Lesson 885: Just Shoot It

 Hello, Readers.

I got a blog full of memories for you.

That's partly because I take lots of photos.

You see the shot,

you gotta take it, right?

There have been plenty of those kind of shots

in basketball over the years.

From behind the lens

to in front of it.

Tonight was Sam's last Home basketball game.

 

The O's are known for being a supportive bunch.

We are a small army of sports loving

cheerleaders,

in our own right.

Even Erik made it to the game.

The guy does not like a buzzer,

but he tolerated it tonight 

for his big baby cousin.

If you are wondering,

Natalie did NOT win the 50-50,

but the winning people were sitting next to us

and had the next set of tickets!

Basketball is a very tough sport 

to make it all the way through high school.

These three amigos did it!

It was nice to honor them before the game.

Their friends came

and helped cheer them on to victory tonight.

Natalie weaseled her way into the shot.

The boys accepted their gifts with humble hearts

and guts full of gratitude

for the best teammates

and coaches.

They gave the trainer, Sharon,

the unsung hero of high school sports,

a parting gift.

The night was a slam dunk!

When you see the moon

and Venus

hanging low above your house,

you just shoot the shot and see how it turns out.

Not bad!

Reunited!

It feels so good....

to have Gingy back!

He was 30 feet from the house,

facedown in a snowbank.

I found him during the melt this week!

We had just about everything weatherwise.

There was still enough ice on the bay last week

to ice fish.

We delayed school this week

due to some sneaky ice that came in the night.

Don't shoot the messenger,

but still some winter to go--

blame the groundhog.

Eloise's last advice for tonight

before she takes her cross eyed body to bed:

When you get the chance--

take the shot.

Just shoot it!

From the first days,

to the last,

it was an exciting

and very fun

ride.

Much love,

Eloise

Lesson 884: Winter Walks

 Hello there, Readers.

After one too many close losses

on the basketball court this season,

let's start with a winner!

The one on the right.

She's the winner of another 50-50 drawing.

Natalie has won six of them

since Sam has been in high school.

She also won the huge raffle basket

at the bocce match a couple of years ago.

Natalie is a lucky lady!

We are gaining daylight --

this taken and 5:30 pm,

and through the darkest part of the winter,

which gives me more time to get outside after school

for walks

with my camera.

It won't take much to track me.

I apparently drag my feet.

I snuck up on this guy.

I didn't slip on the ice,

I admired it.

Pinecones are nice to photograph in the winter.

Reader advice needed.

Should I stain my greenhouse

a dark brown 

to match the feral cat hotel

(repurposed chicken coop)

and the barn?

Or leave it alone?
I really like the greenhouse as it is,

but Mr. Lamp Post thinks otherwise,

as it always is 

with the two of us.

I started all kinds of seeds

in my winter sowing containers

now that I have a greenhouse to put them in

after they sprout.

The snow melted a bit this week

so Grandma, Erik and I

went for a ride to see the ice fishing on the bay.

Erie is such a cool town!

Even Mr. Lamp Post agrees.

I started a really good book this morning

and I'm anxious to get to it

before my eyes cross 

and sleep comes hard and fast.

It even has a hand drawn map

in the front of the book,

which is my favorite!

I'm still on Eragon's journey

to become a dragon rider--

which also has a map!

There are so many things that disgust me

about the world around me lately,

I've been escaping into books,

especially fantasy writing,

all the more.

Prejudice,

hatred,

arrogance,

and lunacy

exist in those lands, too.

But I learn from the heroes

and the good people 

always put up a good fight.

They don't always win every battle,

but they will win the war.

I'm getting myself a sword

and looking for a dragon hatchling 

on my walks this weekend.

I know exactly where I'm headed

when I find it.

Who's riding with me?

Eloise