Dog Days of Summer, Part II: Photo Highlights, Summer 2012

Prince Edward Island

 

Hiking

Kickball

Balloon Festival

 

This post is a variation on Question #1 from Jeremy Bates's Dog Days of Summer Blog Fest.  For details, click the graphic on my side bar or try this link.  Please stop by for tomorrow's startling conclusion.  Happy hopping!

Family Adventures: My Wife's Ordering Prowess

Photo via iStock

We went for lunch at the Asian Bistro on Sunday.  My Wife ordered the Maki Combo: California, yellowtail and tuna rolls.  In an effort to outsmart the system, I ordered my preferred combination a la carte - California, tuna and cucumber - for 50 cents less.  Well, I was feeling pretty clever until the waitress brought My Wife her soup and salad.  Mine didn't come with soup and salad.  I had to order my salad separately.  Foiled again!

Our kickball playoffs were on Saturday.  We played very well on a sweltering day but lost in the second round to the top seed and eventual champs.  Our fielding, especially, was very smooth.  Mock insists (arm-twist) that I mention both of our starring moments.  He scored our winning, walkoff run in the first game with a spectacular slide.  He earned a decent raspberry burn on his knee for his troubles.  In the second game, I had a game-saving catch in right field at the end of the fifth (usually final) inning to send it to extras.  I rescued a line drive bobbled by our first baseman.  There was much rejoicing.

Mock's heroics inspired a discussion about walkoff hits/runs/home runs/wins/etc.  He and I went out to a Lake Monsters game last night and hashed it out further.  I promised to do some research on when the term first came into use for baseball.  I couldn't find that but I did find out when the game rules changed to allow such an occurrence.  I have a wonderful book called A Game of Inches by Peter Morris which is stuffed to the gills with such vital information.

Before 1880, teams were expected to play out all nine innings, regardless if the batting team had the lead in the bottom half of the ninth.  The rule was changed in December of 1879 and was put into immediate use on Opening Day 1880 when the Chicago White Stockings came from behind to defeat the Cincinnati Reds, 4-3.  Morris has no reference as to when the word walkoff itself came into use.  The Oxford English Dictionary was also surprisingly unhelpful.  Mock, through his own research, found that ESPN popularized the term.

Kickball was a lot of fun, a far more relaxed and sociable atmosphere than we have for broomball.  As I said before, our team fielding is pretty good but we need to do some work at the plate - I as much as anyone.  I went 0-for-2 on the day with one effective sacrifice bunt thrown in to salvage my pride.  Our best kicker is a soccer player and has offered to run a clinic for us - a fine idea, I think.  Others seem resistant to the idea of "practice" but we'll work on that.  Even with sub-par offense, we were a far better team by the end of the season than we were at the beginning.  We should be able to improve on our eighth seed finish next year.

Last night's baseball game was a fun one, a 4-3 victory over the Batavia Muckdogs of the Cardinals organization.  Whenever we've gone to games with a big group, I've left regretting that Mock and I didn't have more time to chat.  So, for this game, I suggested we go just the two of us.  I'm glad we did.  We covered a lot of ground beyond the walkoff discussion. 

Social sports and minor league baseball - that really is what sports should be all about.  Watching the Olympics, I can't deny that the nationalistic expressions occasionally make me uncomfortable.  Shouldn't we be able to appreciate all of the athletes at the Games, not just the ones playing under our own flag?  The regionalism expressed in our own professional and scholastic leagues isn't much better.  Minor league baseball keeps things in perspective.  I want the Lake Monsters to win but...

Wait, you're a Muckdogs fan?  I hate you.  I'm going to set your car on fire!!!

Sound ridiculous?  My point exactly.

An evening out with a good friend watching a game we both love at a reasonable price.  Watching athletes who are exponentially better at the sport than we could ever be but still just young men trying to extend their dreams of playing professionally for as long as they can.  They are not gods.  Just people.  The past year has shown us the worst of what can happen when sports figures are deified.  Minor league baseball brings us far closer to where we should be.

As for kickball, a game played with friends.  Win or lose, we can be proud of playing well and enjoy each other's company.  In the end, I prefer J.R.R. Tolkien's worldview to Vince Lombardi's.

Thorin Oakenshield's final words to Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit:

"There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West.  Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure.  If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."

Family Adventures: Montreal

My Wife's birthday was last week.  As such, the choice for how to spend Saturday was entirely hers.  Naturally, she wanted to go to Ikea.  Let it not be said that I don't love her.

I'm not sure what it is about Ikea that is so painful for me.  I'm not a big fan of shopping for anything and furniture shopping is among the most tedious - plus it generally involves heavy lifting and great disruption to our living space upon our return.  I shouldn't really complain.  In the end, we have three new chests of drawers that were, I will admit, desperately needed.  It's just the process of getting to that point that's so brutal.

Image via BRFC

For us, Ikea means a trip to Canada.  There are, of course, many potential side benefits to visiting the Montreal area and My Wife did mercifully want to make a day of it beyond my own private retail hell.  As I've no doubt made clear in previous posts, I adore Vermont.  I've lived in many places in my life and I've never been happier living anywhere than in our current house.  The Green Mountain State does, however, lack two things which I occasionally miss: big cities and sea coast.  For all of its many assets, Vermont does not have the world's most diverse population.  Most of the time, one would never suspect that one of North America's most cosmopolitan cities is just a short drive away. 

I like Montreal a lot.  It is a bilingual city full of life, offering all of the cultural attractions you could want.  Our original lunch destination was Garage Beirut, a Lebanese restaurant downtown.  Upon arrival, however, we discovered that they don't open until 5 on Saturdays.  Disappointed but undaunted, we went for a wander on Saint Catherine Street, a lively place this weekend as it was closed to all but pedestrian traffic.  Apparently we picked the right weekend to go.  It's the only time they close it off all year!

Image via PHIL'S BEER BAR

We ended up at Les 3 Brasseurs (The Three Brewers) for lunch.  It was a bit on the pricy side but with generous portions.  I had the peppy flammekueche, a sort of creamy cheesy pepperoni pizza.  My favorite aspect of the restaurant is the fact that the menu has beer pairing recommendations for most of the dishes.  The blonde was recommended for mine but I went with the amber.  The food was okay, the beer and the service very nice.

Next was a tour of bookstores.  We visited two comic stores recommended by Mock: Carsley's and 1000000 Comix, polar opposites in terms of atmosphere.  Carsley's is on the top floor of a high rise office building.  The space is well-lit, clean and easy to move around.  The staff is helpful and very professional.  1000000 Comix feels like it's in a basement, even though it's at ground level.  It's more what you'd expect a comic shop to be: a bit grungy, stuffed to the gills with merchandise and a fanboy shopkeeper.

Image via The Montreal Buzz

We had to go a bit further afield to reach Drawn & Quarterly, an independent bookstore My Wife had found with an extensive graphic novel collection.  This last shop was the find of the day.  All three of us were able to find satisfying treasures.

On the way home, we stopped at Chow Bella in St. Albans, Vermont for dinner.  Neither of us had been before but had heard good things from the locals we know.  I had the barbecue ribs - not quite what you'd expect from a fine dining establishment but they were good.  The meal was nice but again, I'd say a little overpriced.  I'm not sure I'd go out of my way for it when we've got preferable options closer to home.

We won our final regular season kickball game, 3-1.  More importantly, I felt we all played well - no errors in the field.  I seem to have found a home in right field, where Mock put me for all five innings.  I've grown to like it, my responsibilities including to cover the foul line and backup throws to first, easy enough to do since there's little point in playing a deep outfield.  I did well at the plate, too, with a single.  We finish the regular season 4-3-1, a winning record!  Playoffs are three weeks hence.

Family Adventures: Stoweflake Balloon Festival

Through her employer, My Wife scored free tickets to the 26th Annual Stoweflake Balloon Festival.  It is a weekend-long event but we only went for the Saturday evening launch.  The Mocks joined us, too.  None of us knew much of anything about ballooning going in.  I think I may have gone on a tethered ride as a child but as an acrophobe, that's the sort of thing I wouldn't remember too well because a) I would have been cowering in a corner of the basket screaming to be let down and/or b) I would have blocked as much of the memory as possible as a means of self-preservation.  It's also possible that I just watched other people doing it and had sympathetic anxieties.  Phobias are fun!

Needless to say, I didn't opt to go for the tethered ride this time and I'm delighted to say that all of my companions also decided against.  Otherwise it was fun.  The food was alright but definitely overpriced.  If we were to do it again, I think we would either bring food or eat beforehand.

While there was a lot of waiting involved, it was really most impressive once the balloons started to inflate.  We counted 23 in all.  It was a bit like watching sleeping giants awake, then take off for the sky.  Obviously, it's a great opportunity for taking loads of photos.

On the way out, I asked My Wife if she'd want to do it again and she said yes?  "Would you be willing to pay $10 to go again?"

"Oh no," she laughed.  "It would be contingent upon getting free tickets again."

So, there you have it.

The ladies went hiking on Sunday while I sat riveted to the Federer-Murray match at Wimbledon.  Here is My Wife's write up:

Hike #14 - Sunset Ridge Trail

I did get to meet them for the creemies afterward.  The Underhill Country Store had orange again.  I've found that the orange/vanilla twist makes for a better Creamsicle effect than just orange alone.

We won in kickball, 7-4.  Mixed performance by me.  I got to play right field the whole game which I enjoyed but I dropped two pop-ups.  I did get a third to atone for my sins - sort of.  I did better at the plate: 1-for-1 with an infield single.  We have one more game before the playoffs.  Our record stands at 3-3-1.

I leave you with more Balloon Festival photos:

Family Adventures: 14 Waterfalls

On Saturday, we went for a hike at Underhill State Park.  Here is My Wife's writeup:

Hike #13 - CCC Road to Maple Ridge Road aka 14 Waterfalls

There were indeed quite a lot of waterfalls on the hike.  My Wife is keen to try a hike to the Mount Mansfield summit but I am feeling timid.  I believe in working your way up to such things and I don't feel we're quite there yet.  I think I've convinced her that we need at least one more moderate hike before we tackle the difficult ones.

On Sunday, we spent a leisurely afternoon with the Mocks by their pool.  After a hot week, the day was a pleasant one for being outside.  We played a seven-hand game of UNO, one of my daughter's favorites, though we usually only play one-on-one.  It's completely different with a big group and a lot of fun.  Mrs. Mock won.

We played Pandemic, too.  We won but as the ever-observant Mock pointed out, we've been playing one rule incorrectly.  For those who know the game, we've been using the Forecast Card incorrectly, looking at the next six cards in the Player Card deck as opposed to the Infection Card deck.  The card, of course, clearly states what you're supposed to do but I think in our eagerness to avoid Epidemic Cards, we read what we wanted to read.  It's too bad.  I like our way.  I guess we'll have to play it the right way from now on...

We tried out a new restaurant on Friday night: Mimmo's in Essex Junction.  I love a dive Italian restaurant and while Mimmo's is a bit too upscale to qualify, it hit the spot.  My go-to dish for Italian food is Chicken Parmagiana and theirs was very good.  Our favorite dive Italian place in the area is Papa Frank's in Winooski.  We used to live within walking distance but alas, it's a bit out of the way for us these days.

Kickball was less successful this week.  We lost 8-4.  Part of the problem was that two of our most athletic players were out of town but we just didn't play well - self included.  I did get to play a lot due to the absences.  I think first base is still my favorite, though I'd like to get better at it.  We only have two more regular season games left.

Family Adventures: Nebraska Notch and More

On Sunday, we went for a hike on the Nebraska Notch Trail and the Long Trail.  My Wife's write up is here:

Hike #12 - Nebraska Notch Redux

A few bonus photos:

An uprooted tree, both sides:

Afterwards, we went for creemees at the Underhill Center Store - just vanilla on offer on Sunday but that was all we needed.  Summer and ice cream are an obvious combination anywhere but it's a particularly big deal in our proud dairy state.  My Wife makes her own and is currently teaching Our Girl to do the same.  Our Girl had been bugging me for creemees all week but I held off, knowing mom would be disappointed if we went without her.  So, we hatched a creemees-everyday-of-the-weekend plan.  Our Girl was surprisingly unimpressed when I told her.  "That's interesting," was her casual response.  Of course, she'd just had Friday's cone at that point.  But then, we forgot on Saturday and she was disappointed - figures.

In other news, Our Girl passed Red Cross Level 2 in swim class on Friday!  We're doing Level 3 in just a couple of weeks.  She's already worried she won't pass.  I told her we could practice at the town pond every day if she wanted.  Naturally, we're very proud of her.

We won again in kickball last night, a close battle: 1-0.  Our Girl came to watch for the first time, more or less out of necessity.  My Wife is out of town for a few days.  She enjoyed it, I think.  She certainly had a fun time running around with the other kids.  I got a "Good job!" and a high five after I got a hit in my only at bat.

Family Adventures: Father's Day and Other Man Matters

Happy Father's Day to everyone a few days late!  The ladies gave me a lovely day.  My Wife uses the occasion to buy matching T-shirts for Our Girl and me - a Little Red Riding Hood motif this year.  We had a celebratory trip to bookstore and went out for lunch.  As much as I believe in independent stores, there are times when nothing but Barnes & Noble will do.  The comic/graphic novel section at our nearest is excellent.  Lunch at Sukho Thai - our second meal out this weekend as we'd done Friday dinner at Bridge Street.  It was a wonderfully relaxing weekend.

Big news:  our kickball team had its first victory.  We won by a touchdown, 12-5.  My own contributions were modest but I did play the final inning at first and got the last two putouts.

Playing team sports with grown-ups is a bit of an adventure.  Though our team is much bigger - 18 at full strength - many of the same issues that came up with broomball hold true now.  Some are serious about winning.  Some like to win but are mostly there for the social benefits.  I'm really fine with either but it's tricky when people on the same team aren't always on the same page.  We've got a very regular crowd, though, and I'm hoping we can recruit a few for broomball in the fall.

We had our first boys night in a long time last night: a minor league baseball game in Burlington.  The Vermont Lake Monsters have just begun their short season A-league campaign.  Mock's cousin found great seats - second row on the third base side.  It was a great angle for appreciating the distances of the infield and how easily both the shortstop and the third baseman make those long throws across the diamond. 

Due largely to an adventurous fifth inning including, among other things, two throwing errors on the same play, the home team won, 7-1.  The team invested a million dollars in the stadium during the off-season.  I don't know if they're yet up to a standard to assure their A-ball status in the long term but they definitely spruced up, including a snazzy new outfield scoreboard.

School's only been out for a week so much of the conversation was shop talk - all part of clearing the toxins in time to begin fresh next year.  I'm hoping we'll make more games this season.  It's the perfect way to simultaneously enjoy baseball, good company and a beautiful Vermont summer.

Family Adventures: The Doughnut Dilemma

I'm not sure I should tell you about the doughnuts.

Our local pie shack, Poorhouse Pies, has branched out.  They are now offering fresh, homemade doughnuts on Sunday mornings - first come, first serve.  That's the dilemma.  Not surprisingly, word has gotten around.  People have been driving in from up to an hour away for pies and doughnuts.  We were lucky to get our half-dozen this weekend.  Yes, they're that good.  So, if you're in the area, here's the website.  You're on your own for sorting out the rest of the details.  Here's their key lime pie:

Photo via Facebook

In other news, Our Girl had her first-ever piano recital on Saturday.  She's only been taking lessons for about a month now but her teacher wanted to give her the opportunity if she wanted to try.  She did a great job - a bit nervous, of course, but she played beautifully.  Most importantly, she also got to hear the other students and get a sense of what she could learn to play herself if she sticks with it.

I've deliberately avoided pushing music too hard with her.  I am a music teacher by trade and I would never have wanted her to do it because she thought I expected it.  As with all arts, sports and other non-school activities, I would want her to do it because she loves it, not because she feels we want it for her.  (Swimming's the exception, to my mind.  That's a basic life skill everyone should learn.)  But, as it turned out, Mom was really keen for her to give it a try so we found a teacher. 

She seems to genuinely enjoy it so far.  I do insist that she practices and while there's occasionally some grumbling before she starts, she usually wants to keep playing when I tell her the obligatory half-hour is over.  "I'm not finished yet," she insists.  I take that as a good sign.

We went out for dinner on Sunday night to The Village Cup.  Their Routes of America theme for the year continues.  Puerto Rico is the focus this week.  I had a Tropical Sunrise after dinner, basically an Orange Julius equivalent - yum!

We're getting better at this kickball thing.  Tonight's game ended in a tie, 1-1.  I played catcher again.  I think I may request a transfer to the outfield.  I'd like to run around a bit more.  Team leadership is getting us more organized, which I think is a great thing.

Family Adventures: Our Ballerina

My parents were in town this past weekend, the main draw being Our Girl's dance recital.  She has been devoted to ballet for a couple years now but she's suggested that she might like to try something different this next year: hip hop or tap, maybe.  We have some time to think about it.  Meanwhile, the recital went very well.

My folks arrived on Friday night and Saturday began inauspiciously.  High winds knocked out our electrical power.  Losing lights is one problem but the big issue for us is water.  We have a well and when the electricity goes, we lose the pump.  Facing any stretch of time with a house full of guests and severely compromised toilet capacity was daunting, to say the least.  I quickly suggested we go out for breakfast.

The Village Cup served our needs perfectly.  Everyone used the opportunity to go to the bathroom, too.  Fortunately, the power came on again not long after we got back, still allowing us all plenty of time to get ready for the recital.  Phew!

Image via Sonoma Station

One of the big highlights anytime my parents visit is dinner at their favorite Vermont restaurant: Sonoma Station in Richmond.  They offer "New American Cuisine" in a simple, yet elegant atmosphere.  We've been several times over the years and I've never had a bad order.  We have a charming waitress who always remembers us, too, and even manages to remember the details of dance recitals from years past - impressive.  All the adults had the rack of lamb special - divine.  There was also a very exciting dessert: lemon basil sorbet, apparently a creation of one of their kitchen interns.  Oh my goodness!  Heavenly!  My Wife makes her own ice cream during the summer months and I expect basil possibilities will be explored this year.

Thai for lunch the next day, it was our first time taking my parents to Sukho Thai since the new owners took over.  We all agreed that if anything, the food has improved under the new regime.  I had the Spicy Tamarind Duck special which was wonderful.

Finally, we spent Sunday afternoon at the Fleming Museum, the University of Vermont's main art museum.  We've lived in Vermont for ten years now and, somewhat surprisingly, had never been to the museum before.  It's small but the collection is impressive.  The academic year is over so it's quiet, too.  Given my recent comic explorations, I'm particularly drawn to the pop art.  The Fleming has both a Warhol Cow

Image via Joseph K. Levene Fine Art, Ltd.

and a Lichtenstein Sandwich and Soda.

Image via MMoCA

One of my favorites at the museum was Granite Quarry by Francis Colburn:

Image via VPR

We'll definitely be back.  There was even talk of becoming members. 

On the kickball front, we had our second game last night.  I played catcher, which was fun.  For my only at-bat (at-kick?), I kicked into a fielder's choice - not too happy about that.  We lost again, 4-1 again.  It was tied after 5 innings at 1-1 but, as there was plenty of time before the next game, we agreed to play extra innings.  What fools we were!  I realized only too late that they had their best players coming up.  Oh well.  Just as with broomball, everyone makes the playoffs so if we can get our act together by then, I think our team has decent potential.  There's talk of better organization regarding positions and substitutions for the next game - and maybe even practice!

Family Adventures: Underhill State Park

Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of hiking season in Vermont.  Our first trek of the year was at Underhill State Park.  My Wife has a full write up at her blog:

Hike #11 - Underhill State Park

This was our first hike at a state park.  One thing I really like about the state park system is that they grade their hikes by difficulty.  The Green Mountain Club, the fine organization which maintains the Long Trail and many other hiking trails in Vermont, isn't so good about that.  In their many publications, only the trail map offers any indication as to easy, moderate and difficult hikes.  My Wife argues that all of the Long Trail hikes are difficult but I still contend that they're not all equally difficult.  A frame of reference is very useful for planning.

It was a beautiful day for hiking.  On the way back down the hill, I was walking a bit behind the ladies and had a very funny encounter.  As a group of 20-somethings was coming my way, one of them was whistling "Yellow Submarine."  I couldn't resist belting out "And we live beneath the waves..."  He laughed.  "I'll have that stuck in my head all day now," I said.

"That is how it came to us," he replied, "and that is how we pass it on to you."

Inspired by the idea, every time we came upon other hikers on the trail from that point on, I whistled the song, trying to plant the song in their heads.  No observable reactions but maybe I can get this going all summer.  Care to join me?  Need a refresher on the song?  Here you go:



On the way home, we stopped off at the Underhill Country Store for sandwiches and creemies: orange and vanilla on offer.  I love creamcicles so that's always a winning combination.

Monday marked the beginning of kickball season.  That's right, adults can play kickball, too, and there might very well be a league in your area.  Check out the WAKA (World Adult Kickball Association) site for details.  I hadn't played since the fourth grade but a contingent from the broomball team played the spring season with an eye to getting a jump on the summer.  There are 16 teams in the league with approximately 18 players each.  The league champion goes to Vegas for Nationals. 

For my first game, I did...okay.  I went 1-for-2 at the plate but felt lost in the field.  I'm sure that will improve with time.  Just as with broomball, some organization is required for our team to succeed, I think.   I say Mock is the man for the job!

The atmosphere is far more relaxed than the broomball league - plenty of beer on hand, too (perhaps not coincidental).  I felt a little out of my element as the first-timer.  This group is bigger than the broomball team and includes many more people whom I don't know.  Yes, yes, a stranger is a friend you haven't met yet.  Yadda, yadda...  I can already see that it will be a nice excuse to see friends regularly over the summer. 

Oh right, we lost 4-1.  It was really just one bad inning that made the difference.  I think once we get our act together, we'll be respectable.  The team finished second out of four in the spring season.