Blackwater 53393

A couple more sleeps and we’ll be headed thataway!!

MNO Ducks!! M’s Geese

I don’t mind my waist!! It keeps telling me to eat more than I should!!

Boomstick short stroked a pair of Uberti Remington ‘75s for me a few years ago. He also lowered and widened the hammer spurs! What a difference!! Worth the money!!!

Ask her if she plans on bringing Oreos!! 🤣

YES’M!! I will be there!! Arriving Monday, around or a little after lunchtime!!

On the subject of the Home Run Derby, one of the guys who was very successful, winning consecutive contests, has decided NOT to participate this year. Pete Alonso is leading the league in doubles this year and is one RBI off the lead in the majors. I suspect that he has decided to avoid changing his batting habits in order to maintain his focus on what’s working for him in games that matter.

ICM Ducks!!

Ol’ Chickasaw Bill is so narrow, he has to run around in the shower to get wet! FEED THE BOY!!

My understanding is that it’s made in Australia and that it’s just now starting to appear in stores there. I don’t know anything else. I never used it and have no experience with or opinion of it.

I watched a first time rookie starting pitcher last night. The kid has a world class fastball and a good head on his shoulders. He gave up two homers in six innings, but he struck out seven and held the opposition to little else. Got his first win in his first start and did it in Yankee Stadium wearing pinstripes!! He did it in front of his folks! THAT’S what baseball is all about!! Doing your best!

I think the recognition is good, especially for the guys that work hard and put in the effort to play a better game! The game itself is pretty much meaningless. It was much better when they played it for HFA in the World Series, but as it is there’s little to recommend it and the potential for injury in a meaningless game probably drives owners and managers a little bit crazy!!

I’m going to make some bacon jam when I get back from Black Gold! Until then, I’ll just have to be satisfied with jamming slices of bacon into my mouth!!

ON A SEPARATE SUBJECT!! We try to keep water for drinking at convenient locations around the range ‘cause it usually gets hot during all the activities that go on at Black Gold, but that’s no substitute for proper hydration!! Y’ALL SHOULD START HYDRATING TODAY IN PREPARATION FOR THE MATCH!! Tomorrow at the latest! Just add a few extra glasses of water to your routine, starting today, and you’ll feel much better when ol Sol is settin’ up there in the sky tryin’ ta’ bake or broil you next week!! Water is best! Sports drinks are okay, but they contain sugar and salt that are better left out until you’re already in trouble. Coffee and tea and alcohol are not good for hydration!! If you’re well hydrated, they ain’t as bad, but they aren’t what you need to beat the heat!! SEE YA’S NEXT WEEK!!

I have worked around machinery for my entire life! The first rule of clothing in a machine shop environment is “NO LOOSE OR DANGLING CLOTHING!!” I made the mistake of wearing heavy gloves that had long, gauntlet style cuffs while working outside with a post hole digger mounted on the back of a tractor. I was also wearing a heavy coverall because it was really cold. At one point, the auger hit a rock and bounced up out of the hole we were digging and it flopped over to one side. My dad was running the tractor and he shut down the machine. I stood the auger back up into the hole and he engaged the PTO. The damned thing jumped up as it spun and snagged the cuff of my left hand glove and I went for one hell of a ride! When the thing stopped spinning, my left hand was wrapped around my left elbow, I had a fractured skull, and my right leg had a fracture just above the ankle. I never lost consciousness, but at first, I didn’t know how bad I was hurt. Long story short, I spent a couple hours on an operating table, a couple days in the hospital, and nineteen weeks with my left arm in a cast!! The lesson learned!! I keep my clothing tight and tucked in wherever I’m around machinery! I will play in cold weather, but I won’t work in it unless at great need. AND!! You’re never gonna see me, wearing long sleeves unbuttoned, wearing a tie or anything loose around my neck, or walking around with my shirt tail out!! And if I AM wearing long sleeves, you’re probably going to see them rolled up above my elbows!!

Tombstone! I might be interested in the Wednesday class too! See ya’ Monday!!

Had one many years ago. Tried to wear it a couple of times, but I can’t stand to have anything around my neck! I never button the top two buttons on my shirts for just that reason!! It took me a long time to get used to T-shirt collars…

Gonna’ try to do a little next week! Headed to Black Gold for the week on Monday. I ain’t sure if I’ll try to shoot the match, but I’m taking my gear so’s I can if I’m able…

The home plate umpire may be very uncomfortable!! 😜

A lot of umpires don’t understand the rules. There are a number of ways to balk when pitching and there are also catchers’ balks. I used to know the litany of different calls when I umpired youth league and older boys baseball. That was thirty years ago and I don’t even have a recent rule book to refer to.

This is the updated schedule of events…

Updated shooter list!

“I’d swim to the bottom and drink my way up!”

No shootin’ CB!! Wellll, maybe send a little rock salt to see about him! 🤣

Baseball is a game that is played with certain rules that apply no matter what the situation! There are “ground rules” that take into account the configuration of the ballpark and its surroundings. There are rules that are subject to judgement and are not subject to challenge. There are also rules that are not subject to judgement and cannot be ignored or dismissed.. There are portions of the balk rules that are open to some interpretation or judgment and there a parts of those rules that are not! Once the pitcher begins the delivery of the ball, he/she cannot stop . The pitcher must either throw to home plate or to an occupied base. Think of the situation where the batter hits the ball and it is clearly obvious that the ball will leave the yard in fair territory, but instead, the ball strikes a bird and fall in play. This is another example of “Mother Nature” interfering with the normal sequence of play, but that ball is “in play” and whatever results from the continuation of the play are the same as if that ball had only traveled to the spot where it lands naturally. Sometimes, it’s just baseball!!