SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2017
3 B
The things you can learn from batting with a cucumber
Ned
Hickson
While walking through our
local park last weekend and
watching small children par-
ticipate in one of America’s
favorite pastimes (no, not
scrolling through their smart
phones), I was reminded of
my daughter’s first season of
T-ball.
We bought a mitt, ball,
practice tee and all the equip-
ment necessary to get started
on the basics.
For obvious reasons, we
saw no need to purchase an
athletic cup — until I decided
to advise her about batting
stance, at which point it
became obvious that I should
have.
At least for myself.
Though practice ended a
little early that first day, we
were back at it the following
afternoon — my daughter
with her bat and a look of
determination, and me offer-
ing advice and encourage-
ment a safe distance away
with my bullhorn.
It was one of those
father/daughter moments that
lasted just long enough for
me to realize it, but long
enough for our neighbor to
cross the street and threaten
to shove my bull horn some-
where that isn’t located on
any ball field.
With that, we decided to
try some fielding practice; I’d
hit the ball to her, and she’d
practice leaping on it with her
eyes closed. Before we could
do that, however, I had to
actually HIT the ball.
In my defense, I was using
her bat, which is roughly the
size of a cucumber. Also in
my defense, let me just say
that the cucumber and I have
about the same degree of
hand-eye coordination.
Yet, between the two of us,
we still couldn’t hit the ball.
As a father, this is very
embarrassing.
(As a cucumber, it’s no big
deal.)
On the other hand, this was
a good opportunity to teach
my daughter about the impor-
tance of not giving up, and
how, through patience and
determination, you can do
anything.
I say this all in retrospect,
having hurled her cucumber
bat over the top of the house
in a fit of frustration.
In spite of all this, when it
came time for our daughter’s
first official T-ball practice
that week, we felt ready.
OPRD offers overnight for novice campers Boating
The Oregon Parks and
Recreation
Department
(OPRD) welcomes beginning
campers to join in an overnight
guided camping experience
this summer at an Oregon state
park.
Registrations are being
accepted for the “Let’s Go
Camping Program.”
Events will be held at nine
different parks.
For $30 per family, OPRD
provides tents, sleeping bags
and other gear. Volunteers will
help campers set up tents, build
campfires, prepare meals in the
campsite and more.
Activities could include
ranger-led hikes, owl prowls,
bat chats and plenty of
s’mores.
Register for one of the fol-
lowing events by calling 800-
551-6949.
Most events are limited to
35 people and spots are filling
quickly:
• June 16-18: L.L.Stub
Stewart Park
• June 30-July 2: Deschutes
River
• July 7-9: Cascadia
• July 14-16: Willamette
Mission
• July 21-23: Silver Falls
• July 21-23: Prineville
Reservoir
• July 28-30: Ainsworth
• Aug. 11-13: Milo McIver
• Aug. 25-27: Champoeg
• Sept. 8-10: Memaloose
Cel
e
70 brati
Yea ng
rs!
Hoberg’s
from 1B
including where you are going
and when you intend to return.
• Double-check your equip-
ment. Before you leave, make
sure you have the necessary
equipment onboard and that
it’s all in good working condi-
tion.
• Practice passenger com-
munication. You’re the captain.
Don’t be afraid to issue
instructions. Make sure your
passengers and crew know
Buying or Selling? I can help.
For those of you who’ve
never watched T-ball, the
rules are roughly the same as
baseball; the ball is hit, the
batter runs the bases, and 15
infielders throw their mitts at
the ball in order to stop it.
Once that is accomplished,
everyone runs to a spot about
eight inches in front of home
plate — which is where the
ball has usually landed after
gravity, and a solid hit to the
neck of the tee, has advanced
the ball.
This isn’t always the case,
however. In fact, some of the
kids I saw could really whack
the ball. If not for them, the
outfielders walking around
with mitts on their faces pre-
tending to be monsters might
not have seen any action at
all.
In the end, it is the ability
to cover your face with your
mitt and run around in circles
until you trip over a sprinkler
head that separates T-ball
from major league baseball.
I’d even say that profes-
sional baseball could learn a
thing or two from T-ball.
But not before I learn how
to hit the ball with a cucum-
ber.
what’s expected of them and
where they can find needed
equipment. The skipper is obli-
gated to educate everyone on
board about matters of safety.
• Load your boat properly.
Your boat should sit level at the
waterline when fully loaded.
Load passengers and equip-
ment alternately to achieve
proper trim. Pack gear to bal-
ance the load, and don’t over-
load. Your boat may have a
label identifying its capacity.
• Wear your life jackets.
Children under 13 must wear
life jackets when underway on
a recreational boat unless
they’re in an enclosed cabin or
below decks, or unless a more
stringent state regulation
applies. You’re required to
have life jackets for everyone
on board, and everyone should
wear one.
• Check engine compart-
ment, and run blowers, if
applicable. Always check your
engine compartment for fuel,
fuel vapor and water, and run
your blower for four minutes to
clear the air before running the
engines or using electrical
devices. Blowers are specially
sealed to prevent ignition of
fuel vapors. Smell the bilge
blower outlet to verify the
absence of gas fumes.
• Start and warm the engine.
Cold engines can stall. Start
your engine, and let it run until
it’s running smoothly before
leaving the dock and while you
still have the boat under con-
trol with lines.
• Designate an alternate
skipper. Appoint someone to
take over should you become
incapacitated. Practice differ-
ent situations where this might
be necessary.
To schedule a free vessel
safety check from a certified
examiner,
call
Certified
Examiner and Coast Guard
Auxiliary
Staff
Officer
Jonathan Yoder at 541-991-
1181.
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Ned is a syndicated columnist
with News Media Corporation.
Write to him at nedhickson@
icloud.com
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