Every year I look forward to our camping trip at Summerdale with Grandpa John, fishing, swimming, and hiking. Every year there is a lot that is the same: the creek; the trees; the campfires; Half Dome and the Valley. Yet, every year there is something new and different that we either couldn't or wouldn't do before. This year it was hunting and eating crawdads, telling jokes by the campfire, burning Chris with fire sticks, and buying my first fishing pole with my Mom.
Although mom and I had to leave two days later than everyone else due to the District All Star Tournament in Santa Monica, we caught up with everyone on Monday morning and didn't miss a beat. In fact, we have been stretching out our time in Summerdale by a day longer each year as Chris and I have grown older, so it ended up that mom and I still got three nights and four days in the mountains.
This year, my favorite part of the trip was fishing and hunting crawdads. Another great memory that I will remember was my giant hike to the top of Vernal Falls and the Emerald Pool with Jackson, Doug and my dad. It is a right of passage for a boy to climb the Mist Trail and the granite stairs crisscrossing the face of Vernal Falls. We didn't end up swimming in Emerald Pool, but I hope to next time when Chris makes the journey. The next day, our family went to the top of Glacier Point and saw both Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls from over 7,000 fee above the trails we hiked the previous day. For Chris, his favorite part of the trip was floating down the Merced with Benny and Mady at Housekeeping, fishing (he caught two fish and had the lucky pole wherever we went), and telling jokes by the campfire. Actually, he was the funniest joke teller even though he told the worst jokes we have ever heard. All in all, it was an awesome trip...the best yet, but Chris is sad that we have an entire year to get back. I think it was the 32nd year that dad and Grandpa John have been to Summerdale.
The 4th of July also hit this weekend with Independence Day coming on a Friday this year. We started the festivities at our house and with the 27th Annual Plaza Parade. There were probably 300-400 people there this year with the bikes and trikes decorated for America's birthday. We joined the water fight a barbecue at the Moody's along the Parade route in the afternoon, swam at the Hubers for a few hours, and finished the night with a crazy fireworks display at the Armstrongs (given that fireworks are legal in the County unincorporated areas). I was so tired and so nervous with the neighbor's fireworks show that I claimed that I had a headache and stayed inside.
ELB All Star U7 Select baseball is also full tilt these days. Not only did we finish 2nd at our District Sanctioned Tournament in Santa Monica (we lost to Torrance 9-6 in the finals), but we also played the Firecracker Tournament (USSSA) 7 days later at the Big League Dreams sports complex in Chino Hills where we also finished 2nd place to the Chino Hills Thunder (currently ranked No. 1 in the nation by USSSA). I pitched in both final games giving up a few earned runs, but also getting a couple big hits, RBIs and runs scored but we lost the game to Chino Hills Thunder 14-3 and got a taste of what club baseball (year-round) looks like. We still have the Super Regionals coming-up next week, but expect that this may be the end of baseball since my parents have pulled the plug on pitching at the end of July this year to make way for other stuff.
It has been a busy start to the Summer but with the Angels on a hot streak, World Cup moving to the Semifinals (Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Holland) and so many camps and trips ahead, I can't ask for a better time of life.
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