Fall Baseball

Fall baseball started today for Billy. He's always played on Eden Prairie teams in the fall, but some things changed this year...a new coach, no room on the team...so we had to figure out another way for him to get some baseball in. There was an option to sign up as an individual for fall ball, so he did and he's playing in the Gopher State competitive league on a team that is based in Orono...a town that's 20 some miles away.

He / we were a little concerned that the team would be mostly players from Orono and that he'd be trying to fit in on an established team. It turns out that most of the kids don't know each other, they are from different towns. 12 kids from 10 cities. Sort of a fun and unique opportunity to meet some new kids and have a fresh start. Billy said that everyone was really nice....he hit it off with a couple of the kids right away.

There is something pretty nice about seeing your kids happy and making friends easily. There is something pretty nice about watching baseball for an afternoon in the fall when the sun is shining and the temps are in the upper 70's. I might be complaining about the weather in a month or so, but today was as nice as it gets.

Every Sunday for 5 weeks he'll be playing a double header. The fields are on the other side of the city...but that's ok. I got to bring Billy by myself today since Eric was coaching Brian in soccer. Billy and I had a fun talk on the ride there...in between his singing along with his ipod.
Singing + headphones = a few missed notes.

But that's ok, he was hitting the strike zone during the inning that he pitched. If singing off key helps him throw strikes, that's just fine with me. Play Ball!

It Must Be Autumn

After a couple of darkish, coolh, and rainy days,the sun finally came out today. Warm sunshine and cool breezes. There are more and more signs of Autumn around here every day. Here are a few.

Vegetable beef soup simmering in the crock pot all day...yum. Stew meat, V-8 juice, celery, carrots, potatoes, corn, some onion, a little chili power, a little Worcestershire sauce, a couple of bay leaves and some salt...slow food is the best. I like it with buttered toast. More yum.


Then there is our poor tired dog putting up with all the groans during the Vikings game on Thursday. She wasn't too excited about the game. I was happy that our "old" quarterback didn't get mauled. I don't like when the announcers go on about how "old" people are when they are younger than me. Humph. It makes me feel like I'm in the Autumn of life. I think I'll take a nap with the dog.

The cosmos are starting to really shine. This one escaped from my garden and is leaning over into the neighbors yard. Come back!

The bees are busy, the geese are flying, the boys are back in school....our weeks are filled with fall softball, football for Billy, soccer for Brian....and fall baseball starts for Billy on Sunday. Plus the Vikings are playing, the Twins are going strong....life is busy....

...busy is good. Now if someone would just do my laundry for me all would be well in my world.

Labor Day and School Days

We had a nice relaxing Labor Day weekend before the hectic school year started. We stayed at Eric's family's cabin. It's so welcoming tucked into the woods. No cell phones, no computer, no TV, just time with family.

Sunday starts with church...the little church where Eric and I were married. These marigolds are planted on top of the wall, in front of the picket fence that surrounds the front of the church. They look like Autumn.

After church Eric and Brian helped Eric's dad put up some new shutters. Actually it was mostly Eric doing the putting up....

....while these two supervised. Every job needs a good supervisor or two.

Eric and I even found time to ride on Sunday. It was our first ride together of the summer...better late than never I guess. It's been a tough summer for getting out to ride....mostly because of Czar's battle with founder that started in June. Prayers were answered and his hooves seem to be sound now.

With the time that they've had off, both horses have forgotten a few of their manners. Czar wanted to stay in the pasture with his lady friends. Skylar wanted to dance instead of walk. But eventually we were on the trail and life was good. Except for the bugs...they weren't good....they were thick. But riding was good. :-)

We're usually treated to pretty skies....

....and pretty flowers when we are in the country. The long weekend was over before we knew it...and it was time to head home and get the boys ready for the school year.

Billy is a Sophomore now. 10th grade...how did that happen? The night before I asked him (with a chuckle) if he had his outfit picked out for school. He said no, I'm just going to roll with it. Boys.

Then there's Brian....my Senior. Yikes. His last first day of school. I think I will have to follow him to college next year and take a picture of him heading to class. He'd love that, I'm sure. He carries a brief case for his papers, no more backpack. His brief case has something attached to it that was left over from a filming project he and his friends worked on this summer...he's leaving it on until it falls off. So much for a professional look. He's comfortable with it, that's what counts. My Senior. Sniff.

Here they are heading to the bus stop, but they didn't take the bus the first day...their dad drove them so they could get there early. They might not be my kids after all. It was a cloudy, dark morning....but it was daylight and this was the best photo I got. I am ready to throw my camera in the garbage can. This was at 800 ISO and I had to lighten it a bunch in Photoshop...and it's still too dark. Errr.

They survived their first day of school. The second day of school was followed by a football game for Billy....HEY...let go of my boy you punk!

They lost. But the weather was a lot better than for their first game! And my pictures weren't so dark...but most were blurry. Err.

After football Brian had a soccer game. They played hard....but they lost too. It was a beautiful night for the game though.

Brian wasn't really feeling like playing soccer before the game, but he was all smiles after words...so I'm glad he played. Look at the boy run.....

......zoom. Full speed ahead...just like everything else these busy days. A senior. I don't think I'll ever be ready for that.

Football Game One

Billy's football team had their first game yesterday. It was cold, really windy, and raining off and on. Yikes. Nothing like jumping right in with fall weather. Or if you read yesterday's post that would be Autumn weather. It does sound better doesn't it?

Billy spent some time playing offense and defense. Here the offense is waiting for their quarterback....

...the quarterback comes in from the sidelines with the play. With the weather, it was tough to make plays. The Wayzata team that they were playing might have had something to do with that too.

Billy is punting for the team. He got to punt a lot during this first game.

Punting is tough enough as it is...with kids breaking through the line to block your kick....

Then add the wind and the rain and it being the first game and....

....this punt didn't fair too well. It went really high...straight up. Oops.

The defense held them...so it all turned out ok. I think Billy punted at least 6 times in this first game.

This one went a lot better....long and straight.

I included this picture just because I like it. It shows the dark day, it shows my long and lean boy, it shows them getting ready, it just says football to me.

Not long after that shot Billy had to punt again. He got the punt off, it was a good one, but it didn't end so well for him. He was rushed...

...he was plowed into and knocked over by their big guy. Sort of scary when the kicker is stretched out making his kick.

The big guy said "why'd you fall, I didn't hit you" and then tried to help Billy up. Billy said, "what are you talking about, you plowed right into me". So the big guy dropped him back down. Plunk. Ooph. Billy limped off the field, his Dr. grandpa checked out his knee and said it was ok...

...so Billy took the field again. He had a fire lit under him. Or a bee in his bonnet. Let's just say he wasn't happy about getting hit and then dropped back down. Don't try to block an angry Billy...

....or run past him with the ball.

Because when Billy gets fired up someones getting tackled.

He didn't even complain when the kid that he tackled sat on his head. He made a couple of strong tackles in a row. I was thinking maybe he should have gotten hit in the knee a little earlier after seeing him so fired up. Sort of...but not really. Really.

He played a good game, he had fans, his fans survived the cold and wind and rain....

...and they won their first game of the season against a good team. I'd call that a success. Look at all these kids...and this is just one of two 10th grade teams at his school. Crazy. But that's football in Eden Prairie.

It's a big program, the school takes a lot of pride in it....the kids do too. But the best part is getting a congratulations from grandpa...

...and spending time with friends.

Football season...ready or not it's here....I think it's going to be a good one.

Cold

It's cold today....it was summer, summer, summer......and now, overnight, it's NOT! Right now it is 56 and very windy and damp and cold, and I'm heading to a football game. If that doesn't say Fall, I'm not sure what does. But everything is still pretty green around here, school hasn't started yet....and we haven't hit Labor Day.....so it really still is summer, isn't it? But they were putting Halloween candy out at the grocery store last week. And we got an invitation to a Halloween party yesterday...but school hasn't started....I'm pretty confused about the whole thing.

Is it summer? Is it Fall? I can't keep up, I think I'll just say it's Autumn and call it a day. It's time for some football.....I might actually have to wear socks....or not....it's only Autumn you know.

Quiet Fan

Brian has been playing soccer this fall, on Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons. I especially like the Wednesday night games, they are close to our house and I can ride my bike. After I air up the tires. Why is it that whenever I get the urge to ride my bike the tires are low? Anyway, back to soccer. I really enjoy watching Brian play. I enjoy watching Billy play which ever sport he happens to be playing too. A lot. People might not realize just how much I enjoy it....I'm usually a pretty quiet fan. The boys always know when I'm there, they don't need me hooting and hollering at them. They know I'm watching and supporting them. I go, I find a quiet spot, I watch, and I take lots and lots of pictures. Sometimes not many pictures turn out, but that's ok, it keeps me focused on them.

It's sort of funny to see how many different kinds of fans there are at the kids games. There are the ones that want to talk and talk and talk all through the game....I'm not much of a talker. Some are yacking on their cell phones. There are the some that yell and holler...seems like it's mostly to let you know which star athlete belongs to them. Some are experts on the team, or on the sport, or on something or everything and have to let you know just how much they know. Sigh. Some, like Eric, holler advice and encouragement to the kids...he's LOUD...but nice about it....that makes a big difference I'd say. Me, I prefer to just be quiet and watch, and focus on my boys, and concentrate on taking pictures. Click, click......until someone steps in front of me and blocks my view....or tries to bend my ear. Then I grumble. And pick out a new quiet spot....and hope that people can understand that I'm just a quiet fan wanting to watch my boys. On the other hand....sitting in front of the TV during a Vikings game is a whole different story.

A Contest

I entered a design contest last week, something new for me. I found out about it from belonging to an Adobe Illustrator group on facebook. The design challenge was to come up with a design showing how nature and technology are tied together. I called my design "Harmony Peacock" creating harmony between nature and technology. I had a few other ideas...but this one jumped into my head and the others left. Ideas do that sometimes. It took a full 24 hours after I submitted my design for it to show up on their website. In the mean time....someone else submitted a peacock that was very, very similar to mine....and it was posted before mine was. Ugh. At first I didn't know if the company had taken my design and changed it to suit themselves or what....then my design showed up. Whew. I felt better, but don't like the idea that some people will think I took the other designers idea. The timing was unfortunate. Oh well...here he is....Harmony Peacock.

I took a step out of my comfort zone to enter. There is a section for comments after the entries...and I wasn't sure I wanted to hear what people thought. They've been nice so far. I took a leap out of my comfort zone and posted a link to the contest on my facebook page. Sharing my art with people that I know and care about isn't easy for me. But they've been nice so far too. I originally entered the contest because the top prize is a full version of Adobe CS 5...something that I would love to have but can't afford....and it seemed like it was worth a shot. Now I'm realizing that win or lose, I've already gained a lot from the experience...and that's more important than the prize will ever be.

You can click on the thumbnail if you want to see the design at the contest site. You could vote for it there if you wanted to.



I know that I said the experience was better than the prize....but the experience plus CS 5? That would be better yet! :-)