishap during a visit to the yearly Father's Day celebration at Gardner,KS ( please click Gardner,KS for a full story of the trip)led to instability in steering. Animal accessibilty caused some damage that has to be addressed to make the frame strong once more.We speculate that either a raccoon or possum had made a wonderful bed in the cockpit. A safe haven for sure from the elements!

Corey removed a top wing to bring to the workshop to begin stripping away the fabric. What a surprise! Asian beetles had found an inviting environment to share with a common denizen of the field,the mouse.

Time to take a closer look at what time and animal damage has done to the frame. The assessment for this wing has been done, lists are being written...Now we need the weather to warm-up again to get the cleaning accomplished.

This is our goal...to modify the proto-type wings to make it easier to disassemble and assemble for easier transporting long distances. We want to see her finding her way back into the air, to see her rise again to greater heights....

 For more information on plans to build your own Voisin 3/5please click here.

Iowa Deer Classic 2017 Chip Beaman Seminar

I want to get back to talking about our trip to the Iowa Deer Classic and visit the first Seminar of the day for us on March 4th... Checking our schedule we found it was time to head downstairs to the Hy-Vee Hall!

So Thankful to get to spend the greater part of the day with my husband Corey at the Iowa Deer Classic! He was able to  get a few ideas to try implement into future plane designs since his hobby is aviation. I'll share those with you later.

We were fortunate to have a young hunter walk by that could help us with our photo taking needs. I had been informed  that documentation is the best way to prove anything. Here's my proof that I came and enjoyed the day and I'm sticking to it!

Ah! Here's the poster we needed to find. The RAM STAGE,  which we found located in Conference Room 107, on the lower level of Hy-Vee Hall.

We were one of the first couples to arrive for the 11:30 Seminar for the "Long Range Shooting for Hunters"

We had a little time before the seminar to get aquainted with a couple from Kirksville,MO. He was retired United States Air Force and familiar with the Commemorative Air Force.Corey and he spoke briefly on the name change of the Commemorative Air Force, as Corey is interested in Aviation History. The retired gentelman   shared his USAF experience, he told us he had gotten the nickname of Colonel Mustard, like in the game Clue.  I can't relate the whole story but it certainly gave us a smile while waiting for the seminar to get underway.


                                            Mr. Chip Beaman of Rolling Bones Outfitters

Our Seminar leader Chip Beaman and a Rolling Bones Outfitter Team member Brian checking the  time to get things going.

Upon introduction Chip shared that the Iowa Deer Classic was his first time in Iowa. Although his mother and grandmother were raised in the Southwest corner , in the small town of Coin. He was born and raised in the desert at China Lake,CA. He now resides in Montana.

Chip Beaman is a 22-year Navy veteran, a former member of several SEAL teams and now a he's teaching others to become excellent marksmen and women in the area of Long Range Hunting.

Chip gave us some background in why you should consider attending the  Rolling Bones Shooting Academy.

As an instructor he took us through the process of breaking in new gun barrels - how to clean and shoot to gain a useful outcome in the pattern.

Chip gave several scenarios to overcome...How different each one of them would be in making choices in achieving precision shooting accuracy. 
 
He continued to stress practicing in all conditions to know where you will become proficient in hitting your mark, the animal you're hunting. Don't leave a wounded animal to die a slow death,not only in long range hunting, but whatever range of weapon used for your chosen hunt. Be an ethical hunter.

It was a pleasure to hear Chip present his knowledge and I hope he will get a chance to come back to Iowa  to give other individuals a chance to hear him speak.

Please click Rolling Bones Shooting Academy  to find out how to book a space for training in the beautiful Black Hills town of Deadwood,South Dakota....

Song Day Sunday - All Who Are Thirsty

To me it is Good Sunday morning! Of course there might be some of you just getting ready to go to bed...The Around the World sort of thing that goes on in this day and age. OH! I hope everyone who is affected by the Daylight Savings Time, turning the clocks forward in the Spring, remembered to do that before going to bed. I have an excuse for being up so early! God said...

The song for today is All Who Are Thirsty,the rendition I've chosen is done by Kutless. We sing it in church once in awhile. I love to take the higher octave, hearing the other vocalist build the additional blocks to add harmony and fluid motion in music touches my heart and soul.

My reason for sharing is to vocalize the music that has been trailing around my thoughts the last couple of days. I have one of those minds that pushes the repeat button until the thought can make an escape.

Sometimes, the thoughts may not answer all your questions in the direction I've chosen to take... The hope would be that even though I might not be able to complete my thought according to your understanding,you might find enough in what I say to spark an interest in seeking more for yourself.

 


The scripture I've been led to share to accompany my song selection would be as follows...


                                                          Revelation 22:17
17 - And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Have a Blessed Day!

Iowa Deer Classic Continued

My post today is of a few more interesting booths I happened to pass... Getting good pictures to share was a blessing! Competition for space to stop long enough to focus can make for a lot of SMILES and Thank You very much in appreciation.

I had to smile when I walked past this booth by Shock Effects Pro-biotics at Booth #839 ! My brother had just kidded me prior to my arrival at the Deer Classic about getting a 30 Pt. Buck ...So, even though I probably won't be out after such an endowed Whitetail Buck I do have a picture to show him that they "Do Exist!"

Next year I'm thinking about the suggestion of the Iowa Deer Classic management to come on Sunday morning to the Worship Service when there's  a little less competition in speaking to the vendors about their product or service.

Walking down the aisles of Hy-Vee Hall I kept watching for the State of Colorado to be mentioned.

I found Fawn Gulch Outfitters at Booth #820. Please click above if you're interested in looking up information about planning your next Elk hunt. It looks like they have multiple options to meet the hunter or huntresses needs.

Iowa Sportsman are privileged to have a magazine  produced for us to keep up on the latest hunting trends. Read more about it here.

They were found at Booth #811.

See the little Lab in the back, in the kennel? I forget her name now, but I did get to pet her. I was asked how old I thought she was? I guessed 8 months from what knowledge I had of other Labs. How surprised I was to find out she was three years old! Her heritage originates from the smaller framed animals of the breed. Booth # 809.

You can find Heroes Hunting on the Hunt Channel  or online at CarbonTV. I found them at Booth #1201.

With so many of our Veteran's returning from active duty with some type of physical impairment, it's fantastic to know that there are people who are interested in giving them a change to be active in the hunting community.

Iron Rack products have developed a simple system for European Mount wall hangings for  Archery and Gun Hunters.

You can go here  to Youtube and find out more about what  this Sumner,IA based company can do for you in putting your Deer antlers on display.

Looking for a way to get up close to a few Turkeys this Spring?

Killer Gear might have the right solution for your turkey,antelope, and elk hunts.There interesting exhibit was displayed at Booth#914.

Welcome to Team All Outdoors I came across at Booth #906.A club catering to everything that makes outdoor life enjoyable.

I certainly did get my education on products and services during our time at the classic. Bunches of things to which I hadn't had any prior knowledge .

Stay tuned I have more to share! Tomorrow will be a little different. I'm going to share some information I got from Chip Beaman from Rolling Bones Academy in his Seminar on Long Range Shooting for Hunters...

Iowa Deer Classic 2017 in the Rearview Mirror

Iowa State Capitol off I-235

Welcome to Des Moines,IA, home of the Iowa Cubs baseball team , Iowa Barnstormers Arena League Football and the Iowa Wild Amateur Hockey League!

Iowa Proud?!? You Bet!

My husband Corey and I  headed past the State Capitol towards the Iowa Events Center on Saturday, March 4th, to walk the aisles of

Hy-Vee Hall to become one of the many hundreds to experience the Iowa Deer Classic 2017.

We came in from the Eastside so we are now Westbound I-235 to get the right street heading to the main parking lot north of Veteran's Auditorium. Taking 3rd St. to end up at the right spot.

Veteran's Auditorium-Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center and Wells Fargo Arena straight ahead!  For those of you who don't have any history of visits to Iowa's biggest city

I know! Go this way and then that way...then you end up HERE!

Parked outside the Hy-Vee Hall's north entrance was the team bus for Driven with Pat & Nicole.

Later, I found their booth #1 and stopped to listen to the end of one of their seminars downstairs. So many good seminars to attend, I didn't get a chance to hear all that was said...

I was out to take pictures! And that I did! Thanks to these willing souls ...their passion being the Iowa Morel with a little bit of Buck tine decoration to make things interesting.

A few more months and we will be out hunting for morels. Another one of those natural treats that has us out and about in the great outdoors.

AH! Look! Nicky Boy Charters at booth #843. Set-up and ready to share what they can do to provide a vacation on the waters of  Lake Michigan.

I've just gotten a good start but my blogging time for today has come to and end. Spring temperatures are calling before the snow arrives this coming weekend. See you tomorrow!

Song Day Sunday - God's Not Dead

                                        

                                            Let love explode and bring the dead to life

                                            A love so bold

                                            To seek a revolution somehow

                                            Let love explode and bring the dead to life

                                            A love so bold

                                            To bring a revolution somehow

                                            Now I'm lost in Your freedom

                                            In this world I'll overcome

                                            My God's not dead

                                            He's surely alive

                                            He's living on the inside

                                            Roaring like a lion

                                            God's not dead

                                            He's surely alive

                                            He's living on the inside

                                            Roaring like a lion

                                            Roaring, He's roaring, He's roaring like a lion

                                            Let hope arise and make the darkness hide

                                            My faith is dead I need resurrection somehow

                                            Now I'm lost in Your freedom

                                            In this world I'll overcome

                                            My God's not dead

                                            He's surely alive

                                            He's living on the inside

                                            Roaring like a lion

                                            God's not dead

                                            He's surely alive

                                            He's living on the inside

                                            Roaring like a lion

                                            Roaring, He's…

When we depend totally on ourselves we fall short of how we should treat our fellow men and women... Witness of  what God has done in other people's lives can build our faith from day to day. Come share your faith with us today. 

We are Corey and Dianna Butcher if you haven't already met us. We attend Collins Christian Church in Collins,IA - would love to invite you to come shake our hand and say hello any Sunday, but today we are honored to be the Greeters before morning worship service. Come for a visit and stay awhile...

Just so you know...Sunday School starts at 9:00 and Church starts at 10:00.

Iowa Deer Classic 2017

In just a few days one of the best  Midwest Hunting Extravaganzas is about to take place. The dates are March 3rd-5th, 2017. Need I say more? It's time for the Iowa Deer Classic!

Young Buck still showing signs of late season Rutting Activity

Since it's been more than a few years I last wandered the aisles at Hy-Vee Hall, or sat through seminars, to take away information to make my experiences better. This year my husband Corey and I will be spending Saturday, March 4th, rambling through Hy-Vee Hall and taking in a few seminars.

If you are interested in Deer Hunting or  maybe just want to checkout what's new for those that do, this would be a great weekend to be apart of the crowd in Des Moines,IA at the Iowa Deer Classic. 

Maybe we'll see you there!

                        

       For your convenience to locate The  Iowa Deer Classic 2017

The Voisin 35 Rises Again

     I said "YES!" and "AMEN!" when I heard Corey, my hubby say we are going to put on a new skin and do some structural modifications on the Voisin 35 to get her air worthy once again. She has been sitting collecting dust since a mishap brought her to rest.
    We are taking stock of what it will take to make the rebuild progress easier and hope to get that early tear down stage started within the next month. Please take a look around  http://www.voisin35.com/Home.html for more information and check back here for updates too!