baseball season

Fastball season is almost over. I actually thought it was over last weekend when a pile of people rocked up to last Sunday's game, which concluded with much (albeit largely uninspired) cheering, which was heard at oddly random intervals, as if speeches were being made. But alas, they were at it again on Monday, although the usual teenage girl players were absent. In their place were some burly looking heavy weights, and older gals strutting their stuff in a mixed game of "slowball", which (for the uneducated - like myself up until quite recently), is equivalent to the Australian softball.
Why am I mentioning this game at all, especially for those who knew me in high school and knew just how crap I was at this game... well we live right next to a ball park. "Our" ball park has two "serious" pitches, like the one pictured, and a number of laughable ones, which are usually occupied for the little tackers and t-ballers.
Most of the time when people see that we live next to the the ball park - and I mean RIGHT next to the ball park, they question us about the noise. But it hasn't bothered us in the slightest; we hardly hear a thing down stairs. Upstairs we are used to the frequent and almost rythmic pinging of ball on metal bat as the girls practice their swing.
Every week night, and especially the weekends, cars fill up the parking lot. People come with their lawn chairs, eskies (they don't call them eskies here though) and coffee, of course!!!! The crowds and fans are vocal and lively; they bring a certain positive energy that is lost during the winter when no one but the puddles frequent the game's car park. I will miss ball season when it ends - and you would have NEVER heard me saying that 20 years ago!!!!