Baseball Season

Driving by the ballparks at Farragut Baseball, Inc. this evening, it was fun to see the place alive with activity. 

Players playing; parents cheering. Grandparents too.

On a beautiful spring night, there is no better place to be than at the ballpark.

This fact holds true for everyone involved – league officials, umps, coaches, teammates. As we reach the end of April, it’s primetime for the spring youth baseball season.

We’re past the early season chill and day after day of heavy rain. The good weather is really good now – with warm days, crisp nights and electric blue skies. 

Who wouldn’t love to be at the ballpark?

I’ve noticed some former players are celebrating the spirit of this baseball season.

I served as president of the league for three years and during the second and third years, we hired two young men to manage our concessions and to take care of our fields. I noticed the last two days, these guys have been posting pix of the various FB, Inc. fields on Facebook and commenting about their fun days on these particular fields.

Another friend of mine posted a photo this evening of three generations of catcher’s mitts - his, his dad’s and his son’s.

Meanwhile, via the “Timehop” function, Facebook has been revisiting all the team photos I posted a couple years ago. I’ve been ‘sharing’ these pix to my newsfeed and a number of my former players have commented.

One of my favorite pictures – I believe I have shared it before – surfaced this week. Our last rec team – the Willie Mays Braves – played in the county tournament in the spring of ’06. The parents sprung for a set of red unies to wear in the tournament.

Our guys were in the dugout and they all came together for an impromptu group photo. We sent this photo to the News Sentinel for inclusion in its community news section and they ran it.

One of my former players saw the “Time Hop” posting on Saturday. He said it was his favorite team picture we made over the years. He noted that he still had the newspaper clipping (and he texted me a photo of it). Another guy chimed in and said “Those were the days.”

Don’t say these millennials haven’t got a sentimental side!

Speaking of: Paul was online last night reminiscing about some baseball memories with another former Choppers teammate. The subject of “international rules” came up and we all noted that when the umps brought out “international rules” (a way to shorten extra innings during tournament play - see #10) it never seemed to go well for us.

I can’t remember all the specifics but I think the “international rules” (why it is considered “international” was a mystery never explained) meant you started a new inning with a runner on second base and one out already recorded. I remember this being invoked twice and we came up short both times.

But, as I told Paul, we won more than our share of games, so now those two L’s are just a footnote in Chopper lore. 

And, not to leave the coaches out, I have exchanged emails with a couple of my former coaches recently. One of them celebrated a birthday this month, so it was nice to reconnect and wish him a Happy Birthday.

One of the things I loved the most about my years as a youth baseball coach and administrator is the sense of community that you can build. There is a community of coaches and administrators. And, as a coach, you have the opportunity to build your own community with the players and families on your team.

Even though the members of our baseball community are now scattered – to places like Texas and Pennsylvania and Virginia and parts in between, the bonds of our community are still strong years later.

JG

Originally posted 4/28/2015

Return of the Chauve-Souris

I noticed their tell-tale sign on Saturday; a calling-card of sorts to herald their return to the neighborhood.

Like the return of the famous swallows to San Juan Capistrano, it seems these flying friends have also settled into a similar annual pattern. And I must say, it’s nice to know they’re back.

Today, we’re celebrating the return of the chauve-souris!

I first told you about our big brown bats and how they had taken up residence near the roof of our house in 2012. When they scattered, after baby bats were born, we worked with a local animal control company to “exclude” them from returning to the recessed area near the eaves on the east end of our house at some point in the future.

Though the presence of bats in the area can be a good thing, you don’t really want them taking residence inside your attic. Our bats didn’t make it inside but they were too close for comfort.  After we were able to take the step to block their entrance, we were happy to know that, even if they weren’t tenants they were, in fact, going to be good neighbors.

They stayed in the area that summer and returned the following year. We figured they must roost in the woods behind our house and we’d notice them flying at dusk. We also noticed that the mosquito population – which was once quite robust on our street – was nearly decimated. 

We didn’t mind. In fact, if are new to the blog and would like to read my previous bat posts, I’ll include the links at the bottom of this page. 

It’s fun to be outside just before darkness falls and notice them darting in and out and knowing they’re helping us out.

During this year’s return, their pattern seems to be to roost near the front porch. There is a lamp just to the right of our front door and the aforementioned “calling cards” (bat poop) were plentiful on the bricks under that lamp. We figure the bats must swoop down and nab some flying insects drawn to the warmth of the light.

I cleaned up the mess yesterday but I didn’t mind.

We may add a bucket of water near-by. Two years ago, we noticed they seemed to enjoy it.  We’ll do anything to promote their lengthy stay in the neighborhood.

Like the Batman, himself, it is nice to know we have these flying friends patrolling the sky, working to do their part to keep us pest-free when we work or play outside this summer.

JG 

2012 Coach Jeff’s Blog Bat-related Posts:

• http://jeffdgary.tumblr.com/post/22299477314/driving-us-batty
• http://jeffdgary.tumblr.com/post/24910963121/to-the-batpoles
• http://jeffdgary.tumblr.com/post/25973105218/au-revoir-mes-chauve-souris 

Originally posted 4/27/2015

White Cars

As I was heading out of the neighborhood, I found myself hitting the prime time morning commute traffic. Usually, I’m a bit ahead of it but I had an early morning appointment that slightly altered my morning routine.

At the front of our development, I noticed there was a long line of traffic and I patiently waited to make my turn. The longer I sat there, the more I noticed. Car after car was white. White sedans. White trucks. White SUVs.  At one point, there was four in a row (and the SUV waiting behind me? It was white, too).

My doctor’s office is located just a mile away from my house and along the way, I kept seeing white vehicles. Occasionally, there’d be the odd burgundy or gold (ahem, champagne) hued car. But the predominant color in Farragut, today, was white.

I wonder if it is something about our town.

But later, when I picked up lunch on the way to the office, it was the same. White car here; white car there.

We always had white vehicles when I was growing up. My dad preferred them because the white color reflected heat and, also, it was easier to keep the cars clean. At one point, my folks had a white station wagon, a white truck and, of course, the venerable white ’66 Mustang.

Maybe as a backlash to that, I have never owned a white car. The old S10 pick-up that I inherited is technically blue and white but I think there is more blue than white, so it fits.

We had the odd green phase – the one where we kept getting green cars even though that wasn’t our preference – and I have now driven two blue SUVs in a row. Lisa’s Honda is a sleek black.

I wondered if the white trend this morning was a fluke or if I was on to something so, as I often do, I went online to look it up. Sure enough, according to a Forbes article citing a report by DuPont the most popular car color in America, as of the end of 2012, was indeed white (followed, in order by black, silver, gray and red). A USA Today feature confirms what I read in the Forbes piece.

According to USA Today, here are the top four popular car colors in the U.S. (with percentages):

• White – 21%
  
• Black – 19%
  
• Gray – 17%
  
• Silver – 15%
  

(with blue and red closely duking it out for fifth place).

So, the punchline: I wasn’t imagining things. And it’s not just a Farragut factor.  White cars abound from sea to shining sea.

Maybe I need to re-think this color thing?

JG

Originally posted 4/23/2015

Game On

To much fanfare, the NFL held its annual schedule-unveiling extravaganza last night. Indeed, mark your calendars now because it won’t be long until football season returns.

I always love the unveiling because I like to think ahead to the coming season. At various points over the summer, I’ll find myself thinking ahead to a potential match-up or the playoff prospects for a particular team.

Of course, I’m hoping this is the year the Titans return to glory but that may be the optimist in me. I do think the rebuilding process in Nashville may be a slow one, but here’s hoping for the best.

Back to the schedule, there are always certain things I look for during the big reveal. Here are some of my hot buttons.

Kickoff Weekend 
Since 2004, the NFL has awarded the first game of the season – traditionally played on Thursday night of the kickoff weekend – to the defending Super Bowl champion. I guess it was the worst kept secret, because of potential opponents, that this season’s game would pit the champs, the New England Patriots, vs. the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers. When you saw New England’s list of home opponents last winter it just seemed like a no-brainer. The NFL confirmed this fact last night.

Thanksgiving Day
I’ve written before about my love of the Thanksgiving Day game. I think it is always interesting to see who the league and networks would select for the traditional match-ups (at Detroit and at Dallas) as well as the third game, added during the modern era.

I’m not a fan of how the networks have started ignoring league affiliation. CBS has the AFC games; FOX the NFC. Except now, anything goes. Indeed, all six teams playing on Thanksgiving Day (Eagles at Lions, Panthers at Cowboys, Bears at Packers) hail from the NFC. What does that say about the networks’ view of the AFC?

Personal Schedule
I’m on a mission to finish out my ‘collection’ of seeing all the teams play at least once. I’m now down to my Final Four. Truthfully, I’ve seen most of the teams play at the Titans but, last fall, I started expanding my reach to expedite the process. I’m now down to these four: Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Detroit. So with the release of the 2015 NFL schedule, I began making my plans.

To help me get across the goal line, so to speak, I’m planning to go to the Tampa Bay at Atlanta game Nov. 1.  That’ll cross two teams off my list. Then, I’m hoping Detroit will play at one of the near-by NFC South teams – Carolina or Atlanta – next fall. The Vikings are set to play at the Titans next year, so that would theoretically give me the complete set.

Also, with the Raiders playing at the Titans this fall, that’s another must-see game for me: my childhood team playing at my favorite team of adulthood. I’ve seen this match-up more than any other (4 times), such as we did back in 2010.

I’m looking forward to it.

And I’m looking forward to the 2015 NFL Season. Of course, there are many other must-see games than the ones I listed. I know it’s a long way off, but still, it’s fun to think about the possibilities.

JG

Originally posted 4/22/2015

No Static at All

This may seem like a random topic for Coach Jeff’s Blog but we’re always willing to explore new vistas. At any rate, today’s topic is radio.

I was struck over the weekend by the news that Norway is phasing out FM radio in its country by 2017.

How can such a thing happen? Well, apparently the Scandinavian nation is funding a national digital radio service that will be fully operational in two years. The Norwegians say it will bring better quality and provide more bandwidth for even more stations.

I can’t even imagine.

I mean, isn’t FM the end all, be all? (No static at all).

I remember when I discovered FM in that wonderful summer of music that I’ve told you about recently. Then, it wasn’t enough to hear my favorite music on the AM dial but FM brought a depth and richness that wasn’t present in the static-filled din of its older cousin. AM, then, was relegated to use for cross-country roadtrips when clear channel stations brought you a baseball game in the mid-summer darkness.

I could write a separate entry on that pastime. Maybe I will do that someday soon. Or I could devote some entry to old-time radio in general. That might be fun.

Or I could devote one entry to some Norwegian olympic history. Oh, wait, we covered that. Let’s go back to the topic at hand.

As a professional, I have been responsible for buying radio advertising time in two different previous jobs. It’s hard to imagine a different system – or different stations – than the ones we have.

Even as a consumer of satellite in recent years, I can’t really conceive of the type of system Norway is touting - high definition radio. I guess the technology we can touch that had a similar conversation was the recent phase out of analog television signals with the advent of digital.

Still, I’m not sure the average person really noticed when “Wheel of Fortune” came to them via digital tv vs. the old 60-year-old system.

Anyway, it’s hard to imagine that we would ever make a similar change. In the wide open U.S., it seems we have plenty of space for new construction, super highways and plenty of FM radio stations.

But never say never, I guess. Can you remember a time without the internet? (Or imagine a way to access content of your favorite blog without it?).

JG

Originally posted 4/21/2015

We’re Almost #1!

I ran across a website today that ranks cities. Sounds like my kind of place.

I love lists. I love geography. I love cities and towns.

And I especially love my town.

I was thrilled to see a countdown of the Top 20 small towns in the state of Tennessee and I was even more delighted to find that the website has ranked the Town of Farragut as the second best small town in the state.

I was searching for criteria but could find very little.  In its description of our Town, CityDescribed cited the graduation rate at FHS as well as the median income of town residents and low unemployment rate among residents. The site also noted the proximity of the near-by Turkey Creek development as another perk.

Still, I wondered how what stats were used to compare Farragut to say, Lakeland (which ranked at #1), Germantown (#3), Brentwood (#5) and Franklin (#13). And I would question the comparison of suburban bedroom communities such as those listed (and others cited in the piece) to free-standing rural small towns and the touristy trio of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Townsend. 

I do recall from my Farragut Press days that the comparison of Farragut to Brentwood to Germantown is a very apt one. It held up later when I saw Farragut theatre teams compete against representatives from those very communities. And, I know FHS often finds itself matching up with high schools from those areas in the state baseball playoffs.

As I went searching for the aforementioned metrics, I found the website is somewhat deficient in describing itself. There’s no “About us” or “Here’s who we are and what we do.”  I did run across this description of the website’s view of small towns. Indeed it seems the website is devoted to celebrating them: 

The best small towns provide beautiful locales that inspire creativity and activity. You’ll find them in the bends of rivers and at the bases of mountains, blending into the landscape rather than disrupting the scenery.
They offer a respite from the frantic pace that often comes with living in a major metropolitan area. They are filled with unpretentious people who want to preserve what makes their places unique.
The best small towns provide beautiful locales that inspire both creativity and activity. Their downtowns remain homages to the past, offering unhurried atmospheres where residents savor conversations as much as they savor morsels.

I don’t think any of us would disagree with any of that.

The countdown, itself, is fun. And I love reading about municipalities. The writers did a nice job of researching each town and sprinkling a bit of local color in the vignettes. 

The photos were a nice feature, too, although I thought a picture of our statue would’ve made more impact than, say, the Town Seal.

But, at the end of the day, I was proud to read about the Town of Farragut and to see that we fared well by comparison. We weren’t #1 but we were darn close.

JG

Originally posted 4/20/2015

Scenes from the Week

 It’s Friday Eve and that means we have nearly made it through another week.

It’s been a busy one for us. Lisa’s nearing the end of semester and my work and volunteer activities have kept me busy. 

Here are a few snippets from the week and some associated thoughts.

Job Market
This week, I met with a friend who has entered the job market. I know of at least one other. My first two thoughts are:

• I am blessed and thankful to have a wonderful job. I’m thrilled to be where I am. I love the work and the people I work with.

• Prayers rising for this friend (and all others who are searching) that they are so fortunate to land in a similar situation.

Meanwhile, I gave some advice and counsel to this friend as he searches and I will do what I can to help him. 

Le Pauvre
Roger has been, quite literally, licking his wounds this week. Sometime at the beginning of the week, he suffered a gash on his back left leg. His malady has prompted Holly to refer to him as Le Pauvre (the poor one) as she dotes on him and expresses sympathy. That girl sure does love her big orange cat!

He slept most of the day Sunday, stayed indoors most of the day on Monday and, this morning, he was pushing me to go back outside. 

Too much yard to explore, too many sights and sounds to miss.

After two days on the disabled list, Le Pauvre is now ready to get  back into the game. Well, maybe, that is, after a nap.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want

But sometimes you do…

I’ve been making some of my usual bad puns all week after I was able to pick up a couple tickets to see the Rolling Stones in Nashville in June. 

• I was successful. So, I wasn’t Shattered.
  
• Will be in my seat that night at the concert so I won’t be Waiting on a Friend.
  
• Getting the tickets = Satisfaction
  

You get the idea (groans now).

I have never seen the Stones; always wanted to. I’m looking forward to it.

I’ve also reached out to some friends who may also be attending the show. Whatever the case, I’m sure this will be one of the highlights of the Summer of 2015. 

And it was definitely one of the highlights of the week that was.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to wish my lovely wife a happy anniversary. The actual date is this upcoming weekend but the sentiment is forever!

JG

Originally posted 4/16/2015

Rhythm of the Falling Rain

This morning, I awoke to a familiar, but pleasant, sound. The first sound I heard this morning was the rhythm of the falling rain.

As I say, it’s a familiar refrain this spring. We have been, indeed, having plenty of April showers in advance of May flowers. I don’t mind it so much. Because of the bevvy of moisture, our foliage has greened up quite nicely.

As long as I can find dry moments to keep the grass cut, as I far as I’m concerned, I’m fine with it.

This wasn’t the case during my baseball coaching days. Spring rains are the nemesis of a baseball coach. It’s not so much that we prefer brownish grass. We don’t. Still, without the mechanisms the pro’s have to dry fields for play, a rain shower generally means a rain out. And that’s not a good thing. 

But since I’ve retired from coaching, I’m free to enjoy the rain like the meteorologists, galosh makers and purveyors of umbrellas do.

From the time I was a little kid, I have found the sound of soft rains to be soothing. In fact, I can remember car rides with my folks when I was a little shaver. I’d be in the back seat of my dad’s 1966 Ford Mustang and would be lulled to sleep on a rainy day by the pitter-patter of raindrops and the sweet sounds of my parents’ voices in pleasant conversation. 

As an aside, the whirr of dishwashers and washing machines have a similar effect on me. Maybe it is something soothing about water? After all, the Garys braved the Atlantic to make their crossing from England in 1635! Three centuries later, my grandfather, Pap Gary made his living on the mighty Mississip.

Who knows how this might be ingrained in our family DNA?

I guess the phenomenon carries over to adulthood because a nice rainy day is usually a guaranteed nap day. And if we are driving on a trip, Lisa is very generous to swap out driving responsibilities to allow me to take advantage of a gray day for a nice period of sleep. 

Rain is celebrated in many songs. Think of some of the classics (in addition to the aforementioned). There’s:

• It’s Raining Again

• Have You Ever Seen the Rain

• I Wish it Would Rain Down

Good tunes inspired by today’s forecast. And there’s many more where that came from.

All this to say, it doesn’t make it any easier to roll out of bed this morning! I pushed myself out this morning and went searching for one of the collection of umbrellas that usually rides in the back of the Jeep® to keep myself dry from the car to the office. 

And when I got to my desk, I discovered a had a hole in the sole of my shoe (the right food) so my right sock was quite soggy making for a bit of early morning discomfort.

Rain’s not perfect, ya know.

JG

Originally posted 4/15/2015

150 Years Ago Today

Today is the 150th anniversary of the shooting of Abraham Lincoln. As we all know from history, he lingered throughout the night and died the next morning.

It’s a sad, sordid and yet fascinating piece of our past. Many movies and documentaries have been devoted to the assassination. The stories are told in almost every high school U.S. history class in the nation.

I read a couple of the articles, this morning, marking the 150th and I was reminded of Ford’s Theatre, the site of the shooting. The website for Ford’s Theatre features a special tribute to the anniversary and the theatre, itself, hosted a number of commemorative events.

Over the years, we have had the opportunity to take the tour of Ford’s Theatre. The facility operates in partnership with the National Park Service to provide educational tours. We have taken that tour and, one, in particular, was really striking.

The specific park ranger on duty when we visited Ford’s in June 2000 was truly gifted. He had an amazing ability for storytelling. He painted a vivid picture of the events of April 14, 1865. By the time you wound your way up to the Presidential box for the penultimate moment of the tour, you almost believed you were going to see President Lincoln sitting inside.

It was kind of like traveling back through time to that very evening.

Talk about chills. It was a remarkable experience and one that has obviously stuck with me (as I’m telling you about it now). Not every stop at every tourist spot in D.C. carries the same clout as Ford’s Theatre.

I’ve visited D.C. as a tourist on a number of occasions and went there a few times on business as well. If I were to make a Top 10 of my favorite/most memorable experiences, that particular visit to Ford’s Theatre would clearly make the list (as would the Paul McCartney concert at Nationals Park in 2013, the time Marine One flew over to land on the White House lawn as we waited near-by at the Washington Monument in 2005 and, of course, the time I met President George HW Bush in 1989). 

Those are just a few. Maybe sometime I will actually spend time sketching out the list. I’m sure I’d have more than 10 candidates for the final countdown. Washington is obviously my favorite vacation destination and the great storytelling by the ranger at Ford’s made that one of my Top 10.

Another striking element at Ford’s is the museum downstairs. I would be remiss if I did not mention it.

I thought a lot about touring both when I read about the observances today.

If you and your family happen to be visiting D.C. for vacation in the near future, I would highly recommend that you add time on your itinerary to visit both the theatre and museum. 

JG

Originally posted 4/14/2015

Do it Again

“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”
       - Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain)

Oldest children in a family have a certain sense of responsibility when it comes to doing the right thing. Two years ago (September 2013, to be exact) I wrote an edition of Coach Jeff’s Blog titled “Do the Right Thing.” 

I penned that edition because I just felt like it needed to be said.

I’m an oldest; Lisa is an oldest (and obviously, so is Holly). We live in a house of oldests. We can only assume that Roger the Cat is also an oldest (As the oldest male child in our family, Paul also receives entry into this exclusive club).

When you live around all these folks who also follow the rules, you tend to notice when folks don’t and we tend to be more indignant than the middles and youngests around us. Of course, we all slip up. But, there is also intent.

Most folks want to do the right thing; a small select few do not. My message is to them. Updating what I wrote 18 months ago, I now say this. Do the Right Thing…and then Do it Again. It’s a matter of responsibility; a question of character.

Here are a couple prime examples from last week.

We have a newspaper box (tube) affixed to our mailbox. Lisa believes firmly in subscribing to the daily newspaper (I’m more ‘meh’ on the idea). Still, as a paying customer, Lisa deserves the product she paid for.

On many occasions, the person delivering the paper tosses it into the driveway and if it’s a rainy morning ‑as many of them have been this spring ‑ you wind up with a soggy, mush mess. The recycle guys don’t even want it.

With this in mind, Lisa called the subscription office and pointed out that we have a newspaper tube and she would like to have our paper placed in the box.

The lady who took her call agreed this was a reasonable request and she passed it along to the deliverer. The first couple of days, the paper was in the box as requested but I noticed over the course of the last couple of weeks, he backslid. It was almost a half-and-half outcome.

And when we returned home from church yesterday, I noticed the big fat Sunday paper right in the middle of the driveway. Luckily, I missed it on the way out (and then dodged it on the way in). Hey driver: Do it Again!

Second example.

In the bathroom down the hall from my office, the garbage can is just a few steps away from the potties. A week or so ago, I noticed that a wad of gum had shown up in one of the urinals. The lady who cleans our bathroom has left it there (as she should…she shouldn’t have to pick it out of the potty).

My question to the guy who put it there: You passed the trash can on the way to pee…why not toss the gum in the trash? In this case, it would’ve been so easy to do the right thing. And only one need to do it once so you don’t have to do it again.

Other examples:

I read a great article online over the weekend about financial planning for folks in their 40s. The basic premise was this: “The 40s are prime time for you.” Prime time for earning; even more-so for saving. Or making a plan for savings.

This is an undeniable fact and, yet, I see so many examples of folks more interested in living the good life. No need to save; no need to plan. And for less-fortunate fortysomethings, it’s time to make a new plan if you don’t earn enough to save or plan.

Do the Right Thing. Then, Do it Again!

This is the week all our taxes are due. If you haven’t filed your federal income tax return, you have until Wednesday. Yet, how many folks around won’t pay the taxes they owe. Or they’ll try to find a loophole. Or they’ll file a request for extension.

Do the Right Thing. Then, Do it Again!

Today’s edition of Coach Jeff might be a little heavier topic than usual, especially as we start a new week. It’s been on my mind recently, so I wanted to share it with you and, also to hear your thoughts on the topic.

Maybe if we all strive to do the right thing, it’ll be a better week for everyone.

JG

Question of the Day: Have you seen examples, recently, in which someone did not do the right thing?

Originally posted 4/13/2015

Yard Work

The advent of the spring season brings the return of baseball, of course, and thank goodness for that.

It also provides the stark reminder of the wear and tear done by the long, cold winter. April showers may, indeed, bring May flowers. But, we’ve still got a lot of work to do to get to that point. 

Indeed, this weekend, I see a lot of yard work in our future.

As I look at my yard, from the street, I see two things. First, it looks great on the left; it looks great on the right. But the middle looks awful. I’ve got some work to do there.

The past few years, I’ve seeded that part of the yard (which is shady) and the seeding hasn’t taken. I’m thinking I may try to invest in some sod and see if I can get the grass to grow that way. Otherwise, I’m looking at a long summer of mowing…moss…

In the flower beds, I have another challenge.

On my day off Monday, I purchased a truck-load of pine straw. We used this as mulch last spring with great success. We plan to do so again this year.

Before I deploy the pine straw, however, I need to cut some items and ‘whack some weeds’ in the bed. I pulled our rechargeable weed trimmer off the charger on Monday and tried to crank it up and I when I pushed the ‘on’ button, I heard a sound that just wasn’t right. It was the sound of a weed trimmer with the batteries running down – kind of like some other examples I told you about in the past. 

Suffice to say, there is a certain sound a weed trimmer makes and this wasn’t it. Instead of the high piercing whirr sound I heard a very sad “woooooooo” sound. 

You won’t trim many weeds that way.

Anyway, I did a little research and found a local battery store that sells a replacement battery for the trimmer. I went to get it on Monday but, then, as I tried to remove the casing, I found that I was in for some more drama. Upon further examination, there are some screws to remove.

I found a step-by-step video that takes me through the process of installing the new battery. So much for my thought it’d be as easy as changing out the batteries in the remote! But, I think I’ve got a good handle on the task.

So, whack the weeds; spread the mulch. That’s the plan.

Saturday looks like a lovely day. I think it will also be a busy day.

And then there is the garage project…needs a thorough cleaning, re-arranging and organizing. Come to think of it, I am thinking it may have to wait a week.

JG

Originally posted 4/9/2015