We’re all just bac from a really nice trip to Amherst Mass forone of Gab’es All Star Lacross Tournements. This is his second Tourney.. it’s so much fun hanging out with these new kids on his teams.. their parents and the kids from the other teams. There were teams there today from Georgia, texas and .. who knows where else. THe weather held both yesterday afternoon and today.. it was hot.. but not too bad.. Overall it was a great couple of days.. the guys won two, tied two and lost one.. thhat’s the best showing for a u15 Vt team ever… so the guys were happy. Gabe had a good time, so I was happy..

The teams were all pretty good.. so the games were both gentlemanly and rough.. gabe got a pretty good chop to teh throat and to the forearm.

Luckily we had Coach Deadhead.. (not his real name.. but he sure likes the grateful dead !).. who’s an orthopedic surgeon take a look.. no broken boans, but a nasty whack ..

We actually choralled the kids long enough this afternoon to get a picture.. Luckily, the piicture doesn’t coem with scent.. they were al pretty frgrent after a couple of games in the 90 degree weather.

One of the joys of lacrosse is getting to hang out with some of the other families.. Gabe is one of 2 kids form his high school on his teama nice kid.. Hsis and Bella.

Lea nad her dad got in a cartwheel contest..

Lea won 🙂

One of the othe rpleasures of these games is that Diane and I get to explore.. We found a min version of Stonehenge near the playoing fields. It marked the solstice,s the equinoxes (equonii ?).. and the moon rise anand settings .. Very cool !

Hey.. they even had a pagan priestess !

as we drove out, Gabe ran back in and placed a SamStone in the ring..

After the games, we all drove to Puffer’s Pond.. a local swimming hole and hang out. I’d heard about it form my friend Mike who’d also been at the tourney watching the younger VT team play. Mos tof the team came with us to the pond. It was a beautiful hang out just liek we have in VT..

All the kids went in.. (which made it much easier to be in the car with them !)..
I went in.. some of the moms and dads did too..

Even Coach B went in !

Here’s ROb and his kids..

Around 4 ew said good bye to everyone and hit the road, intending to go straight back to VT>. but, we stoipped in to a small pizza place to get a drink just as the last game of the soccor wolrld cup was going in to over time.. 0-0 , spain vs netherlands.. 15 minute overtime, no sudden death.. wow !
I don’t even like watching soccor.. but this was too good to miss. We sat down and watched the two teams battle it out.. I was aso moved by the drama of it.. ther emust have been nearly a billon folks watching the game. has that ever happened before ? it was so cool !

We were glued to our seats.. (sort of)

..Spain got a goal.. then .. the clockran out.. and they won.. Even here in a small town in Mass you could feel both sides.. the victory and the defeat.. ! It was pretty cool !