The 34th Annual Sam McQuade Sr./Budweiser Charity Softball Tournament begins at diamonds in Bismarck, Mandan and Baghdad today.

Welcome to all the players and fans who will gather for the weekend to play, watch softball and do good works. May the softball gods favor your catch, throw, tag and swing.

The tournament has over its life raised more than $1 million for charities.

The thing about softball is that nearly anyone can play. There will be at least one player suited up who's in his 80s. There will be fine athletes, and some regular Joes just having fun with their buddies.

There will be women's teams playing serious softball and others enjoying time with the girls. There will be teams with a long tradition at McQuade's, as well as newcomers.

The numbers are sort of mind boggling. Last year, 424 teams took part in the tournament. It was, according to McQuade's Web site, a record. The total number of teams taking part over the years is nearly 12,000. It takes eight diamonds and about 1,000 volunteers to put on the event for nearly 6,000 players.

The National Weather Service predicts highs in the 70s and 80s over the weekend. It will be summer, and, hopefully, perfect weather for softball. Get out the sunscreen. Drink plenty of liquids. And beer drinkers, be responsible. With a little care, everyone can have a good time, win or lose.

Thank you to the volunteers and to McQuade Distributing Co.

Good news for anglers

Not only are there more walleye than normal in the Garrison reach of the Missouri River this spring, but the fish caught are of good size for eating.

If that isn't enough good news, a researcher at the University of North Dakota says that fish from the state's rivers contain a high level of selenium, which counters the effect of mercury.

North Dakota has a fish consumption advisory related to mercury, and it suggests the amount of fish a person might safely consume based on the kind of fish and where it's caught.

For specific information, go to www.ndhealth.gov and click "fish consumption."

The research from the Energy and Environmental Research Center at UND suggests that if the data proves out, the advisory might be lifted in the future or at least made less restrictive.

We have more and bigger fish, and eating them might just be better for us than we thought.

If softball and McQuade's doesn't interest you, perhaps walleye fishing at Lake Sakakawea or on the Missouri River would be a better fit.

Have a great weekend.