Oktoberfest Begins...

Not much doubt, at least weather-wise, that October is my favorite month of the year.  The heat and humidity is gone in Ohio, for the most part at least.  You get some cool days, some rain, and lots of sun and great daytime highs in the 70s and even some lower 80s...no snow to speak of, and just a bit of frost on the Pumpkin.  Yes October is my favorite time...November brings a constant chill and usually September is still hot and muggy, at least through the early days.

This past Friday night was a perfect night for High School football....our crew headed to Defiance where the hometown Bulldogs took on WBL Rival St. Marys.  Both usually with strong programs, are down this year, but we officiated a pretty good game, well played, with the home squad coming out on top, after trailing midway through the 3rd quarter, I believe 44-21 was the final, as Defiance scored the final 29 points of the game...afterwards we headed for Scotty's on route 111, where we hooked up with Garry's crew, including Sam, who was filling in at Line Judge, and had a couple of beers, the Friday night Fish Fry.  Sam drove the Nitro{since he doesn't drink} leaving off Terry, our Back Judge at his rural Delphos home, then we had to pick up my buddy "Wulfie", who happened to be broadcasting the game for St. Marys, back in Celina.  Wuflie's car had a dead batter, so we drove him to Coldwater, where he lives, finally getting home at about 1:30 in the morning...just in time for me to watch the Reds, Homer Baily pitch the last three innings of his Friday night No Hitter, which was being replayed on Fox Sports Ohio.

The rest of the weekend, and today, has been good, weather-wise, as well.  I worked my final fall baseball double header Saturday Afternoon, and Sam and I worked a youth football double header yesterday....not a bad paying weekend for a few hours work.  It's unfortunate that my heel on my left foot, is still out of whack...lucky for me, Sam is still Actuary Job Hunting and can fill in for me...he will take my football games both today and tomorrow...and likely many of my lower level football games for the remainder of October, the "Heel" just doesn't want to "Heal", and resting is probably the only solution.  Hopefully the month long break between my last football and first basketball game, will provide the break needed....if not, then I will have to consider other options.

Another October, another Beer....

I'm not a big fan of most Leinenkugel's Brewery fare...not that they produce a bad batch, but are somewhat like Sam Adams...some good, some not-so-good, and frankly some half-assed beers{Summer Shandy comes to mind on the half assed stuff}.  So I was kind of hesitant to drop $7 for a six pack of their Oktoberfest after the games yesterday, but since I didn't feel like making the drive across town to the Wine Store, where I could pick and choose by the bottle, I picked up a six, and downed a couple while watching the Bengals dismantle the Jacksonville Jags....not bad I say.  Better than either Sam Adams or the Great Lakes variety of the same, but not as strong or tasty as the SA Pumpkin Ale, or the better Harvest Moon Ale by Blue Moon....but for the price a decent brew.

Now mind you, the fall fare of beers and ales are not my favorites by any means, but the change in seasons, if you're into a variety of types, requires you try something beside Miller Lite or Budweiser.  And it's not yet the season of Stout...so you do what you gotta do, and the Oktoberfest by the small brewery{or at least it used to be small} out of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, is pretty good....I'll give it  one and a half thumbs up out of two.

With the Reds safely in the playoffs, I can now kick back and wait for the regular season to end Wednesday, and hope Cincinnati can win a playoff series or two....with their lack of hitting over the past month, despite good to great pitching, I am not ready to say they have a legit shot at their first World Series title since 1990....but at least they are in the hunt.

back later>>>>



Photos-The Fall Colors are not yet near peak, but some are out....this taken this afternoon at my old haunt along Whiskey Run south of Montezuma, Ohio, where I spent my High School years....Whiskey Run feeds into Grand Lake, the Windy Point area, actually had some activity today, mostly cane pole fisherman and walkers.  Leinenkugle Oktoberfest isn't bad, as far as fall brews go....and Homer Bailey "No Hits" the Pirates on Friday Night as the Reds solidify their staff for the upcoming playoffs.