Even the Rain Knows When to Leave Me Alone (337)

For many years, I have looked forward anxiously to the coming of summer and Monday evenings. Why Monday? Because that's when "Old Man Lacrosse" kicks in. For years, courtesy of the efforts of Steve Hurley and others in Cambridge, Maryland, a group of die-hard lacrosse players have been able to come together for a couple of hours on hot summers evenings to play the game that we love in the way that it was intended. (Sorry for the run-on Dwayne)

I look forward to it in the way that a kid looks forward to the trip to the toy store promised for good behavior. We meet around 6:30 or so (time becomes unimportant) and play till it gets dark and someone hollers "play to 5." No score is kept--it's irrellevant. No referee is needed. It doesn't mean there aren't fouls, but you would think we were playing golf in the manner that we become gentlemanly about slashing. There is no hate for the other guy, nor pulling of punches. And at the end, with enourmous smiles and sweaty heads, we pack our bags, grab our sticks and head off to have a beer or two and tell some lies.

We've had a good deal of rain this summer so far. But even the rain knows that this game will persist. And for a moment last week, the rain respectfully let the old men have their game.

Coming back to Easton, I crossed the Choptank River Bridge and saw the front waiting in the wings. The storm was awesome, but the river was calm. This is a Photoshop painting of the sense of the moment. I don't know how I would feel if I lived too far from the water, but I am thankful that the storm allowed us our moment.

Jimmy Buffet

Changes in Lattitudes Changes in Attitudes

think about Paris when I'm high on red wine

I wish I could jump on a plane

So many nights I just dream of the ocean

God I wish I was sailin' again

Oh, yesterday's over my shoulder

So I can't look back for too long

There's just too much to see waiting in front of me

And I know that I just can't go wrong

With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Nothing remains quite the same

With all of my running and all of my cunning

If I couldn't laugh I just would go insane

If we couldn't laugh we just would go insane

If we weren't all crazy we would go insane