More Umpiring, Sunflowers make their appearence, and The Fresh Air Fund

Yesterday was a rare July day in this part of the world...the high struggled to reach 80, the humidity was low, and the breeze, from the north and northwest, made for a pleasant mid summers day....heading for Lima and the District Finals at LCC, I actually looked forward to doing the plate.  Two quality pitchers would be on the mound for both Shawnee and Leipsic, and the weather would be near perfect for baseball.   We started on time at 6pm, both starters were throwing strikes, I believe there was only one walk to go with the dozen and a half strike outs between the two squads.  Deron and I were done in 90 minutes, the 3-1 Lima Shawnee win, made a Championship Game #2 necessary to decide who would move on the the State ACME Tournament, starting here in Celina on July 23rd.

So, tonight, I head back to LCC for the 3rd straight night, to work the final...final.  Ed from St. Marys will join me, and he will have the plate...3 nights in a row behind the dish, with the same team and teams, is not good, so the change to the bases will be welcome.  Given the hurlers the two squads have left, it should be another good game tonight....but anything can and usually does happen.

The Sunflowers make an appearance____

I usually wait to plant the sunflower seeds until mid May...and this spring it was a necessity due to the cold and wet conditions...so my crop, while usually big and bountiful, are always a little late blooming....this year is no exception.  Yesterday the first two of my mixture of "Moon Walkers", Monmouth, Mexican Orange, and Mixed Color flowers, appeared....I also noticed next to my transplanted "Wild" plant, another next to it with multiple flowers as well....it appears the crop will be good again this fall.

Domestic Sunflower Seeds produce just a single flower, while the wild wind blown variety can produce over 100 on rare occasions.  Last year I believe I had 40 or so on a stray wild plant.  This year the plant that I found growing under our bushes in early April and I transplanted to the kennel line, looks like it will approach the 35-40 flower mark...and the one "wild" sitting next to it will produce multiple flowers as well.  The weather appears dry for the next week or more...but the Sunflowers will continue to thrive in the heat, sun, and humidity.
 
The Fresh Air Fund____

I don't often promote other web sites or causes on this blog...I dropped the sponsorship links a couple of years ago.  I got a request awhile back for Sara at "The Fresh Air Fund"...a site and program that seeks to help inner city youth take summer vacations away from the heat and grime of their concrete city locations, and place them in more open spaces of rural America.  After doing some research, and checking out the site, I figured "Why Not".....it seems a good cause and on the up and up.   After all, even a hard core right winger like me, things there are good causes out there worth supporting.....so here is the site...check it out and see what you think:

http://www.freshair.org/ 

After all a few minutes of your time away from the world's and this country's problems is good for all of us.

Baseball again tonight, a Legion tournament on Saturday, and who knows after that....but the heat will be back, and I'm looking forward to the end of the hardball wars....a break before Football comes calling in mid August.

back later>>>

Photos-A still out of video from Channel 35 WLIO in Lima from last nights game...me in the lite blue umpire shirt as Leipsic scores it's only run in the 3-1 loss to Lima Shawnee, the two teams will hook up again tonight at Lima Central Catholic, with the prize a trip to the State Summer High School ACME Tournament in Celina next week.  The first of Sunflowers begin to bloom...and the already 10 foot tall "Wild" Sunflower plant that I transplanted, it appears to be heading towards 35 or more blooms...but time will tell.

Another July Day in the Life....Baseball and the Home Work Area

Nothing special going on this morning....

Patricia is working on the Quilt for the coming grandson, and I am sitting on my rear end at the computer station...the good news is that the weather, after a couple of welcome showers on Monday took a cool break overnight, as a front, dry in this area it was, passed by.   The morning temperatures cooled and it appears today and tomorrow will be a welcome break from the heat and humidity.  Lower 80s for highs with 60 as a low....no rain in the forecast until at least the weekend.

Last night Garry and I headed to Lima, for the District ACME at Lima Central Catholic....an elimination game between Allen East and Lima Shawnee.  Shawnee had defeated AE in the Sectional game I had last week at Shawnee, but both teams moved on to districts.  In ACME two teams each move out of the sectionals, and both the Mustangs as the runners up and Shawnee's Indians as the champs moved to LCC.   Shawnee won last week 15-2 in a 5 inning run rule, last night's game would not be much different.  Shawnee jumped out early and finally put AE away in the 6th, coming away with another run rule, this one by a 12-2 score.  I was behind the plate, and will be again tonight, as Shawnee, with a loss under their belts, try to avoid elimination, taking on Leipsic's Vikings.  Leipsic is undefeated in District play, and a win tonight will send them on to the State Tournament, which will be held here in Celina beginning July 23rd.  A Shawnee win would make it a winner take all, for a State trip tomorrow night at LCC.

Last night was pretty hot with the gear on...but the game went quick and there was a breeze to help...tonight it should be much more pleasant, at least weather wise.

The Work Area_____

Last week, Patricia and I made some changes to the little corner living room, which is where I have a antique desk, and a computer area where this blog and my other BS is penned(typed).  The computer area was designed and installed about 6 years ago in place of an ugly ass closet, we took one of the inside doors, which was installed back when this parsonage was built in 1923 and put it on a smaller closet area.  I then took an antique desk from my Grandmother's place in Scott, Ohio, and set it in front of the duel windows facing west.   This was the same time we ripped out the carpet, and had Majestic Floors, refinish the pine, and make it a solid wood downstairs, they would do the upstairs the next year.....

Then last week we moved some photos around, put my Vietnam frames on "my" walls above the stacked antique desk with 8 drawers{also a refugee from Grandma Houseworth and Aunt Eva's place in Scott.  If I don't say so, it is looking pretty good.....and makes the 2 hours or so I spend here each weekday much more pleasant.  

back later>>>>

Photos-My Desk, which has been in some old family photos for over 60 years I suspect it was in my Grandmother Houseworth's place since the 1930s when she moved into the Grant Street home in Scott, Ohio.  The desk itself is over 100 years old, the 8 drawer stacked desk to the right, is also an ancient antique from Grandma's place.  The second photo is of a much newer crafted Computer Work Center which sets in the same room...this area was hand built in 2005, and is where I spent a couple of hours each morning typing this blog and downloading photos.

Foggy Sunrise and Foggy Minded Male Liberals

The now 13 year old Reagan the Airedale woke me up as usual this morning... it's
always sometime between 4:30 and 5am, for her morning biscuit.  She pretends to need to go outside to do her morning thing...but she hardly gets down the back steps and is barking or scratching to get in...it's her thing at her advanced age.  Wake me up, she gets biscuit, and I go back to bed.  This morning was one of those mornings, more frequent the past month or so, that I stay up, brush the teeth, get dressed and head out to see if there is anything worth photographing in the early morning sky.

After yesterday's welcome rains, which came in two storms, I figured there was to be some fog, that would pretty well cancel any glorious sunrise shots over Grand Lake.  I was right, as day was breaking the lake and ground fog pretty well did the sunrise shots in....my lack of skill with the new camera also cost me a couple of close-ups of a Heron in a tree, and 2 Doe in the hay field photos....I didn't have time to plant the camera on the tripod....and hand holding the Sony for Zoom shots in just not in my skill pattern yet....and in the early hour of the morning, I may never figure it out.  Guess I will need to carry the older Fuji Camera out on these morning runs....even though it has some issues, I can at least figure out to steady shoot from the Zoom.

The early morning was not cooled off by the previous days rains...78 at 5:30 when I drove past the bank on my way south towards Montezuma....it's going to be a hot and humid day for sure.  Tonight's District game begins at 6pm at Lima Central Catholic, I've got the plate, so I should lose another 10-15 pounds of water weight...which I will attempt to drink back on after Garry and I head back home.   I will be back at LCC again tomorrow for Championship Game #1(there may be two, such it the way of double elimination tournaments)...and once again, I will do the dish, working with a face from my football officiating, Mr JD Bailey.  I have not worked baseball with JD, so tomorrow will be the first time.  Once done there I am not sure when the next umpire action will be....waiting for any schedule to come out from the State Tourney assignments.  I do know I have a tournament double header in Minster on July 22nd.....then as August approaches, I take a break for a few weeks, until Football Scrimmage time arrives.

A liberal mind=Space Wasted____

One thing I can say about facebook...you can "meet" some strange people there.   Over the past 3 years I have connected with a handful of old friends from my childhood in Venice, Florida, several old Vietnam buddies, and folks from right here in Celina that I had lost touch with.  However, of the 1400 people who I have listed as 'Friends", most are like minded people of the Right political persuasion.  A few Liberal friends are also on the list, but only if I know them personally, and we can agree to keep it civil.  If they start throwing around the "hate", "bigot", "Neanderthal", etc., labels, I delete them in a hurry...I don't have time for left wing assholes that can't think past their worship for Obama, the Clinton's, Illegal border jumpers, support of higher taxes, and their love for Islamic Radicals.

Once in awhile a clown or clown-ette decides to come trolling in on a session sent out by a fellow Conservative...and their MOs are always the same...especially from those enlightened "Male Liberals".  You can just about be assured that any male liberal, especially white male liberals, have issues from childhood.   And yes I am painting with a broad brush here.....most have a mommy fixation, are gay, both?  And probably got their asses kicked in school on a daily basis.  They like to throw out words at people like me..."Angry", "Narrow-Minded", "Bully", "Not-to-Bright", "Half Wit", etc, etc, etc,....it appears that's all they have to offer, since their man's political offerings are a total failure, much like their miserable lives.

One such numskull came trolling on a photo discussion on one of my "friends" pages yesterday...we were discussing a photo of the Master Barack Obammy{see photo in question on left}...and this clown, named Tommy Beaver, decided to join us, with his personal wisdom and support of our half baked, half breed, half witted, Kenyan Prez. When I chose to call him a "moron"....here came the words used above.  It went back and forth for awhile, as I kept feeding this fool more candy....he finally pronounced that he was looking for someone like me to write about....some hate filled, low IQ ed, dimwit.  It appears Little Tommy Beaver, or at least he says, works for some store front Rag in Brooklyn, New York, of all places.  And I was going to be his centerpiece story of a hate filled Midwestern "Bully".  I thanked him, I just hope if he does write about me, he mentions this blog....this time of year, my visits slow down, because most people of the "Half Witted" variety, like me, spend too much time outdoors to hit this blog...so thank you Little Tommy Beaver, get me those readers....even if they happened to be Obama worshiping fools such as you...it's after all, about the numbers.  And by-the-way Tommy, I am a "bully"?  You have that wrong...I am the anti-bully.  In my bar tending days, after the Air Force and during college, I was the "Anti Bully", helping rescue clowns such as you from getting their ass kicked by real bullies.  You may think you have me all figured out, but you don't have a clue.



So that's it this morning, heat, humidity, foggy morning, and foggy minded leftists like Little Tommy, they are all part of what make the world go around....so you just keep, keepin on Lil' Tommy.  You are indeed a clown, mind you not up to the famous Emmett Kelly, or even Ronald McDonald.  But keep trying, someday, maybe someday, you'll make it to those heights.

back later>>>>

Photos-This mornings sun as it finally lifts above the fog in rural Mercer County....a couple of miles north and east of Celina.  Another High School haunt, Whiskey Run, in the gloam, as it drifts towards Grand Lake....Our beloved Kenyan Prez, Barack Insane Obammy, looking like a combination of Jack Benny and someone looking at the Menu at one of his Chicago Gay Bath House haunts...and a real Clown, Emmett Kelly Jr, not to be confused with the wannabee left wing writing clown, Little Tommy Beaver....use just don't measure up Tommy, but you keep trying, someday, maybe someday.

The Dog Days of July...

The weekend was ablaze, temperature-wise....no rain in west central Ohio, as the cold, wet, spring and early summer has turned into a dry, parched, late June through mid-July....rain they say, is on the way, but for now we bake.

Saturday I traveled to Rcokford for the Junior ACME District finals at Parkway...one or two games were scheduled in the double elimination tourney, and Crestview with no loses, made it a one game day, defeating Coldwater for the second time, 7-1, to take home the crown, and move onto the Semi State in Celina, starting Friday.  Saturday, Sam, after working the Buckeye Elite Tournament in the Columbus area, returned home, and we did a District ACME double header at Celina.  In the winner's bracket final between host Celina and Coldwater, I did the plate, in a 13-6 Coldwater win...the heat coming off the rubber turf was brutal.  With temperatures outside nearing 95 the turf temps had to be 20 degrees hotter.  The game, lasting almost 2 1/2 hours, was probably not my best behind the plate, but we survived it...in the second game, the elimination contest between Anna and Fort Loramie, Sam took the plate, and things went much smoother(i.e. less fans and less bitching), in the Fort's 8-2 victory, to eliminate the Rockets.  That District continues tonight, while I have the day off...tomorrow night, weather permitting, I travel with Garry to Lima Central Catholic to work that LCC District, and I return there on Wednesday as well for another single game.  After that, my schedule winds down....there are still some tournament assignments out there, but the only solid commitment is at Minster on July 22nd for two games.

Frankly, I am glad it's winding down....too cold and wet during the spring season, too damn hot thus far this summer...I usually have a fair amount of patience during the year, but this summer has pushed me far enough.  I've only tossed one coach, but like yesterday, I have bitten my tongue on more than one occasion, just to get through a game without firestorm.  It was just too damn hot to spend more time than I had to on that rubber turf, arguing about calls I wasn't going to change.  Sam had a couple of go-at-its, with the home coach...he got both calls right, but when you are losing, you are going to argue anyway, regardless of right or wrong.  That's why I gave up coaching years ago and went back to umpire work....much easier to walk away from.

As I sat next to the van, in the shade, after game one...a couple of Celina fans, relatives of Cory Luebke of the San Diego Padres, whose cousin was the Bulldog starting pitcher, were parked next to me...walked up and laughed as I was sitting in my lawn chair with an XM Classic Rock Station on.  I told them, I had it turned up so as not to listen to anybody bitching about the game....they smiled, waved good-by and I assume headed for a cold beer...which I wanted to do, but that would wait a couple of more hours....

That was my weekend....I did however enjoy a couple of cold ones once we were done with game 2....back to lawn mowing and watching the Radar to see when and if any rain will fall in the Grand Lake region....

back later>>>>

Photo-another one of the backyard flowers peeks out...

Friday....ramblings of a tired mind..Justice Served/Justice Denied

Talked with Sam this morning...his games in Columbus are on hold, at least, storms overnight and this morning....no rain here, although we could use some.  Feast or famine is the rain story for us this Spring and Summer...

I had planned to get up early this morning about 5, but woke up about 3....then unable to sleep, I did get up at 5, but only about 3 or maybe four hours of shuteye....so I am dragging behind.  The photo shoot just wasn't that good, with the heavy cloud cover to the south and east, I drove around, took a few shots, visited some old haunts, and was home by 7am....I'm tired, but not a very productive morning.  But Hell, being semi-retired, most mornings are spent being not-so-productive.

I stopped by some old fishing spots on Grand Lake....took some photos of places that have changed or been changed by private development or State of Ohio greed and/or tinkering.   Coldwater Creek and various channels into and out of the Lake are not what they were 30, 40, and 50, years ago...but of course neither is Grand Lake....and any improvement that may be coming, will not bring it back to those old days.....time moves on.

So, that was my morning....Patricia is working to put the crib up for the first Grandson, due in November...and lucky she decided to put it up early....an expensive piece of furniture, and the holes and sides don't match up...ouch!  So she is on the phone, talking with the company, and seeing if they can offer help, advice, or a new part....she is going to need lots of luck on that.  But at least we have time to make it good before he comes along.

Damn, am I tired....so I'll just post two of my favorite photos from my RV Road Trips....the top one take off I-17 between Flagstaff, Arizona, and Phoenix....and the bottom one back in 2007, off the Tamiami Trail(US 41) in the Everglades...this big boy, in my estimate about 17 feet was sunning himself, waiting for me to take photo of him, or maybe, waiting for some damn fool to get to close while photographing him...

This morning waiting for some kind of luck taking sunrise photos, reminded me of all those trips I took delivering RVs over the  Summer 2002 through early 2008 time frame, and how I wasted many of them, photography wise. I still have those  floppy disks I used in those old early Sony Digital boat anchors, but they are almost useless these days...some good photography was lost, some remains, but getting to those photos is no longer easy.  Yes digital photography is great, I cannot imagine going back to the "drama" of using film....but there are times, when you shake your head on how fast it changes, and you better damn well be ready to change with it, or you and your work will be lost.  That is one of the good things about Blooger and it's associated albums and photo storage...at least for now, you can go back and retrieve just about anything you have ever posted....some of the oldies from my trips west and south over the years are included today.....

Crime and Punishment...sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

On the political/criminal front(since they are hopelessly intertwined)  ... there are sad results, such as the murderous mom, Casey Anthony getting a free pass for a group of hopeless losers on a Orlando jury....then on the other hand, you watch as justice Texas style is dished out...over the rants of our Commie-in-Chief, his media lap dogs, the Mexican Government, and the UN...Texas, the US Supreme Court, and Governor Rick Perry told the world and Obama to "Stick It": and executed a murdering bastard, an illegal one, who has resided in the country since the age of two.  This pervert brutally raped, murdered, and tortured, a 16 year old girl back in 1994.  Obammy and his one world order buddies were all for letting this scumbag consult with Mexico before being allowed to fry.  Thankfully the court, by the slimiest of margins,  told them to "stay out of the Texas court system", and the bastard was sent to meet his maker last night.

A 5-4 vote...another reason this Kenyan bastard needs to go before he can appoint another new justice...and believe me, him and his supporters, will do almost anything in order to get control of the high court....nothing would surprise me out of this bunch.

back later>>>>

Photos-A not so spectacular sunrise over western Grand Lake, and Coldwater Creek as it flows into the lake...one of my old fishing haunts...you can still see former SR 703 where it used to cross the creek, until the State DNR decided to improve the area some 40 years ago...thus cutting and gutting the heart out of the once vibrant corner of the lake.  And the two "Road Trip" photos from my days delivering RVs around the country.

Grillin'

The Summer heat, with little rain in the near term forecast has settled in....with no games on the agenda until the weekend, I have time on my hands...and yesterday I grilled up enough meat on the old grill for the rest of the week....

The kids got me a new gas grill for Father's Day shortly after we moved into town...that was some 16 years ago, and I'm guessing 1996 or 97, they and Patricia went to Lowe's in Lima and picked up a Sunbeam Grill....it worked well for a few years, despite one accident where Jack Drambuie the Airedale, knocked it over, breaking a few parts, which were repaired.   A handful of years ago, the grill was showing it's age, so I improvised and turned the Gas Grill, into a Charcoal Grill...and it has worked well in that form.

Frankly I could get a new grill, but this old converted one, seems to be cooking up some of my best work in years....yesterday was no exception.  Patricia had picked up smoke Pork Chops, Brats, a couple of quality steaks, and chicken breasts.  Over a 2 hours period, I would cook them all over the open Charcoal, and they came out, in my opinion, excellent....the photos attached in today's blog post, at least give you a view.

Not much else going on, except to catch the murdering bitch, Casey Anthony, get her sentence this morning...after a jury of 12 clueless morons, let her skate.  The judge, if he let's her out, should make her go through the front door...without police protection.  Then maybe this puke would know the fear her daughter went through as she was murdered..

Update....It appears the Judge gave the bitch the maximum, and she will spend more time in Jail...poor Geraldo, Hannity, and Judge Napalitano....the Casey Supporters will now have something else to whine about on Fox.

A bit of justice, not much, but some, is served...and now the release date is known...6 days, July 13, 2011...there is indeed no justice for the innocent victims, when it comes to child murdering scum like Casey Anthony....at least not in our legal system.

back later>>> 

Reagan the Airedale...turning 13

Happy Birthday Reagan the Roo!

Another hot one yesterday, and as I headed off to Lima Shawnee High School, I was pleased that it was my umpiring partner, Tim's, turn to do the plate....we were scheduled to do just one game, but in the heat, that would seem to be plenty.  Ended up not to be so bad...Shawnee and Allen East were in the final of the winners bracket of the Lima ACME Sectional...the host Indians jumped out on top early and cruised to a 15-2,  four and one half inning win over the Mustangs, dropping AE into a elimination final tonight with Lima Central Catholic.  Two teams from each sectional move on to the Districts at LCC this weekend, where I have 2 of those games next Tuesday and Wednesday.  Meanwhile Sam, back from Columbus, and I were selected to work a double header in the split Mercer/Auglaize/Shelby/Van Wert County District.  Not sure who the teams will be, but the Van Wert winners and runners up will be there, our games begin on the turf field(which promises to be HOT) at 1pm.

Sam took a Little League tournament game tonight as a favor...after working the Junior ACME District at Parkway last night.  In those games Crestview remained undefeated beating Coldwater 6-1, while host Parkway lost to league rival St Henry 6-2.  I had those teams early in the season and Parkway had come away with an easy win...so you never know, but of the four, Crestview seems to be head and shoulders above the others.

Reagan The Amazing Airedale_____

As I have written about many times on this blog, Patricia and I have raised and bred Airedale Terriers for over 35 years.  We picked out our first one in 1975 on a farm down in Shelby County, near Houston, Ohio.  That was Rags...she was followed by heading to a small town near where the Houseworth clan branched out, called Roundhead, Ohio.  Roundhead is located some 40 miles east of here, near Indian Lake...that was Max, he turned out to be a money making stud dog, by pure chance, we never planed it that way, but House's Black Max probably sired 200 or more pups, and they brought in good money back in the decade of the 1980s. 

Rag and Max were our companions for many years....the followed us from Celina to the Northwoods of Wisconsin in 1977, then to an apartment in Kokomo, Indiana.  After that it was Dodge City, Kansas....when I finally decided to stop the insanity of moving around for my career in Radio, we returned to the Celina area, where they both lived out their long lives on the farm on Coldwater Creek.  Those dogs ran free along the creek and through the farmland and woods...Max fell through the ice one winter, both got injured getting hit by speeding cars, but both survived, and I always felt good that the two had the freedom few dogs get to enjoy...dogs Hell, few people get the freedoms that Rag and Max had.  They were indeed "Lucky Dogs".  Rags passed away in July 1987 at 11 years, 11 months.  Max was the longest living of our Airedales, until Reagan came along....living until the ripe old age of 12 years and 7 months, passing away in March of 1989.

After Max died and we moved to town, we stopped breeding for the most part, but kept the line intact for awhile.  With the passing of Josey Wales and the early death from cancer of Duke, our Max line, at least with us having a part of it, ended....and Jack, from an Indiana breeder, came along.  Crazy Jack was a runner, and lived to the age of 11.  In that time we did match him up with my college roommates Mick and Sue Szabo's female Ivy...with that mating they produced 8 pups....at least two of those dogs from 1998 have reached the amazing age for Airedales, of 13.  July 6, 1998 was the day, and both Reagan and the Szabo's dog Xena, have hit lucky 13.  Sadly Xena has outlived Suzi Szabo who passed away this past April of cancer, at 57.  Time slips away like a thief in the night.

Reagan(named after my favorite politician and President) was house trained from the beginning.  We always favored females, as did the Szabo family, because they are easier to train, and more family friendly...although I have never met a mean Airedale.  If you find one that is mean, you can be sure that it is because the owners are either cruel or idiots, or a combination of both.  Airedales however come in all temperaments, and males especially, can be hard to train for those not willing to work long hours with them.  Rag and Max were our companions for years....because Patricia trained them well.  Until Reagan came along...the rest have been outdoor dogs, and frankly that is where Airedales thrive best.

Reagan has had s variety of skin allergies throughout her years, and with steroids and other injections it didn't seem that she was destined for a long life....I guess someone forgot to tell her.  She hits 13 today...ol' sure, she looks a mess, sleeps 20 hours a day, but still eats well, and does get out in the back yard with me to play ball and lay in the shade.  It's not likely she will be around much longer, but Hell, it was thought she would not make it much past 10...and she had fooled everybody.  No longer on her medication, she seems to have thrived, and I no longer am surprised at her will to "hang in there".

I have said she will probably be our last Airedale...after-all we have had a good run of luck over nearly 40 years...and it may be time for no dog or a smaller dog, after all, the next one may outlive me, if we choose to invite another into our home.  But you know what?  I really don't know...anything can, and usually does happen.   Anyway Reagan and the Airedales past have surely been a large part of our lives....and that may be the biggest understatement I have made on this blog in months.

back later>>>>

Photos-top left Reagan in her younger days, then with her favorite basketball, still playing in her older age...Rag and Max pups, born in 1978, in northern Wisconsin, these  11 were our first litter, and Rags only one, they were a success...Max was to produce a couple hundred more over his 12 1/2 years.  Rag and Max in rural Wisconsin during the blizzard of 1978, then treeing a squirrel at Dodge City in 1980.  And finally "Jack Drambuie" in his short time as a "house dog"...Ol' Jack was not comfortable in the house, and he made the back yard his home for the rest of his 11 years.

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....

Windy Point, Grand Lake, Montezuma, Ohio

A rare Sunday post this day before Independence Day 2011.....

Crawling out of the sack at 5am this morning, it appeared the sky and conditions might be OK for another round of Sunrise Photos over Grand Lake.  So I brushed my teeth, put on t-shirt, jeans, and a ball cap, and drove out into the nearly dark and moonless morning, just as the sun was starting to brighten the northeast skyline.  This mornings destination was Windy Point State Park on the south side of the lake.  Just outside the Montezuma town limits, Windy Point is where, during my high school years, I spent hours either, swimming, fishing, and doing some illegal camping with the Jones boys....you were not allowed to camp overnight at this state park, but we did so on occasions anyway.  After my Air Force days, Windy Point is where I would bring the Airedales, Rag and Max, to swim in the channels that jetted off into the park grounds.

Windy Point itself is a rocky jetty that runs from the southeast side of Grand Lake some distance, perhaps a half mile, and reaches towards Safety Island...the largest of a dozen or so islands in the lake, mostly on the west side, that at one time were used as oil well platforms in the 13,000 acre reservoir.  These days Windy Point is no longer a fishing hot spot, the beaches are gone, except a small strip of sand near the "point" itself.  There are boat docks in the channels, but frankly Windy Point is seldom used by locals are the lake visitors these days...and with the Alga and other pollution problems, and  the lack of quality fishing, I don't expect to see Windy Point back where it used to be in my lifetime.

The Canada Geese and Great Herons were out this morning when I arrived about 5:45...I parked the van and got out a lawn chair.  Over the next hour, I would shoot about 60 photos, and set and or stand taking in the sights and sounds of the morning...except for one pick-up truck, and a solo fisherman, who arrived later, the morning was left for me and the birds...along with a few fish that would slash just off the long ago abandoned beach.  I managed to get some quality photos, but found myself regretting that I did not bring along a tripod....with no picnic tables in shooting range, I had to adjust and that doesn't always work out...I final took some shots while I rested the Nikon on the passenger door rolled down window ledge of the Montana.

The photos are a few that I worked with this morning...as the sun filtered through the partly cloudy skies toward the rising sun, which comes up over the northeast part of the lake this time of year.

Have a Happy 4th, back later>>>>

Photos-I am getting used to the point and shoot Nikon, but still am not steady enough at is as to realize when taking these type shots, I do need a tripod, especially when zooming in....the top photo is me, taken with camera resting on the tail of the Montana Van, after I was done shooting, and finishing up my large coffee.  The daylight photo is Windy Point from last summer during the August "Bar Stool Open"...and all the sunrise photos were taken this morning from varsious point near and on Windy Point, looking northeast towards the rising sun.

Meaning of the 4th of July, Umpire Tossings, and More Sun~risings...

Final post until after the 4th of July, unless something spectacular comes up...like Obammy resigning and admitting he is really a Kenyan after all...so seriously,  don't count on any new material until Tuesday July 5th. 

July 4th, What it Means to the far left:

I see where a new Harvard study says July 4th is for us Right Wingers only:
http://nation.foxnews.com/culture/2011/06/30/harvard-july-4th-parades-are-right-wing 

Well you know, the dump is probably right...after all, Democrats and Lefties, for the most part, hate America, hate God, and worship Stalin, Lenin, Mao, and Obammy the Wonder Boy....so you see, Liberals indeed don't like the 4th of July, because it stands for everything they hate and despise.

In a day, not far off, there will be another Civil War in America, not North vs South, Black vs White, or even Legal vs Illegal...it will be Left vs Right, Citizen vs overreaching Government Control.  Look for Obammy, if re-elected, to go for the Holy Grail, and with the help of the left wing press, try to become King of Amerika for life.   All Hell will break loose....and no I'm not joking.  This, or something like, this is bound to happen, and you better damn well be prepared, and hope enough of the military is on "our right" side.  The left controls the Government and Media, they will not give up control without a fight....and at this point I see no Republican(except Allen West who isn't running) that will side with us....the field is littered with the Politically Correct and Wall Street Bankers/Lawyers, who are too gutless to actually make a difference.


There are at least three undeniable truths:  (1) Global Warming is Fake Science...(2) Abortion is Murder...and (3) Liberals Hate America and Freedom. 
--------------------

Getting the "Heave-Ho"...

Last night my buddy Jim, another long time veteran state tested umpire, and I had the winners bracket final of the Crestview Junior ACME tournament at Convoy.  It was Jim's turn to do the plate, and we had a feeling the game might get ugly, because frankly, one team appeared far superior to the other.  {I will leave names of teams off here because the tournament is still going on and both teams are still in the hunt}

Ugly turns out to be a vast understatement....18-1 was the final, in a 4 1/2 inning "run rule" game.  Run Rule is when the trailing team gets 5 at bats and still trails by 10 or more runs, the game is called, and the leading team is declared the winner.

Errors, misplays, walks, etc, led to the downfall of the losing team....for some reason the coaches decided to knit pick calls they thought they didn't like.  Here is a little hint:  When you are down 12 or 15 runs, it's not the freaking umpires fault.  When your team is getting their asses handed to them, don't nitpick the umpires.  So after a few pissing sessions, the head coach comes out, lallygags around, and finally changes pitchers, with his team down 15-0, and we are only in the 3rd inning.  After several warm up pitches, Jim tells coach and pitcher, "Two more warm up tosses"...the coach fires back..."He only gets six?"  "No" says Jim, "While you were talking and messing around, he had the others"....A few more back and forth barbs and Jim tells him, "One more word and you are gone".  So the coach makes his exit from the mound towards the dugout...and makes the mistake of turning and saying something towards Jim....I'm not sure what it was, but, it didn't matter, I didn't wait for my partner to say a word, I just wound up and gave him the heave-ho..."Coach" I say, "You Are Outta Here"...

First Junior ACME or ACME head coach I have ever tossed....now American Legion?, a dime a dozen, tossed many.  High school?  Never, those guys are usually smart enough not to get tossed, it costs them time, games, and money, if they get the heave-ho...I usually just set them on the bench.  Why this guy choose to cross the line that had been drawn in a, at that time, a 15 run blow out is beyond me?   But now with his team playing in the losers bracket final tonight(with me behind the plate) with the winner of the game getting an automatic bid to the District, he will be sitting somewhere other than the bench or ballpark.  He is suspended for two games, and his team may get finished off tonight, and he won't be there to coach them, win or lose.  I didn't enjoy showing him the gate, but there are times you have to do things because you are boxed into a corner.  He was told not to continue to yap, and he pushed the envelope, and paid the postage due.  Sorry about his luck, next time maybe he'll know better.

More Sunrise Photos~

Here are a couple more from yesterday's morning shoot....

back later>>>> have a great 4th of July all you fellow Right Wingers...screw the limp wristed lefties and other American Democracy haters...you have forfeited any respect you think you deserve.


Photos-A cluster of flowers over the back fence...one plant, with the blooms looking much like a bouquet....The left hates America, and what the Flag stands for...Allen West maybe the GOP hope, if we can get him to run. Clint Hurdle of the Pirates getting the "Heave~Ho"...and a couple of shots from yesterday's sunrise shoot over Grand Lake.

30 June 1969...off to Vietnam, and Rising Early on a Summer Morning

Sometimes I would like to go to bed earlier than I do, and get up much earlier than the 7:30 or 8am I do most mornings....last night and this morning I finally got it done. You will find that the older you get, the less sleep you require or get, and with that the later you tend to hit the sack.  After my retirement at the age of 53 back in 2002, I immediately went into driving RVs for delivery around the country, so my sleep pattern went to Hell.  While on the road I would sometimes go to bed in the RVs at 9pm, but be up and on the road by 3 or 4am.  And of course traveling against the time zones on many of those western trips really screwed up my sleep cycle.  When I stopped driving those, back in 2008, I returned to a somewhat normal sleep pattern.  Go to bed at Midnight and getting up some 7 or 8 hours.  What I would like to do is go to bed at 10 and get up at 5 or 6...but that has not happened for the most part.

Last night, with no games, I had several beers, watched "Die Hard" and hit the hay at around 11....after getting up to let the old Airedale, Reagan, out at 4:30, I went back to bed for another hour or so....then at about 5:45 I awoke, and decided right then and there to get up and go take some photos of the sun rising across Grand Lake St Marys.  I didn't have much time to think about it...the sun would rise over Grand Lake about 6:10, and I had to get to the West Bank Road.  The sun this time of the year, rises in an almost North and East direction over the lake....so I knew I had to get down towards the park to get my shots.

I grabbed the keys to Patricia's Dodge Nitro, and headed out....as I approached the park in the quiet and gloam, a doe and her two fawns jogged across the roadway..."It sure is peaceful this morning" I thought to myself.  I parked the vehicle, and while the Canada Geese and their nearing adult young went on feeding, I began to take photos of the approaching sun coming up through the trees along the north side of the lake,  the trails left by passing jets, and a few skittering clouds.  Some of the results are posted here, and on my Western Ohio Weather Blog(link on the right side border of this post).

Yep, I really do need to get up early more often...my mind says I will do that, my body?  Well let's say, that part of me needs to be convinced....

June 30, 1969...off to Nha Trang, RVN

42 years ago this very morning, I awoke early, much like this morning.  But there would be no photo shoot of the sunrise over Grand Lake....this morning was to be my last spent stateside(except for 5 days in Hawaii the following April).  I would get up, mom, dad, and youngest sister Kelly and I would within the next few hours, head south to Vandalia, Ohio.  Vandalia is where then as today, the Dayton International Airport is located.  We arrived, a connecting flight to O' Hare Airport in Chicago was up next....I said my good-byes and climbed aboard.  The morning, like this one, was clear...and as the flight pattern played out, my American Airline 707 rumbled Montezuma on the shores of Grand Lake...from my window seat I actually saw the lake, the runway at our small airfield on could make out our house just off the grassy runway on the east end.  It would be another year before I would see home again.

Chicago was first, then onto San Francisco, where I boarded a bus for the trip to Travis AFB.  From there it was a whirlwind of paper work and processing, and finally I boarded a Braniff International 727 and was on my way.  After quick stops in Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines, our plane circled over the shoreline and heavy jungle of central South Vietnam....we would set down at Tan Son Nhut AB, or Saigon's Airport.  I really don't recall much of that first day, except I was housed in a transit barracks with maybe 40 other guys who would also be sent to their final in country destinations.  Mine would be Nha Trang, to the north of Saigon, where I would work out of the Law Enforcement division on day shift, or A Flight.  The next 6 months would be the only time I would work LE in my 4 years of Air Force duty...6 months later I would be back at Tan Son Nhut, but not as a "transit"...as a Buck Sergent for C Flight(overnight) Security...

So...it began, this day, 42 years ago...how time does fly by.

The tournament action begins for me tonight...as I have a Winner's Bracket final in the Jr ACME tournament in Convoy at Crestview...tomorrow I will be back there for the final elimination game in the double elimination tournament.  The action will pick up in the Varsity ACME Tournaments as the month of July begins...baseball will draw to a close for another season my next month's end.

back later>>>>

Photos-Three of the 40 some photos I took this morning looking out from the west side of Grand Lake St. Marys....still working on them, to see which are the best, my best guess is I have about a dozen "keepers"....also June 30, 1968 mom and me the morning of my departure for Vietnam....and TSgt Phil Lange my old NCOIC at the Law Enforcement desk at the Airport at Nha Trang....LE with the 14th SPS would be my home for the first 6 months in country, and my favorite duty station in my four Air Force years.