| It is said that families that pray together stay | | | | naturally. He tripled off the Blue Spruce. |
| together. I think it's almost equally true that | | | | Conveniently at third, used the opportunity to |
| families that play together stay together. If play | | | | hurry Mom out of the game by pounding the |
| time is the glue of family life, our family is a | | | | rhythm of "Joshua Fit The Battle of Jericho" on |
| sticky crew! | | | | the outhouse wall. |
| One scorching August day we were trying to | | | | Mom made her appearance just as Garth lined a |
| escape the heat by retreating to a summer cabin | | | | foul ball into the right field forest. Kendy claimed |
| rental at Diamond Lake, high in the Cascade | | | | she retrieved the ball, but the rest of us had our |
| Mountains of Oregon. Our little league star, Garin, | | | | doubts, as the new ball seemed larger and was |
| suggested that we play baseball. | | | | certainly stickier than the old ball. |
| "But we don't have a ball up here," I objected. | | | | "Yuk" exclaimed the pitcher, Kurt. "This ball has |
| "We don't need a ball. We can use pine cones," | | | | pitch all over it.' |
| answered Garin. | | | | Since I was doubling as catcher and umpire, I |
| "Where would we play? There's no clearing big | | | | examined the ball and decided that the new ball |
| enough," I countered. | | | | was definitely in order. I threw out the old ball, |
| "We can play in the driveway if you move the | | | | threw in the new, and play resumed. Things went |
| car." Garin always was a problem solver. | | | | nicely for 3 or 4 innings Kurt hit the ball over the |
| "Alright," I groaned. "Come on. Everybody out to | | | | cabin and into the lake; the squirrel stuck his head |
| the driveway." I pouted while moving the car. I | | | | up once but quickly re-submerged when he saw |
| always was a bad loser. | | | | Garth about to slide into home plate; and a |
| The driveway to our cabin, you understand, was | | | | passing doe watched the game briefly from the |
| not the nicely paved driveway you find in | | | | left field stands, but apparently got bored with our |
| subdivisions. Instead, it was more like a wild bear | | | | game and moved on to more exciting adventures. |
| trail, weaving its way between 200-foot pines and | | | | After the game we totaled the score, which was |
| spruce and white fur, bordered on the west by | | | | kept engraved in the red dirt behind home plate. |
| Diamond Lake and on the right by the country | | | | Kids 76; Mom and Dad 37. Garth complained |
| road. I had visions of the Cincinnati Reds playing | | | | because he wanted to go swimming. |
| the World Series on a motorcycle track. "The | | | | Bev and I, decisively defeated, headed for the |
| boat trailer will be first base," declared Garin with | | | | cabin to drown our sorrows in a tall ice tea while |
| the authority that only comes with entrepreneurs. | | | | the kids scrambled to get their swimming suits, |
| "The back of the car will be second, and the | | | | inner tubes, frog feet, and snorkels. |
| outhouse will be third. Let's use this squirrel hole | | | | While the victors celebrated loudly in the lake, the |
| for home plate. " | | | | losers retreated to the shade of a massive fir |
| So we did. | | | | tree by the shore where they licked their wounds |
| Mom said to start the game without her. She | | | | and re-grouped for the next encounter. |
| would be there in a minute. Garin was first up, | | | | |