Pony League Baseball Starring Nathan Wallace (my nephew), 24 August 2014

A few days into my US visit, I saw my nephew Nathan, 9, play a game of Pony league baseball (akin to Little League, as I understand it). Here are a few choice photos. 

Watching the game and playing around, 

brother-in-law Reggie Wallace and his father 

My lovely sister Laura

My nephew Justin, 12, shows off his post-Icee blue tongue

 

Nathan at bat

The most exciting moment of the game (for me): 

Nathan sliding into home base. Go, Nathan!

The Illinois Corn Festival, 23 August 2014

I timed my visit to my hometown to coincide with its annual corn festival and spent four hours there yesterday with my niece Ella.

 One of the two corn shucking tables

A pile of corn awaits shucking

 Ella with corn

Me with corn

A perhaps slightly more flattering photo of Ella, a sweet and spicy sixteen!

The next installment of my home visit photos will be of today's baseball game, in which my nephew Nathan Wallace plays second base &c.

 

i.m. Henry Ross Etter, 26 September 1940-13 March 2009

This is Dad and Mom with my nephew Nathan as a newborn. What great hair!

Dad and Sandra on Sandra's second wedding day

Christmas 2005 at the Etter house: Bryan Perschall (seated) with son Alex (slumped out), Scott Cummings (on the phone) with daughter Sara (now artist extraordinare) next to Dad, looking with a big grin on it all, with Mom on the right with Austin and Katie's head visible at the bottom of the photo

You are dearly, wretchedly missed.