End of an Era

 

As most of you that read this blog know, we have one, and only,  grand daughter which we are very proud of.  I’ve posted about a number of her life events on the blog the last three years.  Homecoming Queen, honor graduate, state championship playoffs in softball while in high school, and her earning a college scholarship in both academics and softball.

We’ve watched her play ball from the time she was five or six years old.  From T-ball to college.

 

She loved it.  Gave it her all.  Nothing interfered with softball.

                                

She played her last game yesterday.  She is about to graduate from the local community college and move on to the University of Southern Mississippi to complete her degree.  She decided it was time to hang up her cleats.  Her decision, totally.  There’s Lots of emotion on your last day.

                                   

But still in the game during warm ups.

 

Last pregame huddle.

There was the preliminary honors for the sophomores.

Then on to the game.

There’s lots of action at second base.

 

Covering first is also a part of playing second.

She’s always had that tongue out when serious.  It’s a wonder she hasn’t bitten it off. 

Soon, it’s over.

Something to smile about.

                                        

  A victory to end the season, as well as a career.

Her last post game.

The seven graduating sophomores.  All going on to further studies.

I know she is going to miss playing ball.  It’s what she did for fifteen years or so.  I also know she is going to miss her teammates. Friendships to last a lifetime, hopefully.  What life holds for her in the future, only God knows.  But I know she will pursue it with the same passion she did softball.

The End………….jc

Sure Signs

 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend.  The weather was beautiful here.  I’ve come to the conclusion that old man Winter has finally packed his bags and moved on.  One sure sign is the kids playing in the crawfish tub.

                         

Another is a yard full of friends and family sitting around in shorts, visiting and eating.

The main entrée. We cooked about 150 pounds over three hours.  Our newest renter, the forester from Indiana, said they didn’t have anything this good back home.  By the time we feed him some BBQ and fried catfish, he may never go back North.

Crawfish, corn, potato’s, sausage, onions, and mushrooms.

There was fish and burgers for the few that didn’t care for the mudbugs.

Another sign is just being able to sit on the ground, and discuss a thing or two.

Texas has its bluebonnets to herald Spring.  Down here we also have fields abloom.  Only major difference is ours are yellow, rather than blue.

I’m about to wear the cover off a Benchmark atlas of Utah.  Lots of interesting places, so little time!!!!!………….jc

Miracles do Happen

 

Nothing to do with travel, but felt led to post this.  Mississippi:  where we live, the bottom on all the good lists, and the top of all the bad ones.  It seems we never do anything the right way.  That can be said for everything from race, to politics, to health care, whatever.

But, our little community did one thing right.  We built a Miracle League field.  If you don’t know what that is you can click on the link for the full story.  The short story is that it’s a specially constructed baseball field for the handicapped. The entire field is a rubber compound which makes it difficult to get injured in a fall.  It took a while for the idea to come to fruition, but it’s now a reality.

Wanda and I attended the second round of games this past Saturday.  I didn’t take a camera, but a dear friend did and posted many pictures on Facebook.  I grabbed a few of them for this blog.

The Miracle league is for everyone.  Young and old, black or white, mentally of physically handicapped. Volunteers from the community college, local schools, and civic organizations show up to join in the fun and serve as mentors to the players if needed.

There’s not many words that can describe what we experienced while watching three games.  There was a game between the older guys and the local college football team.  You can guess who lost.

           

The other two games were for the younger, or more gifted.  Here’s a few moments for your enjoyment.

                           

       

 

 

 

                        

                      

Did you notice a similarity among most all the photo’s?

Maybe, the smiles?  Everyone was having a blast.  From age’s young or old, male or female, black or white.  It didn’t matter.  Isn’t it amazing what a simple thing like a baseball field can do for a community?

It could be said that our leaders should visit a Miracle League game, or two.  They might learn something.

Got a trip on the horizon.  Hope to be blogging about that soon…………jc