Baseball Rainouts and Record Sunflowers

One thing about traveling long distances to officiate/umpire sports, you cannot count on the weather to cooperate. For the second night in a row I had contracted to umpire the ACME Sectional/District for Putnam and Paulding Counties at Leipsic, Ohio. On Wednesday, after the game was complete, I headed to Deshler to down a few cold ones with and stay at my old buddy Tom's place...last night with rain in the forecast, I took Patricia's van(with the window's rolled out of the Jeep Wrangler, and Sam having my Intrepid in Columbus, I was short of options). Driving through rain in the Spencerville and Delphos areas, I arrived at the ball diamond in Leipsic a full 50 minutes before the game, with the skies threatening, and the sound of thunder in the air. I knew this was going to be "iffy" getting this game in, the Radar had shown me as much before I left Celina on the 65 mile trip.

Don, my umpire partner, and I got the teams around and started early, the home squad Leipsic were the visitors on the scoreboard(due to the drawing procedures) and had put up a 3 spot in the first when the first bold of lightning brightened the gloaming around the field. We took the mandatory 1/2 hour off. The skies were still dark when we resumed...but teams hit the ball, neither fielded very well, and the score stood at 8-4 in favor of the Vikings over Ottawa-Glandorf after the 2nd inning...another bold of lightning, some moderate rain, and a few minutes later, we "killed" the contest, and it was pushed back until tonight at 6 o'clock.

I had fulfilled my contract and could have walked away, with paycheck in hand, and would have been within my rights....instead I volunteered my services to return tonight, and not ask for another payday...they will however give me gas money, and have to pay a new partner(Don is scheduled to work Softball in Ottawa and cannot make it). Since I had this night off...I will return to Leipsic for the 3rd night in a row....no complaints from this umpire. Tomorrow the South Regional of the Jr ACME State Tourney begins in Celina, and Garry and I have a double header beginning at 2:30. The humidity will be down, and the rains gone by game time.

A Record Sunflower?___at least for me

Last year I planted and raised about 30 Mammoth Sunflowers, and used them as Squirrel and bird feed throughout the Winter...this year I planted another 2 dozen big ones, along with a number of "different" sizes and varieties of other Sunflowers.

After the Mammoth flower plants began to spring up, I noticed a plant close to the kennel fence had sprouted a bit earlier...it looked the same, and I figured it was a stray that I had dropped. However as I watched the plants growing, this one had slightly different leaves, and when the blooms begin, unlike the Mammoth Sunflowers, this plant was popping buds at a rate that I have never seen for any Sunflower plant. This morning the first flower had bloomed, and I begin count...23 buds so far, and more on the way it appears...although these flowers are not as large, they are big enough. I am wondering how many this plant can hold before it falls to the ground? I'm thinking that I may have to tie it up to the kennel fence to keep it upright, but for now, I'm wondering just how many flowers this plant will have attached before it all ends?

Stay tuned....But I'm guessing it will be somewhat short of the record 834 heads found on a plant in Michigan a few years back. It appears from a little research @

http://www.sunflowernsa.com/all-about/default.asp?contentID=67#30

The National Sunflower Association says my rouge plant is a wild variety and they often have 20 or more heads...although, not a record, mine is going to have many more than that.....domesticated Sunflowers only have one bloom...just another "you learn something new everyday moment".

back later>>>

Photos-The Wild Sunflower plant towers above the rest of the Mammoth Varieties, by at least a foot, and by 2 dozen or more flower buds....the rest of the back yard flowers are going strong, but still competing with the weeds brought on by the heavy Spring rains, and hot sun of the past 2 weeks.

Baseball and Summer...And Corn City, Ohio

I've gotta admit, even though baseball is by far my favorite sport to officiate...I am glad to see the light at the end of the season's tunnel. The heat and humidity of the past 2 weeks, combined with on average 10 games per week over that time, has this old body, no matter how good of condition I tell myself I am in for a 61 year old, wearing down a bit....I am glad to see the season is winding down, and by tomorrow(a rare day off), the weather will be less humid, and the contests less numerous through the end of the month.

I will head back to Leipsic this afternoon for another Putnam County ACME game in their Sectional/District Tournament....my umpire partner, Don, is a character for sure, he did the plate last night in a 11-1 Ottoville blow out of Miller City, which was completed in a 4 1/2 inning run rule. Tonight, I will put on the plate gear, and sweat my way through what should be a better game, a winner's bracket contest between the host team and rival Ottawa-Glandorf. There are some thunderstorms building along the approaching cold front, so those may play a part.

Yesterday I took along a change of clothes and called my old Horse Trainer buddy Tom, told him I would stop by after the game. So after the 1 hour 40 minute game, I headed north another dozen miles to Deshler, and we had a few welcome cold beers, and a burger at my favorite northern bar and grille..."The Corn City Bar". Always good food, a friendly staff, and plenty of cold Miller Lite. Tom and I hung around there until the Reds victory over the Mets was complete...and headed back to his place. I crashed did not wake up again until he had left at 6 to feed the horses and work the stables...I was on the road at 6:30 an back home by 8:30 this morning.

Deshler is well known for 3 things...Their successful high school sports teams at Patrick Henry High School(located between Deshler and Hamler), the trains, long and constant, that run through the small Henry County town, and it's nickname.."Corn City".

Today, I will meet for lunch with the staff of the MacOnline at 1, after a haircut at Noon, and then head back to north for my final game up that way...Saturday, Garry and I have a Regional Jr ACME double header here in Celina, then I'm off until Wednesday when I drive to Ada at Ohio Northern University for a Summer College game. A couple of Pony Tournaments that Sam and I do as a paid favor for the organizers, and I can hang up the baseball gear, and get ready for Football season, which begins in mid-August. And you can bet that will be hot as well, at least in the early stages.

Off to get the ears lowered....

back later>>>

Photos-The Corn City Bar, a good place to grab a beer and eats...and Horse Trainer Tom, inside the establishment.

Reagan, The Airedale, Turns 12

As I've mentioned many times on this blog...I have been raising Airedales, or at least have had them living with us now for 36 years. We purchased our first pure bred Airedale, Rags, back in the fall of 1974, a couple of years before we were married...then along came Max about a year later. Those 2 dogs were our "family" for the rest of the 1970s until Anissa was born in 1979.

We moved back to Ohio in 1980...and they, along with our "mutts" Jenny and her daughter Dixie, became farm dogs for the rest of their lives....Rags lived until a month short of her 12 birthday, passing away in the summer of 1985...Max was our longest living Airedale to date, making it past the 12 1/2 year mark, and fathering over 150 Registered Pups over the years. Our current, and probably last Airedale, Reagan, makes the 2nd of all the Airedales we have raised to make it a dozen years. Given her alergies and steroid use to combat same, we never thought she would be with us this long...but the old girl is hanging in, and although she probably won't see birthday #13...she still has some play in her, in addition to her 20 hours of sleep per day...doesn't see as well as she used to, can't catch the neighborhood cats, and can't hear much....but she doesn't seem to suffer, or mind the coming of old age.

She will probably be our last...too tough to lose them, and with retirement for me, and at hand for Patricia in a few years, I'm not sure we are up to raising anymore large dogs...but you never know. And I never say never...

back later>>>>

Photo-Reagan as a youngster in 1999...me and Rags at Higgins Lake, Michigan in 1975...An older Reagan last fall(2009), and House's Black Max(Max to us) as a pup in early 1976... he was our longest living, and most productive, pup producing wise, Airedale to date.

A 4th of July to Remember/The Dog Days of July

The 4th of July weekend ends it's run today, on July 5th no less...a Holiday set aside for Government workers, and not much more. I can relate to that...I used to be a Gov'ment worker, and too advantage of these long weekends as much as anybody. These Days? Being semi-retired, not a big deal....in fact I "worked" the weekend...so far 5 games umpired in the various Jr. ACME Tournaments in Lima and Rockford. I'll be back at Parkway High tonight in Rockford for another elimination game...then for the next 3 nights I will be on the road for the Varsity ACME Tournaments in Convoy and farther north in Leipsic. Since my old buddy Tom lives and trains horses near that Putnam County town, I probably will stop by his place and crash for the evening...after getting a bite to eat and downing a few cold ones.

One thing for sure, the games, hot sun, humidity, and beer took it's toll over the weekend...a little too much of each for this old body....I may have to reconsider doing as many summer games next season. The money is decent, I enjoy the games, but Summer afternoon double headers in the 90+ degree sun with humidity to match, tends to take it out of you.

The 4th of July____

Yesterday, after the games, I stopped by sister Marty and her husband Pat's place. Patricia, Hal, Mom, niece Megan and her husband Cory were there for a cookout....I stayed for about a half hour, had 1 beer and a burger, and said my good-byes. I was gassed, and headed home for a shower, then to the backyard for a few more Miller Lites and a cigar. Hal, home to play golf with his Uncle Pat, stayed for the night at our place, and we downed a few more and stayed up until Midnight or so, BSing in the back yard. He headed back to work at Troy this morning...I fed the Squirrels and Birds out back, and have barricaded myself in the Air Conditioning for the next few hours.

Independence Days come and go....I really have a clear memory of only 1 of the 61 I have been on this earth for, guess if I wanted to think real hard, I could come up with more, but who wants to think?

July 4, 1967....Brother Mike had just departed for Thailand, and left me in charge of his 1964 Dodge...probably one of the many mistakes that the older brother has done in his life. My buddy Rick(see Friday's Post), and our mutual pal Phil, decided to go to the large Amusement Park on Lake Erie, called Cedar Point. Now that was long drive, especially in Mike's Dodge, which I had only driven a few times...so I did what many 18 year olds do..I lied to the folks. Told them we were going to the Drag Races in Kettlersville or Sidney, don't remember which, but it was one of those close-by places we used to hang around in our "race car loving years".

With the lie firmly in place, we started out up I-75, which of course in 1967, was nowhere near completion...turning left in Bowling Green on US 6 we arrived at Cedar Point. We spent the day doing the rides, looking girls, and generally making fools of ourselves. No alcohol involved, but the sun had pretty taken us out of it...so we headed back along Highway 6 towards Bowling Green. Phil, was riding shotgun, while Rick snoozed in the backseat, as I headed west into the sunshine. About 5 miles east of BG, our trip turned into a minor disaster, and it could have been a deadly disaster.

I remember the song on the radio station(CKLW Detroit/Windsor)..."Jackson" by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, as my mind wandered, and the Dodge tires wandered off the pavement, being a rather inexperienced driver, I yanked the steering wheel to the left, and the big D raced into the opposite lane, staring us down was a large 18 wheeler, Phil in a quick move, grabbed the wheel and pulled it the other way. The truck was avoided, but more thrills that we had at Cedar Point awaited. We went off the right side, slid backwards into the large flat ditch next to the flat farm land some 100 yards away, the vehicle let loosed and did a slow roll onto it's top, on the farm fence, and there it stayed. I was hanging by my seat belt looking down at the roof...Rick and Phil were scrambling out, while I fumbled with the seat belt buckle button.

The State Highway Patrol arrived shortly thereafter, the wrecker was called, and we were transported by the Trooper to Bowling Green...where it was discovered that we had about 9 bucks to our names....no ticket, no arrests, just the cop telling me, that I had enough problems(after my story of lies and deceit), without a ticket on top of that.

Anyway they were kind enough to give us a bunk in the Wood County Jail, free of charge for the night, and feed us to boot(having no money for a motel or even a flop house cot)...I had by this time called the folks, and dad telling me..."you got yourself into this mess, now, find your own way home"(that was some 95 miles to the south).

So next morning we walked to the Trailways Bus Station...3 tickets to Lima(still some 40 miles away from Celina) would be $9.30...between the 3 of us, we had exactly $9. The Bus Depot was at a gas station, and seeing our plight, the owner of the station gave us the extra 30 cents. We thanked him and were on our way. An hour or so later, we got off the bus in Lima, and now totally broke, we had to figure out how to work our way back home. We walked, and walked some more, another 10 miles or so south, to Phil's older sister's farmhouse...where she drove us the rest of the way home...not a pleasant homecoming. The Dodge was in Bowling Green, and I was in the Dog House.

The Summer of 1967 in music and Hippie lore is referred to as the "Summer of Love", for this recent High School Grad, it was the Summer of Broke. Lucky for me, despite it's damage from being rolled, the Dodge was fixable...$500, which I borrowed from mom(talk about humble pie), and which I paid back by giving here most of my check each week from the Huffy Bike plant where we both worked. Rick's uncle had a garage and tow truck...and drove up to BG to get the car, and charged me almost nothing to bring back to the repair shop.

I always considered myself lucky as Hell to survive that wreck...but the Summer of Love, 1967, was a Summer of Lessons for this 18 year old. I got the car back, drove it on occasion, even had one more wreck in it later that year...this one not my fault, when some elderly lady pulled out in front of me...her car took the brunt of the damage. When Mike returned home in later June of 1968, I turned the car back over to him, and he traded it for a new 1968 GTO. A week later I traded my shorts and t-shirts for blue...The Air Force Blue.

back later>>>

Photos-Old Glory, ACME Baseball, a 64 Dodge Polara, the same color as Mike's back in 1967...and one of the Cedar Point rides....

Bluegill, Rick's new place, and our Grand Lake Ohio Algae

I took the windows out of the Jeep yesterday, and just before Noon headed north and east about 70 miles to my friend Rick's new place, across the state line north of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The trip in the Jeep was cool, bouncy, and breezy, but I made it in about 2 hours by taking the back roads as much as possible, before hitting I-469/I 69 and Indiana 3...arriving just before 2pm.

Rick and wife Toni bought 17 acres in Noble County about 13 years ago, and after working and clearing the land, putting in a large pond, and selling the house that they and the 3 kids lived in for 26 years last winter, finally got their new dream house under roof...and moved in this past April. The inside is something to see. The property is still in the landscaping stages, and Rick is finishing the basement over the next few months...they have themselves quite the place, and with a minimum of neighbors...it makes me wonder just why the Hell I ever moved back into town?....especially considering some of the trash that surrounds us now.

Rick, who was my best man at my 1976 wedding, (I returned the favor at his and Toni's in 1981) and I have known each other since our High School days at Celina....we worked at the old Marsh Supermarket in Celina together until I graduated in 1967...we have been best friends since those days...although we don't get together that often these days. Plus I have missed out on the past 2 annual Mushroom Hunts in Michigan, due to baseball tournament consideration, and we didn't get together last New Years for the first time in about 20 years, because they were living in an apartment waiting for the new house to get livable....so yesterday, I drove up to see how things had worked out since I was last there early in January, when the place was under construction.

We drank a couple of beers, had a cigar or 2, and I dipped the pole in his pond, filled with Bluegill and Smallmouth Bass. I came up with about a half dozen blues in about 15 minutes...almost too easy, these guys are hungry, and pretty tame, and of course I just caught and released...didn't catch any real big ones, but did get some 'decent" sized fish, and a couple of runts....Like I said, way too easy, unlike my next subject, the fishing and other water activities at our Grand Lake St. Marys.....

After about 4 hours of touring and BSing, I headed back to Celina, making it home around 7 last night.

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Gan-Green Grand Lake______

Our 13,000 acre recreational lake, Grand Lake, has become of late a 13,000 acre swamp of Algae and dead fish....the State of Ohio has declared the State's largest inland lake(once the largest man-made lake in the world) "Off Limits" to most activities:

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/jul/01/toxic-algae-takes-over-ohio-lake-ar-129349/

The above story was from a Columbus TV Station....some photos are overstating what the lake looks like, but the smell cannot be overstated in some locations, lucky for Celina, we are usually upwind from the prevailing breeze...

Here is what a former Mercer Countyian...now living in Arkansas, says about Grand Lake and it's problems:

http://libertywell.wordpress.com/2010/07/02/algae-and-government-mucking-up-grand-lake-st-marys/

Just what the Hell is a "Social Libertarian"? I've always considered myself a Far Right Wacko on both ends of the political spectre...and a ass kicker on Social Issues....meaning, if you piss in my yard, I'm gonna kick your ass., because it's not your yard, it's mine. if you, as a doctor perform a later term/partial birth abortion, you are a murdering SOB...seems pretty concrete to me, but I digress. Back to Grand Lake...

More Photos and Stories:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/06/29/dont-touch-the-water.html?sid=101

Anyway, this Algae, Ag runoff and Goose Poop is mucking up the works on Grand Lake for sure...and the Freedom Days Festival, beginning tonight in Celina, should make for an interesting read come next week....I won't be around however, 6 District Ballgames to umpire in Lima and Rockford over the next 4 days...

Enjoy you 4th....and Remember...Obama and Company are the enemies of Freedom, true American Freedom.

back later

Photos-top..one of the Bluegill I nabbed and released back into Rick's clearwater pond...just some Catails, and some algae around the edges...nothing like Our Grand Lake...The front and back view of the Pearson Mansion....the landscaping still to come. And our "Grand Lake" in all it's bloom...more photos contained in story.

The MacOnline

The Midwest Athletic Conference(high school style)___

Is one of the most powerhouse small school conferences when it comes to Sports and Academics in Ohio and the Nation....the number of State Champions is something hard to comprehend for 11 small schools nowhere near any large diversified cities. A group of schools that reside in Mercer, Auglaize, Darke, and Allen Counties, that have produced some of the best College and Professional athletes you will find...especially given the size and population of the area and schools.

For over 10 years there has been a web location and forum where the folks out of my area have talked MAC Sports and the world's problems as well....today, July 1, 2010, marked a new beginning for the site, and it has been expanded to include not only the forums, but videos, web pages for each individual school, blogs, calendars, and local happenings....I am pretty pleased to be a part of the effort to expand the outreach of The MacOnline:

http://www.themaconline.com/macword/

The forums have always been a favorite spot to visit....

http://www.themaconline.com/forum/

and a certain semi/not so famous sports official will give his views on various topics in the world of Sports Officiating a few times a week....

http://www.themaconline.com/macword/?cat=54

Stop by, even if you are not from the area....you might find something that you will enjoy, or at least get a chuckle out of.

Today is my lone day away from Baseball for the next 9 days...so I'm heading north to Rick's. They are in their new house, he turns 60 today, and I plan of fishing in his pond...I will return, in the meantime, stop by the MacOnline and give me your feedback.

back later>>>>>

Milestones---The End of June 40 years ago and beyond

With the rains having been less frequent of late, we are getting in most, if not all, of our tournament games...tonight I go back to Crestview for one last regular season ACME Varsity contest, which will decide the "seeding" for the upcoming Van Wert County ACME Tournament. A day off tomorrow, which will be followed by at least 9 or 10 straight days of more Tournament Games in the ACME and Junior ACME Ranks before the State Tournaments begin in Celina, later in July. Garry and I were at Crestview last night, where we finished off the finals on the Van Wert-Auglaize County Junior ACME Sectionals, St. Marys the Champions, and Wapakoneta, the runners-up, move on to the Districts at Parkway High School in Rockford....I'll be there on July 4th and 5th....no Holiday for me, but I'd rather be umpiring, despite the heat and humidity which were surely be back by then.

End of June Milestones____

The last days of June always bring back memories of my military days....it seems lots of the final days of this month are days which I remember as milestones of sorts:

June 28, 1968....After a night of bar hopping(18 year olds could drink beer back then, legally) my friend Doug Giesige and I spent our last night of freedom in downtown Columbus. Doug was getting inducted in the Army, I had joined the Air Force, rather than taking a chance on the draft. We hit a few bars, pool halls, and other nightspots, before being shipped off to different locations via the Columbus Airport. June 28th, 42 years ago, was the first time, at the age of 19, I flew in a plane...a 707 from Columbus to Dallas, and then on to Lubbock, and then a small puddle jumper to Amarillo, where I was to spend the next 7 weeks are so in Air Force Basic Training....I would fly many times to many lands and far away places over the next 4 years....and have flown many times since. But I have to say, I do not enjoy it, don't like flying, don't like airports, but sometimes it is necessary.

June 30, 1969(41 years ago today)....1 year and 2 days after my induction in the AF, I was on another place...actually several planes in the next 36 to 48 hours or so. From Dayton to Chicago, then on to San Francisco. After getting orders cut, I would clime on board a Braniff International Airlines Jet and head for Hawaii, and on to Guam, the Philippines, then on to Saigon and Tan Son Nhut Airbase....after an overnight stay at TSN, I was off to Nha Trang, Air Base, in a Air Force C-130....I would spent the next 6 months at Nha Trang, playing Law Enforcement, before heading back to Tan Son Nhut, where I would work Security for the final 6 months of my Vietnam Vacation. Before I left however, I would fly back to Hawaii for a 5 day R&R on the beaches of Waikiki.

On June 29th of 1970...my tour of Vietnam was completed, and I climbed aboard an American Airlines 727, and headed back across the Pacific Ocean. Looking forward to my 39 days(including travel time) of leave, before heading to Upstate New York for my final 22 months of Air Force duty....I said at the time, and will say it today. If I had to do it all over again, I would have finished my tour of duty, in Vietnam. Life, despite it's dangers, was not so bad for an Air Force Security Cop..we had beds to sleep in, real food in the chow hall(at least twice a day), and NCO Club to drown our sorrows, and free access to Downtown Saigon(and Nha Trang before that), where we could unwind....life, even in the Air Force's 2nd most dangerous field(flying over those jungles, now that was real danger), next to being a pilot or flying crew member, was not all that bad.....my tour in Vietnam, especially at Nha Trang, was my favorite time in the Air Force. The Chicken Stuff was at a minimum, and the duty, although boring and somewhat dangerous, was not all that bad.

So there you have it....the final 3 days of June, at least those of some 40 years ago, stand out in my memory banks, like they happened yesterday.....now let's bring on July!

back later>>>>

Photos-My Basic Training Squadron at Amarillo AFB, Texas, 42 years ago, with the late SSgt Joe Prokop as my TI...I would see Joe again at Tan Son Nhut, where, after his stint as a TI, he went back to becoming a Security Cop....sadly Joe, a great guy, died a few years ago before I could find him. The night before I left for Columbus and the induction...I believe this was June 27th of 1968, my neighbor and high school buddy, Bob Jones with me on the left, all 135 pounds, my how that would change in short order...Bob joined the Navy and left a few days after I was inducted into the Air Force. A Braniff International Jet, much like the one I flew on going across "The Pond" to Saigon....and another photo of my skinny ass days at the Honolulu Airport in April 1970 on R&R...I was getting ready to board the Jet back to Tan Son Nhut for my final 10 weeks in Vietnam.

Red Sky at Night, Collar Bones, and More Rain

After a couple of days without the persistent rains of the past month or more, the forecast was calling for an 80% chance of storms and showers for Sunday afternoon....the forecasters did not disappoint...well actually it was a disappointment, but the storms came, whether we wanted them or not.

Sam was scheduled to work the Junior ACME Tournament at Lima Central Catholic, a double header starting at Noon...I was slated to work with my old buddy Jim Runneals at Convoy Crestview, a double header, one in the winner's bracket, another to follow would be an elimination game. The first game was a Marathon contest between Van Wert and St. Marys. I was behind the plate at the site of my 14 inning Sectional Final game in the Spring High School Season. This game was to last just about as long, time wise, 2 hours 45 minutes, but it only took 7 innings. Van Wert carried a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the 7th, but walks, errors, and wild pitches, let St. Marys come away with a 8-7 win, and move on in the winner's bracket....The Cougars meanwhile, were left to take on the home squad, Crestview, who had been thumped on the other diamond by Minster, 21-11 in a 6 inning run rule game on the other diamond.

The "highlight" of the first contest was me...I was a human target behind the plate, getting hit by foul balls no less than 5 times..4 of them solid shots, once in the mask(no damage), once in the shoulder, one a solid hit in a crease of the protector, just above the chest protector....and then the big one...a quick hard foul tip, that caught my collar bone square...I was down to one knee, and walked over to the VW Dugout thinking "That might have broken the damn thing"...but it didn't apparently the Houseworth bones are as thick as the Houseworth skulls....I've got a bone bruise, but otherwise no worse for wear...it has been a rough Summer on the aging body. However, I was back out behind the plate and finished the game off.

Game #2 got started late, and the sun was shining bright.... but another storm brewed and that one headed north into Paulding County, which had gotten blasted on numerous occasions throughout the day....our luck was not to last however, and in the bottom of the 5th, with Van Wert on the verge of run ruling the host school, leading 9-2 with one out, 2 on, and a 3-0 count on the batter, I saw a large bolt of lightning hit to our west...we called the players in to wait out the 30 minute time delay...before resuming the game, we needed not to have bothered. Withing 15 minutes all Hell broke loose and the storm came down on us with a vengeance. 60-70 MPH winds accompanied by straight line rains ended any chance of finishing the contest in the late afternoon.

So here we are, Sam and I will work the finish of the Van Wert/Crestview game then move to the back diamond for a elimination game...then Garry and George will work the other Winner's Bracket contest on the main diamond at 6pm. This however is in doubt at least for today...you see it decided to rain like cats and dogs again about 7 this morning, it's over now, but with as much rain as the Convoy area go last night....I'm not sure either diamond, especially the back reserve diamond, can dry off in time.

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More Rain? Red Sky at Night, Sailors Delight?

As I headed out of Convoy, once the game was cancelled for the day, Jim and I headed to the local carry out for some liquid refreshments...I saw one of the biggest bolts of lightning in my life at the west edge of town near the Indiana Border. As we left the Carry Out, the rains returned with force, and the winds with them. As I drove down Ohio 49 south of town, I knew what it was like going through a Hurricane. The winds probably in the 60 or 70 mile range and the rain was blinding...I drove 5 miles through that before coming up on the Intersection of US 224 in Van Wert County...the rain settled down and I made the 30 mile trip to Celina in a steady, although manageable, downpour.

Once home, I grabbed a beer, and watched more heavy rain move in from the west...after than, with Patricia sitting on the porch, I noticed a yellow turned to red hew...so I grabbed the camera, and took a few photos which are included today.

The old saying is, "Red Sky at Night, Sailors Delight"...so I figured the rains were done...not so fast, as I said, another large round of storm came through this morning, making 27 days of 33 with at least some rain...that streak is going to end it appears, as the rest of the week will be dry, or at least so they say! I'll believe a week of dry weather, only after the 7th day.

Meanwhile, rain or not, the Baseball Tournaments will continue...Garry and I, along with a dozen and a half other guys have been selected/nominated to work the Junior ACME and ACME State Tournaments, much of which will be held in Celina....not sure how many, if any, I will be assigned to work, but in the meantime, I have many Sectional and Districts games, as does Sam(along with his baseball work in Columbus), to work in....

Rain or not, the summer is going to be a busy one....

back later>>>>>

Photos-The RED Skies would not have proved a Sailor's Delight this morning, as despite the look out west of my porch last night(notice the scenic power lines)...more heavy rains hit the area around 7AM. The one thing the rains, heat, and humidity bring, is a bumper crop of flowers and weeds to go with them. And my Diamond Chest Protector is not protecting me that well...arms, and collar bone have been the latest victims...might be time for a new one next season, and probably a new plate mask as well.

The Dog Days of Summer in the Blog World

It doesn't take much to realize that when Summer comes a calling, the Blog World, especially in my little corner of it, slows to a crawl, and to tell the truth, the posts are pretty insipid and boring.....but I'd rather bitch about the rain, than talk anymore about that useless ass that sets in the White House....politics sucks, and that giant sound you hear from Washington DC, is Barack Obama, sucking the life out of this Republic.

I just don't have the time to plop my arse in a chair and actually think of what to write...and what photos to post. So bear with me....through the coming baseball tournaments, Bar Stool Open Outing, and other outdoor stuff, just staying out of doors, is going to take precedent over what I post for the next couple of months...that's just they way it is. For you regulars, stop by, I will have the daily rain updates. It rained again last night, and again after Midnight, giving us I believe 26 of the last 30 days with at least a shower...tomorrow looks dry as does Saturday, but the storms will return by the end of the weekend.

Off to umpire...back later!

Photo-One of my Giant Sunflowers from last year's harvest...will I top last year with this season's crop? Stay Tuned!

Obama The Magic Kenyan Strikes Again!

America's Kenyan-and-Thief, Barry Soetoro has struck again: This low life son of a bitch proves again to be an out of his league, thinned skinned loser, who cannot take criticism:

http://www.foxnews.com/

Replacement General Petraeus was obviously picked so Conservatives wouldn't complain about McChrystal being ousted...you gotta wonder why an honorable guy like Petraeus took the job. He should have told the Marxist Kenyan to take a flying leap at a camel on roller skates.

tick...tick...tick...The Shit is going to hit the fan soon, and Obama is going to be the recipient

more later

McChrystal Goes Rouge!

After the storms finished yesterday it turned out sunny enough to dry off the baseball diamond at Russia(Rue-She) Ohio, and we managed to get our Double Header in with visiting Sidney...only the 2nd and 3rd games I have umpired in the past 10 days, getting rained out or outright cancelled 8 of the past 9 scheduled contests. Russia won both ends of the double dip by the same 6-4 count.

The rains are not over, despite the short respite...it stormed again this morning, and more rain is in store through Thursday. Tonight I am scheduled to be in Celina, where the artificial turf makes the game at least a possibility to complete, depending on when the next batch of storms arrive in Mercer County. Sam, minus his Deer Wrecked Toyota,(see yesterday's blog post) is slated to do a game at Spencerville. Meanwhile the rain will not cool things off...92 on tap for today, 94 with humidity to match for tomorrow.

General Stanley McChrystal in Deep_____

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/06/21/mcchrystal-says-ambassador-betrayed-criticism-afghan-war-strategy/

I never really had much use for General Stanley McChrystal, Obama's hand picked General in charge of the Obummer's non war against Radical Islam....you see McChrystal is a self admitted Obama voter, and that automatically makes his less than smart, or anybody that I would respect. He's also a career(see lifer) Military Officer, another group that I have really never had much use or respect for. Nothing against today's military troops or their mission...It's just that I was a confirmed trouble maker during my 4 years as a Air Force Security Cop, some 4 and more decades ago. For every career type I respected, like my friend and boss, the late Phil Lange, there were at least 3 or 4 more that I would do my best to drive nuts...by refusing orders(get a haircut, shine those shoes, etc) I thought were petty. Sometimes "The Mission" I thought was pure Mission BS...and let the same be known. I knew I was not going to spend more than my allotted 4 years in service to my country....that kind of life(i.e. taking orders) was not in my make up. It's still not today.

Anyway back to McChrystal....Seems General Stan, decided to give an interview with the Left Wing unreadable rag known as "Rolling Stone"...what the Hell is with that? A military leader, the top dog in the war on terror, talking details with a Marxist Music publication that hates this country while at the same time worshipping the Kenyan and Thief. Not a good move Stan...especially if you are going to criticize the Son of a Bitch and his Marxist Staff, while giving that interview.

Here a a few hints Stanley, if King Barry allows you to keep your job:

(1) Never do one-on-one interviews with Left Wing outlets...you know, CBS, MSNBC, Time, er, Rolling Stone...you know, those media that hate the Military and hate America?

(2) Why Apologize to this Son of a Kansas Marxist Whore? You told the truth, and 2/3rds of American Voters agree with you...forget what the media, Islamics, radical college profs, or illegals think....they hate you!(and the rest of us Real Americans).

(3) Resign, before Obama fires you or makes you wear a set of Monica Lewinski knee pads while in his office...show some stones man, I'm sure many everyday troops in the Military support you, and might, just might, tell Obama, Biden, and Company, where to stuff his War on America!

According to all the National Polls, kicking Obama while he is down, seems to be great sport...and down he is:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

I'm sure as Hell enjoying it.....saying "I told you so" 18 months after this big eared Bozo got elected by 52% of the voting fools, brings a warm feeling to my heart...but a cold wind still blows through the Republic....and we must be aware of what is in store until we can defeat Obama and the Far Left at the polls in the coming elections. If we can defeat him before 12 million illegals, voting in mass as Democrats, keep the far left in power.

back later>>>>

Photos-Hey General McChrystal! What the Hell were you thinking giving a one-on-one interview with Rolling Stoned...the non-journalistic Obama butt sniffing rag?