Once again, I updated my King Manor: Buy a Basket Co-op poster

I must keep my poster updated, deleting all irrelevant information to make room for relevant information.

On our way back to Duluth, Minnesota from MLP-MSP F, we crossed the St. Croix Crossing

We wanted to avoid all the road construction and delays we had encounter on our drive south on Interstate 35; so we took the St. Croix Crossing to get to Wisconsin State Trunk Highway 35 to get us back home.

Neither Kathy nor I have seen, let alone have crossed the St. Croix Crossing until June 16, 2019.  We were both impressed as we drove over the St. Croix Crossing that spans the St. Croix River, between Oak Park Heights, Minnesota on the west end of the bridge and St. Joseph, Wisconsin on the east end of the extradosed bridge.

The Hyatt Regency Minneapolis had some technical problems during MLP-MSP F

As I didn’t have any internet enabled devices at MLP-MSP F, I only knew of their “unexpected internet outage” by talking with some fans and by reading these two letters written and then distributed by the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis staff.  It amazes me that so much of our lives in the year 2019 are now interconnected by the internet and internet enabled devices.

More ponies attended the Aurora Borealis Concert performances

On the left is Thunderlane, in the center is Maud Pie, and on the right is Princess Celestia plush dolls.  I have observed that having one or more My Little Pony:  Friendship is Magic plush dolls in a room claims that space for the brony and pegasister community.

Kathy and I toured the now open Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Part Two

I’m attempting to do the Superman pose, without much success.

I stand before the gigantic blue rooster that German sculptor Katharina Fristch's named the “Hahn/Cock”.

I end my visual essay with a photo taken outside of the gardens.  This is me being silly in front of Loring Park's dandelion-shaped fountain named the Berger Fountain.

Kathy and I toured the now open Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Part One

In 2016, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden was closed for reconstruction, thus Kathy and I could only see the beautiful garden from the outside.  In 2019, we made the effort to tour the now open gardens.

I grew out my hair for MLP-MSP F.  I wonder if any of the other attendees grow up their hair for MLP-MSP F.  A youthful, Brony man told me that I look like a human version of Discord and I agree with him.  I plan to get a haircut soon, as the hot, summer weather will make this gray mop uncomfortable to wear outside.

Kathy looks good in front of the famous Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture.

A table for advertising for HarmonyCon

HarmonyCon will be held at the Crowne Plaza Addison Hotel, just north of Dallas, Texas.

The Earth pony mare illustrated on the handbill is named Harmony Star, while her friend (not shown here) is a Pegasus mare named Harmonic Tune.

Things I wore during the convention, or bought at the convention’s vender hall.

It is somewhat difficult to photograph light objects in the same frame as dark objects.

Fluttershy attended the Friday night MLP-MSP F Aurora Borealis Concert.

I saw hundreds of pony plush toys at the convention.

I attended the Friday night MLP-MSP Aurora Borealis Concert.

I heard and saw GeekBrony play his wonderful musical compositions from 9:45 PM to 10:30 PM.

There were many happy bronies and pegasisters at the concert.  When these people started jumping in unison, the floor started to vibrate slightly, making me worry if the floor would collapse.  Similar to Twilight Sparkle, I tend to worry about silly things that have a slim to none chance of happening.

According to his web site, GeekBrony lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.  GeekBrony proclaims to be a “20-year-old horse musician”, although he appears to be a normal human in my eyes.

An information table for BronyCon 2019

It must take some effort for BronyCon 2019 fans to place a table for a Baltimore, Maryland convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

It would be nice to meet Lauren Faust at BronyCon 2019.

MLP-MSP F convention’s mascots

Looking from left to right, we see Snow Drift an Earth pony stallion, Prairie Heart an Earth pony mare, and Gwen a griffon hen.

MLP-MSP F convention’s video game room hours sign that changes color

I do love taking pictures of things at these fun conventions that may never be photographed by anyone else.  Also, I really love how this sign changes color from white letters

To purple letters

To blue letters

My MLP-MSP F program book

This is the front page of the convention’s final program book.

Even as MLP-MSP F ends this year, there will still be two more excellent pony conventions to attend later this year and next year.  I have no idea if I will be able to attend Ponyville Ciderfest 2019 and/or Whinny City Pony Con 2020.

What I saw from my MLP-MSP Hyatt Regency Minneapolis hotel room, Part Two

I have no idea why there are planters on the roof where few hotel guests can see these.  They were also blow over during a strong Saturday night windstorm.  This photo was taken Sunday morning.

What I saw from my MLP-MSP Hyatt Regency Minneapolis hotel room, Part One

The sky I saw on Friday night

The morning sky on Saturday

The rainbow I saw that Saturday as a rainstorm was leaving downtown Minneapolis

My MLP-MSP Hyatt Regency Minneapolis hotel room

The door to my hotel room

What my hotel room looked like while I was there

I do love to take pictures with mirrored surfaces

My “Buy a Basket Co-op” food arrived on June 24, 2019

This illustrates the healthy food you get from a fruit basket and a vegetable basket for the small price of ten dollars.  I bought this food for the regular patrons of the nearby Rainbow Center.

I attended Michelina’s All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti Dinner at the DECC!

I ate this fourteen dollar dinner at 11:00 AM and loved it!

I ate this second dinner around 3:00 PM while watching people fuel up on spaghetti!  The motto “Eat Pasta (to) Run Fasta” is believed by many runners.

A gift was given on June 14, 2019 at 9:30 AM, outside of King Manor.

I gave a second winged unicorn pendant to Kathy.

I’m sure that Kathy will love her new, red stone pendant and will wear it often.

Model railroad magazines for ACRacebest

Dear Race:

I took the city bus to Barnes & Noble, intending to purchase two model railroad magazines to assist you in building your first model or toy train layout.  I ended up buying more than just two magazines.  The reason is that I started building my first layout without a description of what I wanted, much information about model railroads, or seeing what others had previously built.  Thus, I ended up making several avoidable mistakes that costs me both time and money.  I hope that these magazines will help you avoid these mistakes.

Moreover, I give you a broad view of the many types of model and toy train layouts, so you can choose the ones that will bring you the most happiness.  I suggest that you write down a one paragraph vision statement that describes what type of model railroad you want before you start building.

Having visited many home model railroads, I see that the people who have the most fun include their family and friends when building and operating their layouts, making their model railroads “our” projects.  Railroads such as the Pittsburgh, Allegheny, and McKees Rocks Railroad (PAM) got me thinking that you could name your model railroad the Sarahville, Saberspark, and Black Gryph0n (SSBG) Railroad!  I’m sure that with time you could think of better names, based on your family and friends’ names for your model railroad.  Furthermore, I think Sarahville is a really cool name.

These three people who are important in your life could each have a station and a town on your model railroad named after them.  I know of many people who have created freelance “fantasy” railroads and thus named their model railroads after their friends and family members.

Your model railroad could become a showcase for Sarah’s 2-D and 3-D art, from backdrops to billboards to sculptures.  In the Model Rail magazine, May 2019, page 47, the modeler used 3-D scans of his body to create Gothic statues for his model guildhall.  Sarah could scan herself for a six to twelve inch tall statue placed in the public entrance of the Sarahville station.  Or, you could create a freelance Mount Rushmore that features the faces of your family and friends.  In addition, Sarah’s art could be both off the trains and on the trains.  For example, Sarah could take inspiration from the multi-paneled “Image Wall” on the Duluth Lakewalk.

Some freelance layouts have custom painted train cars that display their freelance railroad’s name and logo.  They order fifty to one hundred of these cars, keep ten to twenty for themselves, and then sell the rest to other model railroad fans who want to pretend to be exchanging train cars with their railroad.  In other words, Sarah could design your freelance railroad’s logo, as well as featuring her art on the freight and passenger cars.

Reused freight shed that is part of an artist colony that is northeast of the DB Werk Grunewald station in Berlin, Germany.

Sarahville could be a sculpture garden inspired by Sarah’s artwork, while Saberspark and Black Gryph0n could have their towns inspired by their interests.

My Dragon magazine article has one paragraph describing Natural Tunnel State Park in the state of Virginia.  Every memorable model railroad I have visited has at least one outstanding feature that makes it memorable to visitors.  Many casual visitors don’t see what is so exciting about a generic town, next to a six inch wide generic patch of woods, next to another generic town and might even say so.  Having a shortened version of that natural tunnel could be your layout’s star attraction.

My Railroad Model Craftsman article shows that nearly anyone who puts their mind to it can get published.  Once your first model railroad is presentable, could you get your layout published in a model railroad magazine?  A model railroad is similar to a garden, as you never really complete it, as you can always add to it or replace things that you though were great as a beginner, but don’t appear that good as an expert.

By the way, Open Railway Map is a service that shows railroad fans maps of railroad track around the world.  Kind of useful if you want to see if any location near you has any active railroad tracks.

https://www.openrailwaymap.org/

Lastly, from one model railroader who has been in the hobby on and off for the last forty years to one who is just beginning; I hope these magazines will get you on the right track to this wonderful and multifaceted hobby.  To consider many possibilities, and then choose the ones that brings you, your family, and friends the most happiness.  Do you want layouts built for operation of trains, creating beautiful scenic views, or have large scale trains loaded with battles of drinks and bags of snacks that slowly circle your layout during your home parties?

You can always find new ways to enjoy model railroading.  For example, garden model railways combine outdoor gardens and model trains. Or, someone had built a table from sheets of clear acrylic glass, so that their visitors can see subway trains underneath the city streets.  Reading those hobby magazines opened up many possibilities for layouts that I never knew existed.

Sincerely,

Dances with trains

My June 2019 example of curious Team Fortress 2 physics

For someone who has no wings, the blue scout flies quite well.  From this image, it looks like that he almost reached to the top of the map’s skybox with that flight!

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Open House Sun, May 5, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Part Six

This is a brief history of the church fire and the people who make the congregation at Gloria Dei Lutheran church a happy community.

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Open House Sun, May 5, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Part Five

The balcony of the church, looking north

A balcony storage room of the church, also looking north

Electronic devices to be installed in the church

A sign I found on the storage room wall

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Open House Sun, May 5, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Part Four

Someone made a legible directory for the renovated church.

June’s 2019 Happy Birthday Party

June sure looks great for a 2019-year-old.