BOCK OFF!

It was parents weekend at MLC. We saw our girl and caught a teeny bit of the festivities in town for Fasching (German Mardi Gras). Colorful scarves are hung from wires.


The Narren (fools) run around town cheering and frightening people. They have wooden faces! They gave us a pin and some beads!

We saw them at Joni's; we go there for breakfast. I like to go there because they sell turtles that are shaped like turtles. I bite off the head first.

For Fasching the Schell Brewry holds the Bock Fest (a "high gravity" beer permissible during Lent for its high food energy). Bock means billy goat in German. "This is why so many bock beer labels feature goats. But where’s the beer-goat connection? One theory suggests that the traditional time to brew bock beer was under the sign of Capricorn, the goat. Another tells an amusing story of a drinking contest between a Bavarian duke and a knight from Brunswick. Each was given a cask of beer from his opponent’s store. After a few drinks the knight found himself on the ground while the Bavarian remained in his seat. The embarrassed knight blamed a goat that had found its way into the courtyard. The Bavarian, who also happened to be a brew master, laughed and told the knight, “The Bock that threw you over was brewed by me.” http://beer.about.com/od/boc1/a/BockHistory_2.htm
The festivities get pretty wild so on the door of Target the sign says . . .

Just as our trip began I told Randy that the question I have been asking myself a lot lately is, "Am I really seeing what I am seeing?" There were many "HUH?" moments over the weekend including when I read the words on this former school bus.

There were many moments I wish I had pictures of, the one I most regret not getting is that of the fog and hoar frosted trees Saturday morning. It was at once eerie and beautiful. This image came from the Star Tribune in Mankato. It was taken that morning. Turns out it was a special weather event in Minnesota, and I was there to see it!
http://www.startribune.com