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Stripers and Jumbo Shrimp

 

Today we had another double header with the Gwinnett Stripers, and no, this one wasn't planned either.  Yesterday's game was postponed because of rain, so even though we didn't have tickets for yesterday's game, we were invited to get there early today so we could enjoy that one and the one we already had tickets to.  On top of that all, it was a Chris Sale Bobblehead giveaway today, so we really wanted to get there early to get ours.

Which we did!  Mom and I got there as the gates were opening an hour early, and were there for the bobbleheads along with a lot of other people.  But we got ours and then returned to the Wicked Weed to have a seat in the air conditioning and order a plate of wings to share.  That's becoming a nice little date there.  

Soon it was game time.  We love these seats - it's on the shade side, and it's at the back where you can still see just fine, but the bonus is a breeze that comes through up top, one that naturally cools you off a bit while you enjoy the game.  As you can see above, the theme to the first game was "Crayola Night," so the players were wearing these special jerseys that looked fun, and on top of that, Chopper (the mascot) and his cohorts were also dressed with that theme.  Fun!

It was also public servants night - honoring military, police and firefighters.  Instead of a bat boy - or girl - there was a bat dog that went out during some innings to retrieve the bats from ball players as they went to bases!  Each retrieval got a big cheer from the crowd!

Here's a short video clip from the second game:  Sandy Leon got a home run in the second game, adding more to the Stripers' total.  

Carlos Santana brings in a few RBIs with a triple.  It was a fun day today - the Stripers lost the first game, but JR Ritchie came out for the second game and we hadn't got to see this rookie pitch yet, but he did really good, holding the other team to just one run.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the other team.  One of the reasons we chose to come tonight was to see the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp!  The logo is amazing, and of course there was a lot of chatter about the rain-out yesterday, given that both team mascots are fish and shrimp.  But anyway, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp won handily in the first game, dominating the Stripers with eight runs.  We did some catching up late in the game, adding four runs, but other than that there wasn't much to cheer for with the home team.

It's a good thing Chopper was there!  We were seated right at the spot where he comes up from the field each time, and that was pretty fun!

Rowdy Tellez was on first for both games, getting some solid hits in each of the games, producing RBIs for the Stripers.  The team wore the Crayola jerseys in the first game, and then switched to standard Stripers jerseys for the next.

The fishing gear races across the field - Barb won this race today!  All the little games in between innings are fun, of course, with kids racing to collect items, or cheering for something on the big screen.

Brewer Hicklen beats out a throw to get to first base safely!  He did well today, and it was pretty fun to see him play for the Braves a few weeks ago.  

It was a fun night.  We got ourselves a few of these bobbleheads, and had our Cracker Jacks, along with a new tradition:  a frozen Minute Maid lemonade.  These are cool, refreshing, and they cool the body down on a hot day - but they're also pretty tasty!  

Just towards the end of the game, Mom and I decided it was time to head home.  And crazy enough, we were on our way out when the rain came!  We didn't see it coming, not did anyone else, but we were sure glad to be already on the way to the car.  We got out of there just in time, staying dry and staying safe on the way home.  The Stripers were ahead at the time, and it was looking like they were going to hang on for the win.  In fact, they won the second game, so that split the double header.  But it was fun just hanging out there.

The rest of the day was quiet - I dropped Maddie off at Team Edge this morning, and didn't see her until later on tonight after the game.  She and Nate opted not to go to the game, but they had a good day together.

We read a little tonight, and then we said our prayers - it was time to get some sleep as we have a big service tomorrow at church!

Our Own Pepper!

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Maddie had tacos tonight, but in that third bowl is something fun:  our very own pepper!  This was a mammoth pepper that we grew in the back yard.  We picked it, and Mom sliced it up for Maddie to add as a topping.  It wasn't super spicy, and maybe a hint more flavor than a bell pepper.  But it was good.

The hummingbirds are loving our feeder on the back deck.  We've been watching them flit in and out, along with the other birds as well.  

It's been raining a lot here, and that's good news.  It all evens out - we started the year out with a pretty serious drought, but the rain has been so heavy as of late that the National Weather Service people officially announced the drought over with yesterday.  Lake Lanier is not quite full pool, but it's looking a whole lot better than it was in the spring, that much is certain.

Maddie drove us to taekwondo tonight, and even in the rain drove us back.  She'll be driving to college next week, and of course that makes a parent nervous.  Not that she's not a good driver - she's actually doing very well with that.  There are a few things to learn from experience and so forth, but on the whole she's very alert and careful.  It's just a job of parents to worry a bit, that's all.

Taekwondo was good though, and when we got home there was the Braves and Yankees game.  It went to extra innings with the Yankees taking this first game, but given that the Braves had a rain delay game yesterday and an arrival at 4am this morning, and meanwhile the Yankees were pretty well-rested with a day off at a home game, I think it's okay.  It was still a bad way to lose at the end there, but they've won the last eight games straight, so it'll be okay.

Tonight we read, of course, still reading "Soul Music."  We said our prayers, and then got some sleep!

From Santa Suite to Goat Landing

Formal portrait of a cow.

Formal portrait of a cow and his friends.

Mom and Maddie pose with Tinsel, an elf helper this morning at the Inn.

Our view from our balcony at the Inn this morning.

Visitors at our balcony!  There were some nesting in the ceiling above us, which you could hear pretty clearly as we were sitting there!

It was time to go home today.  We had our big breakfast once more at the Inn, the wonderful buffet they have set up there - it was a bit more crowded, but we got a table out there.  I got one more omelette - that's one thing Maddie and I have been enjoying all week:  the omelette station there.  

We packed up things and one fun thing that happened is our visit to the Santa Suite.  There's this ultimate room there, dead center at the top floor.  It's a bigger room, and the maids were cleaning it up, so I asked if we could look around in there.  They said yes, so Maddie, Mom and I got to walk around to look around the Santa Suite.

After that, we made our way out of the Inn at Christmas Place one more time.  We made a few stops along the way home, firstly the Christmas Shop across the way.  Mom wanted to stop there and look around, so the three of us walked around the ornaments, nutcrackers, villages, and carolers - it's kind of funny how we started this little mini-trip out with a visit to a Christmas store and here we are closing out with a visit to one.

Okay, so this is a decoration with a mirrored effect and lights, and so Maddie and I thought it might be interesting to take close-up shots of the insides of this snowman... bear with me...

This place is big.  You can lose your sense of direction easily here.

Big Christmas village area!

Elvis handing out gifts!

Semiquincentennial Nutcrackers!

The Alice?

A little train goes along the ceiling area above us, crossing this bridge.

Santa takes off, as the small train rolls by below.

I like the decorations on this reindeer!

Ah, the obligatory red pick-up!  

After this, we had a smooth drive over the mountains, which were extra smoky today with the humidity and rain.  No animals seen though - not even the elk.  That just made our trip up more special, getting to see elk and bears and cubs like that was really cool.

After that, through Cherokee and over the mountain and through Franklin... and that's when we made a stop at a visitor center there just south of Franklin, North Carolina.  

We hadn't been here before, and it was kind of cool!  There were some unique sodas there - I got a strawberry rhubarb and Mom got a lemon lavender flavor.  Maddie got an old-school Dr. Pepper bottle, and then we were on our way.  

But then we stopped at Goat Landing, a place that was formerly Goats on a Roof, and it was a fun stop.  There were plenty of unique furniture items and other really random things for sale inside, including the food to feed the goats outside.  It's a really unique stop along the road, and the exterior is pretty fantastic.  

Some of these birdhouses - and even that front tower - are very reminiscent of a place we visited near Blairsville, something called Whimsical Fairy Garden.  From what I remember, this place was taken by the government because eminent domain and widening roads.  Which is a tragedy, of course.  I'm glad we picked up a birdhouse from that location, one in the style you see above.  We keep it inside the house, a really nice piece.  And it is good to see some more of these houses here too.

And it's nice to see the goats are still here too, ready to get some food from visitors and tourists.  Goat Landing is a fun destination!

After we left there, moments later... we were at the Blue Ridge Honey Company picking up some jellies and honey.  We got some local honey, and Maddie got to try some habanero flavored honey.  We got some chai flavored honey too, something we've picked up before.

But then finally it was time to get home.  We arrived around 4pm, a little delayed because we were stuck in high school traffic there nearby.  But we got home, unpacked... and then promptly got a visit from Nana and Ye-Ye!  They dropped off some souvenirs from Alaska and were talking with us about their remarkable vacation up there recently.  It sounded like fun!

We watched the Braves game tonight - even with the rain delay - and got to bed after that.  It's been a fun day.