Parks: Staddon Field

Last week I saw the kids practicing at Iroquois and Brookside Parks and the Susan Lot by St. Augustine's, so I knew that ball season was near. On Wednesday evening I went to Wal-mart to buy a part to fix a bike, and I saw one of the first tee ball games of the season at Staddon Field.
There were an amazing number of people there. Some were watching the game being played and others were there waiting for the next game.
The kids are so small! Someone waved at me from the bleachers and it took me a few seconds to recognize her. It did not seem possible that her baby was already old enough to play tee ball. Wasn't she a toddler yesterday?
I vaguely recall my kids playing tee ball. None of them were very good at it, and only one or two advanced to the next level. I also remember some parents taking it very seriously, yelling at the kids and coaches and umpires. In the longer run, it does not matter much or at all if your kid is good or bad at tee ball.

After making a purchase at Wal-Mart, I rode home the long way. I saw a game going on at Columbia Park in which the ball is pitched by a machine. (I need to take pictures of that.) There was a good crowd at Ron's Auction House--I had wanted to go to but just did not have the time. The Assembly of God Church parking lot was full--Wednesday night is the time for a lot of church meetings. And Brookside Park was full of people as well, with a men's softball game and a soccer game underway. Wednesday night was a busy night in Rensselaer.

Along the way I saw some demolition that will be the subject of a post next week.