Good-bye October 2019

This is THE barn but I want to point out that it is VERY different than the barn I grew up with.  The propane tank, the large hole in the hay barn wall was not there when I was at home.  However the electric pole that I would shimmy up to lie on the roof IS still in place.  At the time of this picture the barn had long ago served it's usefulness in terms of the farm economy!

October 30, 1960

It is Sunday and happens to be the Sunday we do not have church.  Palestine and Veblen will have services and we are free.  I now realize that was not the best for my faith but as a 13 year old boy to have church every other Sunday was a GOOD thing!  It is a day I had been looking forward to for a few days.  Ever since Bill Mazeroski of the Pirates hit his walk off homer in the ninth to defeat the hated Yankees I have had baseball on my mind.  Today is perfect.  We have had super nice weather this fall so the cows are still in the pasture most of the time.  AND there has been very little rain so the south side of the barn is dry and mostly clear of manure.  That means I can play baseball today.  After raking the dirt smooth and picking up the little manure that was there I am set to go.  For a couple hours in late morning I throw the rubberized ball against the south wall of the barn and I play the super hero of baseball.  There is everything from double plays to home runs to strike outs.  It is FUN in the sun on a perfect late October day in North Dakota.

October 30, 2019

The sun is already beating down with the force of a propane heater and it is only 9:00 in the morning.  I am so looking forward to our tennis match against Belle Lago.  I know it will be warm and the sun will be bright but I will not allow that to take away from the fun of tennis in the heat of competition.  I am paired with Karl today and he is always a good partner.  Then 1:30 happens and oh my goodness.  It does not take long for Karl and I to realize that this is NOT going to be one of our better days.  A hit into the net, a ball that just lands long, a hit into the alley that is wide by an inch.  That is the way of the match for us.  We should have lost something like 3-6 and 4-6 BUT instead we lose to the tune of 0-6 and 1-6.  Well in the end my team wins one of three courts so it is not a total loss and for some strange reason as I drive home I am not down.  As I ate breakfast this morning I could not help but think about the "barn" days or the "picking rock days that were made fun" and think that there are different ways to have fun at different ages in life.  Years and years ago I could play in a make believe world and then dream about what really could be.  Today I can take what happens yesterday and think that what happens tomorrow or the next day will be better.  

My FP is finished and I need to get dressed.  I have a half hour lesson at 8:00 and then a match this morning at 9:00.  Not sure I should be doing both in the same day but will give it a try.