June 16-30

Time marches on in what some are calling a "new normal" but to me it's nothing but temporary BS. Jenny has a friend with two young daughters, on Saturday the 20th she held a birthday party for her three-year-old at a county park just south of the city. The get-together lasted for about two hours, just long enough for the little one to understand it was all for her. Jenny, her mother and I were among the ten or twelve people there, others were invited but apparently either had plans or were perhaps hesitant over being out and about. For my part I'm long since past any so-called fear because it's been largely disproved, when I'm in public I can give other people their space and not crowd anyone unnecessarily. I'm not around anybody in particular for long enough to be overly concerned, the only people I see with any regularity are Jenny and her mother and that's usually just two days a week for lunch. When I'm there we sit apart in an attempt for security and so far we've all been fine. The last time they were at my place was in February before the hockey season ended early, they haven't been in since because baseball season never started at all. On Monday the 29th I was out of the house after the supper hour for the first time in SIXTEEN WEEKS, the county's youth baseball league belatedly started its season. The high school age division was canceled completely because most of its teams use school-property facilities which remain unavailable but the 14-and-under, 12-and-under and 10-and-under divisions are playing on fields in public parks. The city's recreation commission sponsers two teams in the 12u league and one in the 10u league, on this night the 12u team in Section Three played a home game in Lancaster Community Park (on the west side of town about three miles from my place). The boys lost to Donegal Green (from Mount Joy) but for me it just felt good to be out in the fresh air and sunshine at a game again. Yes, it wasn't a pro game or even a college or high school game but it was a BALLGAME and that's all that mattered. The 12u team in Section Two also plays at Community Park, the 10u team plays its games at Davy Arnold Field which is only about a mile from my house. The season runs through the month of July. Take care, thanks for reading.