WOW! A FULL PAGE!

Our county’s weekly newspaper, the Loudoun Times Mirror, does a great job at covering local sports, especially the high school sports. They publish photo galleries of the games on their website. Photos and articles of key games or accomplishments make it to the print edition at the end of the week. They have been posting my photos of Tuscarora High School sports for the past two years or so. As discussed in earlier posts, they have published several in the print editions. There was a string of papers during football season with my photos. A high point was when four of mine were in the print edition. But recently there was a much bigger surprise. The paper includes a full page with two large photos of mine and a small article. Needless to say, I felt honored to see the page.

STORM CLOUDS

We had a storm front move through last week leaving us with some interesting clouds as the last remnants passed by.

BUSY TIME OF YEAR

It's a busy time of year. All the holiday parties, events, and activities. On top of that, the winter sports seasons are getting into high gear. Now it seems like there are two games a week to sheet as opposed to only one or two during the fall. Finding time to post on this blog has been tough. 

On Christmas day, a couple Purple Finches paid us a visit. A Blue Jay stopped by also, but left before I could get a photo. There will be more to come over the winter. 

SORGHUM FIELDS PROVIDE SOME COLOR

The fall leaves left a lot to be desired this year. However, several fields of sorghum remain throughout lower Path Valley in Pennsylvania. Their rusty orange/reddish colored heads stand in sharp contrast to the pale stalks and surrounding areas of varying shade of dull. Well, except for some green in the fields. 

A FLASH OF FALL

Weather in the mid-Atlantic states was warmer than normal this year. Also a lot wetter.  This gave many people hopes for the brightest fall colors in years.  But it was not to be. As of the third week in October, the trees were still mostly green. Our dogwood trees started turning a few weeks earlier but that a frost was needed to turn the other trees. By the last week of the month there was little more that these dark red leaves and bright red seeds of our dogwood tree to satisfy my search for fall colors. Yes, there were some other colors, but not much. We took a week long trip to California and returned to find ...... Blah. Rains and wind had brought down most of the colorful leaves. Some trees had a lot of leaves that were just a weathered brownish. Better luck next year, I guess. Meanwhile, I am enjoying this little flash of fall. 

VETERANS/ARMISTICE/REMEMBRANCE DAY

November 11 is a day to remember and thank veterans who served their country. The holiday arose after World War I, the Great War as originally called, ended with an armistice between allied forces and Germany was signed on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Allied countries began commemorating the day with national holidays named Armistice Day or Remembrance Day. Germany does not celebrate the holiday but designate it as a national day of mourning. The United States renamed the holiday Veterans Day in 1954 to honor veterans of all conflicts.

The American Legion Post 232 in Dry Run held their Veterans Day service, which included a Post Everlasting Ceremony to honor my father and the other members who passed away during the year. A very somber moment occurs when three rile bearers and a comrade with a brazier stack the rifles and the Commander says, "The Adjutant will place and American Legion cap on the rifles in remembrance of our fellow Comrades' service to our Country in the military of the United States." A single light illuminated the rifles and cap to focus our attention on the symbol of their passing.

ANATOMY OF A KICK

Football has fairly unique scoring rules. No one point for a goal or trip around the bases. For football, the big opportunity is the touchdown worth 6 points. The icing on the cake is the extra point, or a much harder 2-point conversion. Then there is a 3-point field goal, a consolation prize for failing to get the touchdown. Throw in a 2-point safety into the mix and you have a lot of scoring combinations. It is no wonder that the extra point and the field goal are so important and frequently make the difference in the outcome.

Anyone who watches much football know that the extra point is almost a given – almost. Most are made. Field goals can be more difficult because the distance can vary and start from one side or the other of the middle. Most of the pressure and attention go to the kicker, as well as the blame for a miss. But an often overlooked aspect of a successful kick is how well the kicking team works together in a matter of mere seconds.

The holder is the cornerstone. He picks the spot for the hold at just the right distance behind the center.  Once the ball is snapped back to him, he needs to catch it and quickly place and position the ball on the ground in a manner that gives the kicker the best chance for success. The laces need to be facing away from the kicker. The ball has to be held straight because a tilt one way or the other may send it off to the side. The holder's hand has to be positioned so it doesn't interfere with the kick. All this must be done while the kicker is rapidly approaching. Just a minor error and it all goes bad. Here is a series of photos showing the anatomy of a good hold.

Waiting for the snap

Dropping the ball to the ground. (Notice that the white strips are facing in the wrong direction. They need to be facing away from the kicker.)

Spinning the ball to face the right direction.

The ball is on the ground but is still being turned. The kicker is approaching.

The holder has turned to ball and put it in perfect position as the kicker is about to plant his foot. Gotta move that left hand quickly!

The kicker’s leg is in motion as the holder keeps only one finger on the ball.

And away it goes! A successful extra point!!