On the Road to Hilltop, Deshler, and Back....part 1

The Athletic Director at Crestview High School in Convoy just called, the double header for this morning has been cancelled due to wet grounds.....heavy rain pushed through Van Wert County last night, down here we got a little less. In reality, we needed the rain. And even though I don't like rain outs, I had gotten 15 straight games in, including 7 over the past 3 Saturdays, with a couple of Triple Headers and a Single Game last weekend. Unlike last season when a full 40% of the scheduled games were washed out, thus far this regular season, I have 22 games in and this was only my 5th and 6th rainouts.....I'm not complaining, plus to be honest, my knee, the right knee "kneeded" a rest....I've been trying a new stance behind home plate to better see around the catchers and pick up the late breaking pitches...and this has put some muscles around that right knee in a bit of discomfort.

The rain and storms look to be around at least through Monday, so we will see what happens to the schedule for the upcoming week....

Mom and Mike leave Florida this morning, and should arrive home sometime tomorrow afternoon....I see big rains and some heavy storms are hanging throughout Georgia on I-75, so that could slow their progress as well.

The Trip North to West Unity_____

Thursday I may my longest trip of the season up US 127 towards the Michigan State Line...almost 80 miles from my house to the ballpark at West Unity, where Hilltop High School plays it's Varsity games. It was in the low 70s with plenty of sunshine, and the cruise up 127 took me past the old family haunts of Scott and Blue Creek Township on the way north.

I left early, and stopped along the way to take a few photos...but even that didn't prevent me from arriving a full hour+ before the game...pleny of time to relax and take in the park. When my young partner arrived, he wanted me to do the plate, so I obliged...the game went without incident, and the homestanding Hilltop club defeated the young Fayette Team(in their first year back to a Varsity Schedule) in 5 innings by a 12-2 score(run rule is 10 after 5 at bats)...and I was out of town and on my way to Tom's place at Deshler before 7PM.

I arrived at his place around 8, changed clothes, and we headed up to the Corn City Bar/Pub to grab a bite to eat and down some beers....I started out with a Blue Moon, but at $3 a pop, I looked for something easier on my wallet...and spied a rack of Pabst Blue Ribbon long necks....Bingo! PBR was my beer of choice back in High School, until I left for the Air Force in 1968...my father-in-law, who may drink a beer a week, still swears by Pabst, on the rare occasion that he downs a beer.

We watched NFL Draft without interest, and the Cleveland Cavs vs Bulls NBA Playoff Game, again without interest....we downed about a 6 pack each...and headed back to his place where I crashed....Tom was up by 6 to work and feed the horses, and clean the stables...I showered and was out by 7am...headed to the Shell Station to grab a 20 oz Coffee, then head out to the Ivan's Stables on Ohio 18, to see the horses that they are working with for the coming racing season....mostly Pacers with a few Trotters in the mix of 2 and 3 year olds....

Snapped some pictures, said our good byes, and I headed back through "Corn City", past the Patrick Henry High School Baseball Diamond, where I umpired a Northwest Regional Game last May, and picked my way through the backs roads the remaining 70 miles to Celina.....Garry and I were slated to umpire a Midwest Athletic Game between Delphos St. Johns and Marion Local at Maria Stein...the rain held off and we got the game in within an hour and 40 minutes. We expected a close contest, both teams were evenly matched in our minds, but DSJ jumped on top early and pulled away with a 16-4 run rule contest...a pleasant treat to say the least.

We headed for the Chickasaw Tavern after the game where we met up with Garry's wife and some friends....I downed a couple and headed home....a busy week completed, and actually I'm not disappointed in the day off today, and the usual Sunday break from Baseball.....

Enjoy the Weekend....I'll be back later, Part 2 next time

Photos-The Courthouse in Paulding, Ohio, where I started with much of my Family Genealogy research:

http://www.israelhouseworth.blogspot.com/

My Great-Grandparents moved to Paulding County after the Civil War and settled in Blue Creek Township. A back view of the Scott Elevator in my old home town as it looked this past Thursday, and as it looked some 100 years ago about 1910...it has burned down on several occasions only to be rebuilt anew...the last being in 1960. The Cary Grubaugh Farm on 127 just south of Scott...this is where the Outlaw Marvin Kuhns met his demise in June of 1907...That's old Marvin on his death bed in Van Wert, and the .38 Smith and Wesson that put Marvin Kuhns in his grave...still in excellent condition today.

And a PBR Long Neck....I downed a few Thursday in Deshler, Ohio.....the first time in years I have tried Pabst...my favorite beer as a teenager in the late 1960s.