Real Estate History in the Making!

One of the biggest changes in the history of Real Estate in Crosslake, just took place this past week. The Real Estate Company of Crosslake/Shores & More, is now RE/MAX Lakes Area Realty! Both companies have joined forces to be the best Real Estate company in the Brainerd Lakes Area, and I'm proud to be a part of that. I'm now a RE/MAX Real Estate Agent, so if you're looking to buy or sell, or if you know someone who is, let me know! I'll be happy to help in any way I can.

Vikings, Vikings, Vikings!

So, I've been a huge Vikings fan all of my life. I'm really excited about this team! Hopefully I'll be heading to Miami in February!

Opening Night

"Curtains" was a great success last night in Pequot Lakes. Great audience...one down, five to go!

CURTAINS!

"Curtains", a 2007 nominee for best musical on Broadway, opens Friday the 13th in Pequot Lakes. I'd say it's the most ambitious musical the Pequot Lakes Community Theatre has ever attempted. There is a lot of talent in this area, and that talent will be in full display once we open. The music is great, the choreography is outstanding, and the cast and crew have been working their asses off. If you have a chance to see it, you really should. For more information, go to www.glapa.info.

Gloomy Days

Because of a lot of rain over the past month, we were robbed of those great fall colors our area is known for. Fall colors really pop when the sun is out, but we haven't seen much sun, so the reds and yellows have been more like maroon and khaki. Very disappointing.

It's that time of year when us fisherman put our boats away and get ready for the lakes to turn hard. I was out for the last time on Tuesday, and the water temp was 46 degrees. Pretty cold, and I didn't catch anything. My boat will be going into storage within the next week.

Halloween is the weekend, so watch out for those little goblins that will be running around!

Crosslake Days

Crosslake Days is this weekend. There is lots of stuff going on. Car show in the Town Square, Patriot Foundation bike ride, chili cook off, etc. Check out the ol' town this weekend. You'll be glad you did!

Weather, Fish It Live It, Amery, and Crosslake Days

It's hard to believe, but we've had some of the nicest weather we've had all summer the past three weeks. The leaves started to change, and then they just stopped. I've had the best crop I've ever had of tomatoes, the green beans have been great, and our moon plants have gone crazy. The growing season has definitely been extended.

Big fishing tournament this weekend on the chain. Fish It Live It's inaugural tournament kicks off at 7:30 at Manhattan Beach Lodge on Trout Lake. For more information, go to www.fishitliveit.com.

SKATYRS is in Amery Wisconsin on Saturday for their Fall Festival. We're really looking forward to it. For more information on that, go to www.amerywisconsin.org and click on the Fall Festival tab.

Crosslake days is only ten days away, so stayed tuned for that!!

Purple Pride

I saw the weirdest thing tonight. There was a guy walking around the Metrodome that looked a lot like king cheese, but he was wearing purple. Same number as the guy I used to watch in Green Bay. Could it really be you know who? I think maybe so. Are the Vikes Superbowl bound? I hope so, because I told myself a long time ago, that if they ever made it to the Superbowl again, I was going no matter where it was or how broke I may be. This year the big game is in Miami, which would be a real good place to go come February, especially if you're from Minnesota. IF the Vikes make it, I'll just have to figure out how to pull that off. Back to number 4. Even though he's at the end of a great career, I think he gives the purple a better chance to make it with him than without him. My biggest problem with my favorite team going this year, would be listening to all of the cheeseheads talk about how the purple couldn't do it without their favorite son. Well, he's one piece of a big puzzle, and if it's meant to be, then it will happen. I know one thing for sure...it wouldn't happen in the land of the midnight cheese this year with him, and it certainly isn't going to happen without him either. For some reason they let him go, so we'll give him the shot he deserves, and watch number 4 bring the pride back to purple fans everywhere.

Rainy Week

Ya know, it's rained every day since last Sunday. I'm not complaining, cause we needed the rain. It could be warmer though...that I'll complain about. It's the end of July, so come on summer! It's time to make an appearance.

It should be a busy weekend in Crosslake. The Log Home Tour just ended this afternoon, after two days of looking at beautiful log homes in the area. Clear Blue is playing in the Town Square starting at 6:30 on Saturday. GB Leighton is at Manhattan Beach Lodge on Saturday as well, but he'll start later. You could take in both concerts. I think I will.

Have a good weekend!

Moondance Jam

Went to Moondance on Thursday. Decided not to go last night, because we weren't a big fan of the bands they had lined up. We're going for a while tonight though. As far as Thursday's bands go, they were all very good...BUT...it was so damn windy and cold, it was hard to enjoy ones self. We saw Foghat at 5:00, Kansas at 7:00, Sheryl Crow at 9:00, and Journey at 11:00. Foghat, Kansas, and Journey were good, but Sheryl Crow blew them all away. She was fantastic. I was very impressed and enjoyed her show very much. I was equally unimpressed with Journey. What a disappointment. I know they have a new album out, and bands go on tour to promote the new album, but come on! It's a "CLASSIC" ROCK & ROLL FESTIVAL! One or two new songs would be ok, but 10? Plus, the classic tunes they did do were changed so much at times, it was hard telling what song it was. On top of all that, they have a new lead singer that was ok...no Steve Perry or Steve Augeri by any means. Arnel Pineda is the new singers name, and like I said, he was ok, but that's all. He sounds fantastic on their new CD, but live not so much. Some of what was going on Thursday may not have been his fault...when the band did the songs like they were supposed to be done (the original versions are perfection) he did a nice job on the vocals. When they went off on tangents and screwed the classic songs up, he didn't do so well. He had a lot of energy and great stage presence, but that can only go so far when your audience is expecting something different. Especially when that something different is doing your classic songs like they should be done! I don't care how bored you are with doing them...give your fans what they want, or we'll stop coming. What a let down. :-(

Bean Hole Days, Moondance, & Music

If you're in Pequot Lakes today and tomorrow, you're probably there for the beans. That's right, it's time for the famous "Bean Hole Days". They've been doing this for years, and if you want a taste of those famous beans, you'd better line up early. The line gets pretty long, but it moves quickly. There's a lot to do while you're waiting for the beans to cook, so take advantage of this great family event. Just don't be downwind of Pequot later in the day.

Another big event that kicks off in our area this week, is "Moondance Jam" just up the road in Walker. It's the 18th year for this classic rock and roll event, and if you have tickets, you'll see bands like Grand Funk, Journey, Cheryl Crowe, Judas Priest, Foghat, Kansas, Yes, Asia, and the list goes on and on. This great rock and roll event starts on Thursday, and ends on Saturday night. I'll see you there!

Closer to home in good ole Crosslake, the Boss Grant Johnny Cash Review rolls into town for the Crosslake Music Series this Saturday. Don't forget to bring a non-perishable food item for the foodshelf, and if you haven't already, buy a commemorative T-Shirt. They're $12, and all of the proceeds go to offset some of the $14,000 it cost's to put on this music series every year. It's a great place to play and listen to music, so support the merchants, and tell them to keep it going!

Don't Hug Me!

A "Don't Hug Me County Fair" opens tonight in Pequot Lakes in the beautiful PLHS auditorium. It's a Community Theatre production that I'm sure will be funny and well acted. They always are. Barb & I are going tonight, and I'm looking forward to it. We're so blessed to have these kind of Theatre productions right in our back yard, so take advantage of it if you can.

Another blessing for movie buffs, is the Sunset Cinema located on Hwy 16 near Jenkins. It's clean, well run, and very comfortable. Barb and I went to see "Public Enemies" yesterday afternoon, and last Tuesday, we saw "The Proposal". I recommend both of them, but I don't think Barb liked "Public Enemies" all that much. Those shoot 'em up kind of movies are my favorites, so throwing in a chick flick every now and then, is ok with me.

As always there is a band in Crosslake's Town Square this Saturday night, so if you like music and free, you should be there. By the way, they're collecting food shelf donations every Saturday, so bring along a non-perishable food item if you can. You could also buy a music series T-Shirt, which helps offset some of the $14,000 it costs to put this music series on each week during the summer. Money is hard to come by these days, so shell out $12 for a T-Shirt so we can keep the music alive next summer!

Long Live the USA

As we move into July, I can't help but think about our founding fathers. I am so proud to be from the good ole USA, and if it wasn't for those brave 56 men willing to put their name on a piece of paper on July 4, 1776, who knows where we might be today. I also can't help but think about all of the brave men and woman who have given their life, in order for me to be free. FREEDOM. That's a word we Americans use a lot. But what does freedom mean to you? To me, it means I can go where I want, worship how I want, write what I want, sing what I want, hunt, fish, defend my home and family, love, succeed, and even fail, knowing all along, that these freedoms are precious and fragile. Please, please, please, don't take the freedoms you have in this country for granted. There are people out there that want this country to fail...they want us, as a nation, to go away. What they don't understand, is our people's will and fortitude. They can try to hurt us all they want, but it doesn't matter. We will always remember the people that have gone before us, and we will never forget their sacrifices that have made this country the greatest place to live on the face of this earth. Because of them, we will never give up our freedoms, or bow to the radicals that want to destroy it. Will will fight until we are victorious. Always have, and always will. God Bless the USA.

H.A.R.T. Fundraiser

This past Saturday was the first night for music in the Town Square. I hope, those of you that were there, enjoyed yourselves. I couldn't make it...we played at our drummer's daughter's wedding. Kali was a beautiful bride, and the wedding and reception was lakeside, so it was beautiful as well.

There's a big event coming up this Saturday the 28th of June. The Heartland Animal Rescue Team (H.A.R.T) is having a fundraiser called "The Shelter Dog Shuffle" under the big top at Norway Ridge Supper Club in Ideal Corners. If you buy a raffle ticket, you will have a chance to win one of three great prizes...an ATV, a $1,000 shopping spree at a local grocery store, and a weekend stay at a resort on the Gunflint Trail. SKATYRS will be playing from 8:00 to 11:00, so bring your dancing shoes and support this great organization. For more information, go to www.hartpets.org/shuffle.htm I hope to see you there!

Crosslake Music Series

Some of you have asked when the Crosslake Music Series is going to start this year. Well, I'm happy to report, that the concerts in the Crosslake Town Square park will be starting again on June 20th. SKATYRS will be there three times this year, with our first performance on Saturday, July 4th. The concerts are a great time to relax under the trees and listen to some great music. Bring your lawn chair or blanket, and join in on all of the fun. The concerts start at 6:30 every Saturday starting on the 20th, and will run through Labor Day weekend, when SKATYRS ends the season.

By the way, Don McClean was great, and yes, he sang "American Pie"!

Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie

Barb & I are going to see Don McLean tonight at Northern Lights Casino in Walker. I'm looking forward to it. I wonder if he'll do "American Pie"?

A Good Week

Pretty big weekend with the fishing opener stating in one hour. Last year it was on Pelican, and I was a guide. Once is enough. I had a good week this week...showed property, sold a house, picked up a new client, got a referral from a past client...things are looking up. I know I usually write about stuff going on in Crosslake, but Real Estate is happening in Crosslake. So, let me know if you or someone you know wants to buy house.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you Mother's out there!

Financing

I took a continuing education class today regarding financing in real estate. My advice to everyone...hook up with someone you know and trust in the mortgage business, and ask them to fill you in on what's new on a monthly basis...wow!!

Strikepoint!

This morning at Grace United Methodist Church where Barb & I belong, Strikepoint, a hand bell choir from Duluth, played. They were amazing. I really have never heard anything like it before. They were also using some things I've never seen before. They had this cool "thunder" gizmo, that looked like a painted piece of pvc pipe that had some kind of drum head on the bottom. Hanging from the drum head, was a long spring. This spring was really long, but no bigger around than a spring you find inside a pen. When the spring shook, it sounded like thunder. There are 11 players in this group, but they sound like 1100, because each one of them is playing several bells. They also played at the Pequot Lakes Auditorium on Saturday night. If you ever have a chance to see them, I highly suggest you do so!!

Oshkosh, Bgosh!

Barb and I are in Oshkosh visiting Hayley & Mike. Last night we went to a comedy club in Appleton, and had a lot of laughs. Hayl won free tickets by just filling out a comment card the last time they were there, and they took us along for the ride. We had a great time. Tried some new beer in the basement of this club, which looked like an old warehouse. Very cool. Tomorrow, even though I'm not a fan, we're going to cheesehead heaven...that's right...we're going to Lambeau Field! The plan is to take a tour of the stadium. I'm actually looking forward to it. Like I said, I'm sure not a fan of the Pack, but this is football hallowed ground. The Vikes will never have a football stadium like this, and that's really sad. When I'm at Lambeau, I think I'll put a hex on the cheesehead for years to come...just kidding...it will only be a year.

Wow, That's a Lot of Peeps!

I was told, there were 14,000 people in Crosslake for the St. Pat's parade this past Saturday. I was driving The Real Estate Company's van, with Char in the co-pilot seat. There WERE a lot of people here, but 14,000? Crosslake can't hold that many peeps, can it? I know we handed out 3,000 lucky shamrock stickers and ran out, so maybe.

Help Me, I'm Melting!

I cannot believe how fast the snow is melting. I'm actually starting to see grass in my yard. With as much snow as we've had this year, I didn't think it would go as fast as it is. Pretty soon, you'll be able to actually see the beach you're looking at buying. Hmmm...speaking of buying real estate, as always, it's a great investment. Especially right now. We've got a lot of stuff to look at, so give me a call and I'll help you find what you're looking for!

St. Pat's Parade

The St. Patrick's Day parade is this Saturday. It's the biggest event of the year in Crosslake, and we're expecting about 7,000 people to come and join in on all of the fun. This year's theme is "shake your shamrocks". I'll be in the parade driving The Real Estate Company/Pederson Team van, so wave as we go by. See you this Saturday!!

SKATYRS

SKATYRS...Still Kids After All These Years. That's the name of the band I'm in. That's right, I'm in a band. Some of you know that, but if you're a first time viewer to this blog, it's the first I mentioned it. We're a classic rock and roll band, and the reason I'm writing this, is to introduce a new member. My brother Brian was with us for over three years, but he moved on this past fall. So, our new guy is Joe McGown. He's a great guitar player, and a very accomplished vocalist. He also plays keyboards, and he's one of these guys that can harmonize to anything. For those of you that follow us, I know you will be impressed. I know I am, and I can hardly wait for you to hear us with him in the band. We're in the process of learning new music and getting ready for the up coming summer. We've got some jobs lined up, so if you want to see where we're going to be, go to our web site at www.skatyrs.com.

Would You Like Ice With That?

We had a pretty rare event in our area today...and ice storm. We usually don't get ice storms, but today was an exception. Our little dog Lexie can hardly stand up in the driveway. Our sidewalk is covered in about a half inch of ice, and being the clutz I am, I can hardly stand up on it. It's a lot warmer right now though, so I think this is about over. No power outages that I know of, but I've heard a couple of ambulances go by. I hope no one was seriously hurt.

We took in a few of the events for Winterfest over the weekend. I'm not sure who won, but the soup at Moonlite Bay was great. The best I tasted anyway!

Crosslake Winterfest

Hey...Crosslake Winterfest is this weekend. Lots of stuff going on. Here are some highlights:

Friday - 6:00-8:00 pm...Kick off in Town Square...bonfire & snow mountain.
Saturday - 7:00-Noon...Fireman's pancake breakfast, Crosslake Lutheran Church.
11:00-Dusk...Helicopter Rides, Moonlite Bay
Noon-4:00...Soupfest at select Crosslake Businesses
Noon...Bocce Ball Tournament at Riverside
1:00...Winter Olympics at Maucieri's
1:00-4:00...Radar Runs, Moonlite Bay
2:00-4:00...Golf Challenge at the Wharf
9:00...Karaoke at Ox Lake Tavern

The town will be hopping, so we'll see you there!

Home on Trout Lake of the Whitefish Chain

I hope everyone is doing well. It's another beautiful winter day here in Crosslake Minnesota. My bride and I went to see Gran Torino last week. What a great performance by Clint Eastwood! I'm not a real big fan of the Oscar's anyway, but he got screwed this year. I think it's one of the best performances I've ever seen him give!

Well, it's time for the great big Jaycees ice fishing extravaganza again. Tomorrow, thousands of hopeful fisher people will take to the ice on Hole in the Day bay on Gull Lake. It's quite the site to see all of those people on the ice at one time. No need to worry about the ice being too thin this year either, which is a great thing. I've heard the fishing isn't all that great right now. If you're out for Walleye's I think your best bet is after dark. Good luck to everyone tomorrow, and stay warm.

Don't forget, Crosslake Winterfest is coming up February 6th through the 9th...should be a good 'ole time!

Check out this house on Trout Lake...beautiful!!!

http://glarmls.fnismls.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=2a64736a-4103-4f27-b5e3-91e9666e916d&Report=Yes

Shirt Sleeve Weather

Wow! It's kind of warm today, and I like it...but, since it's not spring, there is no need to get excited about it. I did see a guy cross country skiing today in running shorts though. I think he was pushing it!

Squeaky Snow

I love the sound of squeaky snow. You know, the sound that snow makes when you walk on it during really cold weather? Well, that's what we've had the past few days, but it looks like that's going to end. I don't mind it getting warmer, don't ya know, but warmer weather brings slush and dirty snow. The warmer weather would be fine with me if it stayed that way, but we've still got a lot of winter left, so I wish it would just stay cold and not warm up until spring is really serious about sticking around. If you have a black vehicle like I do, we will at least have the opportunity to get it washed because the car wash places will re-open for at least a little while. They close when it's this cold, which is a real pain, because my car looks like crap. Nothing I can do about that though expect not buy black car the next time. Hey, there are a couple of snowmobile events coming up. One of them is in conjunction with Crosslake Winterfest in February. Here's a link http://www.ideal-sno-pros.org/events.html

Stay warm!

Fireworks on the Ice!

Hey...don't miss the fireworks on the ice at Breezy Point Resort tonight at 7:00. You can feel the shockwave in your feet...ooo, ahhh!

Snow, Snow, and more Snow

Well, if you like snow, this is a great winter for it. The snow machines can be heard through out the night, and the cross country skiers and snow-shoers are having a great winter too. I'd say we have close to 18 inches or more of packed snow on the trails. Here's a link to the Ideal Sno Pros: http://www.mnsnowmobiler.org/index.php?pageid=92&clubdetails=598 You can find a link to trails on their web site.

We've got some pretty good ice on the lakes, and I've heard the fishing is getting better. Not great, but OK if you know where to look. My son is catching fish, but that's nothing new...he always catches fish. Now, if I could just get him to bring some to his Mom & Dad.

We've got some great winter festivals coming up, starting with Ice Fest in Breezy Point this weekend. For a list of all the fun, check this out: http://www.breezypointresort.com/recreation/events/icefest.html

Crosslake is also having Winter Fest starting the 6th of February. Lot's of stuff going on that weekend as well: http://crosslakewinterfest.com/ I'll write more about this when we get a little closer to the big weekend.

It may be cold, but we've got some hot Real Estate deals right now. If you're interested email be at brad@pedersonteam.com.

Thanks for reading...I'll write at you later!

Brad

Lot's Happened

Ok, so I wasn't real good at my first attempt at doing a blog, but that's going to change starting today. I won't bore you with over a year's worth of stuff that happened in my life, but I will say that the wedding of my daughter was the highlight of 2008. She married a great guy, and we're very glad to have him as part of our family.