Final Post

This will be the final post of my blog. I want to reflect a little bit about how I thought the blogging went. Overall I think it had good and bad aspects to it. One good thing about it is that you can chose your topic. That makes it very easy to write if you know a lot about your topic. It also makes it more enjoyable. Another good thing is that it helps your writing ability. Going to college next year I am expecting to write a number of papers so this helps get me used to all the typing. There were a few things that I did not like and want to talk about. One thing is the amount of blogs every week. Most high school kids are told to join a lot of activities because it gets you more involved and such. I am a great believer in this theory. If kids are in a lot of activities they are most likely not concerned or just don't have the time to write three blog entries a week. This is most likely one of the reasons so many kids didn't do all of the assigned writing. On the other side of that it helps you to learn how to manage your time. As you can see I am torn between the two sides. This whole blogging assignment would have been on my better side if we didn't have to write three entries every week. One entry would be sufficient in my opinion. I feel this way because I am one of those kids that is in a lot of activities, and it was difficult to get the assigned writing done every week. In conclusion the actual writing part isn't too bad, but the amount of writing should be lessened in my opinion.

Graduation

I would like to write about fishing and the outdoors, but I haven't been able to do much lately. I have been extremely busy with graduation parties and other things that it has been almost impossible to do any fishing. Grad parties are very important to go to because they wrap up your high school career. My parents and I have been getting ready for mine now for about three weeks. There is a great deal of planning that had to be done. Luckily it isn't until next weekend so we don't have to stress about it much quite yet. The parties I have been to have been very nicely set up. A typical set up goes like this. It is usually hosted in a garage. There are a lot of tables and chairs set up with maybe a tent outside for extra seating. There is a lot of food at every one. Usually a main course and a number of sides are presented. Guest books, pictures, and achievements are a must. It will be the same at my grad party, but a few changes. We are having it in the back garage. There will be a tent outside for extra seating. We have about 10 tables for people to sit at. The food is going to be from Zio Johno's and other places. There will also be ladder ball, volleyball, basketball, and a big bonfire. Grad parties are a lot of work to get ready for. We worked for about 3 or 4 hours today cleaning out the garage and setting things up. It can get very tyring especailly when you are trying to get to other peoples' parties in between. Next weekend is when the majority of parties are it. It will be very stressful, but fun at the same time. I'm very excited for not only the parties but the actual graduation itself is right around the corner. Hopefully everything will go smoothly, and everyone has a good time.

Prom

Prom is a day that most people remember for the rest of their lives. It was no different for me. I had one of the best nights of my live that I can remember. Here's how it went down. First, I picked up my date and we headed over to a friends house for pictures. There were about 20 people there. After we got done taking pictures, it was time to head to school for grand march. If you don't know what grand march is, it's where all the seniors and their dates walk and get their pictures taken. It is also where the crowning of the king and queen of prom takes place. To be considered for one of these you must be voted into the top seven by the entire senior class. Then the seniors get to vote on a king and queen out of these seven people. I was lucky enough to be in the top seven. We walked out onto the stage awaiting the crowning. We were all very anxious to see who it would be. I personally thought that I had no chance. All of a sudden I felt something on my head. It was the crown! I was absolutely speechless. I could not believe the crown was actually on my head. It was like a childhood dream come true. I am very grateful to all of my classmates for picking me. Anyway, enough about that. After grand march we went to Elmcrest Country Club to get more pictures, eat, and dance. The food was very good as well as the dance. The DJ played a lot of good songs and there was always enough to drink when you got tired of dancing. After the dance we went to post prom at the bowling alley. This was also a very good time because there was food, bowling, and even a hypnotist. The night ended very early in the morning the next day. Prom is supposed to be something you will remember forever. The memories from that night will be with me and bring a pleasant smile to my face.

AP Economics Test

Here at Kennedy we have a great number of AP courses. I am in AP economics. There is one reason people take these courses, and that is to get college credits. In order to get these credits you have to get a certain score on the AP test, which is at the end of the year. This test for my class is in two days. I am really nervous becuase I'm not sure what to expect. This my first AP test and so I am new to the process. I have been studying fairly hard for this. The scoring ranges from 1-5, 1 being the worst and 5 the best. I have to get at least a 3 in order to get college credits. I feel like my teacher has been doing a very good job in preparing us for this important test. Hopefully I get at least a 3. My goal is to get a 4, but a 3 would be fine. I need to do good on it because I'm going to study business in college, and this would help my schooling out a great deal. Wish me luck!

Pond Fishing

The fishing in my pond has been getting progressively better as the days go on and the water gets warmer. The temperature has been consistently in the 60's to 70's. This helps the water warm up very quick, especially in smaller bodies of water like my pond. I'm not exactly sure of the water temp, but an estimate would be in the upper 50's. The crappie have been biting now for a couple weeks. They are becoming more aggressive as the weeks go by. A couple of years ago they had a very good spawn. I know this becuase there are many of them in the medium size range. One day I was fishing with some friends at the pond. We were using minnows, and I knew that kind of bait should produce some good crappie fishing. My hypothesis was correct. The crappie just inhaled the minnows. The bass were also attacking them. They were also hungry that day. This is a good sign becuase it usually takes longer for the bass to start biting. Now I know that they are biting and I can start fishing for them. Crappie is what I go for when I want to eat some fish. They are the best tasting fish I have in the pond. In my opinion they taste just like a walleye, the only difference is the size of fillets. Anyway, the day we used minnows for bait we ended up cleaning about 15 fish that had good meat on them. That is a good day in my opinion.

Fishing Outings

One day I was very bored after school. I was at home and looking for something to do. I noticed the weather was very mild that night. It was about 65 degrees and sunny. Fishing would be a great pass time. I hadn't fished in my pond at all this year so I thought I would give it a try. It usually takes a lot of warming up before the fish start biting in there so I wasn't expecting anythying too great. I tied on a samll jig with a twister tail and made my first cast. I was realing in my line and all of a sudden I saw and felt something swipe at my lure. I didn't catch the fish, but it was a good sign. I knew that it was most likely a curious little bluegil that didn't have a big enough mouth for the hook. This gave me hope for the rest of my time out there. I made a few more casts and the same thing kept happening. I wasn't getting any solid bites. Then, after about 10 minutes, something awesome happened. I was realing in my lure and it was fairly close to the top of the water so I was able to see it. It got about 4 feet from me and then all of a sudden I saw this big flash. It was a big crapie! It latched onto my lure, and took me by complete surprise. This was the only fish I caught that day because I only made I few more casts feeling quite satisfied with just that fish. Another fishing outing I want to share with you all is one that I didn't participate in. My uncle went down to Lake Mcbride two nights ago. I couldn't go because I was working. I was disappointed, but I knew there would be other times. Anyway he discovered that the crapie were spawning. He caught 15 that night. This is good news for me because that is my favorite time to go to the lake. You can easily catch about 20 fish when this is happening. This provides for an extra special and exciting time. Those are a couple of the latest fishing outings this spring.

Tordado Alley

Most of you already know that Iowa is in the Tornado Alley of the United States. Today is the first time this year that we have had evidence of this. A storm system came through the area yesterday, but brought mostly just heavy rain showers. Today was a different story. It was the most humid day this year by far. You could feel yourself moving through the dense air. This is one of the ingredients for a harsh storm. I knew we were supposed to get some heavy storms, but I didn't know how bad they would be. You can never be too sure about the weather forecast, especially in the state of Iowa. The weather is very unpredictable here. Anyway, I was at a graduation party when I heard the bad news. The small, but well-known to me, town of Central City was hit by a tornado. Where I was it wasn't even rainining. I couldn't believe a tornado had hit Central City already. I thought it was too early in the year for the tornadoes to kick in. I know this town very well because the Wapsipinicon River runs directly through it. It has a dam that is great for fishing, and a state park that provides awesome camping. I was very surprised at this news. I am not sure at this time the damages of the park, but I think they are minimal. Hopefully everything will be back to normal before the camping season gets into full swing. This just goes to show you how unpredictable Iowa weather is.

A Chorus Line

Kennedy High School is well known for its drama program. People know that we usually put on spectacular shows. We do a fall musical, a winter play, and a spring musical. I have only been a part of two shows here at Kennedy. The first one I was in was a musical of "Cinderella". This occured last year. It was, for the most part, a success. I wasn't a big part of the show, however. I was in the chorus and appeared only a few times throughout the show. I am currently in the musical "A Chorus Line". This production is about an audition for a broadway musical. You get to know each character throuout the audition process. I was lucky to get a principal role in this musical. My character name is Don Kerr. He is a ladies man and is very confident in himself. He used to work at strip clubs in his hometown of Kansas City, Kansas. I enjoy playing this character because I think it fits my personality, and therefore is relatively easy to portray to the audience. I feel like this show has a wonderful cast. The dancing and singing abilities are outstanding. The acting is also very good. Everyone really gets into their characters. I think, for the most part, everyone has a part of their real life personalities in their stage personalities. We have worked very hard, and rehearsed for numerous hours trying to make the best product possible. I am a senior this year so this will be the last time I get a chance to do anything of this sort. Hopefully I can leave it all on the stage and give great performances. I am greatful to be a part of this incredible show.

Perfect for a bonfire

Bonfires, in my opinion, are one of the most enjoyable spring activities you can do with your friends. The weather in the spring is usually very nice and great for having them. The nights are usually a little chilly which is good because the fire will take care of that no problem. On Friday night the weather was outstanding. The temperature was cool, but not too cold. The sky was clear as a bell allowing us to see the stars very clearly. The fire was big and bright. We used a lot of wood that night to keep it that way. The fire pit we were at was well constructed. After the fire died down a little, we got some marshmallows and roasted them over the fire. There is nothing better than the taste of golden marshmallows roasted over a fire. We could not have asked for a better night. There was one incident that did not go too well for me. I was cooking a hot dog over the fire. I wanted to check and see if it was done. When I but my mouth on the hot dog my lips accidentally touched the flaming hot steal poker that they were on. My lip now has an outline of the shape of the poker on it. It did not hurt too bad, but it was just one of those things that you know you should not have done. Anyway, everybody else made it without hurting themselves. In conclusion, the nice weather and bonfires bring a lot of fun and pain. Either way they are a good time.

Chamber Choir

At Kennedy High School the vocal music department is known for having great choirs every year. Mr. Ziegler is the main director and Mr. Sands is the assistant director. I am lucky to be in the elite choir in the program. We call it chamber choir. We meet every other day during 6th hour. Some of the songs we are doing include: "Virga Jesse", "The Uncertainty of the Poet", "Lay a Garland", "Fauna Canzona", and my favorite "In Remembrance". These songs are much more difficult than the ones sung in regular choir. They give us a good challenge, but I think we handle most of them quite nicely. Every year this group goes to the state ensamble contest. This is most likely not the kind of contest you are thinking of. Groups do not compete against each other, they compete against a rating system. A one is the highest, then a two, then a three, and so on. This contest was at Linn-Mar High School this year. We arrived there at about 2:30 pm with a perfomance time of 3:10. It took a while to find where we were supposed to be, but we managed to find it. The songs we would be performing were "Virga Jesse", "The Uncertainty of the Poet", and "In Remembrance". We got to choose the songs we performed by a vote. These three are all very good songs that everyone in the choir liked. We also felt very comfortable with how they sounded when we sang them. This made it easier to perform them in front of a judge. During our performance an audience member's cell phone rang. It was quite distracting. Somehow we managed to pull ourselves together because we ended up getting a one! I was very happy to find out this news later in the day. It felt good to know that we were the best that we could be, and the judge liked our songs.

First Spring Outing

Easter is a day of celebration for many people. It was also the day of my first spring fishing outing. I had been extremely busy up to that day for numerous reasons. School, work, and play practice are the main culprits. I was eager to get out and try the fishing, and that was going to be a great day weather wise so I thought let's give it a try. I knew that it was still quite early and the water temperatures were still very chilly. The fish would not be moving very fast so I would have to use a slow presentation along with live bait. One of my friends had told me that the walleye were biting on the Wapsipinicon River at the Central City dam. This could have very well been true. The fishing on the rivers tends to pick up before the lakes because the water is always moving and the weather does not affect the fish as much. Walleye, Northern Pike, and Muskie are the first fish to spawn. This means that you have the best chance to catch these species. The water temperature only has to be in the upper 40's for these fish to spawn. This is relatively low compared to bass which need the water to be at least 50 degrees or higher. When walleye spawn they go to the dams on the rivers. This is why I went to the Central City dam, in hope that they would be spawning. For some reason, it may have been the mini cold front, they were not biting like I thought they would be. We actually did not catch one fish. However something very peculiar happened that I have never seen before. My father was reeling in his lure and something bit his lure. He started tugging on it and he said it felt like a big one. When he got it to the shore we realized that it was a large clam! The clam actually bit onto the lure my dad was using. I've never witnessed that before, and possibly will not again in my lifetime! So even though the fishing was not the greatest, we still had a good time.

3rd Hour Off

Since I am a senior now I have an hour off of school during the school day. It is 3rd hour. This is the best hour of my day. My three best friends also have this hour off so it makes it extra special. We do a number of different things during this time. Everyday we do one thing like clockwork. This is eating. It is the best part of my day. We go to a bunch of different places. Yesterday we went to Sonic. The day before that we went to Burger King. Other destinations include Wendy's, Daren's Cafe, Arby's, Taco Bell, McDonalds, and many others. We like doing activities when we have extra time after eating. Ping pong is usually one of the daily activities. When the weather is nice we go outside and play a little basketball. Sometimes we go hot tubbing in Daren's hot tub. It is a great time, and I look forward to all of our time together every day. It is a nice break from school.

A Successful Bonfire

If you want to know how to have a great bonfire this is the article for you. The first thing you have to do is collect the wood. You want to make sure you have plenty of wood so when the fire gets going it is easy to feed more wood into it. This will ensure a steady base fire. You want to get three sizes of wood. Small, medium, and large pieces are needed. Tinder, which is the smallest flakes of wood that you can find, must go on the bottom of the fire. Newspaper or some other kind of starting material is recommended also. After all the wood and starting material are collected, the base of the fire must be assembled very carefully. There are many styles of fires that you can make. The log cabin, tee pee, and the lean to are the most common. To construct a log cabin you put the newspaper and the tinder in the middle. Next, put medium to large logs (preferably the same size) on two sides surrounding the tinder. Put two more logs of the same size on top of the previous logs. These go on the corners of the logs. Stack a few more up and then put some small to medium sized logs in the middle. Now all you have to do is light the tinder in the middle and you have your log cabin. The tee pee has almost the same construction. Tinder and newspaper goes in the middle. Put medium sized logs in a tee pee above that. Then add larger logs in another layer of the tee pee outside that. The lean to is the easiest way to make a good fire. All you do is find a thick log and set it on its side. Then, put your tinder and newspaper beside it. Prop up small to medium sticks over the tinder. Light the tinder and add larger sticks when the fire gets going. In conclusion, the log cabin, the tee pee, and the lean to are three great styles of fires that are sure to get you hot!

My Work Experience

I got a job at a new chinese restaurant called Jaimen about two months ago. I had been previously keeping an eye out for a job that would suit my interests. This was a good choice for a couple reasons. First, It was fairly close to my house and school. This makes transportation very economical and less time consuming. Second, I have been intriged by the restaurant business for a while and wanted to see how it all worked. Third, it will give me some needed money for next year when I leave for college. I am thankful for getting the job becuase they are hard to come by nowadays with the United State's economy the way it is. I was lucky that they were hiring when I turned my application in, and got an on-the-spot interview. I was hired right away. Now that I have the job I have a few thoughts on it. I work as a buss-boy, or server assistant as they like to call them. I help the servers clean up their tables and set them after their guests leave. On occasion, I do other jobs such as wash the windows, make drinks, run food, and much more. The work can sometimes be stressful when you have 3 different servers asking you to go do something for them. You are also on your feet for a great deal of time on each shift. This tends to get tiring after a while, but in the end it's not bad work. The food there is absolutely amazing. It is gormet chinese food. The chefs are all from China so it is authentic as well. They do a great job in making it look good as well as taste good. There is only one thing that I have heard people complain about. Since it is a fine dining establishment the prices tend to be a little higher than other places that Iowans are used to. I think it is worth every penny because we try and provide the best service around, and the food is incredible. That is a little about my new work experience.

Cooking Walleye

Walleye is by far my favorite freshwater fish that lives around Iowa. If cooked right it has almost no fishy taste. It also will be flaky and delicious. Let's look at some ways to cook this awesome fish. One way is to bake the fillets in an oven. This is a good way for your mom to cook fish. I prefer other ways however. Another way is to smoke it. Smoked fish is a delicacy and I would cook them like that every time if it didn't take so long. That is the only problem with that way of cooking. Pan frying the fillets is also another option. This is a good way also. I like to bread them with some cracker crumbs, lemon juice, butter, and seasonings. This makes them crispy and enjoyable. The real manly way to cook fish is to grill them. I love the taste the grill gives the fish. It is best to put foil down before laying the fish on the grill. You should also make sure to add plenty of butter and seasonings. My all time favorite way to cook fish is right on a camp fire. Here is how I do it. First, get a large piece of tin foil. Then, put the fillets on the foil. Add a large amount of butter. Put whatever kind of seasonings you like and don't forget the lemon juice. Then fold the foil over the fish sealing the fillets in. Make sure you clear a place for the foil pouch in the fire. It works well to spread coals out evenly and flat. Set the pouch on the coals and it usually takes 7 to 10 minutes depending on how thick the fillets are. Thicker fillets may take longer. When they are done you will be able to flake the fish easily with a fork. That is my favorite way to cook fish. You should try it sometime. It is delicious!

Spring Fishing

Fishing in the spring time can be very productive. Here are the ins and outs of spring fishing. First of all, you want to make sure the water temperature is around 45 degrees before you start fishing, especially for bass. As the water temperature gets warmer the fish become more active. Cold water temperatures mean lethargic fish that might not want to bite. If you are fishing for walleye, pike, or musky the water temperatures are not so important. In fact, pike are the first species to start spawning. They have been to known to spawn before all the ice has melted. The next thing you want to think about when fishing in the spring is what kind of bait to use. The best bait to use really early in the season is live bait because the fish like it when they are still lethargic from winter. The general rule for lure selection is go smaller in the spring and larger in the fall. For walleye fishing I like using a jig with twister tail tipped with a minnow. Vertical jigging seems to be the best way to use it. My favorite bait to use for bass is the Rapala X-rap. This has a great action and can be worked slow because of the suspending body. Working baits slow is key for spring time fishing. For crappie fishing I like using live bait. A minnow and bobber is your best choice. I also like using a lure called the road runner. This is a lure that flashes like a minnow would do. This attracts crappie and can be deadly when they are spawning. There are Ryan's spring fishing tips. For more fishing tips check out some of the websites linked to my blog.

DNR articles

I would like to share with you some information I read in some Articles from the DNR's website. The first story is about a man fishing on Clear Lake. The lake was still half covered in ice and this guy wanted to try his luck with the musky. The amazing part of this story is that on his very first cast he felt something pulling on his lure! Little did he know it would be a 47-inch 30 pound musky! Luckily the park ranger witnessed the whole thing so he can't be telling any fishy stories. The next story relates to me in a very direct way. Some pond owners have been calling the DNR about fish kills in their ponds. Let me explain how a fish kill works. During a hard winter, such as the one we had this year, a heavy blanket of snow may cover the ice. If this happens sunlight cannot penetrate the ice depleating algae growth and oxygen in the pond. Without oxygen in the pond many fish can die. This has happened to us with our pond a few years ago. It was a terrible experience. There were numerous dead fish lining the shore of our pond. I had no idea what was going on. My dad didn't like it much, and he searched around to find the answer to why all these fish had died. There is a way to fix this problem, and many people have done this to their ponds. You can put an aerator in the pond allowing it to stay open all year long. That way the fish have plenty of oxygen and you don't have to worry about them dying. This is what we did, and it works like a charm.

Weather

The weather on spring break is supposed to be like spring isn't it? I guess that's not true for Iowa. We have some of the strangest weather patterns in this state. You never know what the next day will bring for sure. The week before spring break had a few days where it got into the seventies, and it was extremely beautiful like spring. We get into our spring break and that disappears quite rapidly. The temperatures plummeted back to freezing, and the rains began. This was pretty disappointing for many people. Especially people like me who want to be outdoors. I did manage to do a number of things outdoors despite the cold temperatures. I did things such as camping, basketball, and tennis. However, I didn't get to do my favorite activity which is fishing. When the temperatures are as cold as they are, the fish seem to not bite as well. Cold fronts can be devastating in the spring time. They turn the fishing off very fast. I have proof of this. My uncle went to the Mississippi River on a day when it was about thirty-five degrees and they caught one fish. You might say that's still one fish, but the Mississippi River is known for producing much higher numbers than that. That river is actually my favorite place to fish. Anyway, that is why I think it's a good idea to wait until it warms up a little more to go fishing. I can't wait to get out and try it for the first time since winter hit. The weather plays a big part in fishing, and I hope I will be able to time it out just right. In conclusion, I hope next spring break is warmer, and I'm excited for the weather to warm up.

Spring Break

Spring break is a time for students to relax one last time before summer starts. It is almost over now, but I can tell you that it has been a great time for me. A few days ago my friend and I got the urge to go camping. We haven't been in a long time, and it sounded like a great idea. We knew it was going to be a cold night so we made sure to bring plenty of warm clothes. We packed up all our things and headed out to the campsite. It was located by the Wapsi River. This river has been good fishing for me over the years. I wanted to go fishing that night, but we didn't have enough time or daylight. The dinner that consisted of fish and beans. The fish was frozen from the fall, and it was about time to make a meal out of it. We put the fillets in a tin foil pouch along with butter and seasonings. The fire cooked the fish perfectly, and it was an awesome meal in a rugged place. The beans were also very good warmed by the fire. It was a very nice meal for us campers. With those tin foil pouches, you can put whatever you want in them and it will most likely taste good. Anyway, the fire was our source of heat. Without it I don't know how long we would have lasted out there. Our tent was filled with blankets and we were huddled in our sleeping bags like burritos. I must say it did get quite cold in the middle of the night, but I would rather have it be cold than hot. Atleast that way you can always put more blankets on. We had a few friends stop by and hang out for a while, and it was a good time. Iowa is filled with great camping opportunities. We did our part in keeping them that way by cleaning up after ourselves. Hopefully you will do the same on you next outing. Have fun and be safe.

Nashville

As you all already know I am a part of the show choir at Kennedy called Happiness Inc. During the first part of spring break we went to a national competition in Nashville, Tennessee. I want to share some of our experiences with you in case you ever want to travel there. We headed to the buses at 2:00 in the morning on the Thursday before spring break. It takes around 12 hours to get to the destination. We arrived in Nashville in the early afternoon. Our hotel blew most of us away when we first saw it. Personally it was most likely the biggest hotel I had ever seen. It's called the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. The hotel was one of the neatest things we got to experience on the trip. It looked like a jungle on the inside with trees, a river, and waterfalls. The hotel also had a bunch of restaurants to chose from. I ate at a place in the middle of the hotel that was quite expensive, but very nice. They served sushi there and it was quite delicious. I ended up eating there again before we left. The show choir competition was held at the Grand Ole Opry House. This is a famous theatre that the most well known country superstars perform at. It was an honor to be able to perform on that stage. The results of the competition were not the most favorable considering how we were doing prior. We got 5th place which is still great, but I think most of the people in our group were to do a little better. Nonetheless we still had an awesome time, and I hope I get to go back to music city again someday!

Blogging

I have a number of different views about blogging. First off, I would like to say that it is usually fun. I like being able to express myself in a journal kind of format. I especially like sharing information about the outdoors. It comes natural to me and it's fairly easy to write about. It is also nice to be able to write about other topics that interest me. I don't always have to stick to the blog topic and that is good when I can't think of anything to write about. It is also cool to look back at early posts and see how I have progressed as a writer. There is one thing in particular that I do not like about blogging. My opinion is that we have to write too many posts per week. Three posts is a lot because I have a lot going on every week. For example, I have show choir practice, work, musical practice, and show choir competitions on the weekends. Add in some homework every night and I don't see a whole lot of extra time to write three blogs every week. Even if we just cut the amount of posts down by one it would help a lot. Two posts a week is much more reasonable, and would help the busy students out a great deal. I agree witht the word count restriction because if you didn't have one then peopel would just write a few sentences and call it good. It also makes it fair so some students don't end up doing more than others. Besides the number of posts, I think blogging is a great way for students to practice writing skills that will be useful in the future.

Show Choir Rankings

1-Wheaton Warrenville
220.00
2-Linn-Mar
212.00
3-Urbandale
208.00
3-Waubonsie Valley
208.00
5-Findlay
202.50
6-Cedar Rapids Kennedy
192.50
7-Fairfield (OH)
191.00
8-La Crosse Central
190.50
9-Franklin Central
190.00
10-Buffalo Grove

These are the top 10 show choirs in the nation. Happiness is lucky to be number 6! The rankings are done by a point system. Groups receive points for how good they do in competitions. The most points go to the grand champions of the competition, then 1st runner-up, then 2nd runner-up, then 3rd runner-up... and so on. There are also points for caption awards. Caption awards include things such as best cheorgraphy, best vocals, and best band. This is an accurate way to rank show choirs, in my opinion, because it is fair. Numbers don't lie and there are no biases toward groups. This is a great way to compare your schow choir to other ones around the nation. It just gives us more incentive to keep working hard and doing the best show that we can!

Iowa State Parks

Iowa's state parks are a thing of beauty. They provide campers with a number of different activities to do and sites to see. These wonderful creations need to be preserved. The state and DNR are working together to try and accomplish this. Beginning Feb 1, campers are allowed to reserve a spot in an Iowa State Park for the Camping Kick-off Weekend May 1, 2, and 3. During these days campers will receive a bonus package that includes a camping coupon good for one night of camping at an electrical site, a free issue of Iowa Outdoors magazine, recipes, camping tips and more in a reusable mesh trash bag (Iowa DNR). This is supposed to help promote being a green camper. Last year the State Parks Bureau spent around $750,000 on utilities of the parks, so this year they are providing information on how campers can reduce the amount of water and electricity used in the campsites (Kevin Szcodronski, chief of the State Parks Bureau for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.) "We will be encouraging the use of the reusable trash bags to collect trash around the campsite, recycle what we can, and put the rest where it goes, then keep the mesh bag for reuse," said Kevin. During the past few years, Iowa's camping numbers have been around 700,000 in the 53 state parks that offer camping (Iowa DNR). As you can see Iowa is full of great camping opportunities. The parks are located on focal points of the areas. Throughout the years Iowans have stayed close to home during rough economical times, and we can expect the next few years to be the same. This will increase the number of campers because it is a good way to relax without speding you whole wallet. I am hoping to get out to at least one of these great parks this year. They really are a place where anyone can go and have a good time. So let's keep them that way. If you do decide to take advantage of these parks just remember to keep them looking healthy and beautiful.

Ice Fishing 101

If you are a beginning ice fisherman, this is the article for you. It all starts with the rod. I'm sure you have seen ice fishing rods before, but if you haven't they are much smaller than regular fishing poles. They are usually about 2 or 3 feet long. There are a few different types of reels to choose from. An extremely small version of the open faced reel is a good choice, but the older type that looks like a wheel works just fine. The best line size to use is 4 lb. line. This will give you the sensitivity you need to feel every bite. It also allows your small reel to function much better. The best lure in my opinion is a small jig tipped with a wax worm. This has produced the greatest number of fish over time, and almost any type of fish will bite it. Another thing that you will need for your first outing is an ice auger. Hand augers are relatively inexpensive and work well for cutting your ice fishing hole. Some people prefer a motorized auger. It is really up to you. Those are the basic necessities for ice fishing, but there are a few more things that most ice fisherman won't leave the house without. First, is some type of sonar. This allows you to see what depth you are working at, and it also can point out some fish that might have been missed otherwise. Another thing is fishing tent. There are a number of different styles and sizes to choose from. These keep the harsh conditions of winter outside. You can also operate your poles without gloves because your hands won't freeze in the process. These are the ice fishing basics. If you are going out for the first time, make sure you take someone with you. It is never safe to go ice fishing alone. Good luck!

Showchoir

I know this blog is about the outdoors, but I want to share with you another passion of mine; Showchoir. I am in Cedar Rapids Kennedy Happiness Inc. This showchoir was the first of its kind in the Midwest. It paved the way for other showchoirs to come. Now, there are many showchoirs in the area. There are 5 in the Cedar Rapids area alone. That means a lot of competition for us. For the past couple years we have been the best group in Cedar Rapids, and I hope this year is no different. We had our first competition last weekend at Linn-Mar High School. Going into the competition we were worrried about just making finals. Once we found out that there were a ton of great groups there we were even more afriad. The director of the competition even expanded the groups that could make finals to 7 from 5. There were about 12 groups that won grand championships the previous year. We felt somewhat unprepared and didn't know how we were going to stack up against these outstanding groups. It turns out we had less to worry about that we thought. We ended up placing first in the day round and 2nd in the night rounds. Our group was so excited, and happy to see all of our hard work finally pay off. We start practicing in July so as you can see it is a long process full of ups and downs. The competitions always bring out the best in us. We are excited to be having another opportunity for competition this weekend. Happiness is traveling up to the high school Davenport North to compete in the competition held there. I'm sure it will be another fun filled day of showchoir! Wish us luck!

Fishing Report

I would like to share the fishing report for local fishing waters. These reports are coming off the Iowa Department of Natural Resources website.
"Lake Macbride (Johnson): Crappie fishing has been fair to good and some nicer-sized fish have been caught. The recent heavy snows may slow things down but fish have been coming off deeper brush and drop-offs.''
''Lake Rathbun (Appanoose): Ice thickness has been measured at 8 to 9 inches. Crappies have been biting on minnows and by vertically jigging around submerged habitat. Fishing has been the best at Atwell's, in Honey Creek, and in Buck Creek. The gate is now open at the Glenwood area.''
''Lake Sugema (Van Buren): The bays and coves have been producing some catches of bluegill and crappie using small jigs tipped with a wax worm. Last week the main lake still had some open water due to a flock of geese so use caution. The Tug Fork lakes have also been producing some catches of crappies using minnows.''
''Pool 11 tailwaters by Guttenberg continue to be slow for angling; however, some saugers are still being caught. The amount of open water has been shrinking dramatically this past week. Fishing is only accessible by airboat or by pushing a small boat out from the DNR landing. Some good sized crappies and perch can be caught at Mud Lake in Dubuque. Fishing is best late in the day.''
''Cedar River (Black Hawk): Walleye and crappie fishing is fair to good in deeper holes with good ice conditions. Use extreme caution when fishing river ice."
As you can see the ice fishing is pretty good around the state of Iowa, and I hope it will stay this way.

Good Technology

In a recent post I told you that i had ordered a new sonar unit called the Showdown. I have, since then, received it and put it to use. There was a small problem however. When I first took it out of the box, i noticed a plastic piece was broken on the bottom of the unit. A person never likes when he or she receives something broken so I called the dealer and he offered me a new one. He also suggested to call the manufacturer to get a new part, which would save time and money. This is what I did, and it turns out they sent me a new piece and everything works just fine. When i first looked at the display, I wasn't exactly sure how to read it. It didn't take long for me to realize that it was way easier than i thought. The top is the top of the water and the bottom is the bottom. The depth is displayed right away and is great for finding a spot to fish. You don't even need a hold in the ice for this unit to work! That's right it can "see through the ice", which is amazing to me. It is similar to the Vexlar in the sense that the bigger lines indicate bigger objects such as timber, rocks, and large fish. The smaller lines represent smaller fish and little algae pieces and things of that sort. An ice fisherman once said to me that he forgot his sonar unit at home on the way to go fishing, and ended up turning around and getting it. That's how much of a difference these units can make. I now believe it and the Showdown is truely the sonar of this generation.

More Snow and Fishing

Last night Cedar Rapids received another bucket load of snow. I must admit it was very nice waking up to a white heaven, but those feelings didn't last long. My dad calls into my room, "Get up! It's time to do some shoveling." At that point I wasn't very happy, but a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do. So I put on my clothes and made my way outside. I know no one likes shoveling, but that's all part of living in the state of Iowa. You never know when you will wake up to more of the white stuff outside. Looking at the bright side, I don't have anything going on today so it might be a good time to get in some fishing time. The fishing report for Lake Mcbride from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says that small bluegills are plentiful, but the crappie are hit and miss. It also says the larger fish are being caught in deeper brush and drop off points. I don't think I will have time to drive all the way down there today so I will most likely try a closer spot that produced some good fishing last year. This is located off Blairsferry Road on the way to Palo. I call it the Greenbelt. This is decent backwater river fishing. It is fairly deep and has a number of trees that provide nice cover for the fish. The weather is supposed to be somewhat nice today and hopefully the fish think so too. Wish me luck!

The Showdown

There is a new product from Nature Vision called the Showdown. It is a digital ice fishing fish finder. It does the same thing that a Vexlar does, but has more advanced technology. Instead of a confusing circle graph like the Vexlar has, the Showdown has a vertical display which allows you to view the water column like it is below you. It is much easier to read than the vexlar. The top of the display is 0 ft. and the bottom is the bottom of the water column. Another advantage of the Showdown is its size. It takes up much less space than the traditional Vexlar so it is great for use in a tent. Another great feature on this device is its quiet operation. The Vexlar has noisy motors that can be annoying while trying to enjoy the peaceful outdoor atmosphere. The Showdown is also very easy to use for people who are new to the fish finder era. The main reason I'm telling you this information is because my birthday was two days ago and I am getting this for my birthday. I have personally used the Vexlar and thought it was somewhat confusing to read the circular display. I am excited to see how the new Showdown works and hopefully it will help me catch more fish!

First Winter Fishing Outing

For most students the holiday break is just a relaxing break from school filled with family get-togethers, but for me it was more than that. It was a perfect time to get out ice fishing. Lake Mcbride was the destination. It was 7 am when my friend and I stepped foot onto the lake. The lake was dropped about 8 feet before the winter hit, and now exposes a lot of, what used to be underwater, structure. We first drilled holes near a tree that was somewhat close to the bank. I knew a good spot from last year was a little farther out, but this was in the same area. We picked up a coulpe small bluegill, but we wanted to find the crappie. We tried drilling farther out on the spot I knew from last year, but we didn't have much luck. After a while we got tired of not catching anything and moved back around the tree that we tried earlier. The crappies were not here either, although we did pick up a few more bluegill. The trip wasn't a great success, but it is always fun to get out on the lake.