Not that I'm bragging, but check out her stats from last night's 5-0 victory in the semifinals of Mad River Girls ASA 10 & Under tourney:
On the mound: 3 IP - 0 runs - 7 K's - 0 BB including a 3 strikeout bottom of the 6th to shut the door and send us on to the championships. At the plate: 2-fer-3 with a 2B, RBI and a run scored. Add in a nifty running catch at second and it was quite a night.
Kinda like wrapping up both Ellsbury and Papelbon and stuffing them into a 4'6" blonde ponytail.
'Twas her night to shine after weeks of patiently watching her freshman big sister's 25-0 championship season with the St Bernards Crusaders.
Not that she did it herself, of course. She and her teamates saved the most perfect of their 16 games this season for last night, an elimination game that would either end their season or propel them forward to the championships. Timely hitting, smart base running, strong defense, and stellar pitching from my kid and another great li'l thrower all came together on one magical night. That the victory came against the team that embarrassed us a week ago makes it all the more exciting.
It's so easy to be proud of two beautiful kids who seem to excel - in sports, school, and life - in ways that I never have. One has outgrown her dad's coaching skills and taken her game to a new level at a new position under new leadership. (Though I still offer my advice, she knows better than to listen.) The other, still trapped under coach/dad's tutelage, is emerging from the shadow of her big sister as an athletic force in her own petite right.
Can Dad match their glories when Arcata's D-league wood bat season begins next week? Not sure that I can, or that I even care to try. I'm satisfied bein' a proud dad for now.
Why does it seem that the most striking flowers of spring shouldn't be here at all? The everlasting pea (Lathyrus latifolius), is non-native. Exotic. Invasive. Unwanted save for those who enjoy a flash of bright color in the sea of grass of the backdunes. 
From it's homeland in southern Europe, the everlasting pea has spread across North America and to every state except North Dakota and Florida, thus proving its good taste in travel destinations. Thomas Jefferson noted it on his Monticello homestead in the 1770s and planted it in his gardens (more likely his slaves planted it in his gardens) in 1807 while Jefferson was off bein' president.
It's not supposed to be here, and someday we may do something to eliminate it from this protected landscape. But on a quiet June morning, with the gate locked behind me and the beach to myself, I'm glad it's here.
