Lorton Secrets Revealed

It Really is Laurel Hill!
John Bowers has discovered a very nifty article about the history of Lorton. This document reveals that part of the property occupied by the prison was, at one time, the home of Revolutionary War patriot William Lindsay and known as Laurel Hill! Ain’t that neat? We even drove past the Laurel Hill house to get to the baseball field — it was tucked inside some trees, off to the right as you climbed the last hill to the parking lot, and behind a prison-like chain link fence.

Got Milk?
The article explains that Lorton operated a dairy on the property until September 1998. If memory serves correctly, that was the last functioning dairy farm inside the boundaries of Fairfax County, a jurisdiction once known for it’s dairy production. The article also uncovers the secret about the brick used to build the Lorton complex.

Read All About It
You want to learn more, don’t you? The article discovered by John is provided here as a downloadable PDF file (can be opened with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader). The six-page PDF file is 416k in size (includes text and photos), and may take a while to download over a dial-up connection. Click here to download the PDF file about Lorton. And a big thanks to John Bowers for the cool info!

Hungry for More?
You can learn more about the Laurel Hill property, and plans for future development (very massive - it’s interesting), from the Fairfax County website.
• The future of Laurel Hill
• The transfer of the property to Fairfax County
• Bit of history

USSSA Goodies Status (updated)

Thank You!
Many thanks to all the Tigers that have sent a check to Sue for their USSSA goodies - much appreciated!

Relief for the Guilty Conscience
Is there a strange, gnawing sensation in the pit of your stomach? A nagging feeling of “forgot to do something”? Relief is on the way, because you have probably forgotten to pay for your USSSA Tournament goodies! Some Tigers are fully paid-up for their goodies, but, sadly, some are not. How can you find relief? Simply send a check to Sue Crumplar for the amount you owe, and you will experience a renewed sense of being. How much do you owe? Click here to find-out!

On The Way
All pre-orders have been collected and one, big, team-order has been placed with the USSSA folks. The goodies will be delivered at the "Coaches Meeting" on the afternoon of Friday, June 25th. Distribution will take-place at the first team gathering after the coaches meeting.

Relieve That Nagging Feeling
Now you can’t wait to pay for that expensive t-shirt and all those gate passes - right? An email (why email? To protect your privacy) has been distributed with detailed information about who and how to pay, along with a link to a web page with your final, family-tally for goodies and total price. Your most rapid response is greatly appreciated, as I wrote one, big check out of my piddly, little business account to cover the order.

Brood X is Calling

Cicada Serenade!
This is hilarious. It’s a song composed by a local comedy team called “The Video Pirates” (yes, I know ’em). “Captain Cable” (Mike Rosson) is the heart of the pirates, and performs locally (did Casey’s birthday party many years ago). The tune was originally created in 1987, during the last invasion of the red-eyed bugs. It’s still a funny tune, and is provided online via the “Hot 99.5” radio station website. Click here to listen to the MP3 of the Cicada Serenade!

EW! and ICK!
Having heard the rumors, it still did not prepare these eyeballs to witness a squirrel munching on a cicada. The cute, little, grey-coated guy had a cicada in his mouth, the wings still smacking him in the nose, as he began to nibble at the big insect's head. Guess those bulbous, red eyeballs are a tasty treat.

Leaving an Impression
We saw it coming. Now it can’t be avoided. Our newest little friends bobbing-and-weaving between cars. Then... BAM! Window decoration. In just one trip, east on Route 66, more than a half-dozen of the red-eyed kamikaze insects made an impact on me. Now their guts rest in peace. Click the photo for a detailed view.

Ol’ Blue Eyes
It’s true — some cicadas can have blue eyes. Just look at this little guy. A McLean resident, an Associated Press newsman, discovered this little bugger in his yard over the weekend. Click the photo, or here, to see the article and a HUGE, full-size photograph of the blue-eyed beast on the WUSA TV 9 website. By-the-way, my theory is the blue-eyed cicada is from a different brood then the overpopulated “X” bugs, because I know I’ve seen blue-eyes in the past. Sure of it. Really.

Seen a Cicada Pop?
The Washington Post has some great “RealVideo” of a cicada breaking-out of its shell. Works best with a high-speed/broadband connection. Click here to see the video.

Have a Strong Stomach?
Watch video of this guy harvest, eat, cook, then eat again, cicadas from his yard. Really. I'm not kidding. Again, The Washington Post brings the people what they want. Click here to watch. The chef claims that his cicada dish has no fat, no cholesterol, and it’s pure protein “...and that’s healthy,” he says. Is that Atkins-friendly, too?

Step-by-Step
You’ve seen this before, but it’s so good we need to be certain no one misses it — a terrific graphic representation of the cicada life-cycle, provided by our buggy friends at The Washington Post.

Spotted in the backyard May 16.

Sunday, Muddy Sunday (update)

Announced at 10:50AM Sunday: CANCELED!
NVTBL has announced that Sunday games are canceled. NVTBL will create a schedule to begin games in the “championship bracket” (yep, Tigers are in it) on Monday, June 7th. Exactly when will this be announced? Don’t know yet.

UPDATE (11:39AM):
Games will be scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and/or Wednesday. NVTBL will post a revised schedule at 2PM today/Sunday. We may not be able to post that revised information ’til later in the day, Sunday. Check-back later today for new information!

Monday Prep (NEW)
Tigers will do something on Monday. Please plan ahead! Tigers may have a tournament game, and that will be great. But if Tigers don’t have a tournament game, then it’s practice time! So finish your homeworkd, study for exams, get the laundry going, but be prepared! Details will become available as we learn more from NVTBL.

Cuttin’ Out the Middle Man
Here’s something you can do to satisfy your craving for immediate information - call the NVTBL hotline! It’s simply a voicemail number, so you won’t be able to complain about umpires. Sorry. Here’s the number and extension: 703.753.0699 x523. Please feel free to dial that number whenever your dialing-hand gets itchy.

Washin’ Away Confusion

Saturday, 2PM at Herndon High School
As of 12:11AM Saturday morning, Tigers are scheduled to play the Blues at 2PM Saturday afternoon. Location is Herndon High School. You DO still realize things can change, with this crazy dribble of a rainstorm overhead. Keep your eyes and ears open for changes, but nothing should change before 10AM Saturday.

Here’s Where it Gets Interesting
Tigers win the Saturday, 2PM game? Then Tigers play Sunday, 4:30PM at McLean High School.

Tigers lose that Saturday game? Then Tigers play AGAIN on Saturday, 7:30PM at Poplar Tree. That would make for a very quick scoot from Herndon to Poplar tree after the 4:30PM game. Gas-up the car early, and pack some snacks.

Of course, you realize that everything can change — don’t you?

Who Makes These Things Up?

Saturday “Maybe Times” and Our Plan
What are these called... permutations? Anyways, here’s what is possible for Tigers on Saturday:
A) 11:30AM game at Woodson High School
B) 12:30PM game at Thomas Jefferson High School
C) 2PM game at Herndon High School
D) 4:30PM game at Woodson High School

And which is most likely? “C” followed closely by “D”. But that is just an educated guess at this point.

Of course, you realize that everything can change — you know the drill.

What you can expect from this website on Saturday: As soon as information is conveyed to our hairy ears, it will be published on the website and transmitted via email (this may not happen ’til 9AM-ish, though 7AM-ish is a possibility). If possible, local TV stations will have the information crawl across the bottom of the TV screen as you watch Scooby Doo. Radio stations will interrupt their broadcast with that weird “emergency” buzzing noise and announce the schedule. A small plane will fly over your house pulling a sign that displays our Saturday schedule, and announce a sale at Oak Barn. Every possible option will be employed to communicate the Saturday schedule.

But Wait... There's More
Then comes Sunday. As of now, could be a game at 2PM or 4:30PM. That’s it. Just those two times. Nice, huh!? The location will be McLean High School or Thomas Jefferson High School. Again — easy!

Of course, you realize that everything can change — don’t you?

Where Am I?
Best we can glean from the tournament package, the weekend games will be played at any of the following locations: Woodson HS; Lake Braddock HS; Thomas Jefferson HS; Herndon HS; McLean HS; Nottoway Park; Poplar Tree Park. The earliest possible game on Saturday is scheduled to start at 9AM. The earliest possible game on Sunday starts at 2PM.

Rain, Rain Go Away

(new) 3:50PM Update
Coach wants all Tigers to show up at the field! We have found no information about any cancelation or postponed game. So we assume the game will be played. Seeya at the field. Any guesses as the UV level of today's sunshine?

The Previous Update...
No news! It's still raining, though very lightly. Fairfax County says "all fields are playable." High Schools can, and frequently do, make their own decisions outside of the County's recommendation. NVTBL has no new information regarding weather and game changes. But stay tuned!

Threatening Forecast
The weather forecast is not looking great for evening baseball. Keep your eyes and ears open for weather-related changes. Things can change fast, and Tigers might find themselves at the Lake Braddock field before we receive a final decision about playing. Stay tuned!

USSSA Tournament Pre-Action

Tigers will participate in the USSSA ("you-triple-es-ay") Virginia State Tournament the last weekend in June. This is a pretty big deal, not too different from the AAU Tournament in Kinston, North Carolina attended by the Tigers in 2003. Since it's a pretty big deal, we have some preliminary work to accomplish. The "packet" of information has arrived, and we'll be publishing and discussing the top-priority tasks after reading the info. Expect this: spending money.

This tournament requires lots of bodies and many hours of work by those bodies. Games will be supported by field crews, umpires, and the like. To pay for all those bodies and all those hours the tournament will require an entry fee for anyone that wishes to watch games. We can, and will, need to pre-order these passes. The tournament also had "goodies" that can be purchased in advance - t-shirts are the primary item. NEW: Click to see a picture of the t-shirt.

Be prepared! In the next week we'll be asking for "orders" and pre-payment of tournament related items and fees. Speaking of which - anyone interested in taking the lead for this effort?

May is a Buzzy Month (new-ish)

There's a buzz in the air, and it's more than just them cicadas! We have a few new games in May, and the most recent addition is this Saturday. Tigers have a new CYO game scheduled for 1PM this Saturday with Seton High School (see new information, above).

The old WRONG directions: Took a bit of a guess, and I think this is the correct location for the Seton game on Saturday — John S. Long Park in Haymarket. DON'T GO HERE! Go HERE instead.

The new Saturday game comes on the heels of the Wednesday and Thursday games. Then Sunday begins a stretch of 8 days with 8 games! I told you it was a buzzy month... I mean busy month.

More information is beginning to dribble-in about the June tournaments. Once we have something substantial to mop-up and wring-out into detailed information, you will find it here. The USSSA State Tournament at the end of June is (so far, anyway) the most organized, but we're still waiting to receive the "big packet" of fluffy goodness.

Did you know that cicadas are builders, too? Yep, they create a little structure called (very cleverly) “a hut.” To learn more, peek at this great illustration of the cicada life-cycle created by The Washington Post! Now you can be poised-and-ready to enjoy your asparagus-like snack over the little cicada hut. Or is that not really giving the little creatures a fair shot at survival? You decide.

I have found a single cicada wing on the table on my deck. That's it. Nuttin' else. I'm beginning to think my yard is barren of those cicadas. Makes me sad... Where are they???

Tigers Win!

Thank You, Coach Doug!

Coach Doug made arrangements for Tigers to see the Potomac Cannons vs. (our friends) the Kinston Indians on Monday, May 10th at 7PM. Thank you, Doug, for setting-up the event. I know I had a ball (hehe... sorry.)!

 

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