photo blog

an occasional photo to show what I've been up to

Something I don’t think I blogged about a couple of years ago was Jessica’s “incident” while taking a motorcycle riding course.  She took it with a friend and ended up throttling the bike over a hay bail and down a twenty foot embankment.  Quite shaken up, she didn’t finish the course and many thought she should have started out on a small dirt bike to learn the controls.

Well, two years later, she surprised me and swung a leg over her cousins 100cc Honda.  She did just fine.  No wheelies or burnouts, but she managed a couple gears and survived the adventure.

Way to go hun!

Jess, Speeding along at 7 MPH

Well we had our chance.  We were in New York City and the Macy Fireworks were taking place and we didn’t have the energy (desire?) to mill around with 4 million people and watch the spectacular display.  We all promised ourselves and each other that if we really wanted to see them this year, we’d make an effort to a show back home.

Well our opportunity came.  The Bradford fireworks came to town, and as tired as we all were, we loaded the Jeep at the last minute and drove the 10 miles to see them.  I took my (good) camera to capture the night and it was a great show for such a small town.  It’s as good as some of the bigger shows because your so close to the action.  The pyrotechnics are no more than 300 feet away, closer to some people.

Check out my captures and enjoy the show yourself. (without the loud noise)

It's always fun to shoot the fireworks

Little League ended, but baseball hangs on and won’t be shaken that easily.

We signed Nathan up for a second week of UMaine baseball camp.  This one for pitching and hitting.  We expect Nathan will be on the mound next year a fair amount, as he was in Farm League – so, we thought he could learn a bit more about pitching.  Turns out, this week of camp wasn’t much different than the previous one (Skills Camp).  So much for getting my monies worth.

He enjoyed it, but he learned very little about pitching.  I guess it’ll be more online videos and reading books over the winter!

Another week of camp, back on Mahaney Diamond

It didn’t take long for Grampa to locate a small go-kart for the younger boys to ride/drive.  Nathan gave it a hardy test drive and deemed it worth of a beating.  Hi/Low/Reverse, this little bugger can go with it’s little 90cc motor.

Grampa thinks he needs one or two more…

Nathan buckled in for the ride

We’ll take it!

We struggled all year long to break .500 so to be able to make it to the championship game is a pretty big deal.  We knocked out Dover to advance but the giants of Dexter wouldn’t lay down.  They were able to string a few bats together in the rain and we made a few mistakes that gave them some runs.  The boys played great, Dexter is a tough team, though we had beaten them once in regular season.

Nathan has some prep for next year, we lose four boys that age out, so he’ll be filling some big shoes.

Charleston Little League Runner's Up

That’s what we always called it.  When you had to come up with a solution to your problem with the resources available.

I had to change the oil in the motorcycle but found out I couldn’t locate my long neck funnel.  I called the local hardware store and they didn’t have one.  So, I made one.  I had some large poster paper and rolled a thick walled funnel for a one time use job.  It worked.  I don’t think too much of it was soaked up into the paper.  Let’s see if I can find that funnel for the next oil change!

Don't forget the duct tape!

Baseball is continuing.  It’s about now that I look forward to the end.  We’re about 70-80 days deep in nearly daily baseball activities and it wears on me.  Nathan has been doing better.  He’s found the ball a few times and had a real good night a while back.  He slapped a single and a double. The double rallied the team and they broke away from the opposing team and won, so Nathan went home with the game ball that night.

Only a few weeks left.  I think I can make it.

Nathan swings hoping for a "Touch 'em all" hit.

Well, by the sounds of things, this go-kart is just the beginning of things.  Nate’s Grampa decided to get rid of all the horses (4), and buy go-karts.  The grand-boys weren’t into riding horses but who doesn’t like to speed around on a go-kart?

This one is for the bigger boys.  Someone needs to keep a close eye on them as they bounce and rattle down the hay field right!?

A Tractor Supply rig, this buggy has forward and reverse with running lights and is powered by a 150cc motor. Let’s Ride!

Just a wee bit big for Nathan

That’s right, we finally made it to the Big Apple.  Not that I was trying very hard.  We thought it would be neat to take Nathan to a Yankees game and it’s been in the back of our minds for a couple years now.  We wanted to take him during the last season at the old stadium, but that didn’t work out.  The first season of the new stadium seemed like a good idea also… but Dave Ramsey said no.

So this was the year of the New York City trip.  Of course we’re not going to drive all the way to NYC just for a baseball game.  We knew we could cram a ton in a four day weekend, so we did.

Here are four entries from our weekend.

Day 1 Photos – arrived at 5PM?

Times Square, sights, Hard Rock Cafe
Rockefeller Observation Deck (Top of the Rock)

A view from "The Top of the Rock"

Day 2 Photos (walked 10 miles!)

USS Intrepid Museum (Aircraft carrier on the Hudson River) – WHAT! No Boeing Aircraft on deck!
Walking in Manhattan
- Hudson River
- Ground Zero (WTC)
- Wall St.
Staten Island Ferry/Statue of Liberty
Central Park
Mickey Mantles (Restaurant) – Best. Cheesecake. Ever.

In New York Harbor, stands a lady...

Day 3 Photos

Game Day – Yankee Stadium (7.5 hours) NYY wins it in 10th inning.
Times Square – Planet Hollywood
Fireworks… from the hotel room.  4 million souls walking along the Hudson River, plenty of room in the hotel room.

A couple of Yankee fans

Day 4 Photos

More walking..
5th Avenue (Apple Store)
Park Ave.
Times Square.. AGAIN! Left my Debit Card there last night! And yes, they still had it and gave it back!
Headed home!!!! Yay!!!
……

1 hour later…  broke down in CT. (AAA – need to have alternator replaced in car)
Boo!!!
6 hours later… leaving garage, $700 lighter in the pocket.
1 hour later… broke down in CT. (cab to Autozone, installed new battery myself, same problem)
2 hours later – called it a day.. stayed the night in a Super 8, Happy Birthday Jess.

Well thar's ur problem!

Day 5 – still stuck in CT.. battery limped the car to garage,
3 hours later, another new alternator. Warranty thankfully.. $0
6 hours later… home at last.. sorta.. home just in time to take Nathan to baseball practice.

Videos – 30+ videos... less than 1 minute each.  Reverse chronological order.

We walked about 25 miles in total…  wearing my Boeing pedometer the whole time!

…he’s pretty much always playing baseball.

That’s what summer is all about.  Baseball. And baseball cards.  And MLB.TV.  Well, at least he’s active.

Catching for Cousin Tyler