Jack's Valedictory Address

Good Evening faculty, family, friends, and the 2012 graduating class of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School.

The famed theologian, Saint Thomas Aquinas once said, “There is nothing on this earth to be prized more than true friendship.” Now whether he was talking about God or other human beings is up for debate, but I believe he was talking about both. Throughout our journey here, those of us who are graduating today have made many friendships. Whether they are among ourselves, or between us and God, they are important and they are friendships we should cherish for the rest of our lives.

We have all bonded with each other during the past nine years no matter if we have been here for all nine of those years, or we got here this year. Graduates, these last nine years have been an amazing ride; think back to Kindergarten, it was our first year here, and we just started developing our friendships. Then in first grade we hatched the chicks, and watched them grow not realizing this is how our parents have felt for the past nine years. In second grade we received our First Communion, which was the first time we had all gone through a similar experience together. Then there was third grade where we learned how to write in cursive, multiply and divide. After that was fourth grade where we had our first overnight field trip at Sutter’s Fort, and we had to catch the bandits during the night. Then in fifth grade was the Headlands where we really began to know each other well. Next, was sixth grade where we began middle school and we started to make friends in other classes, but we always stayed together. In seventh grade we went to Camp Pendola and prepared to take our roles as leaders of the school. And finally, in eighth grade we became the leaders of the school; this year we went to Point Bonita and Six Flags, and these two trips really solidified the friendships we had made in years before. Through the last nine years we have come together as a class, and even though it feels like we finally know each other we have to part ways and go on a new adventure in high school. And even though we will go our separate ways we will always remember the friendships we have made here at SEAS.

We have all worked very hard to get to this point and it has paid off because we are all achieved our goal of going on to high school, but for the rest of our lives we need to keep working hard. There are still many places to we still have to go in life, many goals we strive to achieve and many dreams we hope to fulfill. The only way we can do this is by hard work. All of us have talents. There is Kirsten and John who are extremely intelligent. Jake, Andy, Malcolm, Aidan, Jacob, Giselle, Sammy and Mia are great at Basketball. Also, Joe and Anthony are tremendous baseball players. Plus, Emma, Sarah, Craig, Leah, Eric and Julianna are wonderful soccer players. David and Emily are extremely gifted golfers. Brandon has a great mind for chess, Zach has a knack for wrestling, Gabby and Taylor, are great volleyball, Jack, who is a great swimmer, AJ and Frances are gifted musicians, Michael is an outstanding runner, Conor is great at Lacrosse, Kaitlyn, who is a talented dancer and there is Josh, Camille, Marissa, Kellie, and Alanna who are excellent friends and people. We all have talents we can use in this world, but we have to work hard to be able to take advantage of them.

I have one piece of advice to all of us. It is to always believe in God, through good times and through bad times, through the happiness of life and through the sadness of life, and through the ups and the downs we may experience for the rest of our lives. God is the foundation of our lives and if we abandon that foundation we will crumble. God will always be right at our side, and he will carry us through everything as long as we believe. Nothing can go wrong if we believe wholeheartedly in God.

I’d like to thank all the people who have inspired me to work hard and helped me along during my journey at SEAS. My parents, Mark and Sharon, who gave me the opportunity to receive a Catholic education at SEAS and for supporting me throughout my entire journey here. My aunts, uncles, cousins, brother, and sister, for supporting me. My classmates, for being great friends that I can always trust. My teachers, for pushing me to work hard and always do my best no matter what. Our principal, Mrs. Koontz, for helping me be the best person I could be. And our priests for helping guide me in my spiritual journey, and for helping me be the best Catholic I could be. Thank you all for being there for me and supporting me. It has been a difficult, adventurous, and thrilling journey, but you have helped me get to where I am today. Because of you my nine years here has made me a better follower of Christ, and overall a better person. I hope to take what you have taught me during my time at SEAS and apply it during my next four years at Jesuit, at the college I attend, and for the rest of my life after that. Without them I could be nowhere close to the person that I have become today.

The friendships we have made here are what has gotten us through these nine years and are what has made our time here enjoyable. I look back on these last nine years and wish that we could all spend more time with each other, and relive our memories. But we have to move on, and make new friends. And there will always be a place in my heart for every one of you. As Thomas Jefferson said, “friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.” We have all helped make each other’s lives sunnier.

Nevada Historical Marker #199

Wandering home after this year's Petersen Shootout, this is one of the places I stopped. I visited five Nevada State historical markers [Buckland's Station #192, Camels in Dayton #199, Halls Station #200, Chinatown #163 and Dayton #7] and three Pony Express Markers [Nevada Station, Dayton and Fort Churchill] and wandered through the Fort Churchill ruins.

Camels in Dayton
Nevada Historical Marker #199
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This landmark is located at 225 Pike Street, Dayton, Nevada. There are 18 other historical markers in Lyon County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 39° 14.320 W 119° 35.480.

You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.

CAMELS IN DAYTON

Camels were imported into the United States for military purposes in the mid-1850s. Lt. Edward Beale of the U.S.Army tested the animals for possible caravan operations in the deserts of the southwest. The experiment was not successful and the camels were auctioned off. Some were brought here to haul wood and salt to the mines and mills of the Comstock. They were corraled behind this stone building, known as the Leslie Hay Barn. Used extensively between Sacramento and Nevada points for some ten years, the camels were later abandoned to fend for themselves. Few were seen after the 1880s.

STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 199

STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE

DAYTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Ball Four By Jim Bouton

In May, I finished reading Ball Four by Jim Bouton. Probably one of the most famous baseball books of all times, I had never read it. I brought Ball Four and The Game after reading The Sports Book Hall of Fame article on the Grantland website last July. It was the second book in a row that I read as an ebook in the kindle app on my iPad.

Although I didn't know it when I started reading it, the book is a diary of Bouton's 1969 season with Seattle Pilots and Houston Astros. It is the only season that the Seattle Pilots existed; the team moved to Milwaukee for the 1970 season.  In an odd coincidence, Jack actually brought a Seattle Pilots cap shortly before I started reading the book.

Bouton played parts of 10 seasons in the major leagues with the Yankees, Pilots, Astros and Braves. He was on the 1961 and 1962 Yankees teams with Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris that won the World Series. By 1969, he was no longer a young pitching phenomenon, but an older relief pitcher trying to survive with a knuckleball.

The diary is a very naked look at the life of a professional baseball player. It portrays the struggles, insecurity, doubts, triumphs, tedium and shenanigans in a frank fashion. Compared to Dryen's biography, The Game, Four Ball is written in a very simple style. It feels like almost anyone could have sat down and written the book.

The book also included three subsequent chapters: Ball Five, Ball Six and Ball Seven. These chapters chronicle Bouton's life after Ball Four was published. While I respect his trials and tribulations, I didn't enjoy these chapters as much as the original book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and recommend it. The one thing that struck me was how much the players enjoyed playing baseball in spite of everything that was going on around them.

Virtually Biking Across American - Day 18

On day 18, I rode 25 miles across Nevada. Starting on the Pony Express Trail northeast of the Sulphur Springs Pony Express Station (N39 50 05.7 W116 04 08.3), the ride continued northeast to the Diamond Spring station (N39 54 47.7 W115 52 21.2).

From there, I headed up Telegraph Canyon. This included a 3 plus mile climb with a grade ranging between 6% and 12%; a climb of over 1,500 feet. On Google Maps, the road does not continue down the other side. I used the feature of the iFit web site that allows you to trace the road on the satellite to connect up with White Pine County Road 1. I finished the day just past the Jacob Wells Pony Express Station.

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.

Valedictorian!

For ten years, I have been chronicling Jack's athletic adventures in this space. He has played baseball, soccer, basketball, football and golf and ran track.

As I have said before, Jack is probably a better student than athlete. With his class graduating from SEAS at the end of the week, he has earned the highest rank in his class over the last three years and will be the valedictorian. He will be giving the valedictory address at the graduation.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Man on Fire

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!


"Home and the 2099 debut Up from Below have built fervent anticipation for Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros sophomore release, the source of the haunting "Man on Fire."

Code Expiration: August 21, 2012

2012 Outlaws Baseball Tournament #8 Day #3

On Memorial Day, the Outlaws were back at Mather for day three of the Northern California Travel Ball Utimate Memorial Day Tournament. They played the Martinez Bulldogs.

Before the game, Jack commented on the fact that the wind was blowing out to left. I think that he spent the game trying to see if he could launch one. His last two at-bats didn't even look like him. It looked to me like he was trying to kill the ball and hit it to the Subway in left field.

At the plate, Jack was 0 for 3 with a fielder's choice and a run scored. In his first at-bat with no outs and Cooper on second and Trevor at first, he grounded a 1 and 0 pitch to the shortstop. Trevor was forced out at second, but Jack hustled up the line to avoid the double play. Jack stole second and scored on Josh's single to right. Jack struck out swinging on a 2 and 2 pitch in his second plate appearance. In his third at-bat, Jack struck out swinging on a 2 and 2 pitch.

In the field, Jack played three innings at third base and four innings in centerfield. He had one put out and two assists. Jack made nice plays on slow grounders hit to his left to field the ball and throw the runner out at first. He also handled a high pop-up to the right of mound. Jack thinks that he should have been able to run down one of the doubles that was crushed into right center.

The Outlaws got out pitched. Josh gave up two long doubles. The second double came after two walks. Although the Outlaws had 8 hits compared to 9 for the Bulldogs, the hits were not timely. The Outlaws lost the game by the score of 6 to 2 and were eliminated from the tournament. The box score is here.

The Outlaws next tournament will be in Omaha during the College World Series!

2012 Outlaws Baseball Tournament #8 Day #2

The Outlaws played in the second day of the Northern California Travel Ball Ultimate Memorial Day tournament. For the second straight day, they had afternoon games; a rare luxury. The Outlaws played Hard 90 in the first game of the day. This is a team that they have faced a number of times over the last four years without much success. Hard 90's roster has turned over a lot in the last year; they have a number of new players.

At the plate, Jack was 2 for 2 with a walk, a double and three runs scored. In his first at-bat, Jack walked on four pitches. He stole second and scored on Breyton's triple to right. Jack crushed the first pitch to centerfield in his second plate appearance. It went over the centerfielder's head for a double. Scott noted afterwards that Jack still did not have his hands fully extended. He went to third on Breyton's single and scored on an error by the second baseman. In his third at-bat, Jack lined the first pitch into left field for a single. He scored on Breyton's triple to right center.

In the field, Jack played third base for seven innings. He had four assists, two put-outs and two errors. Jack had tagged out a runner trying to steal on a throw from Jordan in the first inning. In the fifth inning, a runner tried to advance from second to third on a line drive to left. The ball went 7-3-5 and Jack tagged the runner out at third. He handled four grounders to the left side and threw the runners out at first. Jack had misadventures with two other balls. He had an error on a hard hit bouncer to his left that took a big hop. Additionally, on a tailor made double play ball, Jack threw the ball in the dirt to Trevor at second.

The Outlaws jumped all over Hard 90s starting pitcher. In the first two plus innings, they scored seven runs. Jack and Breyton eventually ended up with three runs scored each. The Outlaws won by the score of 10 to 5. The box score is here.

The Outlaws turned around and played the Dirty Dozen in the second game of the day. This is a team that they have faced a lot in the last couple of years with good success. There is no love loss between the two teams.

At the plate, Jack was 0 for 2 with a walk and a run scored. In his first at-bat, Jack walked on five pitches. He stole second and went all the way home on a wild pitch. Jack struck out on three pitches in his second plate appearance. In his third at-bat, Jack grounded a 1 and 0 pitch to the left side and was thrown out at first by a step.

In the field, Jack played an inning at third, an inning at first and three innings in centerfield. He had three put-outs. In the second inning, Jack took throws from the pitcher and third baseman for the out at first. In the fourth inning, he made a "routine" catch on a line drive hit to center.

The Dirty Dozen's starting pitcher (Craig Carroll) was huge: 5' 10'' and at least 200 pounds. Fortunately, he had control problems. The Outlaws scored four runs on an error, four walks and a bushel of wild pitches. The Outlaws added 7 more runs in the second inning against a second pitcher (Matthew Freeman). The Outlaws won the game by the score of 11 to 3. The box score is here.

The Outlaws ended the day seeded first in Pool B of the tournament. It was probably one of the most successful starts to a tournament that they have ever had. They will play the Martinez Bulldogs in first elimination game on Monday. The Bulldogs were 0 and 3 in pool A. The Outlaws beat them in the consolation game of the tournament in Martinez last weekend.

2012 Outlaws Baseball Tournament #8 Day #1

The Outlaws will be spending the long weekend playing in the Northern California Travel Ball Ultimate Memorial Day tournament. I am thankful that they got later games on both Saturday and Sunday. They played the San Jose Spartans in the only game on Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

After a solid tournament last weekend, Jack struggled at the plate. He was not happy. Jack was 0 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and two RBIs. In his first at-bat against a hard throwing left hander, Jack struck out on a 2 and 2 pitch. With Cooper on third and Trevor on second with one out, Jack fell behind 1 and 2 in the count in his second plate appearance. He fouled off two pitches and then hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Cooper and advance Trevor to third. Although he was not pleased, it was actually a very good at-bat. With Trevor at third and one out, Jack grounded a 2 and 1 pitch to the shortstop in his third plate appearance. He was out at first and Trevor scored for the RBI. In his fourth at-bat, Jack hammered the first pitch deep into left center for an out. He just got under the pitch. One of these days, Jack is going to get all of one of these and crush it.

In the field, Jack played one inning at third, two innings at shortstop and one inning in centerfield. He had two put-outs and one assist. In the bottom of the second, the lead-off batter hit a single. Trying to steal second, Jack took the throw from J.J. and tagged the runner out. With two outs in the same inning, a ground was hit right at Jack at shortstop. He had trouble finding the handle, but then throw a strike to Breyton at first for the out. In the third inning, Jack ranged way behind second base to catch a soft fly ball for the out.

Trailing 5 to 3 in the top of the fourth, the Spartans changed pitchers. The Outlaws hammered the new pitcher for 6 runs in the fourth and 5 runs in the fifth. They won the game by the score of 14 to 5. The box score is here.

The Outlaws ended the day seeded first in the B pool. They will play Hard 90 and the Dirty Dozen on Sunday afternoon.

American President Reading List

George Washington (1789-1797)
  - His Excellency
  - Hamilton
   {Washington chief of staff during the Revolutionary War, first Treasury Secretary}
John Adams (1797-1801)
  - John Adams
  - Hamilton
   {Inspector General of the Army during the Quasi-War with the French}
Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
  -Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
   {Five years Minister to France, Federalist [monarchists] versus Republicans}
  -Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and...
   {28 months and 8,000 miles, Lewis' journals not published until 1904}
James Madison (1809-1817)
  -The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict
   {Impressment, The Chesapeake Affair, Council of Orders, The Battle of New Orleans}
James Monroe (1817-1825)
  -The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness
   {Secretary of State-War of 1812, Minister to France-Louisiana Purchase, Missouri Compromise, Monroe Doctrine}
John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)
Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
  - American Lion - Andrew Jackson in the White House
Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)
William Henry Harrison (1841)
  -William Henry Harrison
   {Governor of the Indiana Territory, Tippecanoe and Tyler too, 32 days in office}
John Tyler (1841-1845)
  -President without a Party: The Life of John Tyler
   {}
James K. Polk (1845-1849)
  -Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America
   {}
Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)
Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)
  -Millard Fillmore: Biography Of A President
   {Lawyer, Whig Party, Congressman, 1850 Compromise, Fugitive Slave Act, American Party, First Citzen of Buffalo}
Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
James Buchanan (1857-1861)
  -The Worst President--The Story of James Buchanan
   {Pennsylvania Lawyer, Democrat, Congressman, Minister to Russia; Senator, Secretary of State; Minister to UK,     Dred Scott, Kansas Constitution, Fort Sumter, lifelong bachelor}
Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
  - Team of Rivals
  - Manhunt:The Twelve Day Search for Lincoln's Killer
Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)
  -The Impeachers
   {Apprenticed Tailor; Tennessee Democrat Politician; Rose to US Senator; Tenure of Office Act, first Impeachment}
Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)
  - Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
  -Grant
   {Mexican-American War, Stationed in Humbolt, 2 year 4 month world tour, Ferdinand Ward ponzi scheme}
Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)
James A. Garfield (1881)
  -Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President
   {Alexander Graham Bell, Antiseptic Surgery}
Chester Arthur (1881-1885)
  - Chester Allan Arthur
   {patronage, bossism, Roscoe Conkling, Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act}
  - Madison Square Park Statue
Grover Cleveland (1885-1889)
Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)
  - Benjamin Harrison
  {McKinley Tariff Act, Sherman Antitrust Act, Sherman Sliver Purchase Act, wife died just before he lost reelection}
Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)
  - The President is a Sick Man
  {cancer, the gold standard, free silver, the Pullman strike}
William McKinley (1897-1901)
  - The President and the Assassin
Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
  -Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt
   {Roosevelt as NYC police commissioner, Williams Jennings Bryant Madison Square Garden Speech}
  -The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
   {the role of journalists in supporting Roosevelt's reform agenda}
  - The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
  - Theodore Rex
  - Colonel Roosevelt
  - The River of Doubt
William Howard Taft (1909-1913)
  -The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism
   {Governor-General of the Philippines, Secretary of the War, President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court}
Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
  -Wilson
   {President of Princeton, Governor of New Jersey at 54, League of Nations, Stroke while in Office}
  - National Portrait Galley
  - Pilgrimage of the Heart
  - Cavendish House, Carlisle
Warren G. Harding (1921-1923)
  - Warren G. Harding: The American Presidents Series: The 29th President, 1921-1923
   {newspaper publisher; Ohio politics; US Senate; Teapot, Justice and Veteran scandals; mistresses}
Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)
  - Coolidge: An American Enigma
   {Attorney; Mass. house; state senator; Lieutenant Governor; Governor; Police Strike; Vice President; reduce taxes}
  - National Portrait Galley
Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)
  -FDR's Funeral Train: A Betrayed Widow, a Soviet Spy, and a Presidency in the Balance
   {Warm Springs, Georgia, Hyde Park Burial, Truman's address to Congress}
  -No Ordinary Time: Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II
   {Landlease; United Nations; Yalta; Eleanor: Hickok, Lash; Franklin: Mercer, LeHand, Suckley, Delano, Martha}
Harry S Truman (1945-1953)
  - Truman
  -The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of America’s Most Famous Residence
   {Gutted the White House and rebuilt with concrete and steel, Cold War, Assassination Attempt, Key West}
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
  - Eisenhower: Soldier and President
   {WWII Supreme Allied Commander, Korean War, Brown versus the Board of Education, Sputnik, U2s and Castro}
John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)
  - Sins of the Father
  - An Unfinished Life
Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
  - The Path to Power
   {School teacher and debate coach, congressional secretary, congressman, relationships with FDR and Rayburn}
  - Means of Ascent
   {WWII Bomber Mission, Campaigning by Helicopter, Coke Stevenson and the 1948 Senate Primary, Box 13}
  - Master of the Senate
   {History of the Senate, Richard Russel, Leland Olds and the FPC, Hells Canyon, 1957 Civil Rights Act}
  - The Passage of Power
   {1960 Democratic Convention, Robert Kennedy, JFK Assassination, Harry Byrd, 1964 Tax Cut and Civil Rights Act}
Richard Nixon (1969-1974)
  - Richard Nixon Presidental Library and Museum
Gerald Ford (1974-1977)
Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
  - The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter
   {Naval Academy, submarines, Camp David Accords, Iran hostage crisis, Three Mile Island nuclear accident,
    Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Soviet grain embargo, 1980 Summer Olympics boycott}
Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
  - Ronald Reagan Presidental Library and Museum
George H. W. Bush (1989-1993)
  - Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush
   {Navy Pilot in WWII, Oil Industry Executive, United Nations Ambassador, Reuplican National Committee Chairman
    Ambassador to China, CIA Director, Fall of the Berlin Wall, The Gulf War, Tiananmen Square Protests}
Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
George W. Bush (2001-2009)
Barack Obama (2009-2017)
Donald Trump (2017-2021)
Joe Biden (2021-2025)
Donald Trump (2025-2029)
  - Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump
   {Charlie Kirk's relationship to JD Vance, the capricious process used to establish the initial tariff levels,
    the descriptions of the meetings held to decide to attack Iran in February of 2026}

Sunrise

Sunrise from the master suite deck of the new house

Nevada Historical Marker #192

Wandering home after this year's Petersen Shootout, this is one of the places I stopped. I visited five Nevada State historical markers [Buckland's Station #192, Camels in Dayton #199, Halls Station #200, Chinatown #163 and Dayton #7] and three Pony Express Markers [Nevada Station, Dayton and Fort Churchill] and wandered through the Fort Churchill ruins.

Buckland's Station
Nevada Historical Marker #192
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This landmark is located at the southeast corner of Highway 50 and Dayton Valley Road in Dayton, Nevada. There are 18 other historical markers in Lyon County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 39° 17.654 W 119° 15.106.

A list of Pony Express Waymarks that I have visited can be found here. You can log your visit to this landmark at waymark.com.



BUCKLAND’S STATION
(ON THE CALIFORNIA EMIGRANT TRAIL)
Samuel S. Buckland was a true pioneer. He settled here in 1859, began a ranching operation, established a station for the Overland Stage Company, and operated a tent hotel. He also constructed the first bridge across the Carson River downstream from Genoa.

During 1860, Buckland built a large log cabin and married Miss Eliza Prentice. In that same year, Buckland’s Station served as the assembly point for the volunteer units that took part in the Pyramid Lake War. It was during this period that Buckland’s served as a remount station on the famous Pony Express route.

In 1864, Buckland opened a store and dispersed goods to travelers, neighbors, and the soldiers at nearby Fort Churchill. He later constructed the large two-story house, presently located here, from materials obtained at the dismantling of the fort.

Buckland and his family are buried at Fort Churchill.

STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 192
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
NATIONAL SOCIETY – DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN COLONISTS

Lyon County Historical Markers

Nevada State Historical Markers in Lyon County
{GPS Coordinates of Site Location}
* 7. Dayton - [map] - {39.236217,-119.589298}
61. Moundhouse, US 50, 6 miles east of the US 395 and US 50 in Carson City
74. Wellington, State Rt. 208 at Jct with State Rt. 338 Wellington, NV
85. Sutro, US 50 3 miles east of Dayton
113. Wabuska, US 395, Wabuska
127. Dayton Courthouse - Pike Street, Dayton, NV
*163. Chinatown - [map] - {39.236251,-119.589285}
177. Desert Well Station. Near Stagecoach, NV. 8 mi. west of Silver Springs
185. McCone's Foundries, SR342, Silver City, NV
186. Union Hotel and Post Office, Main and Pike St., Dayton, NV
*192. Bucklands Station - [map] - {39.29423,-119.25177}
*199. Camels in Dayton - [map] - {39.238666,-119.591334}
*200. Hall's Station - [map] - {39.235812,-119.592469}
223. Devil's Gate, SR 342, between Silver City and Gold Hill. NV
233. Dayton Cemetery , Cemetery entrance at Main St. and Cemetery Rd.
255. Wilson Canyon, State Rt. 208, so. of Yerington at Wilson Canyon.

List of Nevada Counties

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 17

On day 17, I rode 24.7 miles across Nevada. Starting on the Pony Express Trail northeast of the Grubbs Well Pony Express Station (N39 37 24.8 W116 28 33.4), the ride continued northeast pass the Roberts Creek Station (N39 45 00.8 W116 17 05.2) and ended just pass the Sulphur Springs Station (N39 37 24.8 W116 28 33.4). The ride included a steep section where the grade topped 17.5%; this is the steepest incline that I have faced so far. Crossing Highway 278, I got a short view of the terrain in street view on Google Maps [see second figure below].

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.

Milo Greene's 1957 on Suburgatory

Friday night, Sharon, Liz and I enjoyed watching the season finale of Suburgatory on the AppleTV and hearing a cut from the song 1957 from Drew's band--Milo Greene--towards the end of the show.

Sharon and I have never seen the show, but Liz had. She filled us in on who and what as the episode went along.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - KAYAK Mobile Pro

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!


Search trips from flight to hotel and beyond

Code Expiration: August 14, 2012

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Nick Waterhouse - Say I Wanna Know

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!


Retro-flavored R&B from a California-based artist from the Amy Winehouse/Adele/Sharon Jones school of soul.

Code Expiration: August 14, 2012

2012 Outlaws Baseball Tournament #7 Day #2

A long, dusty day...

Back at Riverfront Park in Martinez, the Outlaws played the LBA Bucks in the first game of the day. Unfortunately, this was one of those games where things start to go wrong and the team can never seem to get back on top. The problems started with the mound. After Josh pitched part of the first inning, it was determined that the mound was about foot back from where it should have been. The game was halted for 10 minutes while they reset the mound. Even afterwards, the footing caused problems all day. There was a hole and an embedded footing in front of the mound that all of the pitchers struggled with the rest of the day. The Outlaws would spend all day on the field...

At the plate, Jack was 2 for 3. In his first at-bat with two outs in the bottom of the first, he drove a 1 and 2 pitch into left field for a single. Jack stole second and went to third on an error by the pitcher. He did not make it home when Josh was thrown out on a soft line drive into right field. Rarely do I get down on another kid, but Josh let up for the last three steps and that made the difference between a single and a RBI and an out. Jack struck out swinging on a 1 and 2 pitch in his third plate appearance. With one out in the bottom of the sixth and Coop on first, Jack hit a 3 an 2 pitch for a soft pop-up down the first base line for a single. He advanced to second when Josh's ground ball was kicked by the third baseman. Jack was forced out at third on Bailey's fielder's choice.

In the field, Jack played four innings at third, one inning at shortstop and pitched the sixth. He had two put-outs and one assist. Jack came into pitch with the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the seventh. It is probably the best that I have seen him pitch. Jack threw 17 pitches: 12 strikes and 5 balls. He struck out two looking and got one on a soft fly ball to shortstop. Jack had his knuckleball working.

With the horrible start [4 runs in the top of the first] plus six walks and eight errors, the Outlaws lost to the Bucks by the score of 8 to 1. The box score is here.

The Outlaws turned right around and played the Stealth. Although most of the players were different, this is a team that they have seen before.

At the plate, Jack was 1 for 2 with two walks, two RBIs and two runs scored. In his first at-bat, Jack grounded the first pitch to the second baseman and was thrown out at first. Jack walked on five pitches in his second plate appearance to load the bases. He ended the inning there when Josh struck out. In his third at-bat, Jack grounded a 1 and 2 pitch through the right side to score Cooper and Bailey. He stole second, went to third on an error by the shortstop and scored on Chance's line drive to right. Jack walked on four pitches in his four plate appearance. He went to third on Josh's fly ball single to center and scored the last run of the game on an error by the pitcher on Chance's infield grounder.

In the field, Jack pitched four innings and played two innings in centerfield. He had two assists and one put-out. With the bases loaded in the top of the first, Jack fielded a grounder and threw to home for the out. In the top of the second, he started a 1-6-3 double play. Jack made a great diving catch in the top of the sixth on a slicing line drive hit to centerfield.

After looking sharp pitching the last inning of the first game, Jack struggled with his control in the second game. The five innings that he pitched combined between the two games are the most innings that he has ever pitched and the most pitches that he has ever thrown. In four innings in the second game, Jack threw 72 pitches: 37 balls and 35 strikes. He walked four batters, hit two, struck out two and gave up two earned runs in the first inning. With some help from the defense, he labored through the second, third and fourth innings without giving up a run.

Putting up runs in four of the six innings, the Outlaws won the game by the score of 10 to 2. The box score is here. While the Outlaws have had their share of drama off the field, the Stealth team was clearly melting down. One of the parents pulled their kid out of the game and left.

By winning the game and holding Stealth to less than four runs, the Outlaws were seeded fourth out of nine teams and qualified for the consolation game. The Outlaws turned right around and played the Martinez Bulldogs. This is also a team that they have played before, but with only two or three of the same players. I am not sure if it is just the fact that the Outlaws have been playing 14Us the last two tournaments, but the other team looked very young.

At the plate, Jack was 1 for 5 with a run scored and a RBI. In his first at-bat, he lined a 2 and 2 pitch into right field for a single and a RBI. Jack struck out on a 2 and 2 pitch in his second plate appearance. It was a horrible call by the home plate umpire on a checked swing. I asked the first base umpire between innings if it was a swing and he said no. In third plate appearance, Jack grounded a 3 and 2 pitch to the shortstop for the out. He struck out swinging on a 2 and 2 pitch in his fourth plate appearance. With the Bulldogs out of pitching in the top of the seventh, Jack crushed an 0 and 1 pitch to deep centerfield in his last at-bat. The fence is marked as 355 feet. The ball went somewhere between 310 and 320 feet. With the outfield playing very deep, the centerfielder made a nice catch for the out. Jack was pissed; I honestly think that he thought he could hit it out of the park.

In the field, Jack played seven innings at third base. I love watching Jack play third base. During the course of the day, he made at least three plays that I don't believe anyone else on the team could have made. Jack had two put-outs and three assists. The put-outs were both on pop-ups to the left side, while the assists were on grounders with throws to first to get the runner.

With the Outlaws leading 4 to 2 in the top of the seventh, the Bulldogs ran out of pitching. The Outlaws five through nine hitters all scored to blow the game open. The Outlaws won the game by the score of 9 to 2 to claim third place in the tournament. The box score is here.

2012 Outlaws Baseball Tournament #7 Day #1

With the Outlaws playing to play in a 13U tournament in Omaha in June, they have dropped back down to 13Us for the next two tournaments. They traveled to Martinez to play in an All World nine team tournament. The Outlaws played the Delta Dawgs in the first game of the day.

At the plate, Jack was 0 for 2 with a walk and a RBI. In his first at-bat, he walked on four pitches. With Bailey at third, Jack headed to second to try and draw the throw. Bailey hesitated and was tagged out at home. With Trevor on third and no outs, Jack grounded a 3 and 2 pitch to the right side in his second plate appearance. Trevor scored for the RBI and Jack was out at first. In his third at-bat, he lined the first pitch right at the third baseman for the out.

In the field, Jack played five innings at third and one inning at shortstop. He had two put-outs, one assist and on error. Jack tagged out a runner trying to steal third on a throw from Jordan in the third inning. In the fourth inning, he handled a grounder to the left side and threw the runner out at first. Also in the fourth, Jack handled a grounder to the left side. Seeing the runner coming towards him from second, he turned to tag the runner as the runner slide into him. The two of them went down in a heap. Jack held on to the ball for the third out in the inning.

When Cooper pitches, the Outlaws have started to use Jack at shortstop. He had an error at shortstop in the sixth inning on a ball hit right at him. It didn't cost the Outlaws a run.

Struggling with their base running and the umpires, the Outlaws let the game slip away. The Delta Dawgs scored 4 runs in the fifth inning to win the game by the score of 6 to 5. The box score is here.

The Outlaws turned right around and played the Aptos Thunder in the second game. This is not a team that they have faced before.

At the plate, Jack was 2 for 3 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored. In his first at-bat, Jack hit a 1 and 1 pitch for a slicing fly ball to right field. The right fielder made a nice diving catch for the out. Jack hit the first pitch of his second plate appearance into right center for a double to drive in Chris and Trevor. In his third at-bat, Jack hit a 2 and 2 pitch for a double into right center to drive in Trevor.

In the field, Jack played one inning at third, one inning in centerfield and three innings at shortstop. He had only one assist when a runner was caught leaning the wrong way on third. He threw to the catcher who tagged the runner out at home.

Bouncing back nicely from the loss in the first game, the Outlaws beat the Thunder by the score of 12 to 4 in five innings.

The Outlaws were seeded fifth out of nine teams after the first day of play. The top four teams will advance to a championship and consolation game late Sunday.

Sharon, Jack and I stopped in Fairfield at Red Robin at a late dinner. It was after 10:30 p.m. by the time we got home.

William Frank McFarlane

Drew and Morgan's maternal grandfather passed away on Tuesday. Drew's tribute to him is here.

Bill was a unique soul. As I have said before, one of the things that I lost in my divorce was the great relationships that had been built with Bill, Janie and Jamie. All of them were an important part of my life for almost 10 years.

William Frank McFarlane of Clovis passed away in his boyhood home on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, after many years of battle with Parkinson's disease. He was born in Fresno, California, on January 1, 1926, to Dallas Fleming McFarlane and James Frank McFarlane and grew up on their southeast Clovis farm, attending Jefferson Elementary School and Clovis Union High School. From Fresno State College Bill transferred to the University of Southern California, earning Bachelor of Science degrees in both Naval Science and Business Administration. In 1948 he and his parents formed a farming partnership, McFarlane and McFarlane, growing Muscat grapes for raisins and wine. Through the years crop plans evolved to include cotton, grain, plums, vegetable and flower seeds, almonds, citrus and rice. He and Anne Cochrane married in 1948, parenting four daughters and a son. Bill and his father were committed to quality education and community involvement. Bill was a member of the Jefferson Union Elementary governing board and a charter member of the Clovis Unified School District board. He was a founding member of the board of directors of the Foundation for Clovis Schools, and a member of the Reagan Educational Center Agriculture Department Advisory Committee. Bill was proud when Clovis Unified School District honored him by the naming of the McFarlane-Coffman Agricultural Center. Bill's leadership in the farmer cooperative arena is legend, beginning in 1951 when he joined Sun-Maid Raisin Growers Advisory Council. He was president of Clovis-Sanger Cooperative Gin from its inception in 1954 until 1978; joined the board of Calcot, Ltd. in 1955 and was chairman of that organization from 1966 to 1974; served as president of California Cotton Growers Association; and was a member of the Producers Steering Committee of the National Cotton Council, He was a director of the Western Cotton Growers Association for 24 years. After almonds replaced cotton in the eastside landscape, he was for 30 years founding president of Central California Almond Growers Association and served on the board of Blue Diamond Growers for 17 years, 4 years as chairman. A principal of the family-farming group Cinco Farms, Bill served as president of California Westside Farmers for eight years and chairman of Farm-Water Alliance for six years, which effort culminated in the signing into law of the federal Reclamation Reform Act of 1982. He was a member of the board of Westlands Water District, and served on the board of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation of the US Department of Agriculture during the eight years of the Reagan Administration. In 1967 he became a director of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, as well as the Agricultural Council of California, served as chairman of the Ag Council, and was awarded their Co-Op Farmer of the Year Award in 1994. In 2002 he married Dorcas Hardison Thille, an active member of the cooperative farming community. Bill received the 1994 Agriculturalist of the Year Award at the California State Fair, and in 2000 the Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce Agriculturist of the Year Award. Having served for 14 years on the board of the CSUF Agricultural Foundation, Bill's final expression of his love for agriculture was his commitment to Friends of Agricultural Extension, reflecting his belief in the public value of University agricultural research. He is survived by his wife Dorcas; his four daughters, Susan Harper and her husband Chip of Paris, Texas, Sayre Miller and her husband Byron of Sanger, Jane Gamble of Pacific Grove and Alison McFarlane of Carmel Valley; his son, James McFarlane and his wife Darla of Clovis; 14 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. A Funeral Service will be held at Memorial United Methodist Church, 1726 Pollasky Avenue at Scott Avenue in Clovis, on Friday, May 25, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be sent to McFarlane-Coffman Agricultural Center c/o Timberwolves Foundation 2940 Leonard Ave., Clovis, CA 93619, Clovis Community Medical Center, 2755 Herndon Avenue, Clovis, Ca. 93611; or Clovis-Big Dry Creek Historical Society, 401 Pollasky Avenue, Clovis, Ca. 93612.