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By Tracy Davis, on February 11, 2010, 2:45 pm
 I know that Griff usually has a corner on the fluff department, but I have two college-age daughters and occasionally I have to throw them a sop. They called my attention to the fact that local boy Justin Plank, bass player for Gospel Gossip, was named by VitaMN as “Male Hotness” winner. (If you haven’t heard Gospel Gossip, you may have seen Justin hanging out on on his motorcycle in front of Goodbye Blue Monday.)
This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the Committee for the Beautification of Northfield, a self-delegated, un-official subcommittee of the Streetscape Task Force.
By Griff Wigley, on February 10, 2010, 7:59 am
 My wife Robbie has been scanning old slides and she came across this hoar frost photo she took waaaaay back when we first moved to Northfield.
Back then, willow trees lined both sides of the Cannon River south of the 5th St. bridge. She took this photo behind the Safety Center facing east.
By Griff Wigley, on February 6, 2010, 11:54 pm
  
There’s an ice palace in the Carleton Arb, just off the start of the Ann Sipfle Memorial Ski Trail. Candles are stuck on the sides of the inside walls.
Looks like a great place for a romantic night under the stars. And with Valentine’s Day coming up… hmmm, this gives me a great idea. Cheap, too.
By Griff Wigley, on February 5, 2010, 6:21 am
 Eric Johnson sent me these photos last week of an owl perched on his patio porch light.
What kind of owl is it? (Hint: it doesn’t hoot.)
By Griff Wigley, on January 1, 2010, 8:59 am
 KYMN’s Tim Freeland is covering the story of this overturned car at the front door of Hogan Brothers this morning. You’d better check to see if yours is missing.
I guess the police were right about full moons, especially the blue types.
By Griff Wigley, on December 31, 2009, 6:59 am
 Today’s New Year’s Eve blue moon is pretty rare. It occurs every 19 years. I took this photo at 6:12 am over Bridge Square in downtown Northfield but technically, the blue moon won’t appear till this afternoon and should be visible (clear skies predicted) directly overhead at midnight tonight as we ring in the new decade. Watch out, though. LA Times:
Some evidence shows that arrests for petty crime and public drunkenness increase 5% during a full moon, and police expect extra aggressiveness and antisocial behavior from revelers whenever a full moon occurs during a holiday.
By Griff Wigley, on December 25, 2009, 11:55 pm
 With my extreme disappointment over the predicted snowstorm that failed to materialize, I tried to find something to post before midnight on Xmas that would reflect the spirit of the day. I found one at Someecards, natch.
Warning: not for the tender-hearted or easily-offended!
By Griff Wigley, on December 3, 2009, 7:43 am
  Northfield Police Sergeant Mark Murphy has evidently been given responsibility for plowing the parking lots at the Northfield Safety Center. The task comes with a few perquisites: his own parking space, complete with his own sign post inscribed with the police officer’s coat of arms. A new uniform has also been ordered.
By Griff Wigley, on December 3, 2009, 7:17 am
 John Thomas sent us this photo of the time/temp sign at the Community Resource Bank this morning.
By Griff Wigley, on November 11, 2009, 7:24 am
 A few weeks ago, my son Collin and his New Jersey sweetie Amanda asked me to perform their marriage ceremony. Having spent 7.5 years in Catholic seminary several decades ago, I guess they thought I was suitably qualified. So I became a minister with the Universal Life Church and last Saturday, married them in Rincon, Puerto Rico. The wedding photos aren’t quite ready so here’s one of me and Robbie yesterday in the bamboo church on the beach where the ceremony was held.
I sure hope I’ll be invited to attend upcoming meetings of the Northfield Ministerial Association.
By Griff Wigley, on October 30, 2009, 8:42 am
  I’ve been a fan of ‘separated at birth’ since the days of Spy Magazine, so when I saw Northfield Mayor Mary Rossing in the HideAway Coffeehouse and Winebar last week with someone who looked somewhat like her, I paused. It turns out, her sister Jane Rossing (a regular visitor to LoGroNo, she contends) was paying a visit to Northfield. On the right: a current favorite ‘separated at birth.’
By Griff Wigley, on October 25, 2009, 11:44 pm
The Ames Mill dam claimed another victim last week.
By Griff Wigley, on October 14, 2009, 7:27 am
By Griff Wigley, on October 14, 2009, 6:41 am
 The sledding hill below St. Olaf’s Old Main was sporting the remnants of Monday’s minor snowfall yesterday.
By Griff Wigley, on October 12, 2009, 7:57 am
  
This beaver (same one from June 2007?) was making the rounds on 4th St early this morning by the Grand Event Center. It wasn’t happy about having me take its picture (grouchy about the early snowfall?) so I coaxed it into my raccoon cage and will place an order with Randy Malecha at Willie’s Shoe Repair for a new hat.
A tip of the blogger beaver hat to Felicity Enders for the alerting me to the creature’s presence.
By Griff Wigley, on October 2, 2009, 8:08 am
I got treated last week to a surprise birthday party, orchestrated by my sweetie. She called on these people to help:
   
L to R: Jeff Johnson, KYMN, emceed the roast; Tim Freeland, KYMN, took the video; Doug Bratland took 24 photos at the start of the party and blogged them within an hour on Northfield.org; and Bridgette Hallcock, DJJD photographer who took over 300 photos throughout the evening (including the above ones of Jeff, Tim and Doug). I’ve put up a party photo album of 100 of Bridgett’s photos here.
 Bridgett’s the best special event photographer around, IMHO. Her card says: "Bridgette Hallcock Photography, Castle Rock, Specializing in outdoor photography of seniors, families, and special events. 507-271-3262."
Update 10/3: Robbie was horrified when she saw this blog post because I didn’t include two people who worked behind the scenes with her prior to the event:
 
Jessica Paxton and Tracy Davis. Thanks, ladies!
By Griff Wigley, on October 1, 2009, 8:47 am
By Griff Wigley, on September 23, 2009, 8:41 am
 
Where can I get name tags like this one in Northfield?
I want to have them for attendees at the upcoming banquet commemorating last fall’s Save the Penis campaign at Carleton.
By Griff Wigley, on September 19, 2009, 7:22 am
  I blogged about the problem of beige houses way back in the fall of 2006.
This fall, we had a chance to do our part to rectify the problem when our townhouse fourplex was scheduled for painting. Left: the old beige. Right: the new non-beige.
Good thing I’m sleeping with an artist.
By Griff Wigley, on September 18, 2009, 10:59 pm
  KYMN radio host Wayne Eddy keeps this sign hanging on the dashboard of his convertible.
I’m not sure he wears spurs very often any more and I’m not sure he can still squat, but I guess we all need self-reminders at times.
By Griff Wigley, on September 11, 2009, 7:08 am
I went to take photos of two of my sons, Tyson and Graham, doing a tandem skydive yesterday near Baldwin, Wisconsin. When I got there, they surprised me with an early birthday present: "We’re paying for you to go, Dad." I needed no arm twisting. As I wrote back in July, I don’t have a bucket list. But as a bit of a thrill seeker, my list would likely have more than a few adrenaline rush experiences, skydiving among them.
  
Tyson paid the extra fee to have them video his jump. The above photos are actually screenshots of the video. Yes, they’re poor quality, but they’re enough of a teaser until he gets the video posted.
I love extreme roller coaster rides but nothing I’ve ever ridden compares to this. Dangling your feet out the door of the plane for 15 seconds at 13,000 feet is thrill #1. A-n-t-i-c-i-p-a-t-i-o-n. The first 15 seconds of the plunge is thrill #2 and it was the biggest rush I’ve ever felt. Nothing else comes close. The next minute of free-falling is thrill #3. Weightlessness rocks! Add spins to it for an extra kick. The final 10 minutes of turning and spinning after the chute is deployed is thrill #4. They hand you the steering straps so you can experience how easy it is to control the chute. Landing is thrill #5.
 
John Bucsko, co-owner of Skydive Twin Cities (with me in the right photo), was my tandem guy. He said this has been their best year ever despite the recession. It’s a first-class operation. The staff was fun and friendly, the plane was top-notch, and all their preparation routines smacked of a rigorous approach to safety. I watched them pack their chutes. It was like a prayer service. Complete silence as the focused completely on the task at hand.
By Griff Wigley, on September 2, 2009, 1:38 pm
 
I spotted this pink 1956 Ford Thunderbird (Minnesota collector license plate ‘56 Bird”) while driving through Golden Valley yesterday afternoon. I managed to get the photo on the right without taking my eyes off the road. Honest, honey.
 Nick, how about a special ‘56 T-Bird show in downtown Northfield? Look at how it put downtown Petaluma on the map.
By Griff Wigley, on August 31, 2009, 7:21 am
  I walked out of the Goodbye Blue Monday on Saturday morning to see a 1971 Triumph TR6 parked outside. I bought one new after I got my first job after college so I was curious to find out who owned this one. Back into GBM I went to learn that it belonged to Northfielder Judd Lohmann (aka the main squeeze of Susan Lohmann of Over and Back fame). His dad, Art Lohmann (see the license plate, “ARTS TR”) bought the car new from the factory and shipped it back here. He invited me to take it out for a spin, warning me that it was a babe magnet. Shore ’nuff, a few hours later I picked one up and we spent the day tooling around the hills of Red Wing.
By Griff Wigley, on August 27, 2009, 8:19 am
By Griff Wigley, on August 11, 2009, 6:52 am
 
No barking after 7 am, say these signs scattered throughout the dog park. But only for today?
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