Coralville Winter Fest 2011 is history!. Lots of fun, lots of people and a LOT of kids. This is good, as the kids got to ride in the horse drawn trolley, taste roasted chestnuts, ('poi' with a crunch, at best), see and go IN a real teepee, watch an outdoorsman show them how to cook outside in the cold weather,, and they had an indoor snowball fight with rolled up socks, they got to see the BIG train setup and tour the Johnson County Historical Society Museum, taste cookies, etc...WHAT a big, fun, FREE afternoon...It is rather low key, but the real secret is that people are willing to volunteer their expertise so others can observe. I personally prefer a Summer FEST, but, this was fun. KCJJ had their radion booth OPEN and ON THE AIR so people could see firsthand, some announcers/disc jockeys at work...This is Coralville, so we sure appreciate the people, businesses, and organizations that took part.. Other towns can sit on their butts all winter, but at least Coralville is trying!!!..Oh man,,, RAGBRAI 39 comes to Coralville.. Let's see, RAGBRAI, 4th Fest, FryFest...........Should be plenty to do if you would like to volunteer this summer.
See you in Coralville!!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
January waning!
Just thinking that we almost have January 'in the bag'...Great news! January is the rock bottom month for temperature.. NOT that it can't get cold in February, but January is the worst. WE just might be looking better.. at least the wind has not been blowing as much as it could IF it wanted to do so!!
Speaking of cold and wind,, I really think that the East Coast is getting OUR weather...Sorry, I am not willing to trade, but they are really getting it! A few years ago a friend of mine here in Coralville called and said, 'my wife got a really good job out of state, so we are moving'...I said 'no way',, 'you have both lived here for a million years'....'Where are you going?"...NO RESPONSE.. then he said 'out east',,, then NOTHING..............................Finally I said, 'surely you aren't moving to somewhere cold and snowy like Buffalo.....??.....................................YEP, 'we are moving to Buffalo'.................so, off they went. They are still there. Once in awhile I get an email telling me that most of the snow they get is 'lake effect'...., what the heck, I don't care where or how you get it, you get it!!..Ha!! Better them than me!..Do you ever remember seeing the Coralville snow plows on Monday, January 17?.. We had a BIG snow and not many plows were out.. Seems the city guys had the day off, and if they got called in to plow, it is double or triple time on a holiday.. SO, on that day only a skeleton crew was plowing.. Come the next day, Tuesday, January 18, all the plows are guys were back....Now you know!
Speaking of cold and wind,, I really think that the East Coast is getting OUR weather...Sorry, I am not willing to trade, but they are really getting it! A few years ago a friend of mine here in Coralville called and said, 'my wife got a really good job out of state, so we are moving'...I said 'no way',, 'you have both lived here for a million years'....'Where are you going?"...NO RESPONSE.. then he said 'out east',,, then NOTHING..............................Finally I said, 'surely you aren't moving to somewhere cold and snowy like Buffalo.....??.....................................YEP, 'we are moving to Buffalo'.................so, off they went. They are still there. Once in awhile I get an email telling me that most of the snow they get is 'lake effect'...., what the heck, I don't care where or how you get it, you get it!!..Ha!! Better them than me!..Do you ever remember seeing the Coralville snow plows on Monday, January 17?.. We had a BIG snow and not many plows were out.. Seems the city guys had the day off, and if they got called in to plow, it is double or triple time on a holiday.. SO, on that day only a skeleton crew was plowing.. Come the next day, Tuesday, January 18, all the plows are guys were back....Now you know!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Alert
Wow,, -12 or whatever it is IMPRESSES me,, but God doesn't have impress me with a cold blast, he can kindly make it +30 and would REALLY be impressed! The eagles are really fishing this morning at the Coralville dam....Tasty, fresh shad for breakfast........So what does a guy like me have for breakfast on a COLD day..........??.............Just what Mom used to make my brother Rox and I eat,,, Oatmeal!!.. Hot and sticks to your ribs...........,or fat..............................
BIG day for me today, I have been asked to be a speaker at the annual Hawkeye Area Council BOY SCOUTS of AMERICA banquet in Cedar Rapids tonite......This works for me...I asked for 30 minutes and was told they would cut ME off after 5 or so...Guess they know me!!
Tried to pull a For Sale sign out of a yard this morning at 7am....right.... froze solid, so I just took out the sign and had to leave the frame. I will go back in July or so..........................s
Do not despair,, biologically speaking, mid-January is to low point of the season. THINGS start to turn after we bottom out for a few days.. The slow, gradual increase in sunlight causes things to change......SOONER than later!!
Think of those poor soldiers in our own Colonial Army who spent a winter at Valley Forge,, some had NO shoes, no coats, etc.. When their feet turned black they were amputated,, and that was soon the be fatal.....Thank them for their perseverance!
Brrrrrrrr......
BIG day for me today, I have been asked to be a speaker at the annual Hawkeye Area Council BOY SCOUTS of AMERICA banquet in Cedar Rapids tonite......This works for me...I asked for 30 minutes and was told they would cut ME off after 5 or so...Guess they know me!!
Tried to pull a For Sale sign out of a yard this morning at 7am....right.... froze solid, so I just took out the sign and had to leave the frame. I will go back in July or so..........................s
Do not despair,, biologically speaking, mid-January is to low point of the season. THINGS start to turn after we bottom out for a few days.. The slow, gradual increase in sunlight causes things to change......SOONER than later!!
Think of those poor soldiers in our own Colonial Army who spent a winter at Valley Forge,, some had NO shoes, no coats, etc.. When their feet turned black they were amputated,, and that was soon the be fatal.....Thank them for their perseverance!
Brrrrrrrr......
Friday, January 14, 2011
COLD weather is a pain...
HI,
January is the coldest month we have in Iowa. IT is living up to its expectations. At least the wind is not too bad, but give it time.......YOU need to keep an eye on the eagles at the dam here in Coralville. There are a LOT of them fishing below the dam. COOL! They sit, (hunker) in the trees along the river and when they see a fish, KABOOM!!, they nail it. They take it to a tree and 'enjoy' fresh fish......Eagles are 'dating' at this time of year. They will be working on their nests in the next 3-4 weeks, and in the middle of February or so, they will lay eggs! One year there was a nest just across the river from the Iowa River Power Restaurant....Take some photos. I never saw eagles at the river when I was a kid here in Coralville in the 50s....never.
The Coralville dam has become a real 'home' to eagles, ducks, and tons of Canada geese. We really have crowd down there on a dailybasis. HEY, geese aren't the only ones who like Coralville. I get lots of emails and phone calls from people who used to live here...Everybody wants to know 'how is Coralville doing'...??!!..............Doing just fine thank you! We are right at 18,500 people...WAY bigger than when my family got here in 1923......They came from their house in Iowa City when their NEW HOUSE was ready,, in 1925.. They actually lived in the garage they built BEFORE the house was completed!..This is true. Grandma/pa and 4 kids in the garage for a year, INCLUDING a winter!!.......................The old Brandstatter house is still in its glory at 509 6th avenue in Coralville. I drive past once in awhile just to 'say
hi' to it. LOTS of great family history at this address.. The sun is shining AND getting closer everyday! Makes you want to whoop it up!! See you in Coralville..
January is the coldest month we have in Iowa. IT is living up to its expectations. At least the wind is not too bad, but give it time.......YOU need to keep an eye on the eagles at the dam here in Coralville. There are a LOT of them fishing below the dam. COOL! They sit, (hunker) in the trees along the river and when they see a fish, KABOOM!!, they nail it. They take it to a tree and 'enjoy' fresh fish......Eagles are 'dating' at this time of year. They will be working on their nests in the next 3-4 weeks, and in the middle of February or so, they will lay eggs! One year there was a nest just across the river from the Iowa River Power Restaurant....Take some photos. I never saw eagles at the river when I was a kid here in Coralville in the 50s....never.
The Coralville dam has become a real 'home' to eagles, ducks, and tons of Canada geese. We really have crowd down there on a dailybasis. HEY, geese aren't the only ones who like Coralville. I get lots of emails and phone calls from people who used to live here...Everybody wants to know 'how is Coralville doing'...??!!..............Doing just fine thank you! We are right at 18,500 people...WAY bigger than when my family got here in 1923......They came from their house in Iowa City when their NEW HOUSE was ready,, in 1925.. They actually lived in the garage they built BEFORE the house was completed!..This is true. Grandma/pa and 4 kids in the garage for a year, INCLUDING a winter!!.......................The old Brandstatter house is still in its glory at 509 6th avenue in Coralville. I drive past once in awhile just to 'say
hi' to it. LOTS of great family history at this address.. The sun is shining AND getting closer everyday! Makes you want to whoop it up!! See you in Coralville..
Monday, January 3, 2011
Brand new 2011 !!
It IS a new year, and I was at the office bright and early on Monday, January 3. Just think, if we can get January behind us, we can make it til Spring gets here!..Lots of snow, wind, and cold ahead, but we can do it!. Another year comes to Coralville. So many local projects under way. Lots of new buildings coming to town in 2011. BIG news is the University of Iowa hospital/clinic to be built near the Marriott, but there are more. Another Hy-Vee grocery store is on the way, and I think we will see a lot more activity down by the Marriott in the River Landing area. This will be really something. And to think, when they built the Coralville Post Office in 1961, we had 2200 residents...Geez, we have the same post office and now we have 18,500 people!!!! What is the Postal Service thinking!! (they aren't) WE NEED A NEW POST OFFICE!!!
The new year came right on time, (go figure) and I THINK I was actually watching a tv show and realized it was 'the time'...No hoopla for me this year...Just another nite. We went to the annual Year End Party, which was at Flannigan's this year. Nice crowd, 80-100 coming and going. Then we had 12 people or so at Iowa River Power Restaurant (we walked down the hall from Flannigan's!!) and we had a nice dinner. Try the mushrooms!
Can you believe that the Big 10 lost all 5 bowl games on New Year's Day??.. I thought sure that Wisconsin would win. Glad I did not offer a bet! I DID accept a bet from a MIZZOU fan, and I won! That guy has to wear a Hawkeye hat to a business meeting on January 24. It will be fun!
Dust off your Coralville hat and do your best to take part in events this year, and as always, 'See you in Coralville'!.
The new year came right on time, (go figure) and I THINK I was actually watching a tv show and realized it was 'the time'...No hoopla for me this year...Just another nite. We went to the annual Year End Party, which was at Flannigan's this year. Nice crowd, 80-100 coming and going. Then we had 12 people or so at Iowa River Power Restaurant (we walked down the hall from Flannigan's!!) and we had a nice dinner. Try the mushrooms!
Can you believe that the Big 10 lost all 5 bowl games on New Year's Day??.. I thought sure that Wisconsin would win. Glad I did not offer a bet! I DID accept a bet from a MIZZOU fan, and I won! That guy has to wear a Hawkeye hat to a business meeting on January 24. It will be fun!
Dust off your Coralville hat and do your best to take part in events this year, and as always, 'See you in Coralville'!.
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