The Election is Over...on to other things to do this coming Winter

The election is history, although a few races still are to be decided.  It appears that the Republicans will take 63 or so House seats, 6 Senate gains of previous Democrats seats, and their Governorships will stand at 30 compared to the previous 24...quite a few state houses changed hands as well, and the major gains favored the GOP in the big electoral states, like Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, they were all turned over from Democrat to Republican.  The lone big state gain was from the state of Mexifornia, previously known as California...although Arnold Schwarzenegger was really never a Republican anyway, just a Politically Correct hack, that was nothing more than a lukewarm Democrat.  So it was indeed a good night for real Americans and patriots...we will see if they can destroy the Obama mystique and agenda, or if they will "go along to get along"...if they do, they will pay a deep price in 2012.             

In other news____                                       

The state football playoffs begin in Ohio tomorrow, Garry has a couple of tournament contests this year, as does one of the other guys from his crew...but for the most part the season is over for our association...not so for local teams.  Delphos St John, Marion Local, Coldwater, Minster, Anna, from the MAC,  and several other teams from the WBL and other leagues are in tournament action as well.   Celina's Bulldogs lost the last week of the season, and were left out.  But a 6-4 record is far better than I, or many other folks thought before the season began...1 or 2 wins, maybe none were expected...but the young coaching staff and their players did well.

I am finishing up my basketball schedule for the upcoming season...and scrimmages begin when I return after a short trip to Wisconsin.  The regular season for Girls BB begins Thanksgiving weekend, while the Boys kick into season the following week.

Winter on the Horizon____

With cold weather coming soon enough, my outdoor activities will slow, although I will spend as much time out of doors as possible, I will begin my winter activities...those include, less beer drinking(a pity for sure but a necessity), reading the 775 page book of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry:

http://26thohioinfantry.com/

{also see last weeks blog post about the book and the 26th}

Of course Basketball will play a huge part of my winter activities...as of now I am scheduled to work some 80 games, including week night Junior High double headers and 3 games, JH doubles and High School single games, on Saturdays.  Toss in youngest son Hal and his fiancee Lisa's wedding in early February, in West Virginia, and the following reception 2 weeks later in Dayton, it promises to be a busy and hopefully, fast moving winter...the least favorite season of the year to be sure.

I also plan on working on my photography skills, especially when it comes to producing Sepia photographs...something I have come to enjoy over the years...so the winter will be busy, hopefully I can stay germ free for the majority of it, I've been pretty luck the past few years.  Sure there was the 2007 back problems, a couple of nasty colds last winter, and the torn calf muscle in February 2009...but all in all, not much to complain about for a active 61 year old.  Hopefully my luck and health will hold out for another coming cold season in the Buckeye State.

back later>>>>

Photos-I really enjoy working with photos, especially with today's digital technology...can you imagine what the early photography pioneers could have produced with today's modern devices.  Of course, given the fact that the digital and computer aids for photographs are dirt cheap, and you can correct your mistakes in a heartbeat, makes it great for hacks like me...the top photos are from my recent "fishing" trip to the Oscoda, Michigan, area...me with a cigar and bottle of Drambuie on the side, and a old tree, long dead on the shore of Lake Huron next to the Au Sable River.