Yard Work!

Now that the temperatures have hit 90 and the humidity is rising, I've decided it's time to trim the bushes and do some yard work. Started yesterday when Patricia and I headed over to mom's to mow and weed...did some bush trimming and took a few smaller limbs off her trees out back. Today it's our yards turn....

When we purchased the place back in 1995, the yards was filled with shrubs, border bushes, Ivy covering the porch, evergreens, etc, etc...I'm not much of a yard aficionado, when it comes to yard work...don't mind mowing, keeping the trees reasonable, etc, but I really am not gung ho. This causes the greenery to get out of hand at times...especially when the spring and/or summer is wet(like this year). Usually I trim in June, or even get started in May, not this year, here it is mid-July and now with the sweat rolling down, I headed out, it took just over an hour to do the basics.

After than Patricia and I went to Wally World and purchased Round Up and Poison Ivy Round Up...seems the Mrs has contracted the "Itch" and that took a trip to the Doc's for some meds yesterday....so now, we will find it and kill it...

In other news: Seems the Pigeon has "flown the coop" or been dispatched by the Hawk(which I saw on Monday) or the neighborhood cats...anyway, have not seen the little bugger since Sunday night.....what the heck? I gave him a shot at living, and mother nature held the cards.

Despite the yard work, I still consider this resting, since I am baseball free until Friday Night....Sam and I will go to Minster to do a Pony League double header at their annual tournament...Sam usually helps them out, and on occasion I do a game or two as well. The real work starts Saturday when we have double headers at the American Legion District Tournament in Van Wert....2 games each Saturday and Sunday(both days are calling for the 90s, and these are 9 inning games)...then I have a semi final on Monday and if needed the Championship game next Thursday the 24th.

We finish up baseball for the season on July 30th back at Van Wert for the District All-Stars vs the District Champion Legion team.....2 short weeks off then Football scrimmages begin on August 14th. No rest for the weary.

The only other thing on the agenda is me, waiting on my order of Indian Tabac Torpedo Cigars from Cigar International....the box of 35 is supposed to be here today....and I might have to fire one up tonight, if they arrive.

back later >>>>>>>>>>>

Photos-Before and after..sort of! Now the poison ivy and weed work begins....but I might hold that off until tomorrow....90 minutes in 90 degrees triming in worse that 4 hours in 90 degree weather doing baseball

Baseball Weekend/Must Reading for Morons!

To describe the weekend in one word: Baseball.

It all began Friday night at 6PM, where Jimmy R and I were slated to do a double header at Van Wert....a wood bat first game, metal bat second game between Van Wert's American Legion team and the traveling wood bat team(consisting of college players) from Geneva, Indiana. The teams split(as luck "wood" have it), with Van Wert winning the first game with Geneva's wood bats, and Geneva winning the second...a 3 + hour marathon...got home about Midnight.

Saturday morning it rained, and the games I was scheduled to do were pushed back by 1 hour....but the time our game started between the ACME teams from Van Wert and Delphos St. Johns it was 5 O'clock...once again behind the plate...this game goes 3 hours 15 minutes, and goes 11 innings(7 is standard)...we get the final game started at 8:30, and by this time the storms have reformed, and during the 2nd inning, we delay it for an hour, then postpone it until Sunday....I get home at 10:30(easier this time because the field is only 15 blocks from my house). Anyway on to Sunday at the State Jr ACME Tournament at Lima Shawnee field....they were delayed/postponed late Saturday as well. So instead of starting at 12 Noon, we go over at begin at 10:30AM...this continued game is in the bottom of the 5th....well, Hell, it gets tied and goes extra innings, ending after 8 innings. The next 2 games were rather quick however, and we get done at 4:30....so for the 46 hour period from Friday night through Sunday afternoon, I umpire 47 innings, 27 of those behind the plate in full gear, with humidity, and temps on the first 2 days miserable...yesterday a cool breeze had kicked in, and that wasn't bad.

Anyway, I'm off until the American Legion District Tournament at Van Wert next Friday....unless they need me at Shawnee or Celina....it will be a well needed rest.

This morning I sent some of you a little article from one of our VSPA guys, Don, who runs the web site....hopefully you read the entire article, it gives you an insight why I hated much of my Air Force experience....The so-called leaders and their lemmings at OSI(Office of Special Investigations) were nothing more that SS Troop wannabees. For the entire sad story go here:

http://www.vspa.com/aspprotect/dn-1-july-1965-pg-01-1.asp

If you know the workings of the internal military, it will piss you off....another Hero, wrongly accused and thrown under the bus.

Meanwhile while I looking at my G-Mail/E-Mail, I caught sight of this little gem on the top border....it simply said.

Click here for the story George Bush doesn't want you to read..."Why Mommy is a Democrat" I almost fell off my chair with laughter.....so naturally I click it....and here is where it sends me:

http://littledemocrats.net/

Talk about brain washing the youth of America....and written by a man no less? Well not really a man, because let's face it, no real man would put out something like this putrid mess....wonder if "he" little Jeremy Zilber lives in San Francisco? And people wonder why this country caves into radical Islam, far left loons marching in lock step at gay rights parades, and the mass murder of the unborn......? Wonder no more, Jeremy and his ilk of dickless wonders are the reason.

Enjoy....I be back later!

Tony Snow

Sorry to say former Fox News anchor and all around good guy, Tony Snow, has passed away at 53 from Colon Cancer. Snow served with both Presidents Bush, and was the mainstay, along with Britt Hume, in the early days of top rated Fox....Snow preceded Chris Wallace as host of 'Fox News Sunday'. Like they say, "only the good die young", meaning the likes of Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton will live long and continued useless lives.

American Legion double header, with the second game going extra innings and 3 hours finished up close to midnight at Van Wert....rain this morning looked like it would delay things at the District ACME Tournament here in Celina, but with the "turf" being artificial and quick drying, the sun has popped out, and my guess is, this are not that far off schedule. My double header is scheduled to start at 4PM....it depends on the length of the first 2 games and the weather delays. More rain is forecast for later tonight and again tomorrow.

Sam, with his RV broken down in Eau Claire, made his way home at 6:30 this morning...He took a Greyhound from Wisconsin to Elkhart, then a 4AM cab ride to Nappanee....driving the last 120 miles to Celina in the wee hours of the morning. The RV engine work may take 2 weeks, at that time he will head back to Eau Claire and continue with the RV and Trailer delivery.....tedious business at times.

Enjoy the weekend!

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

photo-Tony Snow(1955-2008)

Sidetracked in Eau Claire, Wisconsin

The weekend is upon us....6 baseball games slated for the weekend, depending of course on weather and my legs. I start out tonight with a "wood bat" double header tonight at Van Wert, as the VW Legion takes on Geneva, Indiana. The legion usually use the standard aluminium bats, but on occasion they have wood bat only exhibitions, and tonight is one of the those. Tomorrow afternoon I move to the "turf" field here in Celina, and do games 3 and 4 of the District ACME tournament....rain in the forecast, but that artificial turf just gets hotter and more humid when rain affects the turf....my games are scheduled at 4 and 6:30PM....Surviving those, I move on to the State Jr ACME tournament at Lima Shawnee for 2 games starting at Noon on Sunday. That should pretty much put me in "I need beer and leg braces" mode. Will let you know on Monday how the weekend goes, and if I survive.

Meanwhile oldest son Sam was moving towards Alberta in a take my time fashion, when the Diesel Engine(International) on the Delivery RV decided it wanted to stay in western Wisconsin.

Overheating and scorching the engine.....Sam spent the night in stormy Eau Claire....this morning he got the news...repairs, major, needed, and it will be a week or so. Sam hops on a bus this afternoon, and heads back to Elkhart, Indiana, and taxi cabs to Nappanee. Will now try to figure out how to get Continental Air to switch ticket to a later date without too much of a price hit.

Hal, the youngest, is in Texarkana and heading to Shreveport...he and his Celina Moving partner will drop off a load, and head back this way for the weekend.

That's about it for the near future....except the small Pigeon, continues to survive in the back yard...the Hawk and neighborhood cats still have not discovered him...but it will need to grow those feathers fast and fly out of here, if it's to survive. That's still a long shot.....but it does partake in the water and wild bird seed I've put our by his hiding place....I noticed last night he moves to a rolled garden hose and one of my "coolie" cups to sleep....strange bird.

Have a great weekend.

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photos-A Baseball Weekend is in the cards....and the half feathered Pigeon continues to survive outback.

Summer Drifts On/Lost Pigeons

Pigeons are not my favorite critters, to say the least. We welcome the Hawk that arrives in the winter and helps dispatch as many as possible....the Pigeon at best is a slow witted critter, much like the human form called Liberal Democrats....some of those, sad to say, are in the family tree. However, I always have a soft spot in my heart or brain for the helpless of the earth, and would likely try rescue even a liberal if it was being harassed by a Islamic Terrorist(one group that I would gladly exterminate). Well back to the Pigeons...yesterday while mowing, I was near the outdoor air conditioning unit and lo' and behold a young pigeon was sitting in the Ivy next to the unit....what to do? Well really not much I could do, except leave it alone...knowing the dim witted parent birds would do nothing...they build their nests in the eves about 35 foot up on the top of our roof, and this youngster must have taken a walk off our tall house(former church parsonage)...and even I don't venture up there....I paint the house myself, but I don't do that part.

Anyway I left it alone, knowing it had no chance of survival....about 4 hours later I go outside and here the little guy was walking around the side yard...damn! Still there, knowing come nightfall one of the few neighborhood cats would take care of him if I didn't.....so the soft headed one, plops it in a coke box with some old bedding a places it in the back yard.....threw in some feed and water(what the Hell do young Pigeons survive on?)....here it is 20 hours since I first saw the bird and it now is wandering around the fenced in back yard(where no sane cat would venture, with the fearless Airedale ready to do her duty at any time). I still figure the bird is weeks away from flying, and has little chance to make it.....but for now, he(she?) is on it's own.....Reagan hasn't discovered it, and the Hawk is nowhere in sight. The little beast can wander in the garden, raspberry bushes, pine trees, or whatever they do until nature takes it's turn.

Sam took off to Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, yesterday....a 2500 mile RV run with a Diesel Pusher and attached trailer.....Hal, still working at Celina Moving for his Grad School funds, is in Louisville, Kentucky, this morning, and loading for a trip to Shreveport, Loozeeanna......kind of quiet around here.

I did get a call from the director of umpires for ACME yesterday and was offered some games for late season. A double header at the District tournament for this Saturday, and another twin bill for the State Junior ACME tournament Sunday at Lima Shawnee. Add these to my American Legion double header at Van Wert Friday night, and I should be good and wore out again by the end of the weekend....I am however, enjoying the days off right now. Bob also offered me a couple of State ACME games at Coldwater next week, but had to decline because of committing to the American Legion District next weekend.....after these next couple of weekends, things will quiet down, sports wise, until football starts up in mid August.

I would be remiss if I didn't offer my prayers to our blogging friend Lin, in the high plain desert of New Mexico....got word last evening that she has lost her mate Mark.....he had taken ill a couple of weeks back, and apparently never fully recovered.

God be with Lin in this sad and tragic time, and God rest Mark's soul.

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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photos-more new flowers in the back yard garden, and the young partial feathered Pigeon, hanging around the back steps and yard.

Welcome to the Club Harry

Harry Bevan and I were stationed for a few shorts months together at Nha Trang AB, Republic of Vietnam. He left Nha Trang for the states in the fall of 1969, I headed for Tan Son Nhut a month or so later. As with most guys you were stationed with in the military, Harry and I have not seen each other since 69.

Harry however was one of the handful of guys I remember from my Vietnam tour of duty. Others that come to mind are Melvin Sloan, Marc Payen, Johnny Claflin, Phil Lange, Bruce Thompson, all from Nha Trang. Joe Prokop(also my basic TI), Aceavedo, and a few others from Tan Son Nhut(Saigon).

The Vietnam Security Police Association(VSPA) have brought some of us in cyber space contact with each other....hopefully before we all check out, we can gather together in person at one of the fall VSPA reunions(I last attended the one in Dayton in 2002).

Anyway Harry, recently retired from the Philadelphia Police Department, after 35 years, has started his own blog...and I invite you to help him keep at it. Slow and steady is the way I've learned to do it....1 year later this month for me.

Here is Harry's Blog:

http://harrysrantsandraves.blogspot.com/

Welcome Aboard Harry!

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photos-Me(L) and Harry at Nha Trang and Marc Payen, QC Sgt KY, and Harry at the Nha Trang Main Gate/top a VSPA Patch...VSPA is open to all Air Force Security Police stationed in Vietnam and Thailand during the Vietnam Conflict.

Random Musings

Got up early this morning and headed to Greenville for my little gig down south....on the way out of town, I stopped for the Red Light at the US 127 Bridge going out of town...here it is Festival and heavy traffic time on Grand Lake, and of course, the Ohio Department of Transportation is all the bureaucratic wisdom, decide to replace the damn bridge going out of Celina. Of course I could have opted to take West Bank Road along the lake shore, but didn't. Going south as our side got the green light, I notice a small pick-up truck with front end crushed to the windshield....seems as the light went red, a Hoosier didn't see the large tanker truck stopping for the bridge light(the bridge is down to 1 lane and thus the need for the traffic signal)...he crashed into the tanker's rear end....the trucker and another women driver had called 9-1-1 so I, and the rest of the south bounders, proceeded on....the middle aged gentleman in the truck did not appear in good shape, I said a prayer for him and headed to work....enough gawkers and folks trying to help, they didn't need more.

This all gets to the point of my "musings", what seems important one hour, is just a minor passing the next. Another double header last night, giving me 7 games in 4 days, something that would wear out a younger man, and indeed by the time we hit the middle of game 2 last evening at Parkway, I was pretty well "shot". The fans were loud and irritating, something that usually doesn't bother me, and clueless as to the rules of the game, and an umpire's strike zone. GM was my partner, and next to Sam, I do as many games with Garry as anybody else....we finished off the game, collected our fees, and "got the Hell out of Dodge"....got home just before Midnight with an alarm time of 5:40AM...I didn't even bother popping a top, something usually a given after a game and especially after 2. Took a shower and hit the sack instead.

This got me to thinking, something dangerous in itself.....last night made 65 games since late March, not sure a 59 year old, no matter how good of shape he thinks he's in, should be doing that many.....but another 10 or so to go, American Legion games and tournaments, then off for a few weeks before Football season with the scrimmages begins....."Hello Back! are you ready for this?"

Having played, coached, and umpired baseball and fast pitch and slow pitch softball for over 50 years, one thing is a given, the lower the age and skill levels, the more clueless coaches and fans are.....I usually take it in stride, but last night, pretty well pushed my limits, not with the coaches, they did very little bitching, even on the calls that we made that were questionable, "fans" are another story.....and Hell, I rarely catch much flack, and I'm sure last night was just an average game for most umps.....but after 7 games in 4 days, I know I need a couple of days off.

But I survived and now can rest until my American Legion game at Van Wert on Friday night.

I see at the bottom of my posting I am still needing the little word verification thing....now that is really pissing me off....this site has no Spam and where "Google" and/or blogger come up with this crap is beyond me.....a more than minor issues it is becoming!

Weather wise things are back to summer-like with rain predicted for tonight, yesterday it missed us, and to be perfectly honest, a drought looks good to me....I could do without a drop of rain until October.....Ohio(and the rest of the Midwest) is water, grass, and bug heaven this summer.....we are still mowing more than one time per week, and that is rare come July.

Have an excellent day...................back later>>>>>>>>>>>>

The Weekend in a word: BASEBALL!

After a wet start on Thursday the 4th of July weekend turned out pretty nice, weather wise. Cool and dry after Friday morning....baseball was the word, Single game on Thursday, double headers Friday the 4th and yesterday.....another double header for me tonight, a single game for Sam. The old legs felt it after yesterday's twin bill, when the temperatures started soaring, along with the humidity. In the Auglaize County Sectional Finals at Minster, St Marys coming out of the losers bracket defeated rival Wapakoneta 1-0....a well pitched game that I did the plate....since both teams move on to District play regardless of outcome, neither team was inclined to use up starting pitching in the nightcap, and it showed...21-11 St Marys the winner, a back and forth contest which SM put away in the 6th inning. As mentioned, both teams move on to District play here in Celina.

Tonight I'm back at District Jr ACME play at Parkway....another double header(if the approaching rain doesn't interfere with). After that it's off till Friday, then American Legion games and District Tournament action will take me through July.

Pet Peeves

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Blogger is a pain in the ass at times, more so now than usual. Everytime I want to post these days, I have to do a 'word verification'...and 75% of the time you can't read the damn letters as put up, and if you edit, you go back and start the process again...meaning 3 or 4 batches of words before I can do a damn thing...because this blog, although not spam, has spam hints....WTF? Anyway I sent them a request to delete this BS....of course it took 3 times to figure out the word series....Damn and double Damn!

As I mentioned otherwise the weekend went well, for the most part. A few minor issues, but all-in-all it was good to get away for baseball, and when I finished up the games, I headed to the back yard for beer and cigar each day...except last night when I was just too worn out from the whole mess, so I sat and watched Harry Potter....talk about being worn out.

Back to Greenville tomorrow for a quick work day, and hopefully back to normal.....I should mention the "Freedom Days" celebration at Celina was a success, and with Fireworks on both Friday and Saturday it is coming close to equalling the end of July "Lake Festival" for crowds and entertainment....plus unlike the LF, Freedom Days has beer tents, which alway make the crowds swell.

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back later>>>>>>>>>>>>>

ACME Baseball Congress....ACME and Jr ACME are akin to Summer High School Varsity and Junior Varsity baseball....it go it start about 50 years ago in west central Ohio, and has spread throughout the entire western part of the state from Toledo south to Cincinnati.

Happy 4th of July Weekend

Get out of the house an enjoy it if the weather is right(raining here).

Back on Monday>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>July 7th

In the meantime remember what Independence day and the flag is about, and don't let the far left loons, illegal invaders, and the Islamic trash tear it down.

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photos-Old Glory and the 186th OVI(my Great-Granddad's unit) Battle Flag.

Mood Swings!

You ever get one of those days you're just "pissed off"? I mean, in a crappy mood for no reason as all? Weather?, some other itch you can't scratch, etc?

Well, that's me today, they don't come along very often these days, but here I sit, watching more freaking rain(part of the problem) along with the humidity to match, and I'm in a lousy mood. Just happens...I've been doing single and double headers all week, getting them in despite the rain(tonight's semi-final and final may not make it)...had a double header last night at the ACME Tournament in Lima...one good game, one slow played, bad game....things seem to even out.

Sometimes, even when semi-retired, you just want to chuck it all and say "What the Hell am I doing?" Yep, there you have it! It's one of those days...but it will pass, they all do, and things will ascend back to normal, for better or worse.

I took yesterday off the internet, except to check mail late last night, and I have decided to do that more often...at least 1 or 2 days a week(Wednesday and Sunday seem about right).....even though I only spend an hour or at most 2 a day on this thing....I've decided to cut back, and fore go it all together for those 48 hours a week.....an attitude adjustment seems in order.

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>

photos-this morning's rain seem to match my attitude....maybe the new flowers will brighten it up.

The Great Stimulus Check

Like many others I think the "Stimulus Check" fiasco that GW and Congress dreamed up is a joke.....a few hundred dollars thrown at Americans to make the economy grow. A short term "bump"? Probably, any long lasting good effects? I doubt it. None-the-less we received a notice in the mail yesterday that our check would be here soon. Now my SS# is in the high end, that being it ends in the 80-99 range, so we will be among the last to get ours....but it appears we will receive our $1200 sometime this week or next at the latest(due to the Holiday mail schedule). $1200 bucks, what to do with this windfall?

Since I'm basically retired and Patricia is now the main bread winner in the family, I let, or she decides to choose what to "stimulate" in our household....with her $600 she choose to buy a new glass top range, no more pulling the wire burners to clean, no more spilling of liquids down the chute....that arrived last week, well before the check arrives. OK, that leaves about $600 more to do some more stimulating....or not! It seems our second half property taxes are due July 20th.....the $600 left over will do a pretty good sized dent in that bill....so there you have it, we have done our part, America is out of the coming depression....the Houseworth's have donated $600 to the local economy via buying a new range from a local dealer, and did our share by having enough left over to pay much of the coming tax due.

Thank You GW, Thank you left wing idiots in Congress....We, the nation, are saved!

Last night I traveled to Rockford to do a double header in the Jr ACME Sectional tournament at Parkway High School. Did the first game behind the plate, a 10 inning marathon in the winner's bracket final. Coldwater scores in the bottom of the 7th to tie Celina, then scores the winner on a 2 out single in the 10th..final 2-1, game lasting about 2 1/2 hours...I was whipped, but hung in there and did the bases for the nightcap, where St. Henry defeated rival Marion Local 8-3. This set-ups Celina vs St Henry tonight, with the winner playing Coldwater for the title, the loser goes home, the winner, regardless of the finals will move on to the district also to be played at Parkway.

Sam will be there for the Celina-St. Henry game tonight....I go north to Convoy Crestview to continue umpiring that rain delayed Sectional...game time 6PM.

PHOTOS-The New Range and some Buzz Bomb flowers popping up in the back yard.