Hal Gets a Chance to Teach/7 Days until Salmonfest 2009

Yesterday approached 70...got a little cooler and windy later in the day...today back to the 60s, some rain coming later, and then tomorrow begins a wet and cool stretch that may last until I head for Michigan or longer.

Dartball League starts November 9th....St. Johns is the home of the league tournaments and banquet this year, so guess by elimination I am the League Prez...more busy work.

Tonight Jr High Football at Crestview in Convoy...just a couple of games to follow, then the November 7th games at Westview will end my football work...as I head into Basketball season in mid November.

Hal gets to teach High School{for 6 weeks}___

Since completing his Masters in High School History/Social Studies Education this past summer, Hal began working full time working with Autistic youth...he made the cut in several interviews for High School teaching positions, but was not offered a full time job. No surprise in this job market, most teachers are staying on longer(most 35 years or more), and the permanent teaching jobs in most areas of Ohio and the Midwest are few and far between.

Hal worked his Masters Student Teaching at Fairborn High School near Dayton and Wright-Patterson AFB last school year, and got an interview there but no job for this school year. He got a call earlier this week that one of the regular teachers needed time off until the Christmas Vacation comes along in mid-December, and they asked Hal if he would teach High School History in this teachers place until that time....He made his changes in his work schedule and took the offer. He'll be busy, working basically 2 full time jobs until Christmas.

I'm sure he'll do fine, and after all, this will look good on his Resume'...Hal wants to be a High School History Teacher, and this cannot hurt, and he is looking forward to it.....I'm leaving in an hour or so to take his Diplomas and his Teachers License to him...we will meet up in Piqua, about a 45-50 minute drive for each of us...Good Luck Hal, your mom and I are sure you'll do fine and enjoy this challenge.

The Michigan Salmon Fishoff....7 days and counting___

Stocking up on Cigars, Drambuie, and Beer. Also will begin to check my fishing poles and tackle box to make sure lines, baits, and lures, are in order----Next Thursday afternoon{or Friday morning early, depending if Tom is around in Dreshler} Nick and I will head for Tawas City, Michigan, and the mouth of the Au Sable River, and west shore of Lake Huron.

Last season we kind of flew by the seat of our pants and did well...this year we have things planned out...hopefully the Salmon and the weather cooperate. I am stoked.

Off to Piqua___

back later>>>>>

Hal's Masters Diploma/Teaching License(Ohio), and I hope we can bring a few of these home again this year, and maybe expand our variety.

@60 Life gets simpler?{at least for me}/Imus Returns

One more "Indian Summer" like day, before a extended forecast that shows rain and cooler temperatures for the remainder of October...hopefully we will still have a few more warm and sunny days before the rains and cold of November roll in for the duration of fall.

Does life get easier/better when you get older?

I guess that question can only be answered as you hit those aging milestones of 40, 50, 60, 70, and beyond....I know for me the answer at this point, more than half way through my 60th year is a resounding Yes!

Since I retired from the Van Wert County Health Department back in 2002 at age 53, this life has had it's ups and downs, like any other. I got into High School Umpire work in the spring and summer, and drove RVs for delivery across the country for 5 1/2 years....since the RV Business when "Belly Up", I have also added Football and Basketball officiating to my "work load"...and basically, that is what I do...thank God for Patricia, otherwise I probably would be out hitting the pavement, doing something I hate, to put bread on the table....

Don't get me wrong, 200 or so sporting events a year on 60 year old legs, for anywhere from $40 to $100 isn't getting me rich or stopping the aches and pains...but I'm not complaining...I could be sitting on my fat ass and doing nothing, or in front of the computer and TV all day....that isn't happening anytime soon, if I can help it.

Don't watch much TV, except the evenings I'm home, I turn on Bill O'Reilly, a good old movie on TMC, or a ballgame or hockey game.

With the nest getting more empty, Sam at OSU in Columbus, Hal on his own in Kettering, and Anissa soon to be moving into her own assisted living apartment...life is getting a little more focused for my final run, in this life....Patricia is still working hard as a Special Education Teacher, and she probably has another 9 or 10 years to go.

Garry(a dozen years younger), and I discussed this coming back from Football in Antwerp the other night and decided, things were easier when you got out of the rat race...A Good Cigar, and Cold Beer, and on occasion__________________, is what you really need, to get by. Works for me.




Imus Returns____










Don Imus was run out of town{New York Radio} a couple of years ago for using the term "Nappy Headed Hoes" when talking about a team of women basketball players from Rutgers University..."Race Baiting" racist Al Sharpton and others came out in full force and finally Imus was taken off the radio and cable TV...This was a railroad job of pathetic proportions. Imus, had said far worse, and funny things, than this lightweight slap at a bunch of "She Males" playing round ball.....just grab a listen to the 1974 Album by Imus called "This Honky's Nuts"...a play off the Richard Pryor album called "This Nigger's Crazy"...Imus was much more funny than Pryor{of course that may depend on your race or ethnicity} In my opinion.

I was first introduced to the Imus brand of humor back in 1974 by my radio DJ buddy, Jim Olson...Jim was a evening Disc Jockey at WCSM Radio in Celina{a station I would become Program Director at a handful of years later}, and spun records for me when I was managing The Red Door. He collected albums of all sorts, whether it was hard rock, country, or radio comedy, like the National Lampoon Comedy Hour, or Imus....to me Don Imus was far funnier than stoners like Cheech and Chong{although I enjoyed them as well}. Even my now 85 year old mom loves Imus, and was pissed when he was fired.

Well now the fledgling Fox Business Channel has picked up the "Imus In The Morning" radio program...and it appears he is back to his old self, albeit my guess he's staying away from racial stereotypes...fighting political correctness can only go so far in the media, something I have no problem doing, because what the Hell can the PC crowd and that stinking Kenyan born President do to a 60 year old right leaning Independent?

Imus on Fox Business from 6 to 9 in the morning....Welcome Back Imus, you are a perfect lead-in for my morning coffee, blog work, and Glenn Beck.

back later>>>

Photos-top left, me turning 60 back in March/Don Imus comes to Fox Business, and his outrageously funny album from 1974/me(R) and Jim Olson, my DJ buddy from North Dakota and WCMS, who introduced me to Imus humor back in 74

So have you finally figured it out?

Drove north to Antwerp, Ohio, yesterday...Garry was filling in for another official and rode up with me, we did a 3 man crew in a 25-14 Antwerp JV win over visiting Ayresville.... we were home by 8....this leaves me with 3 scheduled games left before I pack football season in, A Junior High game at Crestview on Thursday, a JV game in Spencerville Saturday, and back to Antwerp for another Junior High contest next Tuesday to finish up my portion of the season....of course, I could get called in for a fill-in or 2, and still the chance of a Rec League Tournament on November 7th....but the season is winding down. Then the Great Salmon Fishoff starts October 29th near Tawas City, Michigan, and the Au Sable River where it flows into Lake Huron. My first Basketball scrimmage begins mid November, after the family returns from our pre-Thanksgiving trip to Wisconsin.

Marxism 101____

Our half breed Kenyan born President{who admitted as much back during the 2004 Illinois Senate Campaign}:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ01Mqx9B9E

Is taking us down the road to serfdom at warp speed...the question is, "How many people are really taking note?" Not enough is my guess, not enough to stop Obama and his lap dog left wing media from controlling the debate...if not for the Internet, Fox News, and patriots like Glenn Beck, we would already be doomed....

Don't believe that? Then why else is Obummer and his Commie Cronies in the White House be putting a full court press on Fox, Limbaugh, Beck, and others? Why? Because they have the goods on this administration's attempt to take over the Republic, by hook or crook....

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/alinskyite_in_chief_is_a_maste.html

The "Rule for Radicals" are their talking points...sadly most Americans don't have a clue as to what is going on in the court systems or the political hacks in DC....and the various State Houses.

Some folks are waking up, by still, by and large, the majority of people in the country are worrying about their own lives, and are blind to the facts that their Children and Grandkids lives are being sold down the river by this foreign agent named Barry Soetoro/Barack Obama.

Soetoro/Obama and his henchman have taken aim at their perceived enemies...no, not the Islamics or Iran, or North Korea, or Chavez...but Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Fox News:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/operation_rushbo_fox_news_and_obamas_politics_of_hate.html

The politics of Hate is alive and well in the perverted world of Barack Obama and Company.

Ignore it at your own and your families peril.

back later>>>>

So this S.O.B. really is a Kenyan?

Before getting into my Obama rant for this week....let's review the weekend.

After the game up near Toledo on Friday Night, I spent much of Saturday trying to catch up on my lack of sleep from the previous 2 days. Hit the hay Saturday night about 8pm, up early Sunday...went to Church, tagged along with Patricia as she looked at a house for Anissa, and checked out another on the other side of town that she liked....nice old house, but maybe a little out of our price range, especially at our ages....I'm thinking we will stay in the old Church parsonage for the duration of my days at least.....I'm not much into moving, especially these days...I'm just looking to get rid of much of the stuff we have in the garage and basement. And make more room in our "semi-empty nest".

On the Health front....

Weight dropped to 194 over the weekend, so things are moving along, down 14 pounds since I began on September 5th, the Diabetes 2 diet...another 14 to go, which will get me down to my desired 180...A place I have not been since the late 1980s, when I got into heavy weight lifting. My Blood Pressure is doing well too...135/70 this morning with a resting pulse rate of 65, hopefully I can dump the BP meds, and stay off D-2 meds as well.

Our Kenyan-in-Chief____

I have been making light of Obama and his fake Birth Certificate for months now....seriously though, I had no idea whether this bastard was born in Kenya, Hawaii, or South Chicago...it was fun however to poke fun at his supporters, who go nuts when someone claims to be a "Birther", that being someone who believes The Obama is not a natural born American.

Well it appears back in 2004 that even the AP was calling His Majesty "Kenyan Born"

http://www.infowars.com/ap-declared-obama-kenyan-born/

And Obama admitted during a debate for the Illinois Senate seat against Alan Keyes that you didn't need to be American Born to be a Senator....he wasn't running for President:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNvEZuP-t3g

So, is he or isn't he?

I'm still not positive, but rest assured, the links to his comments during that debate and the stories from AP are disappearing from the Internet as I type...I found at least 5 sites that had the links taken down just this morning. Don't be surprised if the above links are gone soon.

So I'm thinking this story has legs, and the Obama Administration is running scared, especially from Fox News, which isn't even covering the story:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/18/white-house-escalates-war-fox-news-1925819282/

This administration is in full bunker mode, and meanwhile they continue to destroy the Republic, but selling out to Europe and the UN, whether it be the phony science of Global Warming, or the hanging our troops out to die in Afghanistan....

Wake Up America!!!!

These bastards are coming after US....you better be prepared to fight, or lose you freedoms.

Back Later>>>>

Sunday Morning before the Sun Rises

Up at 4am this morning....Anissa had woken up, and with me going to the sack at 8 last evening, I climbed out of the bed to make coffee....letting Patricia sleep in until church time.

The reason for hitting the hay early last night was pretty simple...4 1/2 hours of sleep!

I got a e-mail early Friday from one of the guys in our Football Association, telling me he had a bug, and the doc advised him to stay home from work...meaning no work, he probably should not attempt to officiate a Friday Night varsity football game either....so Bob wanted to know if I could cover for him at Holland, Ohio, a Toledo berg, for a game on the Artificial turf at Springfield High School, between Toledo Christian and visiting Danbury?...{familiar with both schools, I had done the TC baseball Regional final in their win over Hopewell-Loudon at Patrick Henry, and had worked the home plate in the Danbury win over Old Fort at H-L in the Sectionals}

The weather looked to be raw and possible rain/snow, but being the nice guy I am, said yes....I would drive to Sherwood, meet up with Bruce, another guy from our association and the crew umpire, and we would head north to hook up with the rest of the crew, before heading to Holland.

When we arrived we discovered that the rain and wind were gone, the fake grass in fine shape, and the weather just right for a Friday night game....which went on without any major problems...Christian won in a walk 48-14, we showered, dressed, and headed for "Ralphie's" a mile away for a burger and a couple of beers....Bruce and I arrived back in Sherwood about 1:30 Saturday Morning, and I jumped in my car and headed the remaining 52 miles to Celina...tired, I fired up a good hand rolled cigar, and enjoyed that, while staying away for the next hour...I arrived home at 2:35....

I finally got to bed about 4:30, was up before 9{thankful my JV game at Crestview had been cancelled}....and didn't accomplish much the rest of the day...I did mow the back yard, and watched Ohio State and their pathetic Sophomore Quarterback, Terrell Pryor, and his coach, pee down their respective legs in losing to a weak Purdue team...I called this last year, the kid and is overrated and the coach, Jim Tressel, clueless when it comes to Pryor's faults....not much satisfaction in being "right".

Tired from 9 hours sleep in 2 full nights, I hit the bed, and instantly fell asleep....and now here I am, just passed 6, on my 3rd cup of coffee.

Will go to church around 10, do a Rec League Tournament Double Header with Garry at 1....and let the rest of this Sunday play itself out, after that.

My football season is winding down, and the Salmon Fishing trip with Nick is just around the corner.....back later>>>

Photos-A view from the press box at Holland(Ohio) Sprinfield's new turf and stadium, where I worked the Friday Night game...and a Down Trodden Jim Tressel of Ohio State...the guy is still yet to figure out he ruined this team last year when he benched quarterback Todd Boeckman in favor of his personal messiah Terrell Pryor.

Air Force Reunions

The utterly ugly October weather continues in west central Ohio, and around the Midwest in general. Most years, weather wise, October is my favorite month...last year it was great, 70s and 80s and sunny for most of the month. This year, Halloween month is an exception...the weather has stunk. Cold, wet, and basically miserable....last year I wore shorts for all the under varsity football games, right through the end of the season...this year, I've been wearing long pants and knickers since the end of September.

Today, scheduled at Spencerville for a 5pm Junior High game...40 for a high, maybe, and a cold rain is falling at this time...snow flurries possible for tomorrow night's Varsity games....usually we don't get this stuff until mid or late November.

October, Air Force Reunion Month____

http://www.vspa.com/aspprotect/vspa-nav-index-menu.asp

The old geezers from my Vietnam days usually get together for their annual reunions in October....The Vietnam Security Police Association{VSPA}, where I am Life Member #575, just finished up it's reunion in Phoenix, and the Tan Son Nhut Association kicks off their annual reunion in Tennessee today, down in Dollywood Country.

http://www.tsna.org/mainpage.html

I didn't make the VSPA reunion again this year....next year it's in San Antonio, and 2011 it will be in Dayton at Wright-Patterson AFB...if still kicking, I will make that 2011 for sure.

I have not joined the Tan Son Nhut Association yet, only because with football, baseball, and basketball officiating and other things on the plate, I don't feel I could do justice to all the associations. I left the American Legion, and never signed up with the VFW for those reason as well. Another association is the 377th Security Police Association...the next reunion for that group will be in the spring of 2011 in Branson, Missouri.

http://webpages.charter.net/cepenley/377th/index.html

Maybe one of these days, I will get around to participating in these events in a more timely manner...but for right now, I will continue to set up our "Mini-Reunion" for Air Force Vietnam and Thailand Security Police from the war years...our plans are to meet back at the AF Museum in Dayton in early March 2010.....perhaps down the road, I can give these other organizations the time and attention they need.

Computer glitches___

Seems our computer has a problem with the "Floppy Drive"...whenever I try to start a program or download a photo from my old Sony Digital{which uses the 3.5 floppy disks} the computer shuts down....guess it's either time to upgrade my camera, or take the computer into the shop....troubleshooting on site has not worked so far. So the only photos for now, will be from the Internet, or old stuff I have saved to the computer....ahhhh! The small things in life that piss just you off!

How's the Type 2 Diabetes Diet going you ask?___

Well maybe you didn't....

But so far, so good....I'm down from 208 on September 3rd to 195 this morning...still drinking my daily beer or 3. My BP has settled in with an average range in the 133/70 with a pulse rate at 62 or so...not bad for a 60 1/2 year old, heading for 61....so far no meds for the Diabetes, and I'm hopeful, at the next Doc appointment, I can dump the BP meds as well.... as I said, so far, so good.

I'll leave off with that...back later>>>>

Photos-Top Left/Our Mini Reunion of AF/Vietnam Sky Cops from last January, and patches of Associations I am close to...The VSPA/The Tan Son Nhut Association, and the 377th SPS at Tan Son Nhut, RVN.

The Outlaw Marvin Kuhns Wins an Award

The cool October weather continues...last night I traveled north{again} for a Junior Varsity contest, this time to my Uncle Jack's hometown of Antwerp...it was at least 15 degrees colder than Celina when I arrived...45 as compared to 57 when I departed at 3pm. A light rain was falling as we took the field. Thing improved, except the stadium clock, which failed to work, so I kept the time on the field, for the 26-0 Wayne Trace victory over the home standing Archers.

Tonight, under the lights here in Celina for the final 7th grade game of the year....the weather promises to be cool...

Marvin Kuhns____

In February 2008 I blogged a 3 part story on the infamous Midwest Outlaw Marvin Kuhns....A born and bred Hoosier from Northern Indiana, Marvin was a bank robber, horse thief, and all around outlaw throughout northeast Indiana and northern Ohio in the late 1800s and early part of the 20th Century....

Marvin met his demise in June of 1907, outside of my small hometown of Scott, Ohio. Van Wert County Sheriff Fred Hott and his band of Deputies put an end to The Outlaw Marvin Kuhns life of crime.

A year or so ago a resident of Scott, who works for the Paulding Progress Newspaper, made contact with me about my stories of Marvin....she was interested in his life and crimes. I had, photos, weapons, newspaper articles, in my hands, and other information that I had gathered from the Internet...Nancy took what I had, and began her research.

She gathered family information from his childhood home, old photos, and more material...she turned it into a article for "the Progress"...this morning I got this e-mail from her:

http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=a040d47da8&view=pt&search=inbox&th=1244e094712c2af2

Congratulations to Nancy and the "Paulding Progress" for the awards...glad I could help with my small part.

My dad, Stan Houseworth, had received both Marvin's and Fred Hott's .38s from Hott's son back in the late 1960s....he also was the recipient of the various Van Wert Newspaper articles on Marvin's demise, and the death bed photo of the slain outlaw seen at the top....

Nancy's story expanded on what I penned on this blog back in February 2008, here:

http://patsdailyrant.blogspot.com/2008/02/life-and-times-of-outlaw-marvin-kuhns.html

and here:

http://patsdailyrant.blogspot.com/2008/02/outlaw-marvin-kuhns-part-deux.html

and also right here:

http://patsdai/lyrant.blogspot.com/2008/02/marvin-kuhns-final-chapter.html

If you choose to read it all, that should give you an idea of what kind of man Marvin Kuhns was...and what became of him.

Back Later>>>>

Photos-top left/Marvin Kunhs lays on his death bed at the Van Wert, Ohio County Jail in June 1907....and the Van Wert Newspaper articles celebration of the capture and demise of the Outlaw. Finally, Sheriff Fred Hott's 5 shot/top break Smith and Wesson .38 police revolver...manufactured in 1906. The gun used to dispatch Kuhns...looking as new today as it did back in 1907. I also have Marvin's .38 Iver-Johnson, still usable, but not in as pristine condition as the S&W.

Rehasing the Weekend

The unusually cool October continues...must be Global Warming at it's Zenith...right Al Gore?

The weekend was wet on Friday night, cool, and sunny for the remainer....

Friday_____

Friday afternoon with a steady rain I headed north on the 70 mile drive to Edgerton to meet up with the crew I was filling in at Umpire for in the Green Meadows Conference game between the home standing Bulldogs at 6 wins 0 loses, and league rival Fairview Apaches(4-2) out of Sherwood. I arrived early at 5:30 in a steady rain, and found the Athletic Director and was seated in the locker room waiting for the rest of the crew, driving from various parts around the state...the rain continued.

We finally hit the field at 7PM in time for the coin toss so we could get that over before the Homecoming Night events took place....the rains slowed at we approached kick off time at 7:30.

The game was intense and the crew caught their share of Hell from fans and coaches alike....the field however held up well, and the final was Fairview 41-25 in a high scoring shootout, thus handing the home team it's first loss....after our post game meeting, where I was asked to fill in this Friday at Vinton County{some 185 miles south of Celina, which I turned down...that would be some drive, and hardly worth the time and quick turnaround I would need}, I then headed south for the 90 minute drive back through Hicksville, Antwerp, Payne, and Van Wert, smoking a nice mild 1876 hand rolled cigar on the way home....the smoke lasted almost until I hit Celina...the best part of the evening, without a doubt.

Saturday____

Sam had returned to Celina Friday night, just after I arrived home at 12:30am. We would work the JV game at Paulding on Saturday morning. When we arrived around 9:30am, the field there was pretty muddy around the middle of the field, and it got worse as the game progressed...at least it was sunny, albeit cool...that game ended with a 30-6 Allen East win over the home team....after getting home at 12:30, I spent the rest of the day, sitting in my lawn chair, out back smoking a couple of cigars and downing a 6 pack plus of Miller Lite...the lack of sleep and 2 ball games in less than 18 hours was going to prevent me from doing much else....so I sat outside in the sun, with shades on, listening to the Ohio State win over Wisconsin, and chilling out!

Sunday____

I decided to forego Church on Sunday morning....no good excuse, besides being tired and facing a Rec League double header, once again with Sam on Sunday afternoon....Those game went smooth between a Celina team and one from Randolph, Indiana....Sam and I finished up aroudn 5pm, and headed home.

Sam headed back to Columbus about nightfall....I continue to rest my 60 year old body from the effects of rain, cold, and 4 football games officiated in less than 48 hours....

Tonight I once again head north for a JV contest, this one in Antwerp....they are not calling for rain, but at this hour the radar says different...

Those are the highlights from my exciting weekend life...M>R>S> Board meeting at noon, so I'll cut this one off...back later>>>>

test

AKA: Self Promotion....this ugly mug shot will soon be gone, but being the weekend, I'm working on something...back Monday, enjoy the rest of the weekend:

Obama wins the Noble Peace Prize/Friday Views

I almost laughed out loud when I saw the news that our beloved Kenyan-in-Chief had won the Nobel Peace Prize awarded by 5 Norwegian leftists....joining the likes of Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, and sitting Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson{the other fascist Presidents before Obummer}. My old friend Bill e-mailed me and asked "What the Hell?" or something like that, when he heard the Ebony Messiah was awarded this "prestigious" award...joining the likes of Henry Kissinger and his North Vietnamese counterpart. That right before the North murdered and exterminated their South Vietnam cousins, after we cut and ran from the Vietnam War in 1975....

Folks The Nobel Peace Prize, like our half asses President is a joke....nothing to get upset about....like water off a duck's back, this, like the Obummer, too shall pass. What next? "Queen of the World" honors for Michelle?

Even the lap dog Associated Press questions this so-called "award":

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_nobel_peace

Speaking of Water on a Duck____

Garry and I headed for St Henry last night to do a Junior High double header between the home standing Redskins and rival Coldwater.....it was wet, windy, and growing colder by the minute, when we got started at 5pm....but the time we finished at 7:45, the feet and hands were pretty frozen. I will have to say my "under armour" kept my legs and body pretty dry, so it could have been worse. Tonight I drive the 70 miles north to Edgerton{near the Ohio Turnpike}, for a game with the 6-0 Bulldogs and their Green Meadows Conference rival Sherwood Fairview at 4-2....I originally posted that the game was at Fairview, but the crew chief informed me that he had the wrong location, so Edgerton on Route 49, north of Antwerp and Hicksville it is....it's still raining, hopefully things will dry off somewhat by game time....gonna be a long night, a long drive home, then tomorrow morning, Sam and I head back north, this time to Paulding, for a JV contest.

Speaking of Sam...he was taping the Ohio State Hockey opener last evening, the Buckeyes blew a lead, and fell to visiting Quinapac 4-2...this afternoon he works a OSU Women's Soccer game, then heads home...he's got a long weekend in store, hopefully he's keeping at his studies.

Double Header Rec league games with Sam here in Celina on Sunday, will finish off the weekend. The weather looks to stay cooler than normal, but should dry off after the rain ends this evening....Cool and dry is doable...cool and wet sucks.

Enjoy the Weekend...back later>>>>

Sunflower Harvest!

Rained lightly off and on last night during the Celina 7th grade game with visiting Kenton...the locals pulled out a 12-8 win in one of the better contests this season I have done...regardless of level of play. Off tonight, too bad, it would be a great night for football, sunshine and the high 50s...not many Wednesday games in this area, it is the one night they leave open for religion classes, especially given the strong Catholic make-up of the west central Ohio area Tomorrow afternoon a Junior High double header at St. Henry.

I got a call this morning from a crew chief located in the Toledo area, they need a varsity replacement for a Green Meadows Conference game at Fairview in Sherwood Friday night....I on occasion do a varsity baseball game up that way, this will be my first time doing varsity football there however. Seems the crew's umpire{the guy who stands behind the defense and checks for holding and other violations}, is out with a case of the swine flu, so I said "what the hey", I'll do it. The forecast is for thunder and possible heavy rain. Saturday, Sam will be home from Ohio State, we have a JV contest together at Paulding, and a double header Rec League get together in Celina on Sunday, before he heads back to Columbus.

Harvesting the Sunflowers and "Topping" the Jeep___

Since I retired from Environmental Health work back in 2002 at the age of 53, the one thing I have noticed, especially since I no longer deliver RVs either, it that the simple things in life are pretty satisfying.

Take today for example....after dropping Anissa off at Adult Day Care, I headed out, with coffee in hand, to the western part of Mercer County, towards the Indiana State Line....just wanted to see how the leaves were changing. They appear to be a week or so away in this part of Ohio. Meaning that the old Houseworth family hometown of Waldo, north of Columbus, will be another week or so after that...I always try to time my yearly genealogy visit to coincide with the leaf color change, that makes the day that much more enjoyable. With camera in hand, and the stop at G&R Tavern on my mind...

I also checked on the Internet to see if my Mammoth Sunflowers should be Harvested...going by the color of the backs and the middle of the flowers, it was a good time to gather most of them in, before the birds and squirrels took care of them for me....no doubt I will feed the critters these seeds{I really have no interest in salting or eating them myself}, but first I want to see how my harvesting and drying process goes...then I'll parcel them out over the winter months.

As you can see from the photos, the ones I have picked so far are pretty large, with the biggest being about 16 inches across and the same in height....others are close, and the smaller ones are those that were shaded out by the faster growing large ones....I claim a "Successful Harvest" for 2009, and plan on growing more of these 14 footers next May.

Taking a look at the weather forecast for the next 10 days, cooler, as in 20 or more degrees below average, and plenty of needed rain...I figured this October would not be the warm one like 2008, so I decided to put the top back on the old Jeep...took about 25 minutes, and went much smoother than I thought it would, which is always a plus....

Like I said, simple things, are more enjoyable when you have the time....Which I would be remiss if I didn't mention that youngest son Hal's Masters in Education came in the mail today...Gotta admit, that he struggled in his first couple of years at WSU in Dayton, the party life suited him. But when it came down to crunch time, he breezed through his bachelors program, and then scored a perfect 4.0 in his Masters program. He is now working with Autistic youth, and still looking forward to teaching High School History down the road.

Meanwhile, oldest son, Sam seems to be adjusting to life in Columbus. The grades will tell the tale, but he seems to be continuing his success from OSU-Lima at the main campus, while working with the OSU Athletic Department and the Big Ten Network, and still officiating football, with basketball coming up over the Christmas break. Gotta admit I am pretty proud of both...it's not easy having to listen to the predominate left wing Bull crap that is spewed out in colleges these days, especially when you are raised Christian and Conservative....my thumbs up to both of the boys.

back later>>>>

Photos-The old picnic table is full of the first harvest....will now put them in the garage to dry out for the critter food. One of the largest, 16" x 16"...I did have to battle the Bees to get these guys harvested, they were not too happy that I was taking their pollen producing goodies. Western Mercer County, the trees are beginning to change, but the colors need another week or 2....The Jeep with top back on, and Hal's Masters is now ready for his wall, to go with his BA in High School History Education.