Softball wrapping up and picts ...

Yesterday, I finished up the stats from softball - 2011.  I prepared the applications to NFCA for All-American and finished up some other paperwork trying to get out of the softball season.  Our players will have some community obligations over the next few weeks ... rotary, chamber of commerce and little league appearances.  Our banquet is next Tuesday, June 21 at 6:00 PM. Today we have a couple of players on Sports Connection - WBKO.  It will be a busy summer.

We have four players playing in the East - West All-Star games at UK this weekend.  It will be great for them participating as the state champs.  Good luck this weekend - Catie, Amanda, Sandy and Kelsi.

Adding a couple of picts to wrap up the season ... the first is from the Lexington Herald - Leader ... no award could equal the joy of that moment after the last out of the championship game.  It was a good year.  We have already started getting ready for 2012 ...

Monday ... Paperwork and paper pushing

Went to town early AM for milk and groceries ... got in at midnight from visiting my father and sister in Ohio.  It was the only chance for them to see Hannah on her trip in from San Francisco ... a long cut from Champaign, IL.

John came in yesterday from Bowling Green and spent the night so we had breakfast together later in the morning.  

I got my tractor going greased my tractor and bushhog ... mowed a little in the morning in light rain.  I went back to town to finish my paperwork for hotels and food at the state softball tournament.  Ms. Sullivan took all the receipts and we finished in less than than an hour.

Made some stops in town and got home in time to bushhog a little more before dark.  I saw one fawn and an assortment of other animals while mowing.  

rr

State Tournament - ACS wins!

Not much blogging the last few days ... we were in the state softball tournament and won without a loss.  It was a total team effort.  Each player contributed to our state championship ... it was wonderful, exciting, crazy ... full of nervousness ... breathtaking ... and a relief.

I was so proud of our players.  They played with focus and composure.  Most of all, played in the NOW ... concentrating on the next play and never got shook.  Battled with two strikes to put the ball in play ... shorted to make contact ... smart!  Took the outside pitch to the right side of the field ... smart!

Big moments for me was the "last stand" drill with Emily in the sixth inning of the Central Hardin game ... throw out at home with Taylor ... stayed with a difficult pop-up ... ground ball with throw to Catie.  A turning point in the game when they could not score with runners on 2nd and 3rd and no outs!  AND what about little Young's home run with two strikes and bases loaded ... priceless and unforgettable!   Play after play with each player contributing ... I was so proud of you ... every one of you!

Today Sue Neal and I drove up to Champaign, IL to pick up our youngest daughter, Hannah.  We took a short trip to the edge of town to see Rachel and Kyle's garden. We went out to supper and celebrated our son-in-law, Kyle's birthday.  Will be home tomorrow and spend the week with Hannah before she returns to San Francisco.  It was so good to see Rachel and Kyle .. and Hannah!

Still cannot believe we won the state tournament ... we have had a lot of great teams and could not break through ... I am so happy for our players and community!

rr

And a state championship for your community ... the first team state championship for our school ...  a weekend to never forget!

Off to the state tournament and jobs unfinished!

Today was Sue Neal's Uncle Burl's funeral ... he was 85.  A WWII veteren of the navy.  The only long period of time he ever spent away from Allen County.  He was stationed in San Francisco on his return after the war.  He had some great stories and I am going to miss him and them!

I worked in the yard some today ... mowing and fertilizing flowers ... a little weeding and some Roundup spraying ...  After the funeral, I trimmed the yard and cleaned up some around the house.  We had softball practice (last one of the year!) at 6:00 and only practiced about an hour ... the hay is in the barn!

We are going to Owensboro tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM.  I feel good about our chances to go deep in the tournament.  It will be interesting!

After practice I took two supers off of one of the mega hives and put them on other hives to store them.  Also planted some gourds I had started in flats in the garden ... at dark with my head lamp on ... not good ... bugs were everywhere!

Still really hot here ... high was 94 today!

rr

Practice, bees and the yard

Today we had softball practice at 9:00 (hitting at BSA) and 7:00 (cookout followed by practice on the field).  We will have two practices tomorrow before leaving at 8:00 AM for Owensboro on Thursday.  We will be playing East Jessamine from the 12th region.  We are one of the favorite in the tournament.

2011 Tournament link
http://scoreboard.12dt.com/scoreboard/khsaa/kyfp11?id=tournament_106200

This year the tournament is a three day affair with only 4 teams making it to Saturday.  Hope we are one of them!

Today I finished mowing the yard and worked on our bees.  All is well but not much going on ... lack of nectar or just too hot!  I am going to split one of the mega hives tomorrow morning and give a report back ... will have to try and find the queen in the middle of about 40,000 bees.  Good luck with that!

My two new hives I made with Gordon's help after we found a hive with queen cells are thriving now as in the the swarm I captured in our barn. We will have 19 hives if the split in the goat field works.

Tomorrow is Uncle Burl's funeral (my wife's uncle).  He was 85 and died of a heart attack last Saturday.  I will miss his stories on the mornings I attend the breakfast club at Granny's in Holland.  I enjoyed everyone of them told many times!

rr

Summer science and a pict!

Summer vacation starts tomorrow as does our softball team's preparation for the state tournament.  We will do some 2-a-days for the first part of the week ... hitting in the mornings and field work in the late afternoons.  Our first game is Thursday late afternoon against East Jessamine ... one game at a time!

Graduation was Friday night.  Hopefully our alumni ... formerly seniors will be ready to go tomorrow.

I have moved the yard, picked up limbs after a storm today (got a little less than an inch of rain in a thunderstorm), worked on bees this weekend and rested up a some from a very busy week to wrap up school and the regional tournament.

While working around the house, I found a 4 foot snake skin by the front porch ... you know how I feel about snakes.  took the pict below of a little part of the snake skin with my USB microscope at low magnification.  I am looking forward to a lot of science this summer!

Region 4 Champs and School is Out!

School ended this week ... students last day was Wednesday.  We had closing day on Thursday and a teacher work day on Friday.  It was an exhausting year and I have found it harder to get everything done with coaching.

Graduation was tonight and I will miss several of the students.  We had some great students in this year's class and several that were just passing through.  Good luck to all!  Especially Erika, Bradley and Krisston ... do something big!

We won our third Region 4 title in a row last night with at 8-0 win over Bowling Green.  We hit their rather slow pitching well and KP/Taylor were awesome.  On to the state tournament on Thursday, 5:00 PM ... East Jessamine.  Congrats to those selected to the All-Tournament team ... Catie, Sandy, Taylor and KP ... Amanda MVP!

A little video from after the game!