Charlotte Sports Park

It rained and got windy today. It's ok. There are no banks of dirty snow here. There are white water birds hanging around on docks next to water in the liquid form. We had a walk around the neighborhood and noted the large number of "for sale" signs and houses that seem empty of human presence. One homestead with fliers in the box next to "for sale" sign, and not located on the water, specified $57,900 as its asking price. The real estate market here is in a deep slump. The bird in this photo, a white heron I think, doesn't seem to be affected by the economy.



Yesterday, we bought tickets to watch the Tampa Bay Rays spring training opener at Charlotte Sports Park against the Orioles from Baltimore. The game is Thursday afternoon. Santini is standing by the map to the complex. We have seats along the third base line.



The Twins will be here next week to play the Rays, I think, but I'll be gone, back to the land of dirty snow banks and geezer tennis.

Baseball been bery, bery good

The Tampa Bay Rays fell to Cincinnati Reds 7-0 in their first spring training game in their new stadium. Santini and I were there to take in the action including a fifth inning grand slam home run by the Reds' Jerry Hairston, Jr. The stadium is a very nice venue for the Rays and the summer occupants, the Port Charlotte Stone Crabs. There was a full stadium and a full scale traffic jam on the way to the park as the city learns to deal with the success of the 2008 American League champions. We had good seats in the stands behind home plate. They were in the shade and a nice breeze blew though.

My best action shot of the day was taken along the first base line in the last of the 6th inning. It's baseball, baby. The Reds are in red. Although he played, I don't think that AL rookie of the year Evan Longoria is in the photo.


There is a walkway all the way around the stadium, so it is possible to watch the game from many different vantage points. Santini stands near the beginning of the boardwalk in her baseball fan disguise.

I managed to escape the park without any Rays themed merchandise, a fate somewhat luckier than Santini, although some of their baseball themed tee shirts were tempting - just to get the economy humming again in my own small way.

My time in southwest Florida is drawing to a close, but it is possible that Minnesota winter weather may extend my visit. Winter storm warnings have been posted for the Saintly City.

October Tennis Ball Smacking

It was pretty enough to play tennis outside. But, because the days are shortening rapidly we had to start at 4 pm. When the cast is composed of geezers, there is little impetus to stay at work when the nice days are scramming. Only two of the four geezers in attendance are still working so we met and warmed up with the mercury teetering at 56 degrees on the Matrix thermometer. Even when the sun is out these days, it is low in the sky, and the shadows along with the slanted light make the visibility iffy as day turns to night, but we played enthusiastically if not aesthetically. Tennis Dennis was back for more fun, and we managed to remember the score all evening. Three sets, knackered, and home by 6:30. Again, no blood on the courts.

I revive a photo from last week showing a visit to the Como Conservatory, a sanctuary for the winter months when one yearns for flowers and the feel of high humidity. The mums were beautiful and the nude statue appealing I'll be going back there over the winter to refresh my spirit when January is wearing on me. As it will.


The World "Serious" starts tomorrow. The Red Sox and the team from Colorado will be competing. I'm picking the Sox, because I like this Ortiz guy that used to suit up for the Twinks.

Three Bridges to Home

The day was another gift from the summer gods. The geezer gang met at 9 am to play some doubles. There were eight of us, so we used Bill's cards to determine partners. I drew Tennis Dennis, he with the knee brace, and we played two sets together before he had enough tennis and had to quit. 7-6, 6-0, although we weren't playing all that well. We were accused of using age and experience against the young whipper-snappers (guys in their fifties and sixties). The other court had another instance wherein everyone forgets the score of the game and then argues about it until the argument has to be settled by a racket spin. No one got hurt.

It was also a good day to have a bike ride and perhaps get to another goal, although it's only about an eighth of Santini's 3000. I took a triangular route, crossing three river bridges and getting home after 18 total miles. I crossed the Mississippi at Ford Parkway, passed Minnehaha Falls, rode down along the river to Pike Island, and climbed the big hill by Fort Snelling. I continued by crossing the Minnesota River on the Mendota Bridge, rode through Mendota to Lilydale and crossed the Mississippi again on the 35E bridge. It was a good ride, except a time or two, when the Moron family surfaced and tried to knock me off the bike.

I have some photos from the day, but Blogger is acting up tonight and won't allow me to upload any of them. So they will have to wait until another day

I'm watching major league baseball tonight, the ALCS. The Red Sox are roughing up the Indians in Boston. It's the first of the playoff games that I've seen this year. They are still playing by the same rules as last year. (10-1 in the 3rd inning.)

Twelve Days for a Maple Tree

The heat wave is over, probably for the year. The high today was 67 and it's back to 53 now, so it feels like October again. We had an inch and a half of rain today. The trees are beginning to change colors with a vengence. My backyard maple tree is pictured on September 26.


The maple tree on October 8, today. Twelve days later. It's changing colors on the way to winter.


Baseball is in the middle of playoffs. I think the Yankees were eliminated from contention tonight by the Cleveland team. I used to watch baseball faithfully, especially as a kid. Dad was a big Yankee fan and had stories about Ruth and Gehrig from the days of his youth. And since he coached baseball and filled us with the lore and magic of major leaguers, I was a big Yankee fan. It was the days of Mantle, Maris, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, and all those names from the great teams of the 50's and 60's. This week is playoff time and I can't even name all the teams, but I know that there are a lot of millionaires playing the game. This is the era of Steinbrenner. I guess that I lost that loving feelin'.

And steroids strike down Marian Jones. I guess that it isn't just bikers and aging home run hitters that have connections to the Balco Lab. She seemed so clean and honest, too.

There was tennis today again, three sets at the indoor Wooddale club with the regular set of geezers. It was good tennis again, long points and good competition. No blood was shed.