Rewinding the Fourth of July.....

Hot, Hot, Hot, just like a 3 full day Fourth of July Holiday weekend is meant to be....

Saturday morning I awoke early, grabbed breakfast and heading for Lincolnview High School, located half way between Van Wert and the small berg of Middle Point in Van Wert County.  I had not worked a game on Lincolnview's new diamond, but would do so this day.  It would be an important game between top seeded Delphos Jefferson and Crestview, both teams sat with one loss, and the loser would be eliminated from tournament play.  With temperatures in the 90 degree range, and a stiff wind coming from the southwest, I donned the gear and would work the plate...my partner Don would have a rather easy day in the field, with just one close call, that being a play at first base.  Frankly, in spite of the heat and humidity, my day would go quickly, and present few problems.

The game would be a pitchers battle, with just 3 total hits, and the same amount of runs, as Crestview eliminated the Wildcats 2-1...each team had the same amount of runs as they did hits.  We were done in just over 1 1/2 hours...and I was on my way home.  Foregoing the Celina Freedom Days Festival, I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening, sitting in the back yard, partaking in a few beers, ice cold ones at that, and smoked a couple of hand rolled cigars.  

Fast Forward to Sunday, July 3rd....

The Sunday double header I was supposed to work at the Coldwater/Mercer County Sectional had been reduced to one game because Fort Recovery had to drop out, due to injuries of some of their players in a car accident(all the boys will be OK).  So Gary Stelzer and I would work just one...and thankful I was to have just a single...even though  I would do the "dish" once again.

Little or no breeze accompanied the brutal 95 degree heat, and the two teams Parkway and St. Henry scored in 11 of the 13 half innings(Parkway in all 6 of theirs) as they scored a total of 21 runs on 26 hits in the 13-8 Parkway Panther win...eliminating the Redskins.  Fortunately the kids kept moving and swinging the bats, and we were out of there in just over 2 hours...I was gassed.  I had thought about mowing mom's lawn, but by the time I got home, my only request was a few cold Miller Lites....Patricia did the lawn.  Thankful I was.

Yesterday I turned down any games offered and Patricia, Anissa, Mom, and I headed 85 miles south to Centerville, to Hal and Lisa's condo, and the Centerville Americana Celebration.  The food tents and trinket stands stretch for a least a mile each side, with other activities in the park and side streets...the place was awash with people.  The sidewalk sales there put the local Celina Lake Festival sales to shame....and the crowds were impressive...we spend a couple hours walking and eating.  Pork Chop Sandwiches, Philly Cheese Steak, fries, corn dogs, and drinks.  We timed it right, because by the time we returned, the clouds of the early day have began to give way to sunshine and the heat and humidity was rising from the sidewalks and Main Street roadway. We said our good-byes, and were home by 4pm...the busy weekend was complete.  I sat and watched the Reds lose to St. Louis 1-0, and was in the sack by 11pm, a fast moving 3 day holiday weekend finished.

Tonight it's back to the baseball wars, and Tim K and I move on to Lima Shawnee for an elimination game there, but this time, a rare one of late, I will do the bases, Tim's turn at the plate.....after tonight, I am done until Saturday when I head to Rockford for the Junior ACME District Championships at Parkway....Sam is there tonight for the opening double header....next week the District ACME begins and I am at LCC for July 12 and 13th...after that the schedule remains unclear, but I am happy that the season winding down. I love baseball and working the games, but at 62, even in good shape for my age, the summer heat wears you down.

I would be remiss, if I didn't mention Fireworks and the forth of July....I was fast asleep by the time the Celina Freedom Days set off it's on Saturday Night....I did hear some coming from one of the far away rural towns, probably Mendon, last night as I settled in for the night....Fireworks for those that served in war, can cause different memories or thoughts.  Frankly, even those I was on my bases of Nha Trang and Tan Son Nhut for at least a half dozen rocket and mortar attacks, with one in October of 1969 at Nha Trang, landing within 50 feet of my barracks while I was sleeping early one morning...frankly the sound of fireworks, even when not suspecting them, never bothered me.  Other who were there or in other wars, they have a different effect.  My Friend Mushy, who writes his own well written blog, and has done so longer than me, was also, like me, and Air Force Sky Cop...he was there several years before me, and wrote back in 2006 on his first post Vietnam experience with homegrown Fireworks:

http://mushysmoochings.blogspot.com/2006/07/its-still-there.html

As for me, I arrived home on June 30, 1970...my first few days recollections on returning home from Vietnam, were not of Fireworks or what I might have thought of them....mine are of getting drunk on Boone's Farm Wine with Jerry of the Jones boys, taking his new 1970 Dodge Charger out of a spin, and him getting arrested for outrunning the law....and a couple of days later me and dad taking in the 3rd game ever in the History of Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, when the Reds took on their powerful arch rivals(of that time) the Pittsburgh Pirates....

back later>>>>

Photos-The Mustache is probably as long as it has been since 1976 or so, and perhaps just a bit more grey...baseball winds down, and part of the street scene at Centerville, Ohio, yesterday...the crowds, food tents, and wares extended as far as the eyes could see.  And a photo I shot at last year's Lake Festival Fireworks...which are slated for this July 29....