Baseball, baseball and more baseball

 

Nathan’s team, the  Rangers won their division last week.  It is a 9-10 year old division.  Then they went to the tournament and won all 3 games to be the tournament winners.  I was really hoping that we would end the season there.  I am tired of practices and games, etc. 

No such luck – I really should be pleased.  Of all the 9 year olds in the league, the coaches and who ever else picks 12 9-year olds to play in the All Star team.  After the final game last night, which they won 8 to 3 they received their trophies.  The Rangers received two trophies – one for the season and one for the tournament.  After all the pictures were taken (sorry, my camera just died, right before the trophy presentation) they then announced the All Stars.  Glenn and I had known for a couple of days as they wanted to make sure all of the kids chosen would be there.  We didn’t tell Nathan and as he left the field before the announcement, he looked at me and said “I don’t think I made it”.  I just told him to wait and see.  When his name was called he ran out into the field with arms pumping the air, circled the coach and then started crying.  He won everyone’s heart – no matter who they were.  So, we get to start practicing again – this time 3 hour practices as there is only around 2 weeks before the tournament begins and these kids (chosen from 6 teams) haven’t played together yet.  Glenn is so excited and as you can tell – me not so much!

Go, Nathan, go!

Our little farm

We don’t really live on a farm, in that we don’t pay the bills with what we make.  We are trying to be a little more self sufficient and in that we seem to be doing ok. 

We have a garden that we have already been able to harvest some produce: tomatoes, beans, peas, lettuce and some squash and onions.  Hopefully, it will continue but it is already hot and very, very dry.   We are in a long drought.  It hasn't rained in a long while.  Unfortunately, we haven’t even had any drizzles, nothing.

Yesterday, we butchered 19 X-cross white chickens that we have raised since they were a day old.  Kathie took pictures, I was kind of busy.  We got home from Nathan’s last regular season game and then started the processing.  The men folk – Rob, Daddy, Caleb and Nathan were outside doing the killing,  de-heading,  and blood draining.  Kathie, Katie, Mandy and I were inside doing the washing, dunking in hot water, plucking, and eviscerating.  That means taking out the “innards” as my Grandmother would have said.  Sammy watched the girls so that we could do the above.

Now we have 19 chickens in two freezers.  We also have two new calves, certainly late coming this year.  We usually have calves starting in late February/early March.  We had two new ones Saturday.  I admit, I am not a specialist in cow genetics but we have a solid black part-Angus cow that has never given birth to a cow that looks like her.  This new calf is no exception.  Brown with splotches of white.

                                              Ebony with her new calf.  One or two days old. 

Then we have another calf whose Mother is Daisy.  This is Daisy’s first calf.

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t know if they are female or male yet.

Our fruit trees are not doing very well, I think because it is too dry except for the figs bushes,which are covered with figs.  We put in 9 berry bushes this year.  They have had there challenges – the bull stepping on them, dry, dry weather and bugs but we have gotten a few blue berries and we have some raspberries that are growing.

It has been a busy week, next week Mandy gets her cast off which will probably make things easier.  Mandy has a spika cast and it is from her waist, down one leg and is bent at the knee.  Which means she can sit but it is so high she can’t get under certain things like the piano.  She has a recital May 21st so, we are practicing with Kathie key board right now.

Ebony and calf (two days old)