Whistling Past the Graveyard, New Baseball Digs, and The Boar's Nest....

I woke up this morning, grabbed a shower, and put on long dark gray khaki pants, and a long sleeve t-shirt...I was thinking that the weather gerbils would be at least close on the forecast...66 with a chance of rain for today was what it said last night....after the shower and getting dressed, I checked out the "revised" forecast on the Internet Weather Channel...76 for a high, with a 80% chance of storms....looks pretty sunny out there at this hour, with some showers around, but I won't be the back 40 on that prediction either.

Yesterday I headed north, again, toward Blue Creek Township, where Wayne Trace High School is located....I had a 8th grade football game to officiate...it would not be much of a contest.  The young Raiders took on Hicksville(where I will be for a Varsity game, working on Friday evening)...a scored early and often, en route to a 68-12 victory, to remain undefeated.

Before the game I walked over to the new baseball facility being constructed just to the south of the old diamond and parking lot....WT has had a problem with the old field not drying during the spring baseball season, and having to cancel and/or move games to get the season in...this new field, sitting up higher on the windy plains of Blue Creek Township should help with that problem.  Its looks like a vast improvement.  I usually do 2 or 3 varsity baseball games at Wayne Trace a season, as well as under varsity football and basketball contests.

The Scott(Ohio) Cemetery____

I'm not prone to visit graveyards much, unless I am doing Genealogy research....so even though I travel through the Scott and surrounding  area at last a couple dozen times a year, I had not been to the graveyard there since I retired from the Van Wert County Health Department back in 2002.  Last night I stopped by, just for no other purpose than stopping by....Dad, his mom, grandfather, sisters, one brother, cousins, uncles, aunts, are buried there.  In fact most, but not all of the Waldron, Houseworth, and related clans are there...well at least their ashes are.  Graveyards are just that, a place to lay people's bodies...the people are somewhere else, or their souls at least are.   As a Christian, I believe you are either in Heaven, Hell, or in Limbo somewhere in timeless space, waiting for the judgment day.

Anyway, Dad's grave and stone are still there, in good shape, where he has been since late in 1972...he died on Christmas Eve of that year and was buried on a cold December 27th that same year. His family and relations are nearby in that small town burial ground. on the Van Wert-Paulding County Line.  Next to dad is his Uncle Joe Waldron(my great-uncle) and his wife Nellie.  Joe was a year or so older than my Grandmother Wilda Waldron Houseworth, he was born in 1881 and passed away the year I graduated from High School in 1967...Nellie was much younger, being born in 1902 and passing in 1986.  Joe Waldron was a tall lean man, who as I look at his photos, looked much like his dad, my Great-great Grandfather, William H. Waldron...Joe was a great guy, at least to me.  He was also a founding member of the Scott Gun Club, photo from around 1900 is attached, as is a 1927 photo of him and Nellie.

My Great Uncle Joe, a good guy and an excuse to add these old photos....as for me?, I plan on being cremated when I go....but who knows?  I might change my mind...or someone else might make a different decision.

The Boar's Nest_____

Last month at this time I was over in another wind swept field, this one near Kokomo, at the 28th Howard County Vietnam Reunion.  I only got to spend 24 hours or so at the bash, but enjoyed every minute of it...at least the minutes I can remember.

My VSPA buddies Tom McCandless and Sam Lewis were there, along with thousands of other Vietnam Vets, families, and friends....

Tom has a little spot next to the farm fields...he calls "The Boar's Nest"...and "Sweety Pie", the garage sale Boar's Head overlooks the camping area....yesterday Sam sent me a patch from the site and event, I will add it to my collection, and be wearing it next summer when I return to central Indiana for the events....Thanks Sam and Thank You Tom for the hospitality and brotherhood.

Not sure what is in store for me today....no football until tomorrow, perhaps...perhaps...Hell, I'll just take the day as it unfolds.

back later>>>>
Photos-The Scott Gun Club taken in Scott, Ohio about 1900....my Great Uncle Joe Waldron is second from left...his future brother-in-law, Otto Hockenberry, my Great-Uncle by marriage is on his right(3rd from left as we look at them).  Dad's stone in the Scott Cemetery...The new baseball facility takes shape at Wayne Trace High School....Uncle Joe and his wife Nellie's stones, next to dad's grave.  Nellie and Joe in 1927, he was already 46 by this time, Nellie was but 25.  The Boar's Nest Patch....and Sam Lewis, me, and Tom McCandless with "Sweety Pie" the Boar's Head at the campsite....Click to enlarge these photos.