The Umpire and the Softball Coach After a Consultation on the Field
I was at the Girl’s Softball game (high school ) last Monday. When I look at this photo of the third base coach walking away from the PIAA umpire after a discussion, it makes me smile, too.
I considered showing the first photo of their discussion on the field but this walking away after they spoke seemed the more powerful and effective shot.
You just wonder what was said.
I was shooting with a 70-200 mm Canon L series Lens and had to keep ducking behind the chain link fence for protection as those foul balls kept whipping towards third base.
BUCKEYES Reflection- Guest Blog
My son Mark sent this to me from his phone today. He was with Anna at an Invitational Swim Meet, Ohio State University - The Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion to be exact. The text he had written to me with the photo was:
Photo Challenge Reflection.
No matter that the Weekly Photo Challenge for Reflection was the beginning of December. I thought it was fun to receive the photo he took with the accompanying words. He saw that and thought of the Photo Challenge Reflection. And he thought of the blog. It was nice to receive and so I’m sharing it you.
Thanks Mark. (more…)
Getting Ready for Baseball Season in Pittsburgh AND Florida
Everyone has their favorite teams. Depends where you live, where you were born, where you moved, or who your family roots for, what players you like…..
some fans prefer football but the beginning of baseball means that Spring will be coming.
The Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training is already happening in Bradenton, Florida.
I know cause my friend and frequent commenter, Sue R. is headed down to watch some games. Has her tickets. Seriously. She is one proud Lady Buc!
This post is for her so she knows that the fans at home are getting ready, too.
My favorite part of the photo is that the house number is also the Pittsburgh area code. 412!
Hope you are enjoying the warm weather and that the Pirates are looking good, Sue. It’s snowing right now. Nothing major but it is gray and cold and snowy.
You can find Sue at PNC Park when the season starts. And then it will be SPRING!!!!
Night Game Christmas Tree at Heinz Field
On the way back home, after a weekend with the family, I drove by the night game.
We’re not talking about who won. It’s been a rough season. Not looking so good.
I didn’t post it on the Monday after due to the disappointing outcome for the Steelers. But I like the scene. And it was exciting to hear the roar of the crowd.
Shot with a 50mm lens, ISO 200, f/1.8 and a slow shutter 40- propped on the rolled down driver’s window- without a remote cable release but managed without camera shake. Canon 5D Mark ll
How the Weather Changed at the HS Football Game in a Blink
Friday afternoon, Cupples Field on the South Side, right after school.
I went to my first High School football game in years!
The flag flew at half staff. (There is a site that lists notifications to fly the flag at half staff.)
One minute it was blue sky and fluffy white clouds, the sun catching the gold dome of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Church on West Carson Street.
A wind came up and the rain began to spit. The temperature dropped. The sky got dark.
I’d taken cameras for students to take photos outside of the classroom. It was time to head home!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreaming
Dreaming-
definitions 3 and 4
a wild fancy or hope
a condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration
Not a long exposure photo as suggested by the challenge originator, but I took this picture Saturday morning at the T-Ball game and saw that line of little legs and shoes dangling, not long enough to reach the dirt.
Field of Dreams. Dreaming of the big leagues, the hits, the runs. A double play. A perfect pitch. Bases loaded. A championship, a home run, safe.
Fellow Bloggers interpretations of the weekly photo challenge are so different.
Swim Coach Clay Saves the Day
After the Dive Championships at Worthington Hills Club in Ohio, we were waiting around for the results and awards presentation. Jack McG (5) threw his favorite Woody (Toy Story) t-shirt up into the air.
A gust of wind caught the shirt’s billow and sailed it up onto the Pool Clubhouse roof. Uh-oh.
Jack’s face would have made a good photograph but I’m not that fast. He didn’t expect the shirt to disappear on the roof.
This kind man, who happens to be a coach of the Penguins of New Albany, came over and pulled over a stool AND a big golf umbrella, climbed up onto the stool and retrieved the favorite shirt, snagged it and flew it down to Jack. What a nice guy.
By that time I had the camera to my eye, shot this image and then asked if it would be okay to blog him and he graciously agreed. Thanks, Coach. Good sportsmanlike conduct, eh?
Michael (6) Airborne
Diving meet Monday afternoon. I cannot tell you which dive this is or what the degree of difficulty is.
I like the pool’s reflected light on his skin. His other grandmother is taping all of the diving competition for the Olympic Trials to inspire the 3 grandchildren who dive. They sure start them young!
It was a beautiful day and could even be called “chilly”. Michael received a ribbon for 3rd place in his age group.
What Mark Did With My Camera When I Went to the Concession Stand
Mark, will you hold my camera while I take Maura to the concession stand?
Scroll down and see the Stop Action Video, These are all stills I put into iMovie to make a stop action clip with all the photos Mark shot while he held my camera.
We were disappointed that Mark’s HS friend and daughter and his parents couldn’t make it. A flight cancellation due to thunderstorms in NYC put the squash on the long awaited weekend plan.
It was a hot afternoon
Mark holding Maura and Anna on the Roberto Clemente Bridge approach. Maura had just been awakened in the car when we arrived at the park. I had fun buying team regalia for the family in the Strip District the day before they came to town.
Mark photographed me with my granddaughters by Willie Stargell statue
Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers.
Headed for the car in the garage.
Night Game- Pirates 5 – Mets 4 – PNC Park – Pittsburgh PA
It was a beautiful night, capturing the sunlight as the sun went down. And it ended up being an exciting game with a win by the Pirates. A few fireworks. Perfect weather. They close the Roberto Clemente Bridge for pedestrians to walk across to the Park. Reggie Howze is the saxophonist standing on the bridge.
17 Years in the Making – There are Rules to Follow
1. No styrofoam in the center is allowed. Has to be a rubber band core.
2. You have to find the rubber band or be given a rubber band.
Rubber is heavy. Like a medicine ball. I was surprised by the weight of it.
This ball is so large that the newspaper rubber bands can’t fit around it. A chef donates his escarole rubber bands. Mr. Laszlo Zongor has taught a couple of young people how to start a rubber band ball the correct way.
I believe there are other rules but I can’t remember and he said to not misquote him!!
In Pittsburgh, rubber bands are called gum bands by many!
And yes, I looked it up and there is a guy who claims he has the real deal biggest authentic rubber band ball that he has stretched each band onto, individually. My friend E at work has a ball she started 11 years ago! She said she had started to buy the lettuce, pre washed in a bag and wasn’t getting those nice big fat Romaine bands lately.
I wish I had asked what motivated them to start making the rubber band ball……………….and then the commitment to “growing it”.
And a P.S. from Melinda (his wife) after viewing the post
“I think the last rule you forgot was that the rubber bands cannot be lengthened by tying one to another – each band has to fit entirely around the ball on its own. That’s the challenge at this point: finding bands that are long enough, since most will no longer work. ….Makes it somewhat self-limiting in size!”
Not sure who checks if one is following the rules but wanted to include it, since I forgot!
Basketball Fans Reflection in a Glossy Gym Floor
Our friends’ son is a basketball coach for a local high school team and we were invited to see them win the last game of the season last night. I was shooting with a 70-200 lens and not moving around much but as I sat there this reflection caught my eye. At the half I switched sides for a different view from the fans’ perspective but I was glad I’d captured this reflection earlier.
These fans were enthusiastic and moved around a lot but at this moment they were all still.
A Steelers Fan’s Nod to the Packers
We love our Steelers, win or lose. Here’s some Pittsburgh cheese to acknowledge your win, Packers fans and dear friends! (Rob you were right.) I made Haluski, Pierogies and Kielbasa but no one felt like eating here. Have to post now and get to bed cause I’m driving back to the Burgh for school in the morning, YIKES! We had a fun time together but watching the superbowl was so stressful. Kids dropped off to sleep one by one.
Sportsmanship
What we teach our children.
I thought about posting
a Back to Work theme
(leaving Columbus at 4AM)
or some serious Comfort Food
Penn Mac Company on Penn Avenue in the Strip District has some GREAT cheese!!
Mazeroski in the Snow
Read a tip to revisit something you’ve already photographed, but return in another season or different time of day. After photographing Heinz Field the other day before the AFC game I swung by the Bill Mazeroski statue above the Allegheny River and shot him running into home plate, surrounded by snow. Some of you may remember my photographing the statue unveiling. No people in this shot. I had dinner with my friend Sue R. who is a serious fan and a member of the Lady Bucs Club. She has her tickets to go to Bradenton for Spring Training games. I told her about shooting the statue in the snow and she said she was looking forward to seeing him. Susan Wagner is the sculptor of this incredible statue.
A memorable moment frozen for all time!
HERE WE GO! Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jets Playoff Game- Single Digits on the Thermometer Predicted
Reporting from Pittsburgh- I put myself on assignment. Saturday morning I was thinking about a post for Sunday’s game. It was all blue sky and about ten degrees. Got out of bed and drove through the Strip District on my way down to Heinz Field. The guy who sold me the Croatian STEELERSFan T-shirts last year agreed to a shot. Fans lined up for breakfast outside DeLuca’s. Dumptrucks were being filled with snow from the stadium parking lots. Rows of Porta-Potties stood empty, waiting for the Sunday tailgaters. Up in the stands I saw an army spreading salt left and right. Went for coffee in Aspinwall afterwards and ended in the J & W Variety Store (EST. 1969) where I purchased a tiny 99 cents pencil sharpener. Lots of STEELERS gear and accessories for sale. I asked if it would be okay if I photographed the display and the proprietor said – Sure! Handed me a complimentary HERE WE GO button as I left. Everyone’s pumped! I read a letter to the editor (5th one down)in the Post-Gazette from the guy in the New England End Zone Militia asking us to drown out the JETS fans and win! Similar to the players message to the fans click here- BE LOUD!!
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