Our Wednesday night volleyball team, the Volley Llamas, were upset in the 2nd round of the playoffs last night losing to the nameless, cheerless, Team Eight two games to one.  In round 1 the Volleyball Llamas dispatched SandStorm 2-0 and then waited for the winner of the round between the 4th (Team Eight) and 5th (Finndale Farms) place teams.

We allowed Team 8 to jump to an early lead in the 1st game, came back to tie 14-14, but could not sustain our effort and lost 25-17.  In game two the tables were turned as Joanne served us to an early lead and the Volley Llamas coasted to an easy win.  The final game attracted spectators, with the Volley Llamas trailing by 3-5 points throughout the game

We had several comeback opportunities that were snuffed by errors.

All in all it was a good season and we had a lot of fun playing with new people.  As often stated by close friends of mine: “It’s about the journey, not the destination.”

Our Thursday night volleyball team, The Sand Fleas,  finished the regular season in 3^rd place overall out of the 10 team league.  Shown are Jim, Kathryn, Bill, Rob, Julia and Scott.  Not shown are regulars Ron & Rachael or super subs Danielle and Dan.

We get a 1^st round bye and play the 5^th place team (Git It Up) at 6:45pm on Thursday.

Our weekend report starts last Thursday as Kathryn went for an overnight trip with her pal Jean Kraeger as she worked some of her genealogy.  I had a babysitter for Eric as I played two early volleyball matches (we won 5 of the 6 games) and got him to bed before 9pm.

Friday morning I took Eric and Trevor to the last day of their soccer camp (9am – Noon).  I was a little unsure how much he would enjoy a sports camp, but he really enjoyed it.  He learned new dribbling and ball control skills.  At the conclusion of each day they had a 15-20 minute scrimmage with a coach on the field working on passing and spacing.  I think they were a little disappointed they didn’t receive a prize in the awards ceremony but after I fed them lunch they played on the playground and all was good.  We spent 2 hours at the Trenton Pool and the boys went home tired.

Saturday we picked stone off portions of the new lawn and I worked spreading two dump-truck loads of driveway rubble around on our new driveway.  I distributed most of it using the tractor and slip scoop and then spread it with the back blade.

My garden is out of control, with weeds beginning to take over, but we picked and podded 8 cups of peas that we froze.  Eric probably ate 1 cup of peas in the process.

Saturday evening we went to a cookout at a friend’s house.  We took a walk to a nearby pond with four crane nests.  While we could see the adults sitting on the nests we couldn’t see any nestlings.

Sunday morning I finished hand spreading and raking the remaining driveway rubble, raked and seeded the last section of new lawn, moved a dirt pile to fill in some ruts from the heavy equipment and reset the fence for the dog yard. It was a long day working outside and I was ready to crash at dinner time.

Today Kathryn and Jennifer are taking Eric and Trevor to the Water Safari in Old Forge for a day of splashing.

We went camping on Friday and it was warm enough to swim.  We would swim and then hang out on the rock in the sun.  Eric must have gone in the water 5-6 separate times.  Skip and Rhinda joined us at dinner time.  There were three loons on the lake and one visited us at the campsite.  We also got to watch them take off and land, which doesn’t look easy! Some campers/fisherman had been on the lake recently and left a lot of gear (folding chairs, pots/pans, tarp) and garbage.  We picked up a lot of the garbage and packed it out.  I really wanted to pull all the gear out too, but we had enough trips portaging our canoes & gear.  Maybe I will return on a day trip with an empty backpack and pull out what I can.

We got back in time Saturday to be home when the rains came.  And come they did!  Wow!  Just when it seems to be drying out a bit…We had a contractor stop off and discuss the feasibility of the remodeling we want done this fall.  Afterwards we went to Okey Dokey’s for dinner.

Sunday I took Eric to the BHA Hunter Show.  It was running late but he got a 5th and 4th (of 10 entries) in his Leadline Suitability and Leadline Equitation class.  I really don’t know how they can judge Leadline Suitiabilty – which is supposed to be mainly on the horse.  Everyone has a “leadline” horse who is dead quiet and suitablity for their kid to ride.  What’s not to like?  After the horse show Kathryn took the Eric and Trevor to the Floyd Field Days for supper and a few rides.

We would have taken the boys to the fireworks, but they were not scheduled until 10:15 and that is ‘way too late – for all of us!

Eric started soccer camp starts on Monday (9am -12 noon)  and seemed to enjoy Day 1 despite the number of participants (75 kids/3 coaches).

Kathryn had a rose breasted grosbeak and a baby cardinal who is loud and ugly but still adorable, at her feeders.

I get these weekly emails from our Air Force commander.  This past week’s was good advice.

Your #1 goal, above all else, is to survive the next 24 hours.  Every day.

• That means with all your body parts still intact.
• That means with all of them functioning properly.
• AND that means with you feeling healthy and happy.

Your #2 goal is to help the people around you survive the next 24 hours.

• If you’re a “Good Person” on the “Good/Bad Scale,” this is almost as high as #1 above.
• Remember, they aren’t as intelligent, lucky, or in tune with the cosmos as you are – they may need extra help.
• This especially counts when they are being especially stupid or scatterbrained.  You know what I’m talking about.

Feel free to put Goal #2 ahead of Goal #1 on occasion.  It’s called “Selflessness”.

• It’s a tough world out there.once in a while, you’ll hope someone else obeys Goals #2 and #3 on your behalf.

We are on the northern fringe of the growing zone for Catalpa Trees. In fact, we have had other Catalpa Trees die from winter kill/cold. But we have two trees on our lawn that are protected by evergreens and the house that are doing quite well.

This year in late June they had pretty white blossoms that stayed on for about two weeks.

Kathryn has been taking Dakota for a few riding lessons, which largely consist of her being comfortable around horses.  She helps brush and tack up and then gets led around.  Below Ellen and Abby give Dakota a ride.

We found wild iris in our pasture.  Kathryn re-located a portion of them to our yard.

Our painted turtle, Painter, has quite an appetite and has been visibly growing.  He prefers fish worms to almost all other food and will eat them from a hand if you move slow and dangle the fish worm where he can see it.  A measure of his growth is evident in the wide light gray areas between the scutes on his carapace.