Friday, September 30, 2016

Game Fair: Knowledgeable and Funny!

Meet Jason!



Jason manages one of the local gun stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.  And, he had a team of co-workers with him in the tent.

They had a good time teasing him when I took his photo.   But, it turned out great.  And, I think I will be getting to know Jason, soon!

Thanks Jason.  You have a great store.   I will be back!


Thursday, September 29, 2016

Game Fair: Going to the Dogs

Meet Bob!


 And meet Bob!

They are from Old Oak Retrievers where they train dogs to retrieve.   Below are a couple of the dogs they had at the fair.
.   


They run dog competitions at a local farm in the North burbs of the cities.  


The dogs were amazing. Smart.  Gentle.    People could learn some lessons from them!

Thanks Bob and Bob.  It was a sincere pleasure meeting you both.




Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Game Fair: Turkey Hunters!

Meet Jim!


And, meet Mark!

Both are part of the National Wild Turkey Federations.  Their chapter is called the Capital City Strutters.  


They help provide for turkey habitat and help people learn to hunt turkeys.  If you didn't know, they are very smart birds with keen eyesight. 

My sincere thanks guys!     I may need to get in touch with you.   This sounded like fun!

Monday, September 26, 2016

Game Fair: A Couple

Meet Sam and Danielle!


Her family runs the Metro Gun Club.  Sam is a boyfriend who likes shooting sports!   Sounds like a good match to me!

My sincere thanks Sam and Danielle!

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Game Fair Redux: Montana Antler Craft

Meet Ron!


Ron and his wife work for Montana Antler Craft.  They have been retired for years.  But, they do this job for fun.  The owner of the company is Jerry Lewis (No....not THAT Jerry Lewis).

Below is a sample of an antler made into a cribbage board.



And, antler whistle's!


And, if you ever need a fire in an emergency, they were also selling fire starters.   A small knife shaves a little magnesium from a rod.   Then, a striker can be used to light a spark that lands in the magnesium chips.



Presto!  A fire in about 10 seconds!

 My sincere thanks, Ron!

Friday, September 23, 2016

Game Fair Redux: Wood Components for AR's

Meet Bob!


Bob was a customer of the business who was marketing the wood laminate AR components.  


It is amazing to me the creative ability that people have and the desire to make some dream a reality.  These are beautifully made.   And, they didn't need to be made out of various laminated components.  Also on display were single wood stocks and handles.


Thanks Bob for being a good sport!

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Game Fair Redux: Wax warmers!

Meet Lynn!

 
She works with Pete from Aitkin Wax Warmers!


Think of them like a candle, without the flame and with various fragrances.   She's been an independent consultant with them for 7 years!

Thanks Lynn!

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Game Fair Redux: GMC Spokespeople

Meet Jean!

Jean has a small farm and tends to horses in her spare time!

Meet Monique!

When I asked Monique what I could say about her, her response was that she "works, works, and works"!   She also manages to keep track the family members!

And, meet Thomas!


Thomas is a Marx brothers fan.  He is also a designer and artist!

They had all been hired by GMC to work the booth and get people interested in a new GMC. 

My sincere thanks to you all!

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Game Fair: Redux

I decided that a return trip to the Game Fair was in order.   I had guests with me the day  before and it was a bit difficult to drop into photographer mode. 

Meet Eric from Minnesota Equipment.
 

He was gracious enough to be my first photo of the day.  He sells Toro and John Deere equipment, as well as others.  He's been with John Deere for over 11 years and found himself totally at home at the game fair.  He is an avid hunter and fisherman!

Thanks Eric!

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

The Game Fair: Participants!

Meet Betsy!

And her kids!



They were kind enough to let me share a table with them and get out of the sun for a bit.

Nice meeting you Mary!

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Game Fair: Dog Registration

Meet Mary!


She was at the dog registration table for one of the dog events.  She has been with the Game Fair for over 10 years and loves seeing the dogs perform!

Thanks Mary!

Monday, September 12, 2016

The Game Fair: Games for Everyone

The father and son below were having a great time trying slingshots (not so easy!) and archery. 




The boy has form!


And, he hit 2 balloons out of 5 arrows!


Nicely done, D.

Saturday, September 10, 2016

Game Fair: Dogs!

One of the cool things I like about Game Fair is that dogs are welcome.  They have many different competitions for the dogs.   But, the dogs seem to have a great time seeing hundreds of people and other dogs. 

I had stopped for lunch and a asked if they could share my table.  "Of course," I said. Then I saw their dog with them.   I did NOT colored the his eyes. This is all natural!


And the dog was friendly!  Especially when he noticed I had a hot dog that looked appetizing!

Thanks for a very nice lunch conversation and the photos.   That is an amazing dog!


Thursday, September 8, 2016

Game Fair: Business Owner and Running for Office!

Meet Tony!


He runs the Metro Gun Club a few miles from my home.  And, he was kind enough to give me my first lesson shooting trap with my new shotgun.  That was a few years ago.  He remembered me (no doubt due to the trauma of teaching me anything with a shotgun) and said that most of his nightmares of the experience have dissipated.  

I was pleased to see he was running for a state representative office.  I hope he makes it! 


Nice seeing you again, Tony!  And, thanks for the lesson!

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

The Game Fair: Vendors: Keeping up the Smile!

Meet Bill!


He had a booth very near the front entrance dealing Spectrum Brand Hunting Products out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  What a great smile and face!!!

Nice to meet you, Bill!  

Monday, September 5, 2016

A Work Event: Wine and Paint Night

At the end of a long week, the powers that be decided we needed to do a team bonding event.  These can be tricky events.  The safest is usually a dinner out. 

But, this group was not going the safe route!   It was a company sponsored wine and painting night.  The last time I painted anything was a few years ago.  And, it was a living room.  I was.....filled with trepidation!

The lovely ladies below were the artist and her assistant.   After all, when you have 20 neophytes with paint brushes and paints, you need an assistant!   They were delightful, charming, and quite encouraging!  I knew they were good at what they do for two reasons.

They came prepared.  And, they even said I did well....without laughing too hard.  Sure, there was the quiet snicker under their breath.  But, what could I expect!  I haven't done any artistic painting in 55 years!!



This was what the finished product was supposed to look like.  


When you sat down, they had paint, in the approximately correct amounts, neatly arranged.  They even gave me 4 brushes!   And, none of them were very big.  I thought I'd at least get a 4" wide brush.  But, nope. 


Did you know you can mix colors!!!


At the end.  This was what my paint pallet looked like.


And, this was my finished painting.  I gave it to my grandsons to motivate them toward the sciences and math.


To our two artists, my sincere thanks.  I really did have a nice time.  You were wonderfully helpful.  And you didn't snicker too loudly while I was in the midst of my creative genius.