Summer break is winding down and next week at this time, I’ll be getting ready for a new group of students. I am excited and I am looking forward to this year, it will be my twenty-fifth year of teaching.

Today, I am travelling home from last ballpark trip for the summer. I was in Florida for two games: Sunday in Tampa Bay and Monday in Miami – both indoor games. It was hot and humid in Florida much warmer than is comfortable for me.

Sunday morning leaving Chicago

Tuesday afternoon at the gate in Atlanta

A couple of weeks after school ended, I attended a professional development opportunity put on by Adobe to teach me how to use their newly updated software – Adobe Express. Click the link to check it out! I’ve been using Adobe Express this summer to edit photos, create a graphics,  and in general  playing with it toying with possibilities of using it with my students.  I am sticking with iMovie for videos because the software is the same on my iPhone, iPad, and my MacBook. And it is easy to use.

After each ballpark visit, I’ve created a video and posted it to my YouTube channel. I started during last year’s trip recording the seventh inning stretch and then adding the national anthem. I’ve been working on my video production and editing skills adding new elements to each video.

Sometimes I feel like a country boy as technology in the classroom continually evolves. My first year of teaching was almost entirely paper and pencil (or pen) for me and my students. This year, almost all of what I do will involve using technology for presentations to assignments and assessments but I still am going to ask them to use paper and pen for their notebooks in class.

Last week when I was in Baltimore, I recorded the national anthem and posted the video along with last week’s W^2 (wordless Wednesday) I changed the name to anthem, it made more sense to have a single word, rather than the phrase ‘O say can you see.’

I attended three games in Baltimore – two night games and a day game. It was a wonderful experience. On Wednesday night I sat next to an Oriole season ticket holder, Joe, and his son’s best friend, John. The three of us spent the game chatting about baseball while we kept score. Joe took me to task about my team’s cheating scandal from 2019 which tainted their World Series championship in 2017. He also explained the singing of the seventh inning stretch and I realized why I kept missing when it was played.

It turns out that Orioles play “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” by John Denver. Each ballpark is a little different. As soon as the top of the seventh inning is complete, “Take Me out the Ballgame” begins however not many fans in the crowd sing along. But when the song is over, the crowd begins to get loud singing along with a recorded John Denver. It’s boisterous and fun and by the third ballgame at Oriole Park, I had my timing down and was able to record both songs in their entirety. I added a few other elements from the day’s game and the video is below. Here is a link for the song’s backstory, if you are interested.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my summer travels and I’m looking forward to comparing travel notes with a few of my school colleagues about their summer baseball travels. We’ll trade souvenir cups, magnets, and pencils and talk about the games we watched and the places we visited when we weren’t at the ballpark. It is the best part of the first day of school.

Seeing old friends and catching up, I suppose it’s the best part of the first day of school for kids, too.

I am at the airport in Atlanta waiting on the last leg of my flight home to board as I type. Severe weather passed through the area and my flight is delayed. If I am lucky, I’ll be able to finish formatting the post and publish before we board otherwise, I’ll finish when I get home.

Today is in progress and it’s been a pretty good day. I jumped up, jumped in, and began to seize the day hours ago. I can hear the beep of the gate attendant checking in passengers as I write, so I’d better finish my last thoughts and typing and jump up and get ready to board the plane. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, one story and one experience, as they come.

Are you a country or city person?

Thank God I’m a Country Boy

Well life on the farm is kinda laid back
Ain’t much an old country boy like me can’t hack
It’s early to rise, early in the sack
I thank God I’m a country boy

Well a simple kinda life never did me no harm
A raisin’ me a family and workin’ on the farm
My days are all filled with an easy country charm
Thank God I’m a country boy

Well I got me a fine wife I got me an ol’ fiddle
When the sun’s comin’ up I got cakes on the griddle
And life ain’t nothin’ but a funny funny riddle
Thank God I’m a country boy

When the work’s all done and the sun’s settlin’ low
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow
The kids are asleep so I keep it kinda low
Thank God I’m a country boy

I’d play Sally Goodin all day if I could
But the Lord and my wife wouldn’t take it very good
So I fiddle when I can and I work when I should
Thank God I’m a country boy

Well I got me a fine wife I got me an ol’ fiddle
When the sun’s comin’ up I got cakes on the griddle
Life ain’t nothin’ but a funny funny riddle
Thank God I’m a country boy, woo

Well I wouldn’t trade my life for diamonds or jewels
I never was one of them money hungry fools
I’d rather have my fiddle and my farmin’ tools
Thank God I’m a country boy

Yeah, city folk drivin’ in a black limousine
A lotta sad people thinkin’ that’s a mighty keen
Well, son, let me tell ya now exactly what I mean
I thank God I’m a country boy

Well I got me a fine wife I got me an ol’ fiddle
When the sun’s comin’ up I got cakes on the griddle
And life ain’t nothin’ but a funny funny riddle
Thank God I’m a country boy

Well, my fiddle was my daddy’s ’til the day he died
And he took me by the hand, held me close to his side
Said, “live a good life, play my fiddle with pride
And thank God you’re a country boy”

Well, my daddy taught me young how to hunt and how to whittle
Taught me how to work to play a tune on the fiddle
He taught me how to love and how to give just a little

And thank God I’m a country boy

Well I got me a fine wife I got me an ol’ fiddle
When the sun’s comin’ up I got cakes on the griddle
Life ain’t nothin’ but a funny funny riddle
Woo, thank God I’m a country boy, yes

Song performed By John Denver, lyrics and music by John Martin Sommers

NOTE: I finished editing and uploading after I got home Tuesday evening.