Nowhere to go but down

The drama queen took the stage today and let it be known that he's going down to Chinatown. Favre has no chance of duplicating 2009, as he will not toss nearly 5 TDs to one INT, have a passer rating over 100 and lead the Vikes to the NFC Title Game. The schedule's too tough and Favre's too old. However, as long as Packer fans are annoyed, that's fine by me.

Scenes from the Saturday night grand finale bonfire

The Siren 17

Here's the UMD gang, dependents, friend and canines who braved the heat and downpours at the Ness cabin in Siren, August 11-16. We will never forget: the Kelly's gas gauge, bean bags and cribbage, the Thursday night storm, Shelly's big toe, Tor attacked!, circles of death and the Saturday night bonfire. An excellent replacement for the Yellowstone trip, now re-scheduled for August 2011.

RIP, REI

My beloved REI backpack is no longer functional, as the zipper broke on June 12, 2010 at our campsite along the Namekagon River. I have had this backpack for nearly 20 years, and it's been my companion on numerous BWCA trips, Europe, Mexico, Canada etc. Replaced in July 2010 by a Kelty Comanche 5600. Remember: keep all REI receipts, because you can return an item for a refund or replacement if it ever fails from REI. I didn't save mine :-(