Royce Files Digest 1

There has been plenty to blog about in the last 3 weeks but haven't had the time to write about it so I'll put stuff in a digest form. The topics in this digest include Marathon Post Mortem , Memorial Day Adventures, 48 Hour Film Project Concluding Remarks, Return to the Cache.

Marathon Post Mortem
I wrote a bit about it last month. Sondag provided additional commentary in the comments. After reflecting on the post marathon press and commentary it appears even great events face growing pains. The loop idea had mixed reviews although at first it seemed there was a lot of good comments. Traffic control and start line stuff could see some considerable improvements to benefit the swelling participants. There has been some debate concerning the 5k race- having it on Friday being one option bandied about. Apparently some 5k runners were unaware that their race started after the half and whole marathon began. An improvement in the food or a return to what has been offered in the past. As I said in a previous post- food was average to sub par.
Didn't make the Stillwater Marathon but it proved to be a rather slow jaunt. No elites decided to run it, I believe as, the results were pretty high. And yet again a women in headphones wins. Maybe this race will bring in some more competition next year.
I certainly couldn't make the Minneapolis Marathon (making a movie that weekend) but it seemed to come out with similar results as Stillwater - men's winner 2:42, women's winner 3:04. Perhaps I am wrong and these races are being used as warm ups for Grandma's, Twin Cities, Chicago, and Lewis & Clark (I add that one because I ran it once.)

Memorial Day Adventures
My adventures hinged on one thing - thinking a friend's graduation celebration was on Friday instead of Saturday.
Thursday after work I jolted down to the Sheyenne Grasslands. The region was still rife with scars from overland flooding. I found my way to the North Country Trail although by detour. The Sheyenne appeared to be more wetland on this trip. I hiked in for about an hour and heard birds, saw ducks, and had to cross over a flooded section. However, I made to my desired destination- train camp 2. I had mapped this location previously but never camped there until now. The railroad tracks are in the distance and the occasional train passes in the night, gently blowing its horn. No problems with cattle. A fairly uneventful stay. Although, as usual, poison ivy caught up with me later. It was only a mild case but I need to know how to identify this stuff more.
From the Grassland I immediately returned home and showered and quickly headed to Fergus Falls only to realize my folly. I mistook the date for the Graduation Celebration. I arrived at the home of my friend in rural Fergus Falls to see no one there. Realizing my mistake I at once reversed and drove into Fergus and then later to the DeLagoon Park to camp. I watched softball for much of the evening (as there were lighted ball fields all around the camp ground.)
The inaugural use of my $4 Eureka Timberline went without any problems. I bought the tent back in February at a 2nd hand store. It was only missing 2 pieces which I immediately bought.
I needed to air it out a bit but for a tent which appears to be over 20 years old it did fine. The Timberline is a classic. Not much has changed about it since it first arrived on the scene in the 70s.
The next day I explored Fergus on bike. It's a neat little big town. However, its quaint downtown was practically dead on Saturday afternoon.
In the evening I went to my friend's Graduation Celebration and met up with numerous other acquaintances, drank draft root beer, canoed, made some music around the bonfire, and finally drove down the interstate to Birch Lakes State Forest near Melrose.
It was quiet and somber when I arrived. From my experience, not may people know about the state forests. (That night would prove me wrong.) After assembling my pack I hiked into the woods to look for a good spot to camp. I attempted to find one well away from the established paths but in the dark that is pretty difficult. I eventually make camp for the night off an abandoned spur. Then the excitement began. I heard a dog in the distance and voices. It was well after midnight. Doesn't anybody sleep. The voices drew closer. I hoped I would not be discovered. This stressed me out. Then there was running and then what sounded like gun shots and then eventually a car horn. I kept still and eventually dosed off to sleep.
The next morning I saw how close I was to another trail which I did not notice. I wrote off that night to perhaps some group playing capture the flag or something. If a warden were around that evening I am sure it may not have happened as there is an established campground withing a half mile and has quiet hours.
I arrived in the Twin Cities in the late morn and did some shopping in Maple Grove and eventually made my way to Lehigh. Fortunate for me, my sister was having a get together at her home. They had the big projection screen out on which we eventually watched Futurama. We couldn't agree on a movie.
On Memorial Day, I didn't do much but wash clothes and plant some more seeds in the garden. My father and I watched the Memorial Day Concert on PBS and then my sister and her husband came over for dinner. After dinner I made the trek back to Go.
Overall quite a full weekend.

48 Hour Film Project

Team Testudo drew a holiday movie in the opening minutes of the project. The writers decided to do something a little atypical by presenting 3 separate vignettes.
Like last year, planning and team roles helped make it a successful foray. The holiday we decided to take on: Mother's Day.
We had more fancier equipment this year including lighting and an odd camera apparatus which I forget what to call it.
At the showing, we did not do so well. I have no clue why the first scenes where so washed out. We had measured the light for a half hour before we filmed the scene. It baffled the editors too because they did not see that during editing. It really was a distraction which broke up the flow of the scene unitentionally.
Needless to say, our movie- entitled Mother's Day- did not win any awards. We had a high concept which dipped into the dramatic and sci fi, with inclusions of irony. The audience did not resound with it and so too the judges. However, this movie was technically sound. It had production values. There were a few other movies which were not as humorous with quality production that did not get recognized either (Bishop, a Tale of Gene Harris I am talking about you)
The night seemed to be preoccupied with ghosts and horror and musicals mixed with them both. A team that I believe was made up of theater camp alums made off with the the deserved victory. Testudo could only look forward to the world premiere of Mary Weatherby- June 13 5PM at Bab's Coffee Shop. We spent about 5 months making it so 48 Hours was just practice I guess.

Return to the Cache

I finally updated the firmware on my Garmin Venture this week and decided to get back into geocaching. Only problem. I can't find any. I tried 4 so far and have been skunked each time. These microcaches are pretty difficult. There is supposed to be one on this bridge but I have been on the bridge 4 times and have yet to discover this find. If only my Nuvi had an App that did geocaching better.